श्रीश्रीगौरगदाधरौ विजयेताम् buse aveney to suntant ŚRĪ BHAGAVAT SANDARBHA — His Qualities, Abode and Associates by Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmī Sanskrit Text with English Translation Sri Bho and Jiva-toşani Commentary dius SATYANARAYANA DASA Glo Ne JIVA sro Men Jiva Institute of Vaishnava Studies oghoudhurVrindavan gigs on insist th ANDARBHA श्री भागवन सन्दर्भ hastamalakavat-tattvaṁ śrimad-bhāgavatasya yaḥ darśayāmāsa jivebhyas tam śri-jiva-prabhuṁ numaḥ We bow down to Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmi Prabhupada who revealed the essential meaning of Srimad Bhagavatam to the people of the world just as plainly as one would display an amalaki fruit kept on one’s palm. sandarbha yena nadhītās tasya bhagavate śramaḥ sandarbha yena cãdhītā nāsti bhagavate bhramaḥ One who has not undergone comprehensive study of Sat Sandarbhas must struggle to assimilate the message of Srimad Bhagavatam. One who has studied Sat Sandarbhas, however, will have no misgivings about the essential meaning of Srimad Bhāgavatam. Contents at a Glance atusluoto sidst Introduction Dedication.. I Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha Mangalācaraṇa Anucchedas 1-102.. XV xxvii 1 3 5 II References 1041 Editors’ Notes 1043 The Language of Transcendence - Key Terms and Concepts.. 1045 Glossary 1059 72 Abbreviations 1078 Subject Index. 1079 Verse Index … Bibliography 1115 9910v90 ad lo 1149 siamex3nA Acknowledgements 1158 egada to zattalustada vii Table of Contents 90 6 16 290 YIntroduction .. fiv Dedication.. XV Houtbexxvii I Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha sildrebne vegera m 1 Mangalācaraṇa 3 1 Absolute Reality Manifests in Three Different Ways… 5 TAC2 Distinction Between Brahman and Bhagavan. 9 E3 Bhagavan as the Qualified Absolute. 17 4 Bhagavan Is Nārāyaṇa. 35 5 Absolute Reality Manifests in Three Aspects 46 6 The Person Eligible for Brahman Realization. 51 enoitRivenddA 7 The Manifestation of Brahman… 65 72 viii 8 Devotion Is the Means to Bhagavan Realization.oldu 6 10 11 Bhagavan Manifests According to the Moodul of the Devotee An Example of Bhagavan Realization The Characteristics of Bhagavan Are Inherent….. 121 74 222 77 12 STE I….. Bhagavan Is the Refuge of Mutually Conflicting Potencies TE … 126 13 SE 14 Bhagavan Is the Refuge of Mutually Conflicting Potencies - II ….. Bhagavan Is the Refuge of Mutually Conflicting Potencies … 129 III. 132 15 Bhagavan’s Potencies Are Inconceivable 134 16 Bhagavan’s Energies Are Intrinsic 138 SEE 17 Bhagavan Has Both Conscious and Inert Potencies.. 165 18 Maya’s Two Divisions. 172 19 The Internal Energy Is the Source of All Action …. 187 20 The Jiva Is Dependent on Bhagavan for His Power of Cognition. 198 288 223 21 Māyā Is under Bhagavan’s Control 206 Māyā Is Activated by Bhagavan 209 Threefold Māyā Is Real 213 24 The Qualities of Bhagavan Are Intrinsic to His Nature… guor 231 25 Bhagavan’s Attributes Constitute His Essential Nature.. TA 243 26 Bhagavan’s Attributes Are Eternal 27 Bhagavan Is Transcendental to Māyā 28 012 29 248 252 Māyā Feels Shy to Appear before Bhagavān. .. Bhagavan’s Body Is Part of His Essential Nature . . . 30 Bhagavan’s Body Is Transcendental. 255 259 268 31 Bhagavan’s Body Is All-pervading. 284 08032 Bhagavan’s Form Is Unlimited …. 300 ix FEL Śrī Krsna Is the Ultimate Cause aer 38 Various Avataras of Bhagavan 39 40 33 Bhagavan’s Form Is Not Limited by Materialngada Elements …. 34 35 w w w w w Bhagavan Is Both within and without el navsgads the Universe.. The Universe Is within the Lord’s Belly Kṛṣṇa’s Body Is Advaya-brahma Bhagavan’s Form Is Unlimited 708 H navegada Unlimited Forms of Bhagavan Exist within One Form 312 EZ … 316 321 326 2009 21 332 337 340 343 41 The Lord’s Body Contains Everything PL 359 42 Kṛṣṇa’s Form Can Manifest Bot in Innumerable OS Places Simultaneously.. nonin Ingoto 370 43 Śrī Kṛṣṇa Is the Paramatmada istinu at EYEM 378 POS 44 Śrī Kṛṣṇa Is the Paramātmā - II. 15A LEVEM 385 45 The Lord’s Body Is Eternal and All-pervading….. 46 Though Invisible, the Lord’s Body Can Be Seen by His Mercy 392 405 47 EAC His Name, Form, Actions and Attributes Are Transcendental vegada 413 48 The Lord’s Senses Are Transcendental 476 49 The Lord’s Bodily Limbs Are Non-Materials da 488 50 Contradictory Statements Reconciled.. 497 51 The Lord’s Form Is the Supreme Absolute Reality… 510 52 Śrī Ṛṣabhadeva’s Body Is Transcendental. 521 48 53 DOP Kṛṣṇa’s Body Is Transcendental and Most Beautiful ….. 530 X 54 Devaki’s Prayer to Śrī Kṛṣṇa. 534 55 The Partial Expansions of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Are Also Transcendental 539 56 Krsna’s Form Is the Ultimate of All That Is to Be FOT Attained… 546 57 Kṛṣṇa Is Sabdabrahman 554 58 Kṛṣṇa’s Body Is the Complete Form of Bhagavan.. 557 59 Bhagavan’s Attire and Ornaments Are Part of His Svarupa 574 60 Bhagavan’s Weapons Belong to His Svarupa. 579 215 61 Vaikuntha Is Also Part of Bhagavan’s Svarupa 586 62 596 63 No One Falls from Vaikuntha. 600 Ber 308 Vaikuntha Is beyond the Material World. 64 Vaikuntha Is Both beyond Matter and a Place of No Falldown. 65 Only Those Free from the Gunas of Nature Attain Vaikuntha 66 Vaikuntha Is the Shelter of the Nirguna State 81867 Vaikuntha Is Eternal. 68 Vaikuntha Surpasses Liberation.. 69 Vaikuntha Is Sat-cit-ananda - I… 70 Vaikuntha Is Sat-cit-ananda - II .. 636 639 641 … 644 646 652 657 71 Vaikuntha Is Not Known to Ritualistic Performers. . 662 72 Dhruvaloka Is Also Transcendental Vaikuntha …. 666 73 Vaikuntha Has Numerous Manifestations…….. 689 1874 Vaikuntha Self-Manifests like the Lord’s Body….. 692 xi E275 Bhagavan’s Associates Are Transcendental lave like Him 42 08276 696 The Lord’s Associates Are like the Lord… 700 77 A Devotee’s Highest Aspiration: To Be in the Company of the Lord’s Associates…. haust.. 703 78 The Residents of Vaikuntha Are Transcendental to the Material World…. 706 79 The Threefold Spiritual Manifestation Is Part of the Internal Potency.. Rada 721 80 The Lord Is the Embodiment of All Human 682 81 Attainments. 782 Ja me cela al adinulin Bhagavan Is the Most Complete Manifestation of Brahman 00 82 83 ara PES 785 Ātmārāmas Render Service to Bhagavan. vice to Bhagavān. зло ой 798 AO Io lo 802 आ по 20 DALEY HIGHA Brahma-jñāna 815 Bhagavan Realization Is the Highest Rung on the Ladder of Transcendence. 84 Śrī Kṛṣṇa Advises Uddhava to Transcend 85 Dhruva Mahārāja Accepts Bhagavan as Superior to Brahman… Devotees Do Not Desire Liberation. Brahman Is Not Independent of Bhagavan…..!!! 2086 2987 88 Brahman Is Part of Bhagavan V. 818 80821 824 831 89 Brahman Is the Attributeless Magnificence of Bhagavan.. 835 98.90 Brahman Is the Opulence of Bhagavān Se 91 Brahman Is the Lord’s Bodily Effulgence.. 838 841 xii 92 Scriptures Describe Bhagavan As beyond Brahman. 93 Bhagavan Is the Shelter of Everything, Including Brahman… 95 96 The Primary Meaning of the Word Brahma Is Bhagavan… Śrīmad Bhāgavatam Is the Complete Scripture The Conclusion of the Catuḥ-śloki of Bhāgavatam Is Bhagavan .. 843 848 868 … 885 898 97 All Scriptures Are Reconciled in Bhagavan 931 98 The Vedic Sound Reveals Bhagavān.. 937 99 Laksmi Is the Energy of the Lord 996 100 Lakṣmi Is the Lord’s Eternal Consort. 1019 101 Bhagavan Can Be Known Only through the Vedas .. 1026 102 Bhagavan Can Be Realized through Devotion Alone. 1032 II References 1041 Editors’ Notes .. 1043 The Language of Transcendence - Key Terms and Concepts. 1045 Glossary 1059 Abbreviations Subject Index. 1078 1079 Verse Index. Bibliography 1115 1149 Acknowledgments. 1158 xiii troffs zhhbang to Indy hom ud von lastedg Introduction X sirevorg auds some way of would mud 103 6 śri-bhagavan uvāca idam tu te guhyatamam pravakṣyamy anasuyave jñānam vijñāna-sahitam yaj jñätvä mokṣyase’subhat Śrī Bhagavan said: “I shall teach you, who are devoid of envy, this most secret knowledge [of devotion] along with the means of its realization, knowing which, you will become free from the inauspiciousness of conditional existence.” (GITĀ 9.1) 25 THE REAL GOAL OF LIFE IS HAPPINESS. In whatever we do, our ulti- mate goal is to be happy. Happiness can be attained in two ways: by pleasing our own senses or by pleasing the Supreme Person (Bha- gavan), directly or indirectly. Those who seek their own happiness independent of Bhagavan ultimately remain unhappy. The reason is that we cannot truly please ourselves while we are confused about who we actually are. A human being is a conscious self, animating a physical body, ego, mind and discriminating intellect. As such, the conscious self is our true identity, whereas the other four instruments are acquired, temporary and superficial dimensions of embodied life. Because we mistake the body, ego, mind and intellect to be the most important dimensions of our being, we fail to achieve happiness and try in vain to please our senses. When one recognizes oneself as a conscious being, as a part of Bhagavan distinct from the body-mind-complex, one will understand how to attain true happiness. Vedic literature teaches that the basic cause of suffering is ignorance about our real XVIntroduction self. The Vedic seers thus provided authentic knowledge to enable humanity to overcome this ignorance. They considered this effort to be the highest welfare for society. Keeping the ultimate goal of enlightenment in mind, they devised four pursuits (puruṣārthas) for human life. They did not teach us to neglect our physical needs, but to satisfy them in a way that we remain aligned with the ultimate goal, which is to realize our real identity. Vedic society thus con- ceived of four human pursuits corresponding to the four aspects of a human being. The basic need of an individual is survival, which is directly related to the physical body. This primarily entails food, clothing and shelter. To acquire these necessities, there is a need for wealth (artha), because not everyone can produce all the require- ments for their own survival. Consequently, there arises the need to exchange commodities or for a means of commerce. Once the basic means for survival have been provided for, there is a natural tendency to seek pleasure or happiness (kama), which is related to the mind. Wealth is also needed to fulfill a person’s desires for happiness. To procure wealth and mental pleasure, there is a need for social organization. This necessitates striving not only for one’s own economic welfare and sense pleasure but doing it in such a way that one does not impede the goals of other members of society. Therefore, some order and discipline is required to maintain balance in society, and this integral system of morals is termed dharma. V The previous three objectives follow a single line of evolution, but the fourth goal arises to correct the ineffectiveness of all the previ- ous goals. No matter how well defined and refined our ethics, how equitable and stable our financial base, and how opulent our stan- dard of living, still we remain unfulfilled. Our reaction to this persis- tent dissatisfaction is to seek mokṣa - “freedom.” This begins with the simple desire to be disentangled from money and social restric- tions, and culminates in the aspiration to be freed from all limita- tions imposed by finite existence within a relativistic universe. All four goals, however, are related only to the body, ego, mind and intel- lect, which together form the external covering of the self. Although the fourth goal extricates the self from the mire of the body-mind- complex, it does not deliver any positive happiness to the self. xvi Introduction bal Perceiving that sense gratification provides but limited and self- ish satisfaction, people propose that seeing to the wants and needs of others, rather than our own, will bring true happiness. Cer- tainly this comes closer to the mark, yet a feeling of emptiness per- sists within, because such acts of welfare are not aimed at the ulti- mate goal. Rather than catering to one’s own misidentification with the body-mind-complex, they cater to that same misidentification within others.vikute ardaligidan Why is this so? Because such acts do not take the root of the prob- lem into consideration. True altruism lies not in merely taking care of the external persona of a living being; it lies in alleviating the ignorance that is the root of everyone’s disability in finding happi- ness - ignorance of one’s true identity in relation to Bhagavan. To enlighten the ignorant and conditioned self to its true identity solves the eternal problem of happiness at its very root. Śrī Kṛṣṇa says in Bhagavad Gita that one of the basic godly characteristics is to be compassionate towards others, and that this compassion releases us from our beginningless suffering? The core mission of the Vedas is to provide knowledge about the self and its relation to the Supreme Self, enabling true altruism and compassion. The great seers of India illustrated this transcendental altruism by striving tirelessly to enlighten the masses. Among such luminar- ies, Śrī Jīva Gosvāmi is a brilliant moon who performed unparalleled welfare to humanity by presenting the essence of Vedic literature in the form of the Sat Sandarbhas. Without the detailed guidance of a work like the Sat Sandarbhas, a seeker of knowledge can easily get lost in the dense forest of Vedic literature, not knowing where to begin and how to pursue his spiritual life. to gbolwork bilav Śrī Jiva Gosvāmi, who had studied the entire gamut of Vedic liter- ature, including the Vedas, Purāņas, Agamas, six darśanas and their various branches, came to the conclusion that in the present age, the daya bhūtesu 512 1 GĪTĀ 16.2s vid 2 daivi sampad vimokṣāya GĪTĀ 16.5 3 vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ GĪTĀ 15.159 by all of notater ved galworl xvii Introduction easiest and best way to know our relation to Bhagavan is revealed in Srimad Bhagavatam, the final work of Śrī Vedavyāsa. He consid- ered the study of Srimad Bhagavatam an integral process of realizing that relationship and thus finally attaining the ultimate goal of life: unadulterated joy. To grant humanity a thorough, systematic under- standing of Srimad Bhagavata Purana, Śrī Jiva Gosvāmi wrote Bhāga- vata Sandarbha, “A Compilation of the Bhagavata” (also known as Ṣat Sandarbha, “Six Compilations,” because it has six divisions: Tattva, Bhagavat, Paramātma, Kṛṣṇa, Bhakti, and Priti Sandarbha). Overview of the Six Sandarbhas Sat Sandarbha is a systematically organized compilation of essential verses from Srimad Bhagavatam, thoroughly revealing its essential message. According to Jīva Gosvāmi, Śrīmad Bhagavatam describes three basic subjects: (1) our identity in relation to the Absolute (sambandha-jñāna), (2) the process to realize that identity (abhid- heya-tattva), and (3) the ultimate goal achieved by doing so (prayo- jana-tattva). In the Sat Sandarbhas, Sri Jiva elaborates on these three topics. Tattva Sandarbha is the first of the Six Sandarbhas and is an intro- duction to the rest. It can be divided into two parts: pramāņa and prameya. The first part (pramāna) deals with epistemology, the means of acquiring valid knowledge. In this part, Jīva Gosvāmī establishes Śrīmad Bhagavatam as the foremost source of valid tran- scendental knowledge. It is very important to note Śrī Jiva Gosvāmi’s conviction that Srimad Bhagavatam is not merely a book containing valid knowledge of Reality; it actually qualifies the reader to directly perceive Reality and is itself nondifferent from Reality. This convic- tion is indeed shared by Śrī Vyasa himself and proclaimed decisively at the very beginning of Srimad Bhagavatam (1.1.2 and 1.3.44). The second part (prameya) begins to focus on the actual meaning of Bhāgavatam, revealing its essence in summary by examining the vision of Reality that was disclosed to Vyasadeva while in the state of trance. In short, Jīva Gosvāmī establishes that the ultimate subject of knowledge is Bhagavan in relation to His variegated energies. xviii Introduction In the next three Sandarbhas (beginning with this one, Bhaga- vat Sandarbha), Jiva Gosvāmi elaborates on the topic of ontology (sambandha-jñāna). He begins this volume by establishing Reality as the nondual absolute substantive, existing most completely as Bhagavan, the transcendent Supreme Person. In the third volume (Paramätma Sandarbha), he delineates Bha- gavan’s manifestation immanent within all entities, called Param- ātmā, Iśvara or Purușa. He also describes the ontology of the indi- vidual living beings (jivas) and the illusory potency (māyā). The jiva is a conscious integrated part of Paramātmā, and the illusory energy that enthralls and conditions the jiva is Paramātmā’s exter- nal energy.gilson lliw loubivibuildieiviai The fourth volume (Krsna Sandarbha) reveals Śrī Kṛṣṇa as Svayam Bhagavan, the original Supreme Person. It also describes how Śrī Kṛṣṇa has His eternal abode manifest in three places, namely, Vṛndāvana, Mathura and Dvārakā. He is timelessly present in these three places along with His ever-liberated associates, engaged in His eternal divine līlā. The fifth volume (Bhakti Sandarbha) elaborates upon the method- ology of self-realization (abhidheya). Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmī explains that devotional service performed for the pleasure of Śrī Kṛṣṇa (bhakti) without any tinge of vested interest is the method to realize one’s relationship to Absolute Reality, which naturally entails real- ization of one’s true identity. Without bhakti, no other process, such as jñāna-yoga, is efficacious in realizing the Absolute. He describes the various types and practices of bhakti and concludes that the highest form of bhakti is performed following the intrinsic mood and nature of the eternal associates in Vraja. bulm Bhakti leads one to the ultimate goal, prayojana, which is the sub- ject matter of the sixth and final volume, Priti Sandarbha. Here Śrī Jiva Gosvāmī provides a detailed analysis of priti, love for Kṛṣṇa. He shows that priti is not just a sentiment (bhava), but an aesthetic relish of that sentiment (rasa). Priti brings about the union of the devo- tee and Kṛṣṇa without any loss of ontological individuality. This union or oneness is indeed the secret meaning of the non-dualistic statements of the Upanisads, such as tat tvam asi - You are that. xix Introduction Summary of Bhagavat Sandarbha dan orts al The central theme of Jiva Gosvāmi’s discussion in Bhagavat San- darbha is based upon the second line of the famous verse from Bhā- gavata Purana (1.2.11): “Knowers of the Absolute describe it as non- dual consciousness, naming it as Brahman, as Paramātmā and as Bhagavan.“sus did dashni nodinama nivag Jiva Gosvāmi’s purpose in writing this Sandarbha is to establish Bhagavan, consisting of a trans-empirical form replete with tran- scendental energies, as the highest manifestation of the Absolute, superior even to Brahman. Although Absolute Reality is one and indivisible, an individual will realize it in three stages of completion, as far as his or her individual capacity of realization permits. Thus, individuals can realize Absolute Reality as Brahman, Paramātmā or Bhagavan. The specific sequence of nouns used in this verse (“Brah- man, Paramātmā and Bhagavan”) indicates the increasing impor- tance and completeness of each succeeding manifestation. Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī also points out that Absolute Reality is never authentically realized as the jiva, the individual living being. malog din sdr When one realizes the Absolute Truth without perceiving any distinction between its energies and the Absolute itself as Energetic Source, it is called Brahman. When through deeper intuitive insight one apprehends a distinction between the energies and the Ener- getic Source, but perceives this distinction only in relation to phe- nomenal energies (the world and the living entities within it), the Reality thus realized is called Paramātmā. When one’s discernment of the distinction between energy and Energetic Source moves still deeper to include the internal, transcendental energies of Reality, one begins to perceive Reality as Bhagavan.balada Thus, it is clear that there is no ontological difference between Brahman, Paramātmā and Bhagavan. The difference lies only in the level of perception of the respective seekers. Nevertheless, the difference is not just one of nomenclature. () from dedi la aid For example, the phrase “blue lotus” has three components: (1) “lotus” - the noun itself, a substance unqualified by any adjective, ( 2 ) “blue” — the adjective qualifying the noun, and (3) the complete XX Introduction phrase, “blue lotus” - a qualified substance. There is no real differ- ence between “lotus” and “blue lotus” except that the former does not convey any specific features, whereas the latter clearly states its color. The distinction between Brahman and Bhagavan is similar. In this way, even though He is qualified with all potencies, Bha- gavan is the undifferentiated Reality because He is the complete manifestation of the Absolute Truth. Brahman, on the other hand, exhibits no specific qualities and is therefore an incomplete mani- festation of that same Truth, just as “lotus” conveys an incomplete depiction of “blue lotus.” As such, even though there is no real dif- ference between Brahman and Bhagavan, they are not one and the same in all respects. The difference lies in the limitation of vision on the part of the seeker.slovni dobro2 aid to resear Śrī Jiva explains that when the Absolute is perceived as unquali- fied (i.e., as Brahman), it amounts to bare awareness of the substan- tive prior to the specification of its intrinsic nature. At this stage it is known as viśeşya, or that which is yet to be defined. The energies that inhere in the Absolute are its qualifiers (viseṣana). When the same Absolute is perceived as inclusive of its intrinsic power (i.e., as Bhagavan), it amounts to complete awareness of the substantive as a qualified entity (visista). alidevisongard niti moti sosda bro If one realizes Bhagavan, one will naturally understand Brah- man, just as one who beholds a blue lotus automatically sees a lotus. This is why Śrī Jiva did not dedicate a separate Sandarbha to Brah- man. Whatever is essential to know about Brahman is contained within Bhagavat Sandarbha asbristo As there is no absolute difference between Bhagavan and Brah- man, so too there is no absolute difference between Bhagavan and Paramātmā, the latter being a partial manifestation (sväṁśa) of Bha- gavan. In the Paramātmā manifestation, the Absolute is understood *Thus, Śrī Jiva’s understanding of Brahman is notably distinct from the Advaita definition, which considers Brahman ultimately to be entirely devoid of all energies, manifest as qualities, forms, names and actions. Śrī Jiva Gosvāmi exerts considerable effort to establish that the energies of Bhagavan are real, eternal, and not superimposed or borrowed, countermanding the philosophy of Advaitavada, which claims that they are superimpositions of maya (Pañcadasi 1.236). F xxi Introduction as the source of creation who enters the individual ātmās constitut- ing His “intermediary energy” (taṭastha-śakti), catalyzes the evolu- tion of material elements and various forms from pradhāna, and acts as the inner regulator and facilitator of the interface between the ātmā and the material elements. Although there is no absolute difference among the three aspects of the One Absolute Reality, Śrī Jiva Gosvāmi’s evaluation is that Bha- gavan is the most complete manifestation (pūrṇa-ävirbhāva), replete with unparalleled variegated potencies. In comparison to Bhagavan, Brahman and Paramätmä are incomplete manifestations (asamyag- āvirbhāva) of the One Absolute Reality. The realization of Bhagavan naturally includes that of Brahman, but not vice versa. The rest of this Sandarbha involves a further elaboration on the nature of Bhagavan, revealing the transcendental character of His form, name, abode, devotees, activities and His superiority over Brahman. Hence, Jiva Gosvāmī rightly calls it Bhagavat Sandarbha - an essay on Bhagavan.do y ot Referencing the statements of sage Parāśara in Visnu Purāņa (6.5.74), Jīva Gosvāmī shows that the word bhagavan means one who has six-fold majesties in infinite fullness: the power to regulate all existence from within, inconceivable potency, fame, wealth, knowl- edge and detachment. The word bhagavan also means one who is never influenced by the three gunas of prakṛti (VP 6.5.79). His ener- gies have a relationship of inherence (samavaya) with Him. They are inherent within His being, and thus He is never devoid of such potencies. Although Bhagavan is endowed with infinite potencies, these potencies are categorized in three groups: internal (antaranga or svarupa-śakti), intermediary (taṭastha or jīva-śakti) and exter- nal (bahiranga or maya-śakti). The internal potency (constituting the true self of Bhagavan) is fully and directly displayed in Him. The other two potencies are displayed indirectly through Param- ātmā. By virtue of His inscrutable, inherent potency, the singular Ultimate Reality eternally manifests in four forms: (1) His own essential form (svarupa), (2) His partial self-expansions (vaibhava), (3) conscious entities with distinct individuality (jiva / ātmā), and xxii Introduction (4) the potentiality inhering in the material elements (pradhana). Thus, Bhagavan is simultaneously endowed with conscious energy (cit-śakti) and inert matter (acit-sakti, also called māyā-śakti or bahiranga-sakti).b of bits Māyā-śakti, or the external energy, can never exercise its influ- ence on Bhagavan. However, it has the power of causing delusion to the individual ātmās. The cit-sakti and māyā-śakti are mutu- ally antagonistic (one reveals, whereas the other deludes), and yet their manifold functions are founded in the common substratum of Bhagavan. Insvegara lo mol Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī stresses that Bhagavan’s energies have two important features: they are trans-rational (acintyatva) and intrin- sic to Him (svābhāvikatva). Since they are trans-rational, the ener- gies of Reality are ultimately inscrutable and not fully within the grasp of human thought and reason (tarka-asaha). “Trans-rational” also indicates that these energies can accomplish logically impossi- ble feats. Another import of “trans-rational” is that the relationship between these energies and their energetic source is not entirely within the grasp of logic. These energies are not distinct from the Energetic, but also not entirely identical to Him. It is by virtue of this understanding that the philosophy of Śrī Caitanya has become known as Acintya-bhedabheda-vāda (the school of trans-rational simultaneous oneness and distinction). That Bhagavan’s energies are “intrinsic” indicates that they are natural to Him and constitute in their totality His very essence, although He remains transcen- dent to their totality, as their source. These energies are neither borrowed nor superimposed on Him from any other source. In the final section of Bhagavat Sandarbha, Śrī Jīva Gosvāmi explains that these energies have distinct personalities, names and forms. This is why in almost all Indian temples dedicated to Bhaga- vān as Krsna or Visņu, Bhagavan is accompanied by His consort, Śrī Radha or Śrī Laksmi, the personification of His internal potency. of The internal energy of Bhagavan also has three aspects: exis- tence (sandhini), awareness (samvit) and bliss (hlädini). The sandhini potency is the intrinsic power of existence of the Self-existent Bhaga- vän, and it upholds the existence of the individual ātmās and nature. xxiii Introduction The samvit potency is the power of knowledge of Bhagavan by which He is all-knowing and which enables all others to know. The hlad- ini potency is the power of bliss, which bestows bliss both to Bha- gavan - who is inherently full of bliss - and to others. These three aspects of the internal potency are the very nature of Bhagavan and thus exist eternally in Him. The samvit potency includes and super- sedes the sandhini potency, and the hladini potency includes and supersedes the other two. This threefold internal energy of Bhaga- van constitutes His very nature and that of His abode and associates. Bra Next, Śrī Jiva establishes that the form of Bhagavan is not mate- rial like that of human beings. It is spiritual and consists of exis- tence, consciousness and bliss (sat-cit-ānanda-rūpatva). Such a form cannot be cognized by ordinary material senses, and yet it is self- revealed by the trans-rational potency of Bhagavan. Unlike mor- tal beings, the form of Bhagavan is not different from His essen- tial nature. Although the form of Bhagavan is one, it can mani- fest in unlimited places in infinite aspects simultaneously, in direct correspondence to the mood of His devotees.antin@swed The contradictory attributes of localization and all-pervasive- ness were present in the form of Kṛṣṇa simultaneously. The form of Bhagavan is always beyond the limits of time and place even when manifest in the material world. Like the form of Bhagavan, His dress, ornaments, abode and associates are all manifestations of the svarupa-sakti, the internal potency. Similarly, just as Bhagavan’s form is nondifferent from His essential being, so too His name is identical with Him. It has the same power as Bhagavan and is similarly beyond the grasp of the material senses. Realizing His name even once can free one from the bondage of the material world. This is why Bengal Vaisnavism lays great stress on nama-japa and nama-sankirtana - celebrating the names of Bhagavan in a solitary quiet manner (japa) or en masse to the accompaniment of music and dance (sankirtana). Śrī Caitanya Mahaprabhu proclaimed that in the present age, Kaliyuga, congre- gational chanting of the names of Bhagavan is the most efficacious means for attaining perfection in spiritual life. The birth, acts, name, form, color and other features of Bhagavan are all spiritual, being χχίν Introduction manifestations of His svarupa-sakti; they manifest to enhance the bliss of His devotees. Bhagavan is ātmārāma, one who delights in His own Self, yet He bestows grace upon His devotees. Bhagavan’s grace is one of His infinite attributes, and it is an aspect of His partic- ularly wonderful nature whereby He displays His internal bliss. It is through the grace bestowed on His devotees that Bhagavan discloses His birth, form, pastimes and so on. Other than bestowing bliss upon His devotees, there is no other purpose behind such revela- tions because He is inherently complete in Himself. The realization of Bhagavan together with the various unique characteristics con- stituting Him as the essence of Ultimate Reality is said to be perfect and complete. Such complete and perfect realization of Bhagavan is possible only through bhakti. Śrī Jiva Gosvāmi concludes Bhagavat Sandarbha with the glori- fication of divine love, prema-bhakti, the only means that self-dis- closes Bhagavan. But to realize the full benefit of bhakti, one must have a clear conceptual understanding of Bhagavan, without any lingering doubts. In this way, Jiva Gosvāmi lays the groundwork for abhideya- tattva, or the truth regarding the means of attainment. Therefore, a serious spiritual seeker should invest the time and attention neces- sary to thoroughly study this book with great care, because it forms the indispensible foundation for spiritual practice (sadhanā). In this book we have employed certain terminology that may be unfamiliar to the reader. There is an essay in the appendix entitled, “The Language of Transcendence,” that lucidly explains these terms and any neologisms. Without going through this essay, one may be at a loss to grasp the precise meaning of the terminology used. There- fore, we recommend readers to first acquaint themselves with this terminology before entering into the book proper. XXVDedication vraja-bhaktireva vedantaḥ śri-gaura eva rādhākāntaḥ prakhyāpito yena rāddhāntaḥ rātvidam mudam tasya svāntaḥ Loving service to Bhagavan Śrī Kṛṣṇa in the mood of the Vraja gopīs is the ultimate conclusion of all the Vedas and Vedic literature. Śrī Caitanya Mahaprabhu is indeed Kṛṣṇa, the beloved of Rädhä. May this book delight the heart of my guru, who clearly disclosed this unequivocal truth unto me. THIS BOOK IS DEDICATED to my guru śrī śrī 108 Śrī Śrotriya Bhagavad-niṣṭha Śrīmad Haridāsa Śāstrī Mahārāja Nava-tirtha, an ideal example of a devotee and ācārya. I bow down at the holy feet of my Gurudeva. He taught me with great love most of the works of Śrī Rūpa, Sanatana and Jīva Gosvāmi, and other Gauḍīya ācāryas. The Ṣat Sandarbhas were the first works I studied under him. He was a great admirer of the Gosvāmis, not only through words but by being a strict adherent of their teachings. He was a living example of Gauḍīya Vaisnava theology and philoso- phy. Thus, I learned from him not only during his discourses, but also through being with him, seeing him deal with various life situa- tions, and serving in the gośälä and elsewhere. It is he who inspired me to propagate this knowledge by making it available in English. xxvii Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha dup bag baid, adh beyond all breadonna vita o prom and to 992m doroton his novedty sell air?mben ser din si vied goinaged en is nalogom wou Hood algnik & mo10) 2011-2 102 banabianos 3d Mangalācaraṇa Sil 202790 0W seat to Lansdal bas equft clues aid to 1991 तौ सन्तोषयता सन्तौ श्रीलरूपसनातनौ । दाक्षिणात्येन भट्टेन पुनरेतद्विविच्यते ॥ १ ॥ dyew vida di ausged FOR THE PLEASURE OF THE TWO SAGES, Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī and Śrīla Sanatana Gosvāmi, I am rearranging this book, compiled by Śri Gopala Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmi, who was born in South India. तस्याद्यं ग्रन्थनालेखं क्रान्तव्युत्क्रान्तखण्डितम् । पर्यालोच्याथ पर्यायं कृत्वा लिखति जीवकः ॥ २॥ Some parts of his book were in order, some out of order, while others were incomplete or missing. After thorough deliberation, Śri Jiva now writes it in the appropriate order. Commentary atha natvā mantra-gurun śrī-gurun sandarbhärthadān sandarbheşu dvitiyasya bhāṣā-ṭīkā karomy aham After offering obeisance to my initiating guru and to my instructing teachers, I am writing the translation and commentary to the second book of the Sat Sandarbhas. ŚRILA JIVA GOSVĀMI COMPOSED eight verses at the beginning of Śrī Tattva Sandarbha as mangalacarana, or an auspicious invocation to the work. The mangalacarana of Bhagavat Sandarbha has only two 3 Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha verses, the first having the same significance as the third and fourth verses of the mangalacarana of Tattva Sandarbha, and the second being the fifth verse verbatim. Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī did not compose a new mangalācarana at the beginning of Bhagavat Sandarbha because he considered Sat Sandarbhas to form a single book. In the first of these two verses, he again remembers the lotus feet of his teachers, Śrīla Rūpa and Sanatana Gosvāmīs, upon whose order the work was undertaken. In the second verse he again expresses gratitude to Śrīla Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmi, who originally began it. In this way, he invokes the blessings of these masters for the completion of the work. For further explanation, the reader may refer to the commentaries on the third, fourth and fifth invocatory verses of Tattva Sandarbha. 18015 yd boligmos alood aids primers morené vě elbut dino at mad unw odw. In ada alaga nobisdilab ignosoil mit gnizales to stalgional anew.es asbro staligongge add at aniW VOM BUILDI Rhenendrobe nutup - beton Ato mado y regula har goudani ym od hms are golichid gator insod puissio mband tog of potoval quoibigeus ne to lophone oddest lean all mod bitenom at by a brot -un spaded solder bare to snimated addi Anuccheda 10 anssin sill to phoma segue a atmosp to use tooldus ad tadi baatalous edust stuloadA sdto naha Absolute Reality Manifests in Three Different phadapun Ania to Her jah sebati anons aid of swis Ways TIA १ । अथैवमद्वयज्ञानलक्षणं तत्तत्त्वं सामान्यतो लक्षयित्वा पुनरुपासकयोग्यतावैशिष्ट्येन प्रकटितनिजसत्ताविशेषं विशेषतो निरूपयति “वदन्ति” (भा० १ २ ।११) इति अस्यैवोत्तरा- र्द्धेन “ब्रह्मेति परमात्मेति भगवानिति शब्द्यते” इति ॥ THE FIRST PART OF SB 1.2.11’ describes Absolute Reality in a gen- eral manner, characterized as nondual consciousness. Then the second part2 elaborates the Absolute more specifically, “This non- dual consciousness is referred to as Brahman, Paramātmā and Bhagavan.” This one nondual Absolute thus manifests its own existence in one of these three aspects in exact accordance with the specific qualification of the worshiper. tal vd at hersten alquiles Instoftih 9out 92ach imao Evil sime of gnition Avegada Commentary ortw la oreev most ŚRILA JIVA PRABHU BEGINS the first anuccheda with the word atha, which signifies continuity from the previous book. It also invokes auspiciousness. In the Vedic culture, the word atha is considered auspicious like Om, as is said: dosha qidazow to shom ara 951 bas, mad saiah banged exomel velit 1 vadanti tat tattva-vidas tattvaṁ yaj jñānam advayam 2 brahmeti paramätmeti bhagavan iti sabdyate 3 Śrī Jīva Prabhu divides each Sandarbha into sections called anucchedas. These anucchedas are organized around one prominent verse from Srimad Bhāgavatam and conclude with the name of the speaker and hearer of that principal verse. In this translation, we refer to the anucchedas either by the Sanskrit word or as “section.” 5 Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha The word om and the word atha emanated from the throat of Śrī Brahma at the beginning of creation, and therefore, both are con- hsidered auspicious.ti. Svila he In Tattva Sandarbha, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmī established that Śrīmad Bhāgavatam is the supreme pramaņa, or the means of valid knowl- edge of the Absolute. Then he explained that the subject matter of Srimad Bhagavatam is the one nondual Reality, which is conscious in nature. To this end, he cited the first half of SB 1.2.11 in Anuccheda 51: W All those who have realized Absolute Reality refer to that Reality as nondual consciousness. This Absolute Reality is called äśraya, or the support and ground of all being. This topic is the culmination of the ten primary sub- jects discussed in Śrīmad Bhagavatam. The first nine subjects are described merely to provide the context for proper understand- ing of this tenth item. So, after introducing Absolute Reality in a general way as nondual consciousness in Tattva Sandarbha, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmī now begins Bhagavat Sandarbha with a more specific description. Tom s gana W to ages 99717 529d? lo smo ni sonsdeixe In the vadanti tat verse, Sūta Gosvāmī explains that Absolute Reality is referred to by three names - Brahman, Paramātmā and Bhagavan. According to Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi, these three different nomenclatures indicate three degrees of competence in the wor- shipers. In Bhagavad Gita Śrī Kṛṣṇa says, “I reveal Myself to all who surrender unto Me, exactly in accordance with the essential nature of their surrender.” Yatha, or “in accordance with the essential nature,” in this statement signifies the inner disposition of the devo- tee, the mode of worship, the devotee’s conceptual outlook in regard to Bhagavan’s form, and similar factors that contribute to and define the nature of the surrender undertaken. staybdo and *onkāras catha sabdaś ca dvav etau brahmaṇaḥ pură pes 5 kāṇṭham bhittvā vīniryātau tena māngalikāv ubhau vadanti tat tattva-vidas tattvam yaj jñānam advayam ye yatha mam prapadyante tams tathaiva bhajamy aham GĪTĀ 4.11
- Hy antimong t wil ondes evil sto 6 1 Absolute Reality Manifests in Three Different Ways Taking this into consideration, the words brahma, paramātmā and bhagavan in Suta’s verse denote not only the one nondual Abso- lute in three degrees of completion, but also three degrees of com- pletion in surrender. The same nondual Absolute is revealed, and thus interpreted, either as Brahman, Paramātmā or Bhagavan in accordance with the core disposition of surrender, shaped in no small measure by the theory and praxis adopted by the adherents of different paths. This implies that if a worshiper has a non-personal concept of the Absolute and cultivates a legitimate process to realize it, then the Absolute will manifest to him as unqualified Brahman. If the worshiper has a personal concept of the Absolute, then he will real- ize the Absolute as Paramātmā or Bhagavan, depending on his spe- cific understanding and the means employed. The adherents of jñāna-yoga realize the Absolute as Brahman, those of aṣṭānga-yoga as Paramātmā, and those of bhakti-yoga as Bhagavan. This is con- firmed by Śri Brahma in his prayers: places, the O Master! You take Your seat in the lotus heart that has been made sin worthy of you through love, prema. Even so, the way to reach You Ab can be understood through hearing. Out of kindness toward Your The devotees, O greatly glorified Lord, You take the very form they med- itate on and appear to them in that way. (SB 3.9.11)” Of course, this last statement does not mean that one can medi- tate on any form and that Bhagavan is thereby bound to appear to the meditator in that way. This idea is precluded by the phrase śruteksita- patha (the way to reach You can be understood through hearing). One has to hear from a qualified source and should meditate on the forms that are described in these authorized texts. The word sabdyate (“Reality is referred to as,” SB 1.2.11), indicates that it is only the words used to name Reality that differ and not Real- ity itself. Reality is one, advaya, without a second. Nevertheless, the worshipers of this nondual Reality are not all of the same degree of In “tvam bhakti-yoga-paribhāvita-hṛt-sarojāsse śrutekṣita-patho nanu nätha pumsām yad-yad-dhiya ta urugaya vibhavayanti tat-tad-vapuḥ pranayase sad-anugrahaya 7 WŚrī Bhagavat Sandarbhatl completion. This is the categorical verdict of the Supreme Lord, as Śrī Kṛṣṇa says in Bhagavad Gita: Jonserede apsivoondd bas mos 16 bb som oela tud noitalqinos to 29913sh 9970 i stol brThe yogi who meditates on Paramātmā (God as the Immanent Abso- lute) is superior to the ascetic. He is regarded as superior even to the jñānis, the adherents of Brahman, and also to those who follow scriptures with material motive. Therefore, O Arjuna, be a yogi. And of all yogis, he who, endowed with faith, worships Me with his heart- mind-attention fully absorbed in Me is, in My opinion, the greatest of all transcendentalists. (GĪTĀ 6.46-47)8 Jar lliw od nadi simloadAsil llwod sga eld no entbosqh svanda lo singerbs en bevolen viulus on stuload A Sil Ism Iftw stulnarAsia anong seal isgidasow 59 as loadAsr oxi 200 bren gaiberstaph art load Aani sallesi no el curvegaria as opov fund to stods bog misme as abium nod ar led freed Y down of yow so event, vol guards woy Torrow quet biswo sasabul to too gnieod duolt bond a -Bains or who sit droo Gobainly has 0 sorush baddestones memetida deni aidt sdo 20 adratresqgs or brood voor zinvayari daha yas hosts sutistic sastrigoris y bobloge sobie yw hitninom Agured dyes bootbbmod no way the yawada) to shno death blucal haste basuportadorizadeno the theme of arxad basirodna sasds nl bedienbaraded arret Leo Tol Bris tothed lessmen of bsan abrow divino al misli Бло 8 tapasvibhyo’dhiko yogi jñānibhyo’pi mato’dhikah karmibhyaś cadhiko yogi tasmād yogi bhavārjuna yoginām api sarveṣāṁ mad-gatenäntar-ātmanā śraddhävän bhajate yo mam sa me yuktatamo mataḥ annal valles Heat vi bon in 30 ensino 8 abelld ban aidinivir al doitin allaali auled A (20mosfumady) atallites basament sead of nines wond aidalleve indi hovuniyad latent tous etiolevad odw tindi hosilier over og tosh qd onw has this hea on bear fad lasst affairs Anuccheda 2 tdquos av viso tissga-noma niti sosires audi Distinction Between Brahman and Bhagavan 02 stagens zobenos ant noswted gaidaingniselb insadera balles zi 11 asignans 15765 २ । अथ श्रीमद्भागवताख्य एव शास्त्रे क्वचिदन्यत्रापि तदेकं तत्त्वं त्रिधा शब्द्यते क्वचिद् ब्रह्मेति क्वचित् परमात्मेति क्वचिद् भगवानिति च । किन्त्वत्र श्रीमद्व्याससमाधिलब्धाद् भेदाज् जीव इति नोक्तमिति ज्ञेयम् । THUS, IN ŚRIMAD BHAGAVATAM as well as in some other texts, the one Absolute Truth is addressed by three names. In some places, the Absolute is called Brahman, in others, Paramātmā, and in yet others, Bhagavan. But it should be noted here that since Śrīla Vyasadeva witnessed a clear distinction between the Absolute Truth and the individual self in his trance (SB 1.7.4-6), the Absolute was not referred to as jiva in this verse. ovab de तत्र ब्रह्मभगवतोर्व्याख्यातयोः परमात्मा स्वयमेव व्याख्यातो भवतीति प्रथमतस्तावेव प्रस्तूयेते । Since Paramātmā is automatically understood by specifying the distinction between Brahman and Bhagavan, we will begin with an exposition of these two.be othi gubler मूले तु क्रमाद् वैशिष्ट्यद्योतनाय तथा विन्यासः । अयमर्थः – तदेकमेवाखण्डानन्दस्वरूपं तत्त्वं थूत्कृतपारमेष्ठ्यादिकानन्दसमुदायानां परमहंसानां साधनवशात् तादात्म्यमापन्ने सत्यामपि तदीयस्वरूपशक्तिवैचित्र्यां तद्ग्रहणासामर्थ्ये चेतसि यथा सामान्यतो लक्षितं तथैव स्फुरद् वा तद्वदेवाविविक्तशक्तिशक्तिमत्ताभेदतया प्रतिपद्यमानं वा ब्रह्मेति शब्द्यते । In the verse under discussion (SB 1.2.11), the specific sequence of the names given indicates the relative importance of Brah- man, Paramātmā and Bhagavan. The idea is as follows: This one Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha Absolute Reality, which is indivisible and blissful in nature, is known as Brahman to those transcendentalists (paramahamsas) who have lost all taste for material happiness, even that available to Śrī Brahmā, and who by ardent practice have realized their identity with this Reality, but whose hearts are unable to per- ceive the variegatedness displayed by its internal potencies; they thus experience it in a non-specific way, just as they have sought it. In this manner, when the Absolute Truth is defined without distinguishing between the conscious energetic Source and its energies, it is called Brahman. अथ तदेकं तत्त्वं स्वरूपभूतयैव शक्त्या कमपि विशेषं धर्तृ परासामपि शक्तीनां मूलाश्र- यरूपं तदनुभावानन्दसन्दोहान्तर्भाविततादृशब्रह्मानन्दानां भागवतपरमहंसानां तथानु- भवैकसाधकतमतदीयस्वरूपानन्दशक्तिविशेषात्मकभक्तिभावितेष्वन्तर्बहिरपीन्द्रियेषु परिस्फुरद् वा तद्वदेव विविक्ततादृशशक्तिशक्तिमत्ताभेदेन प्रतिपाद्यमानं वा भगवानिति शब्द्यते । o mos ni ze llaw 25 MATAV M That very same Absolute Reality is named Bhagavan when, as the reservoir of all other transcendental energies, it manifests unique characteristics by the power of its internal potency and becomes revealed to the senses, both internal and external, of the devotional transcendentalists (bhāgavata-paramahamsas). For such devotees the bliss of encountering the Absolute replete with its innate attributes subsumes the bliss of Brahman realization. The senses of such devotees are transmuted through devotion, which itself is a specific aspect of the conscious bliss-potency and the sole efficient cause making possible this realization. So, when the Absolute Truth is defined precisely in this manner, taking into consideration the distinction between the conscious energetic Source and its energies, it is known as Bhagavan. एवमेवोक्तं श्रीजडभरतेन (भा० ५।१२।११) - रा Śrī Jada Bharata states in Srimad Bhagavatam: ॐ ज्ञानं विशुद्धं परमार्थमेकमनन्तरं त्वबहिर्ब्रह्म सत्यम् 15921s onl प्रत्यक् प्रशान्तं भगवच्छब्दसञ्ज्ञं यद्वासुदेवं कवयो वदन्ति ॥ ३ ॥ इति । vegda bnT 102 Distinction Between Brahman and Bhagavan The Absolute Truth is pure consciousness and the ultimate of that st To which is to be attained. It is One, devoid of any internal or exter- nal divisions. It is eternal and is called Brahman [by the jñānis]. The same Absolute Truth is called Paramātmā [by the yogis] and is situated unperturbed in the heart [of every living being]. It is called Bhagavan [by the devotees], while learned scholars call Him Vasudeva. (SB 5.12.11)1979 gubl aw in alati श्री ध्रुवं प्रति श्रीमनुना च ( भा० ४।११।३० ) - 9115 Vinist195 2017 Svayambhuva Manu also says to Dhruva Mahārāja: Б SHO DITE A leib त्वं प्रत्यगात्मनि तदा भगवत्यनन्तानन्दमात्र उपपन्नसमस्तशक्तौ । भक्तिं विधाय परमां शनकैरविद्याग्रन्थिं विभेत्स्यसि ममाहमिति प्ररूढम् ॥ ४ ॥ इति ॥ Commentary 971 By regaining your natural disposition of rendering service unto the Supreme Lord, the ground and source of all potencies [Bha- gavān], who is the all-powerful reservoir of all-bliss [Brahman] and who resides in all living beings [as Paramātmā], you will very To soon forget the illusory concepts of “I” and “my.” (SB 4.11.30)2 -blu odt ei näy navegada di bas em indi basemda olisque stuload sitt jadi apsido vem 900 notissilsen to agate stam squa bensbiznos od hluoda ti je boobnom nonrisa sili vd boot dopoldo aldi and mores ban IN THE VEDAS AND Vedic literature, Absolute Reality is referred to by various names, such as Om, sat, ātmā, vijñāna, ākāśa, ānanda, jñāna, satya, para, tat, rasa, Puruşa, Brahman, Paramātmā, Bhaga- văn, Visņu and so on. Of these, Brahman, Paramātmā and Bhaga- vän are the most prevalent. All the other names can be grouped under these three. The Upanisadic section of the Vedas and Vedānta- sutra make frequent use of the word brahma (Brahman), the Smrtis of paramātmā, and the Itihāsas and Purāņas of bhagavan. Absolute jñānam viśuddham paramartham ekam anantaram tv abahir brahma satyam pratyak prasantam bhagavac-chabda-sañjñam yad vasudevam kavayo vadanti tvam pratyag-ätmani tada bhagavaty ananta ananda-matra upapanna-samasta-saktau bhaktim vidhaya paramām śanakair avidya granthim vibhetsyasi mamãham iti prarudham versi doidw of enteil e Imavzo 11 havela Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha para s Reality is never designated as jiva or the individual self, however, for the jivas are not the conscious whole, but rather, conscious parts of that whole and manifestations of Bhagavan’s intermediary potency, taṭastha-sakti, for they are distinct both from His intrinsic nature and from His external potency that manifests as the cosmos. odbe bar ovah The jiva, although an integrated part of the Supreme Whole, is yet distinct from Absolute Reality in itself. This was clearly demon- strated by the analysis of Śrīla Vyasa’s trance in Anucchedas 30-49 of Tattva Sandarbha. This certainly refutes the theory that the non- dual Absolute Reality becomes the jiva when conditioned by māyā. If such were the case, Śrī Sūta Gosvāmi would surely have included the word jiva along with Brahman, Paramātmā and Bhagavan in the vadanti tat verse. It can thus be concluded from his statement that learned transcendentalists never designate Absolute Reality by the word jiva. However, in those cases where Bhagavan is so named, as in SB 11.24.27 (kālo māyā-maye jīve), the word should be interpreted to mean that He is the source of everyone’s life -jivayati iti jīvaḥ. The specific order of the three names given - Brahman, Param- ātmā and Bhagavan - implies that Paramātmā is a realization of the Absolute superior to Brahman, and that Bhagavan is the ulti- mate stage of realization. One may object that since Brahman is mentioned first, it should be considered superior to Paramātmā and so on, but this objection is refuted by the hermeneutic prin- ciple stating that a sequence ordered by meaning takes precedence over the sequence as read (patha-kramad artha-kramo baliyan, Artha- sangraha 39). For example, in the Vedas one will find the statement agni-hotram juhoti, “He performs the Agnihotra sacrifice.” Later, however, it says yavāgūṁ pacati, “He cooks yavāgū (a special prepa- ration used in the sacrifice).” Although here the cooking of yavāgū is mentioned after the performance of the sacrifice, such cooking naturally has to be done before the sacrifice; otherwise, preparing it serves no purpose and the sacrifice itself would be futile due to not having any yavāgū. In this case, the sequence of events should be understood in accordance with the meaning rather than the order in which the texts appear. The same applies in the case of Sūta Gosvāmi’s listing of Brahman, Paramātmā and Bhagavan. 127 2 Distinction Between Brahman and Bhagavan To clarify this sequence, Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmi begins by defin- ing the three types of realization. Brahman is the Absolute when realized as unqualified Being / Awareness. Bhagavan is the same Absolute when realized as the Supreme Person, understood as the condensed essence of Being/ Awareness, naturally and inherently endowed with unlimited self-existent potencies. Paramātmā is the same Supreme Person manifest as the Supreme Immanent pervad- ing all matter and spirit. Paramātmā is the Absolute in its feature of regulation, rulership, mastery, witnessing, preservation and control. In order to regulate the activities of material nature, He expands into various Paramātmā forms by which He pervades and sustains both macrocosm and microcosm. A detailed exposition of Paramātmā will follow in Paramätma Sandarbha, but for the time being, Jiva states that he will proceed to explain Brahman and Bha- gavan first, by which the nature of Paramātmā will be understood automatically. A paramahamsa means an ascetic of the highest order, as stated by Lord Siva to Uma: Ascetics are of four types - kuțicaka, bahūdaka, hamsa and parama- hamsa, each of which is successively superior to the previous. (MB, Anusasana-parva 141.89) loadAnt vison of sidemirsis your villisubila broyed antemor toy bas mot lansbaso8 There are essentially two types of paramahamsas or transcenden- talists, the jñānis and the bhāgavatas. Jñāni-paramahamsas are those who are disposed to the Absolute as unqualified Being; bhāgavata- paramahamsas are those who are disposed to the Absolute as per- sonal nondual Being, which is not an imposition of limiting charac- teristics on unqualified Being, as commonly conceived, but rather, the condensed essence of Being / Awareness disclosed in and by the interiority of nondual awareness. Śrī Kṛṣṇa explains the qual- ities and activities of the first type of paramahamsa in chapter 18 of the Eleventh Canto of Srimad Bhagavatam. The second type is described in chapter 3 of the same canto by the sage Hari. Dattatreya, Vamadeva, the four Kumāras before they cursed the Vaikuntha caturvidha bhiksavas te kuṭīcaka-bahūdakauis ad loadA ad ol hamsaḥ paramahamsaś ca yo yaḥ paścat sa uttamaḥ Vegas 13 Havana Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbhaja gatekeepers, Jaya and Vijaya, and so on, are examples of the first type. Prahlada, Narada, Uddhava and the gopis of Vraja are exam- ples of the second type. Agnis batillinen posifa Jñani-paramahamsas have no material desire for anything even up to the bliss of Satyaloka, the planet of Śri Brahma, but they are predisposed to conceive of all characteristics, such as name, form, qualities, action and personhood, as dualistic impositions on Spirit, as they most certainly are in conventional phenomenal exis- tence. In doing so, however, they deny the possibility of nondual consciousness being inherently self-endowed with transcendental characteristics that are not subject to the defects and limitations of their material counterparts and that in no way violate its integrity of being nondual. Because of this denial, they fail to recognize transconventional personhood as the concealed essence of nondual being, and thus they generally are not inclined to render service to God in His personal aspect. The jñānis understand that the cause of material misery is dual- ity and that the only solution is to see through it. With this inspi- ration they cultivate awareness of their oneness with the Absolute and observe the nature of material attachment so as to transcend it. They are unable to conceive that Absolute Reality is inclusive of tran- scendental form and yet remains beyond all duality. Because of this limitation, implicit in their conceptual outlook, they cannot realize the Absolute as God, or more specifically, as Personal Nondual Being (Bhagavan) replete with internal potencies, just as persons who have no ear for classical music cannot appreciate its subtleties. They can- not distinguish between the fine melodies of a raga, and so all the exquisite features of a virtuoso’s recital are wasted on them; they can only perceive undifferentiated sound in the raga and nothing else. In the same way, jñāni-paramahamsas realize the Absolute with such radical non-distinction that they fail to perceive its own concealed internal specificity. Thus, they realize the Absolute only as devoid of any manifest qualities (Brahman). From this, one should not misconstrue that there is no variety in the Absolute, but neither should one consider that Brahman is different from Bhagavan. Therefore, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi says, ekam 14 2 Distinction Between Brahman and Bhagavan evākhaṇḍānanda-svarupam, “The one indivisible Absolute, which is blissful in nature.” The Absolute realized by both types of parama- hamsas is one and the same, but still their realization differs. It is just as when the above-mentioned virtuoso performs for an audience in which some people have awareness and appreciation of his abilities, and others do not. He delights in the display of his art, which gives pleasure both to himself and to those who are capable of fully rec- ognizing his qualities. On the other hand, those lacking the ability to appreciate such a fine musical recital, even though present in the same audience, will fail to derive the same degree of pleasure from the very same performance. Ised an In this example, the performer is one, but the two different grades of people in the audience appreciate him differently and experience a different level of enjoyment. The experience of those with greater refinement in music culture is superior to those igno- rant of the merits of fine music, and yet their appreciation also includes the experience of the less refined members of the audi- ence. Similarly, the realization of the bhagavata-paramahamsas is beyond that of the jñāni-paramahamsas, but includes their Brahman realization as well. In this regard, Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī writes in Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 96 Enotele Stimmen voney Sitt Even if the bliss of Brahman realization were to be multiplied mil- lions of times, it could not compare to a drop from the blissful ocean of bhakti. (BRS 1.1.38)4 anibro toloadA sdt lo amerol lo vas dinem tud vino eno zivilre eragil By rendering unconditional and causeless devotion, which itself is nondual action permeated with love, the bhagavatas realize the Absolute as the complete whole, the one and only existent, and ulti- mately, as the Supreme Person within their hearts. They realize Him externally as well, with senses that have become purified by Bhagavan’s internal potency. They are able to perceive Bhagavān along with His variegated energies, all of which are inconceivable to conventional logic. brahmanando bhaved esa cet parardha-guni-kṛtaḥ naiti bhakti-sukhambhodheḥ paramānu-tulām api 15 T veged Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbhad To prove that the one Absolute has three names based on the realizations of the worshiper, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi cites two verses, SB 5.12.11 and SB 4.11.30. The first of these is an instruction from Jada Bharata to King Rahugana. In it, the phrase jñānam viśuddham (pure consciousness), paramartha (the ultimate of that which is to be attained), eka (One), anantaram abahih (devoid of any internal or external divisions), and satya (Truth), are all determinants of Brahman. Pratyak (situated in the heart of every living being) and praśänta (unperturbed) refer to Paramātmā. This same Absolute Reality is Bhagavan, also called Vasudeva. Vasudeva is a name for Kṛṣṇa, because His father’s name is Vasudeva. Kavi in this verse means those who are highly conversant with the truth of scripture. They recognize Śrī Kṛṣṇa as the Absolute Real- ity, para-tattva. Śrīla Viśvanatha Cakravarti Thakura also points out that this verse is an expansion of the vadanti tat verse (SB 1.2.11). In SB 4.11.30 ananda-matra (indistinguished bliss) refers to Brah- man and pratyag-ātmā (the Self within all selves) to Paramātmā. Upapanna-samasta-sakti (comprehending all potencies) is an adjec- tive referring to Bhagavan. Since Srimad Bhagavatam is the mature fruit of the Vedic tree (nigama-kalpa-taror galitam phalam), and since according to Garuda Purana it supplies the meaning of Vedanta- sutra, it reconciles the various manifestations of the Absolute described in the Vedic literature in different ways. Although dif- ferent transcendentalists follow diverse processes and worship a variety of forms of the Absolute as Supreme, Śrīmad Bhāgavatam explains that Reality is one only, but manifests differently according to the qualification of the worshiper. betsemweg notior isubuon Now Śrila Jiva Gosvāmi will analyze the three manifestations of the Absolute Truth and discuss the meaning of the word bhagavān according to Visnu Purāna. 491 1601 29209a diw sw as vlleristy v dadw lo lisons betegema 21 diw grofs 5 artho’yam brahma-sūtrāṇām Cited in Tattva Sandarbha, Anuccheda 21. The first chapter of Vedanta-sutra is called Samanvaya-adhyaya, or the “Chapter of Reconciliation.” 16 Osage: the lever Way Lesefling af babe prél porter. Throne ॥ Anuccheda 3 Bhagavan as the Qualified Absolute dold तिथ adve bne sided jadu -quadiwalibod of bags and to biluvab Parillbergsugnied the tous les gaibayang-le ३ । एवं चानन्दमात्रं विशेष्यं समस्ताः शक्तयो विशेषणानि विशिष्टो भगवानित्यायातम् । तथा चैवं वैशिष्ट्ये प्राप्ते पूर्णाविर्भावत्वेनाखण्डतत्त्वरूपोऽसौ भगवान् । ब्रह्म तु स्फुटम- प्रकटितवैशिष्ट्याकारत्वेन तस्यैवासम्यगाविर्भाव इत्यायातम् । इदं तु पुरस्ताद् विस्तरेण विवेचनीयम् | aaha । Jo FROM THIS IT IS CONCLUDED that bliss or ananda is the unquali- fied substantive ( viśesya), all the energies its qualifiers (viśesana), and Bhagavān the qualified substantive ( viśista ) ! In this way, being qualified by all His potencies, Bhagavan is the indivisible or total Reality (akhanda-tattva) because He is the complete man- ifestation of the Absolute Truth. From this it is concluded that because Brahman exhibits no specific qualities, it is an incom- plete manifestation of that Truth. This will be explained in detail later on. determin भगवच्छब्दार्थः श्रीविष्णुपुराणे (वि० पु० ६।५।६६-६९) प्रोक्तः - The meaning of the word bhagavan2 is explained by the sage Para- sara in the following verses of Viṣṇu Purāna: यत्तदव्यक्तमजरमचिन्त्यमजमक्षयम् । अनिर्देश्यमरूपं च पाणिपादाद्यसंयुतम् ॥ ५ ॥ 1 SB 4.11.30 nirgills mojo. domino rond gm ± The words, brahma, paramātmā and bhagavān, are generally used interchangeably when referring to the Absolute Truth, but in SB 1.2.11 Sūta Gosvāmī has used them in their technical sense, as specifically defined in this section (bhagavan and paramātmā) and the previous one (bhagavān and brahma). 17 Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha विभुं सर्वगतं नित्यं भूतयोनिमकारणम् । व्याप्यव्याप्यं यतः सर्वं तद् वै पश्यन्ति सूरयः ॥ ६ ॥ तद्ब्रह्म परमं धाम तद्व्येयं मोक्षकाङ्क्षिणाम् । श्रुतिवाक्योदितं सूक्ष्मं तद्विष्णोः परमं पदम् ॥ ७ ॥ तदेतद्भगवद्वाच्यं स्वरूपं परमात्मनः । वाचको भगवच्छब्दस्तस्याद्यस्याक्षरात्मनः ॥ ८ ॥ That which is unmanifest, free from aging, inconceivable, unborn, never decaying, indefinable and formless, which is thus devoid of hands, legs, and other such bodily limbs; which is sup- reme, all-pervading, eternal, the cause of all beings, yet with- out any cause; which is all-encompassing, but not itself encom- passed, the source of everything and known to the wise, is called Brahman. It is the ultimate basis of everything and the Reality disclosed through meditation for the seekers of liberation. It R is the subtle truth described in the words of the Vedas, the sup- reme seat of Śrī Viṣṇu. This Brahman is the essential nature of Paramātmā and is denoted by the word bhagavan. The word bha- Magavan expresses that original imperishable Lord directly. (VP 6.5.9il 66-69)3 Hariy sup adios Reda bas aldieivibaiarit al इत्याद्युक्त्वा (वि० पु० ६।५।७३-७५) - ed (ova bagi 11 zidi modi After stating this, the sage Parāśara goes on to say: सम्भर्तेति तथा भर्ता भकारोऽर्थद्वयान्वितः । नेता गमयिता स्रष्टा गकारार्थस्तथा मुने ॥ ९ ॥ ऐश्वर्यस्य समग्रस्य वीर्यस्य यशसः श्रियः । ज्ञानवैराग्ययोश्चापि षण्णां भग इतीङ्गना ॥ १० ॥ gaisd (e) instasino stuloadA ad to noisesti sansand 06 1076 6 वसन्ति तत्र भूतानि भूतात्मन्यखिलात्मनि ।orld browards to galasmoir स च भूतेष्वशेषेषु वकारार्थस्ततोऽव्ययः ॥ ११ ॥ 3 yat tad avyaktam ajaram acintyam ajam akṣayam walichadi ni 62 कक anirdesyam arupaṁ ca pani-pädädy-asamyutam STORY FPSHPESHTE vibhum sarva-gatam nityam bhūta-yonim akāraṇam vyapy avyāpyaṁ yataḥ sarvam tad vai pasyanti surayaḥ tad brahma paramaṁ dhama tad dhyeyaṁ mokṣa-känkṣinņām śruti-vākyoditaṁ sūkṣmam tad visnoḥ paramam padam tad etad bhagavad-vacyaṁ svarupam paramātmanaḥ vacako bhagavac-chabdas tasyadyasyākṣarātmanaḥ 18 3 Bhagavan as the Qualified Absolute O sage, the letter bha has two meanings - nourisher and sup-e porter. The letter ga has three meanings - leader, carrier and m ad creator. The six qualities of controlling potency, inconceivable power, fame, wealth, knowledge and absence of attachment, in their totality are called bhaga. All the living beings reside (vas- ananti) in Bhagavan, who is God within and the Self of all creation, and He also resides in them. This is the meaning of the letter va. Therefore, He is the imperishable Reality. (VP 6.5.73-75)* इति चोक्त्वा (वि० पु० ६/५/७९ ) - Parāśara then concludes: ज्ञानशक्तिबलैश्वर्यवीर्यतेजांस्यशेषतः । भगवच्छब्दवाच्यानि विना हेयैर्गुणादिभिः ॥ १२ ॥ इति पर्यन्तेन । । wony ad The word bhagavan means complete knowledge, sensory power, bodily strength, controlling power, inconceivable power and effulgence or beauty, devoid of any repelling qualities. (VP 6.5.79)5 पूर्ववदत्र विशेष्यविशेषणविशिष्टता विवेचनीया । विशेषणस्याप्यहेयत्वं व्यक्तीभविष्य- तीति । “अरूपं पाणिपादाद्यसंयुतम्” इतीदं ब्रह्माख्यकेवलविशेष्याविर्भावनिष्ठम् । “ऐश्व- र्यस्य समग्रस्य” इत्यादिकं केवलविशेषणनिष्ठम् । “विभुं” “भगवत्” इत्यादिकं तु विशिष्ट- निष्ठम् । As before, the Absolute here also must be understood according to the previously given divisions of viseşya, the substantive to be determined; viseṣaṇa, its attributes; and visișta, the substantive after it has been determined by knowing its attributes. It will be explained later that these attributes are also transcendental. The phrase arupaṁ pāņi-pāda-ādi-asaṁyutam (formless and thus devoid of hands and legs), points only to the manifestation of the sambharteti tatha bharta bha-kāro’rtha-dvayānvitaḥ netā gamayitā sraṣṭā ga-kārārthas tatha mune aiśvaryasya samagrasya viryasya yasasaḥ śriyaḥ ejñāna-vairāgyayoś capi sannām bhaga itingană vasanti tatra bhūtāni bhūtātmany akhilātmani 5 sa ca bhuteṣv aśeşeşu va-kararthas tato’vyayaḥ jñāna-sakti-balaiśvarya-virya-tejämsy aseṣataḥ bhagavac-chabda-vacyāni vină heyair gunädibhiḥ 19 bouloa Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha a substantive (viśeşya), known as Brahman, which is yet to be deter- mined. The six words beginning with aiśvaryasya samagrasya, the six qualities of controlling potency, and so on, are simply the determinants (viseṣana) that qualify it; whereas the words vibhu, bhagavan and so on, indicate the Supreme Reality who possesses intiw boo al odw.navegada (to Viadrins dini zobiasz oals SH bas these attributes (visiṣṭa). 157391 अथवा “अरूपम्” इत्यादिकं प्राकृतरूपादिनिषेधनिष्ठम् । अत एव “पाणिपादाद्यसंयुतम्” इति संयोगसम्बन्ध एव परिह्रियते न तु समवायसम्बन्ध इति ज्ञेयम् । Alternatively, words like arupa, or formless, can be understood as denying the material nature of His form, etc. Therefore, it should be known that the phrase pāņi-pada-ādi-asaṁyuta denies only the relation of contact (samyoga-sambandha) and not the relation of inherence (samavāya-sambandha). “विभुम्” इति सर्ववैभवयुक्तमित्यर्थः । “सर्वगतम्” अपरिच्छिन्नम् । “व्यापि” इति सर्वव्या- पकम् । “अव्याप्यम्” इति अन्येन व्याप्तुमशक्यम् । तदेतद्ब्रह्मस्वरूपं भगवच्छब्देन वाच्यं न तु लक्ष्यम् । तदेव निर्धारयति भगवच्छब्दोऽयं तस्य नदीविशेषस्य गङ्गाशब्दवद् वाचक एव न तु तटशब्दवल्लक्षकः । एवं सति “ अक्षरसाम्यान् निर्ब्रूयात्” (निरुक्त २|१|१) इति निरुक्तमतमाश्रित्य रूढिमप्याश्रित्य भगादिशब्दानामर्थमाह “सम्भर्तेति” । ག་་་་་ Vibhu indicates that the Absolute is endowed with all opulence and sarva-gata (all-pervading) means without division or separa- tion. Vyäpi means all-pervading, and avyäpya means that noth- ing else can pervade it. The nature of Brahman as explained here is directly expressed by the word bhagavan and not simply indi- cated. To establish this, the verse says that the word bhagavan is the direct expression, or vācaka, of the Supreme Truth, just as the word ganga is the direct expression of a specific river and not an indicator like the word tata (riverbank). This being the case, applying the rule of Nirukta 2.1.1, “One should determine a word’s meaning on the basis of the etymology derived from its constituent syllables,” as well as by its conventional usage, the ⚫ These two concepts are explained in the commentary of this anuccheda. - “Nirukta is the name of a commentary by Yäska on the Vedic glossary called Nighantu. In this work, Yäska explains and gives an etymological interpretation of Vedic words. 8 akṣara-sāmyān nirbrüyāt 203 Bhagavan as the Qualified Absolute meanings of the syllables bha, ga and va are given in the verse beginning with sambharta [VP 6.5.73]. find loot gay SESTO FISS “सम्भर्ता” स्वभक्तानां पोषकः । “भर्ता” धारकः स्थापकः इत्यर्थः । “नेता” स्वभक्तिफल- स्य प्रेम्णः प्रापकः । “गमयिता” स्वलोकप्रापकः । “स्रष्टा” स्वभक्तेषु तत्तद्गुणस्योद्गमयिता । जगत्पोषकत्वादिकं तु तस्य परम्परयैव न तु साक्षादिति ज्ञेयम् । Sambhartă means “the nourisher of His devotees;” bhartă, “the supporter” or “maintainer;” netă means “one who grants the fruit of devotion, or in other words, prema (love);” gamayitā, “one who carries the devotee to His abode;” and sraṣṭā, “one who makes divine qualities manifest in His devotees.” It should be known that actions, such as maintenance of the cosmos, are not performed by Him directly, but indirectly..stais atsaibni 19daia bru vd vino”.ads “ऐश्वर्यम्” सर्ववशीकारित्वम् । “समग्रस्य” इति सर्वत्रान्वेति । “वीर्यम्” मणिमन्त्रादेरिव प्रभावः । “यशः” वाङ्मनः शरीराणां साद्गुण्यख्यातिः । “श्रीः” सर्वप्रकारा सम्पत् । “ज्ञानम्” सर्वज्ञत्वम् । “वैराग्यम्” प्रपञ्चवस्त्वनासक्तिः । “इङ्गना” सञ्ज्ञा । operly, the Aiśvarya [from VP 6.5.74 above] is Bhagavan’s feature by which everything exists under His control. The qualifier samagrasya (in their totality) is to be applied to all six of these attributes, the other five being: virya (“inconceivable influence,” as found in gems and mantras), yasas (“fame,” due to the all-beneficent qualities of speech, mind and body), śri (prosperity of all kinds), jñāna (omniscience), and vairagya (absence of attachment to all material products and phenomena). The word ingana means “designation.“s 20131 vod od nind अक्षरसाम्यपक्षे भगववानिति वक्तव्ये मतुपो वलोपश्छान्दसः । asglirish Again, following the rule of Nirukta given above, the crude form bhagavat is formed by combining the three syllables bha, ga and va with the matup (-vat) suffix, which indicates possession or endowment, i.e., one endowed with the qualities of bha, ga and va. By doing this, however, one would get the form bha-ga-va-vat; the extra va- of matup (-vat) is dropped according to Vedic usage (chandasa), giving us the crude form bhagavat. 21 12 Santos Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbhad सम्भर्तेत्यादिषु सम्भर्तृत्वादिष्वेव तात्पर्यम् । यथा “सुप्तिङन्तचयो वाक्यम्” ( अमरकोष १।६।२) इत्यत्र “पचति भवति” इत्यस्य वाक्यस्य पाको भवतीत्यर्थः क्रियते । यथा वा “सत्तायामस्ति भवति” इत्यत्र धात्वर्थ एव विवक्षितः । तदेवमेव भगवानित्यत्र मतुबर्थो योजयितुं शक्यते । कराम In the above verse, the nouns, such as sambharta (nourisher), sig- nify the qualities implicit in those nouns, such as sambhartṛtva, the quality or state of being a nourisher. This follows the rule, “A combination of inflected verbs and nouns constitutes a sentence” (Amara-koşa 1.6.2). Thus, a statement like pacati bhavati (cook- ing is happening) actually means that cooking is going on. Or, as in the usage sattāyām asti bhavati (existing is happening), the speaker’s intent is that the verbs asti and bhavati, both of which indicate existence, actually signify the meaning of the infinitive, “to be.” Only by understanding the qualities of Bhagavan as inher- ent states of being and not as mere attributions can the word bha- gavān be said to carry the meaning of the suffix matup [implying, ordinarily, possession or endowment]. प्रकारान्तरेण षड्भगान् दर्शयति “ज्ञानशक्ति” इति । ज्ञानमन्तःकरणस्य । शक्तिरिन्द्रिया- णाम् । बलं शरीरस्य । “ऐश्वर्यवीर्ये” व्याख्याते । “तेजः” कान्तिः । “अशेषतः” सामग्र्येणे- त्यर्थः । “भगवच्छब्दवाच्यानि” इति । भगवतो विशेषणान्येवैतानि न तूपलक्षणानीत्यर्थः । अत्र भगवानिति नित्ययोगे मतुप् । The verse that begins with jñāna-sakti (VP 6.5.79) explains the six opulences in a different way: Jñana is the characteristic of the psychical apparatus (the antaḥ-karana or internal organ), śakti is sensory power, and bala, bodily strength. The terms aiśvarya and virya have already been explained above. Tejas means “effulgence” or “beauty,” and aśeşatas, in completeness. The concluding phrase bhagavat-sabda-vacyāni means that these are the qualities of Bhagavan; they are not just indicatives (upalakṣaṇa). In this verse, in regard to the word bhagavan, the suffix matup’ has been applied in the sense of eternal relationship [between the qualifiers and the qualified]. onomwo6- 9 The matup suffix, which is formed by adding -mat or -vat, as in bhagavat or bhagavan, indicates possession of that which precedes it. This will be explained in greater detail in the commentary. olshing adieu 22 3 Bhagavan as the Qualified Absolute अथ तथाविधभगवद्रूपपूर्णाविर्भावं तत्तत्त्वं पूर्ववज् जीवादिनियन्तृत्वेन स्फुरद् वा प्रतिपा- द्यमानं वा परमात्मेति शब्द्यत इति । यद्यप्येते ब्रह्मादिशब्दाः प्रायो मिथोऽर्थेषु वर्तन्ते तथापि तत्र तत्र सङ्केतप्राधान्यविवक्षयेदमुक्तम् ॥ श्रीसूतः || When this tattva in the form of Bhagavan, which has all the above- stated qualities and is the complete manifestation of Absolute Reality, is described or realized as the controller/regulator of living beings by the process described before, He is called Param- ātmā, or God as the Supreme Immanent. Although generally each of these three words - brahma, paramātmā and bhaga- văn - includes the meanings of the other two, the distinction is nevertheless made to point out their respective predominant intent. by sldjason Commentary daingnitely als leup BEFORE WE CAN DEAL APPROPRIATELY with an entity, we must understand it in truth. If an entity is not understood properly, there is a possibility one can be misled. Therefore, before saying anything about Bhagavan, the word bhagavan itself must be properly defined. For this reason, Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī starts this section by giving us a definition of Bhagavan. A definition serves two functions - it helps us to draw a distinction between the object defined and others, and it allows us to then use the term appropriately, either in speech or in experience. motor szimistab of Every substance, dravya, has three aspects: its state as an unqual- ified object (viśeşya), its qualifying attributes10 (viseșana), and the same object qualified with its attributes (visista). In the phrase, “white cow,” for example, “white” is the quality (viseșana) that distin- guishes one particular cow from others, which may be grey, brown or some other color. The word “cow” refers to the animal in gen- eral, without its quality of being white. Here, we are calling this the object without attributes (viśeşya), for “cow” does not stand for any particular cow and so makes no distinction between one cow and while 10 The qualifying attributes are specific to the qualified object, while indicative attributes are general. 23 stulo Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha another. This does not imply, however, that cows in general have no qualities, such as color. It is just that by saying only “cow,” the speaker does not convey any attributes that are specific to a partic- ular cow. The general attributes, however, are understood from the very definition of the word “cow” itself. adt at vitnt aid nad W In the phrase “white cow,” both the substance and its attributes are stated together, resulting in “cow” becoming the qualified object or substantive (visiṣṭa). The quality, “white,” and its object, “cow,” when stated separately do not convey a complete unit of informa- tion; whereas, when stated together, they describe the qualified substantive. A quality cannot exist without its object, nor is there any sub- stance without qualities,” although it is possible to perceive a qual- ity alone without knowing its substantive. Though it is impossible to perceive an object without its qualities, sometimes the perception may be so hazy that the perceiver is unable to clearly distinguish the qualities from the qualified or strike a relation between them. This experience is called indeterminate perception, or nirvikalpaka- pratyakṣa. tant Soleim so ms According to Vedic logic (nyaya-darśana), the initial moment of perception of an object is always indeterminate! It is in the second moment that we obtain clear perception of the object under favor- able conditions for the appropriate sensory organ. This perception is termed “determinate,” or sa-vikalpaka-pratyakṣa. In this conversion from indeterminate to determinate perception, the object remains the same, but the observer’s perception undergoes a change. Before knowledge becomes determinate, as in, “This is a book,” perception is at first indeterminate, as in, “This is something.” The knowledge, “This is a book,” is qualified knowledge. It contains knowledge of the book, the class or category to which books can be said to belong, i.e., their bookness, and the relation of the specific book to its class. Qual- ified knowledge can be obtained only if one has prior knowledge of tudine toodi jo “Logicians believe that in the first moment of production, an object has no qualities. Qualities come into existence from the second moment onwards. 12 This view is accepted by most Vedic authorities, the exceptions being p grammarians and the Tattvavādīs. 24 44 3 Bhagavan as the Qualified Absolute the attributes by which it is qualified. For example, in the statement, “This is a tridandi sannyasi,“13 the sannyasi is the unqualified noun, and tridanda, its qualifier. Though the two have a relation of con- tact, unless one knows what a tridanda is, he can never derive the significance of the words, “This is a tridandi sannyāsī.“don 2012 30 Similarly, the knowledge, “This is a book,” is first acquired by knowing the class of “bookness,” which is the quality, or viseṣaṇa, for the unqualified object (viśeşya) book. Without knowledge of bookness, the item “book” cannot be understood. Therefore, we are forced to accept that we first obtain knowledge of bookness and of the book without any knowledge of their relation. This is called indeterminate knowledge because it cannot be described to others. We then obtain determinate knowledge of the book, with bookness being its inherent quality. Śrī Kumārila Bhaṭṭa describes this as follows: tada vino At the very beginning of perception one obtains indeterminate by knowledge in the form of mere observation. This is like the cogni- tion of an infant or the mute, arising purely out of the object without any distinction of quality and qualified. (Śloka-värttika 4.112)14 Similarly, Absolute Reality is one, but one’s perception of it can be either indeterminate or determinate. The peculiarity of Abso- lute Reality is that the worshiper can remain at the level of indeter- minate awareness and not proceed to determinate awareness. This indicates that the worshiper’s qualification still lacks higher-order completion. For, as described in the previous section, Absolute Real- ity manifests itself according to the qualification of the worshiper. Indeterminate realization is called Brahman.tally A In SB 4.11.30, cited at the end of Section 2, the words ananda- mātra (pure bliss) refer to the viśeşya. The various energies denoted by the word samasta-sakti are the viseṣaṇa, and Bhagavan is the qual- ified entity, replete with energies. Therefore, it is established that dod atomo quiud of 13 An initiate into the life of renunciation with his staff, the insignia of the V renounced order. 14 asti hy alocanam jñānam prathamam nirvikalpakam M 2 bala-mükādi-vijñäna-sadṛśam śuddha-vastujame se sull 25 siu Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbhara Bhagavan is the complete manifestation and realization of Absolute Reality, and thus Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmi calls Him akhanda-tattva-rupa, or the indivisible Reality. Nothing exists outside of Him, because all energies are within Him. Although He and His qualities or ener- gies cannot be separated, it is nonetheless possible to realize Him without them. Such partial realization, or asamyag-āvirbhāva, of the Absolute is called Brahman. Despite this difference in percep- tion, Brahman is the same as Bhagavan, in the same way that when a mountain is seen from a distance, at first only a homogeneously green object is detected, but as one comes closer to it, more and more variety is perceived, even though it is one and the same mountain. 275 In this regard it should be noted that, according to Śrila Jiva Gosvāmi, the energies of Bhagavän are not exactly related as qual- ities to the qualified. He uses the words visista, viseṣaṇa and viśeşya only to convey the idea that the energies belong to Bhagavan, and that Brahman is not an independent manifestation. Jiva argues that the real relationship between Bhagavan and His energies is that of inconceivable simultaneous oneness and difference, or acintya- bheda-abheda. This will be further explained in Anuccheda 16. The import of the word viseṣana here is “energy” and not its usual sense of a qualifier. Śrī Rāmānujācārya taught Viṣiṣṭādvaitavada, or qual- ified nonduality, in which he described the material world as an adjective (viseșana) of Bhagavan. Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi offers some refutations to this doctrine in his Sarva-saṁvādīnī and shows that the Acintya-bhedabheda-vāda ideology of Śrī Caitanya Mahaprabhu offers a more thorough explanation of the relationship between the Supreme Lord and His energies. boosfoss) After explaining that Bhagavan is the complete, indivisible Absolute, replete with energies, Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī cites scrip- tural evidence to substantiate his doctrine. This is the Vedic sys- tem. Among educated society, no discussion of transcendental knowledge is taken seriously without scriptural evidence, or sastra- pramāņa, to back up every conclusion. So, Jiva Gosvāmī turns to Visnu Purana to quote the definitions of Bhagavan found there. Para- śara Muni, the father of Vedavyāsa, speaks these verses to Maitreya. The verses can be analyzed according to the three categories 26 3 Bhagavan as the Qualified Absolute already encountered-viśeşya, viseṣaṇa and visiṣṭa. Descriptions like “formless,” “without bodily limbs” and so on, denote the indeter- minate Brahman feature; words such as “knowledge,” “beauty” and so on, identify the qualities of Bhagavan; and terms like “supreme,” “nourisher,” etc., denote the qualified Lord. 3018 wil An alternative interpretation is that these verses speak exclu- sively about Bhagavan, and phrases like “no form” mean that He has no material form. This idea is presented in Uttara-khanda of Padma Purāna: eds yduraqur bestibom to an amerill beonitun gaisd als dialdiak visti dros don al ald vistairs When scriptures describe Bhagavan as nirguna, or devoid of qual- brities, it means that He is free from material qualities, which are inferior in nature. (PP 6.227.41)15 Śrī Vāsudevādhyātma states: Because Bhagavan’s qualities are not known to people, He is calledford anāmā (lit., “one who has no name”); and because His form is not material, He is called arupa (lit., “one who has no form”). air (LBH 1.248) 16 Jiva If the Absolute had no name and form whatsoever, Śruti state- ments that make mention of Bhagavan’s form, such as the following verse, would become meaningless: One who sees that golden-complexioned Supreme Person, the Sup- reme Lord and ultimate actor, who is the source of Brahman, then, shaking off piety and sin, he becomes free from all material bondage Sand attains supreme similarity with Bhagavan. (MUU 3.1.3)17 bo at beally ad omnes solo ali bas newed nottale The word avyakta (VP 6.5.66) means unmanifest to people’s senses, which means that Bhagavan can be understood only through sabda, or the statements of the Vedic literature. That is why He is 15 yo’sau nirguna ity uktaḥ śastreṣu jagad-isvaraḥ prakṛtair heya-samyuktair guṇair hinatvam ucyate 16 aprasiddhas tad-guṇānām anāmā’sau prakirtitaḥ 17 aprākṛtatvad rūpasyapy arupo’sāv udiryate stuloadA 10 yada pasyaḥ pasyateḥ rukma-varnam kartāram īsaṁ puruṣam brahma-yonim o tadā vidvān punya-pāpe vidhūya nirañjanaḥ paramaṁ samyam upaiti of 27 272 Salon Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha c called acintya, or inconceivable. The words ajara and aja mean free from old age and birth. Since He has no birth, there is no death for Him. Akṣaya means that no decay or transformation occurs in Him. This further implies that He is free from the six types of transforma- tion found in the material body. Anirdeśya means that He is beyond speech, as stated in TU 2.4.1, “From whom all speech along with the mind turn away, unable to reach Him.“18 vigada queda visviz This does not mean, however, that Bhagavan cannot be described through words or meditated upon by the mind. The import is that He is not completely expressible in words, being unlimited. There are many statements asserting that Bhagavan can be known from the Vedas, such as sarve veda yat padam amananti, “He whom all the Vedas declare” (KU 2.15), and vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ, “I alone, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, am to be known through all the Vedas” (GĪTĀ 15.15). The phrase pāņi-pada-ādi-asamyuta negates the idea that the rela- tion of Bhagavan to His limbs is one of contact. According to logic, relations between different objects can be of many kinds, out of which two are principal - conjunction, or samyoga, and inherence, or samaväya: The relation existing between two inseparable things is one of inher- ence; that between any other two is conjunction or contact. (Tarka- bhāṣā 10)19 amooed blow y adjective When a book is on a table, the relation between them is one of contact. This is a temporary relation. On the other hand, the rela- tion between milk and its color is one of inherence. This is a lasting relation. Unless the milk is transformed into something else, the relation between it and its color cannot be violated. While giving his alternative interpretation of “formless and devoid of hands, legs and other such bodily limbs,” Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmī argues that when Visnu Purāṇa makes such statements about Absolute Reality, it means that the relation between Bhaga- van and His limbs is an inherent one, not one of contact; that is to say, the relation is eternal, unlike the relation of an ordinary 18 19 yato vaco nivartante apräpya manasa saha tatrayuta-siddhayoḥ sambandhaḥ samaväyaḥ, anyayos tu samyoga eva. 28 3 Bhagavan as the Qualified Absolute human being’s body to his or her limbs. In other words, what is being negated is Bhagavan’s possession of ordinary hands and legs in the human or material sense, and not the complete absence of limbs.insar botsoifini ada yigge Bhagavan is the source of all living beings, bhūta-yoni, as stated in Bhagavad Gita, “I am the source of everything” (aham sarvasya prabhavaḥ, GITA 10.8). Therefore, He is akarana: He Himself has no cause or source. This too is confirmed in Bhagavad Gītā, “O Arjuna, there is nothing at all beyond Me” (mattaḥ parataram nanyat kiñcid asti dhananjaya, GĪTĀ 7.7). This means that He is not dependent on any other source for His own being. He pervades everything, vyāpi, but nothing pervades or contains Him - maya tatam idam sarvam (GĪTĀ 9.4). This means that Bhagavan is in contact with everything at all times. 92610 The Vedas often mention Brahman with the attributes stated in the verses spoken by Parāśara. For this reason, Brahman is called aupaniṣada-puruşa - the personality known from the Vedas (tam tv aupaniṣadam puruşam prcchami, BAU 3.9.26). The word bhagavan directly expresses the nature of Brahman, or Absolute Reality; Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi says that the word bhagavan not only indicates the nature of Brahman, but directly defines it. According to rhetori- cians, a meaningful word, or pada, has three types of force, which give it three kinds of meanings: literal, indicated and suggested.20 The meaning that immediately comes to mind upon hearing a word is called its literal or direct meaning. This meaning arises from the power of the word called abhidha. For example, as soon as a Vaisnava hears the word kṛṣṇa, it immediately reminds her or him of Śrī Kṛṣṇa. 900 9100 Sometimes, however, the literal meaning is inappropriate because it does not convey the sense of the speaker. When this happens, one applies another possible force of the word, known as lakṣaṇā-śakti or gauņi-vṛtti, which supplies a secondary meaning. This is called lakṣyārtha, or indicated meaning. This indicated mean- ing is clearly related to the direct one, but adds to or modifies it. 20 artho vācyaś ca lakṣyaś ca vyangyaś ceti tridhā matāḥ SD 2.2 29 dulna Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha de& For example, in the statement, “The Jiva Institute is situated on Jiva Road,” the literal meaning of “on” would be absurd. Surely the insti- tute could not be situated upon the road, where it would impede the flow of traffic! In such a case we apply the indicated meaning and understand that the institute is in fact situated beside the road. The third type of meaning is vyangyartha, the suggested meaning. It is defined in Sahitya-darpana as follows: (8 or Ario dovaddo hso The vyanjana-vṛtti, or suggestive force of the word, is that which ad ho gives an altogether different meaning to the word after all the possibilities presented by the abhidha and lakṣaṇa potencies have been exhausted, i.e., having explored their literal and indicated meanings. (SD 2.12)21 Sinne Sri K To expand on the above example, if taken literally, the phrase “on Jiva Road” would be impractical, so the lakṣaṇa-vṛtti allows us to conclude that the temple is beside the road. But even beyond this, the vyanjana-vṛtti will continue to imply other ideas: e.g., Jiva Insti- tute is easily approachable by vehicle; one does not have to walk a great distance to it after leaving his vehicle, and so on. Vyañjană is not directly related to the word meanings in a sentence. EVIL Since there is no impediment to understanding the primary meaning of words such as avyakta, Śrīla Jīva Gosvām says that bhagavan is a vācaka; its direct meaning is clear and one need not refer to either the secondary or indicated meanings. If an indicated meaning is applied, then Brahman would be absolutely inexpress- ible by words in their primary sense, which goes against the Śruti statements. Furthermore, one would be forced to find a different primary meaning for the word bhagavan, but there is no scriptural support for any other meaning. There is no possibility of an indi- cated meaning without a primary meaning. Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī is stressing this point keeping in mind the Advaitavāda view that con- siders Brahman (the unqualified Absolute) to be the lakṣyartha of the word brahma, because if instead Brahman were accepted as the 21 viratasv abhidhadyāsu yaya’rtho bodhyate paraḥ să vṛttir vyañjanā nāma śabdasyarthädikasya ca 303 Bhagavan as the Qualified Absolute primary meaning of the word brahma, there would be duality of the word and its meaning.no boog gnid of brus laod toadong of als neeThe word ganga refers to a famous river in India; that is its pri- mary meaning. But the word tata (riverbank), may have any river as one of its indicated meanings. When it is said that a boat is on the bank of the river, it really means that it is on the water near the bank. Here the word “bank” refers to the river itself. In the verses quoted from Visnu Purāṇa, the word bhagavan was used in its direct or primary sense. A Sometimes the word bhagavan is used to address great persons, such as in SB 1.4.2, where Sukadeva Gosvāmī is so addressed. In such cases, it is being used in a secondary sense, since the pri- mary meaning is inappropriate and does not convey the intent of the speaker. Here bhagavan simply means an honorable or very powerful individual.z.cambroodbedribadinofal SedIn the second set of three verses, VP 6.5.73-75, Parāśara Muni sup- plies the meaning of bhagavan according to the principles of Nirukta, a commentary on the Vedic dictionary Nighantu, which gives a list of selected Vedic words. Yäska, the author of Nirukta, gives the etymo- logical meaning of those words. He uses many principles to derive his etymologies. One of these is to take the meaning of a word from the similarity of its component syllables to known verbal roots. In the crude form bhagavat, the syllable bha resembles the verbal root √bhrñ, which means “to support,” or “to nourish;” ga resembles √gam (to go); and va is similar to √vas (to live). In explaining the mean- ing of bhagavat, Parāśara Muni uses the Nirukta rule by giving the meaning of each syllable, but he also gives the idiomatic meaning, or rudhy-artha, along with it. According to logicians as well as rhetoricians, the literal meaning of a word is of three types - yoga, rudhi and yoga-ruḍhi, i.e., etymo- logical, idiomatic and a combination of the two. Out of these three, the idiomatic meaning always takes precedence. The maxim is yogād rūḍhir baliyasi, “A word’s idiomatic meaning is more powerful than its etymological meaning.” The word virya means “inconceivable power,” as seen in gems and experienced with mantras. According to Vedic astrology, gems 31 Stutor Śri Bhagavat Sandarbha have an inconceivable power to ward off the bad influence of plan- ets, to protect health, and to bring good fortune. In olden days kings wore precious gems in their crowns and ornaments that were chosen in accordance with astrological calculations. The potency of these gems was experienced, though it could not be explained logically. Similarly, Bhagavan has numerous inconceivable potencies, such as those displayed in His Vṛndāvana pastimes, like brahma-mohana-līlā or dama-bandhana-lila.vopard brow ad annuun moit bosoup Vairagya means absence of attachment. Although Bhagavan (indirectly) creates this gigantic cosmos with innumerable planets, He is not attached to it. He happily sleeps in the causal ocean and even annihilates the creation, in the same way that a baby crushes a toy in the midst of play. 250b bus oshqoqgent al pinsomm When the letters bha, ga and va are combined, the stem bhagava is formed. Then, in accordance with sutra PANINI 5.2.94, tad asyāsty asminn iti matup, the tad-dhita suffix matup is applied in the sense of possession. Another Panini-sūtra22 ordains that when the matup suffix follows a stem ending in -a or -ã, the consonant m is changed to v. So, instead of bha-ga-va-mat, the form bha-ga-va-vat is generated. In Vedic usage (chändasa), the syllable va of matup is dropped to get the crude form bhagavat, which then takes the word bhagavan in the masculine nominative singular. According to the Paninīyan school of grammar, possessive suffixes like matup are applied in seven different situations:
Av Bre:(og The suffixes such as matup are applied to imply greatness, inferiority,mi superiority, eternal relation, excess, conjunction, and existence.23m nols In the word bhagavan, the possessive suffix matup is applied to show the eternal relation (nitya-yoga) between the possessor and possessed. This means that Bhagavan is in eternal possession of, or eternally self-endowed with, the attributes expressed in the word 22 māt-upadhāyāś ca mator vo’yavādibhyaḥmoibi brow Any PĀŅINI 8.2.9 23 bhūma-ninda-prasaṁsāsu nitya-yoge’tiśāyane saṁsarge’sti vivakṣāyāṁ bhavanti matub-adayaḥ 169 Kāšikā 5.2.90 da aihe lapigolomvis alt use browsi iw beonsi 32 32 3 Bhagavan as the Qualified Absolute bha-ga-va. Bhagavan can thus never be a word indicating something other than its direct meaning.sgs doidwyd gnidarwon gaiad basThe followers of Sankarācārya do not accept that Brahman, or Absolute Reality, possesses any energies, for this would go against their doctrine of radical monism. They therefore contend that words like brahma or bhagavan do not directly define the Absolute, but only indicate or designate it indirectly. By such arguments they try to defend the Absolute from any taint of duality. In his analysis of the verses of Parāśara Muni, however, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi conclusively establishes that bhagavan is a vacaka and not a lakṣaka, or indicator, because the matup suffix designates nitya-yoga, or eternal relation. He further substantiates his explanation by quoting VP 6.5.79, which offers a different meaning of the word bhagavan. This verse clearly states that these qualities are văcya, direct expressions of Bhagavan (bhagavat-sabda-vacyāni), and not indicators. That is why Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi again concludes that matup is applied in the sense of nitya-yoga, or eternal inherence of qualities. basim2000 Words like sambharta (nourisher) and bhartă (supporter) imply the actions of nourishing and supporting. Although they are nouns, their significance is in the actions they describe. This is in accor- dance with the definition of a sentence given in Amara-koşa 1.6.2, “A sentence is a combination of nouns (tin) and verbs (sup).” The Rāmāśrami commentator to this verse says that a sentence may be composed of only nouns, such as prakṛti-siddham idam hi mahat- manām (Hitopadesa 1.32), of only verbs, such as pacati bhavati, or with a combination of both. While commenting on Yoga-sūtra 3.17, Vyasa also writes that every word has the power to form a sentence, sarva-padeṣv asti vakya-śaktiḥ. By this Śrī Jiva informs us that when a sentence is constructed of nouns alone, a verb is to be assumed because there is no sentence without a verb. Thus, although words such as sambharta are nouns, they indicate the action of nourishing, or the ever-present state of being nourish- ing. This clearly indicates that Bhagavan has the quality and energy to act. He is not an impotent abstract principle attributed with the name sambhartā, or nourisher, but who has no power to nourish, or who remains unmoved to do so, or who has merely incidental and 33 log Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha la p not inherent capacity to nourish. He eternally manifests the state of being nourishing, by which agency alone the cosmos and all beings are sustained, moment to moment. He is not like the modern head of state who may be commander-in-chief of an army but who has no expertise in warfare and never personally fights. Therefore, accord- ing to Jiva, words such as sambharta, which are nouns, refer to states of being that signify action and energy. The matup suffix is then applied on bha-ga-va to obtain a noun. The suffix matup thus carries the sense of activity and energy in Bhagavan. MiTo eazzav (Because Bhagavan has, or is inclusive of, all potencies in their fullness, He is the most complete manifestation of the Absolute. When He expands Himself as the Purusa to regulate the affairs of material nature and the jiva, He is called Paramātmā. Bhagavan has three such Puruşa expansions - Kāraṇodakaśāyī, Garbhodakaśāyi and Kṣirodakaśāyi (related to the causal, subtle and gross dimen- sions of being, or in different language, the meta-macrocosmic, the macrocosmic and the microcosmic). The Purusa expansion who abides as the Supreme Immanent Self in every living being is an expansion of Kṣirodakaśāyi Viṣṇu. Since each of these Paramātmā expansions has a specific function, they do not manifest all of Bhaga- vān’s potencies, just as a strong man who has to lift a book does not manifest all his might to do so. As such, Paramātmā is considered to be a less complete manifestation of Bhagavan. In Brahman, no qualities at all are manifest; hence, Brahman is less complete even than Paramātmā. Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmi thus says that the sequence in SB 1.2.11 is in increasing order of completion. odnos duiw In the next anuccheda, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi will identify Bhagavan as Nārāyaṇa and explain the conscious nature of the jiva. hog-ayo bamaze show the 10 по dariuon gried to state ins299-19v9 9rizo galderon to nois Yasno bine ylihaponda Jadi tebi haslo en nat adi di betudroje sigining tasdada sostom na co zi al Jos od Todern of wog on and adw.fudodano in datozenten belgipshioni vlasm and odw to jos of o hayomum amet odw dog 34 wwwshaw cafe odw bas gaste sob has galah salutow boom blampe to stara odsalt sead: broad spreads bud word bluuda worlyniad bantail bas 920-til sanse ghod odrastamics of shi [namdes [Kgrol blitoris osoon abmals to enticeme Anuccheda 4 Bhagavān Is Nārāyaṇa question mainte ei noitesup simiИ to nog ebrow 19010 903 di ४ । एवमेव प्रश्नोत्तराभ्यां विवृणोति । राजोवाच (भा० ११ | ३ | ३४ ) ) Sage land as laut quors add 30 190mm bridt st 25 ON THE SAME IDEA is also explained in the following question and answers. King Nimi asked: नारायणाभिधानस्य ब्रह्मणः परमात्मनः । निष्ठामर्हथ नो वक्तुं यूयं हि ब्रह्मवित्तमाः ॥ १३ ॥ Because you are masters amongst those who have directly intu- ited the Absolute, you are certainly fit to disclose to me the essen- tial truth regarding the Supreme Lord Nārāyaṇa [Bhagavan], the unqualified Absolute [Brahman] and the Supreme Immanent Self of all beings [Paramātmā]. (SB 11.3.34)1 श्रीपिप्पलायन उवाच ( भा० ११ | ३ | ३५) - aa Pippalāyana said: oals Hiw guineam lo vijnsbi ald el 11 ogovorom brow art to sansa svitsvrab ads aspig doldw स्थित्युद्भवप्रलयहेतुरहेतुरस्य यत् स्वप्नजागरसुषुप्तिषु सद्बहिश्च । rs coin देहेन्द्रियासुहृदयानि चरन्ति येन सञ्जीवितानि तदवेहि परं नरेन्द्र ॥ १४ ॥ bollio пон 188) novop My dear King, He who is the source of the creation, maintenance and dissolution of this cosmos, yet is without prior cause, [you should know to be the Supreme Personal Absolute, Bhagavan].ut He who is present as the substratum of the various states of 1nārāyaṇābhidhanasya brahmaṇaḥ paramätmanaḥ niṣṭhām arhatha no vaktum yuyaṁ hi brahma-vittamaḥ 35 Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha hot wakefulness, dreaming and deep sleep, and who also pervades heinthe state beyond these [i.e., the state of samadhi, or uncondi- acetioned being], [you should know as the Supreme Transcendence, of Brahman]. He who animates the body, senses, life-force and mental faculties, setting all of them in motion, you should know as the Supreme Immanent [Paramātmā]. (SB 11.3.35)2 अत्र प्रश्नस्यार्थः– नारायणाभिधानस्य भगवतः । “ब्रह्मेति परमात्मा” (भा०१।२।११) इत्या- दिप्रसिद्धतत्समुदायतृतीयतया पाठात् । The purport of Nimi’s question is as follows: The word nārāyaṇa refers to Bhagavan because it appears with the other two words, brahma (Brahman) and paramātmā, which are found with bhaga- vän as the third member of the group, just as in SB 1.2.11. That nārāyaṇa and bhagavan have the same meaning is stated in Śri- mad Bhagavatam: rela “स्वांशेन विष्टः पुरुषाभिधानमवाप नारायण आदिदेवः” (भा० ११।४ । ३) इत्यत्र तत्समाना- र्थत्वात् । When the primeval Śrī Nārāyaṇa generated His cosmic form out TAP of the five elements produced from Himself and then entered yan within that cosmic body in the form of His own plenary portion, He became known as the Purusa [Paramātmā]. (SB 11.4.3)3 “नारायणस्त्वम्” (भा० १० | १४ | १४) इत्यादौ वक्ष्यमाणनिरुक्त्यनुसाराच् च “नारायणे तुरी- याख्ये भगवच्छब्दशब्दिते” (भा० ११ | १५ | १६) इत्यत्र स्पष्टीभावित्वाच् च । निष्ठां तत्त्वम् । This identity of meaning will also be depicted in SB 10.14.14,* which gives the derivative sense of the word nārāyaṇa. It is also explicitly mentioned in the following verse: “Nārāyaṇa is called turiya (the fourth), and is designated by the word bha- gavān” (SB 11.15.16)5 The word niṣṭhā (truth) in Nimi’s question (SB 11.3.34) means tattva (essential nature), dwsHub tesh M q tuodit al sy com200 zidit to motulozzib bun 2 sthity-udbhava-pralaya-hetur ahetur asya yat svapna-jāgara-suşuptiṣu sad bahis ca dehendriyasu-hṛdayani caranti yena sanjivitäni tad avehi paraṁ narendra H 3 sväṁśena viṣṭaḥ puruṣābhidhanam avapa nārāyaṇa ādi-devaḥ 4 See Section 32.4. Monandsme 5 nārāyaṇe turīyākhye bhagavac-chabda-sabdite 36 4 Bhagavan Is Nārāyaṇa प्रश्नक्रमेणैवोत्तरमाह – “ स्थिति ” इति । यत् स्थित्यादिहेतुरहेतुश्च भवति यच् च जागरादिषु सद्बहिश्च भवति येन च देहादीनि सञ्जीवितानि सन्ति चरन्ति तदेकमेव परं तत्त्वं स्वप्रश्न- क्रमेण नारायणादिरूपं विद्वीति योजनीयम् । [King Nimi first inquired about the Supreme Personal Absolute, Nārāyaṇa, then about His all-pervading aspect, called Brahman, and finally about His immanent aspect, called Paramātmā.] Sage Pippalayana’s answer follows the same order as expressed in the question. The one Absolute Truth, who is the source of creation, maintenance and dissolution, but who is without cause [is Närä- yana]; who is present as the substratum of the states of wakeful- ness, dreaming and deep sleep, and who also pervades the state beyond these [the state of samadhi] [is Brahman]; and who ani- mates everyone’s body, senses, life-force and mental-intellectual- intuitive capacities, setting in motion all of these respective func- tions [is Paramātmā]. Know that Absolute Reality as Nārāyaṇa, and so on, in accordance with the order of your question. svilas baig SH तथापि ब्रह्मत्वस्पष्टीकरणाय विपर्ययेण व्याख्यायते । तत्रैकस्यैव विशेषणभेदेन तदवि- शिष्टत्वेन च प्रतिपादनात् तथैव तत्तदुपासकपुरुषानुभवभेदाच् चाविर्भावनाम्नोर्भेद इत्युत्त- रवाक्यतात्पर्यम् । ولد Yet, in order to clarify the nature of Brahman, these three will be explained in a different order [than the one found in SB 11.3.34]. The essence of the answer is that the different aspects of the one Absolute, being established either with or without qualities and experienced in that way by their respective worshipers, appear to them differently with different names. एतदुक्तं भवति – स्वयमहेतुः स्वरूपशक्त्यैकविलासमयत्वेन तत्रोदासीनमपि प्रकृतिजी- वप्रवर्तकावस्थपरमात्मापरपर्यायस्वांशलक्षणपुरुषद्वारा यदस्य सर्गस्थित्यादिहेतुर्भवति तद्भगवद्रूपं विद्धि । अनेनास्यपूर्णस्वरूपशक्तित्वेन भगवत्तैवोपस्थापिता । bas to In this regard, we say the following: Ahetu, or acausal, means that although the Absolute is indifferent to material nature due to exclusive involvement in the play of His internal potency, in His manifestation as Paramātmā, which is another name for the plenary manifestation called Purușa, He becomes the cause of 37 Śri Bhagavat Sandarbha universal creation, maintenance and dissolution, when the jiva and material nature are in their active state. Know that to be Bhagavan, who is thus established as the Supreme Lord, since He possesses all the internal potencies in their fullness. stuload lim og smsque stunde betiupni ter यद् वा अंशित्वान् न विद्यते हेतुः पुरुषाद्यवतारस्य स्वयमिवाश्रयान्तरं यस्य स इत्यपि भगवति तत्रैव परमात्मरूपता चैवमुपतिष्ठतीत्याह पुनस्तेनैव - येन हेतुकर्त्रा आत्मांश- भूतजीवप्रवेशनद्वारा सञ्जीवितानि सन्ति देहादीनि तदुपलक्षणानि प्रधानादिसर्वाण्येव तत्त्वानि येनैव प्रेरिततया चरन्ति स्वस्वकार्ये प्रवर्तन्ते तत्परमात्मरूपं विद्धि | teaup 662] 9 tuoddiw at odw jud.noituloazib bas 952 sinism Alternatively, the meaning [of the word ahetu] is: The Purusa, who is the first self-manifestation (avatāra), is the whole, hav- ing jivas as His parts, and thus has no cause or separate basis for Himself, just as He is the shelter for others. Thus, the form of Paramātmā is contained within Bhagavan. This is described further on in the verse: Know Him to be the Paramātmā, who enlivens the jiva, His part, by entering it and activating its body, senses and so on, implying that He enters all the cosmic princi- ples (tattvas), beginning with pradhana (the unmanifest primor- dial nature). By Him only all these are set in motion, meaning that they are engaged in carrying out their respective functions. तथा च " तस्मै नमो भगवते ब्रह्मणे परमात्मने” ( भा० १०।२८।६) इत्यत्र वरुणकृत श्रीकृ- ष्णस्तुतौ टीका च “परमात्मने सर्वजीवनियन्त्रे” इत्येषा । जीवस्यात्मत्वं तदपेक्षया तस्य परमत्वमित्यतः परमात्मशब्देन तत्सहयोगी स एव व्यज्यते इति । तत्तदविशिष्टत्वेन ब्रह्मत्वमात्रं चैवमुपतिष्ठतीत्याह - स्वप्नेति । जागरे स्वप्ने सुषुप्तौ च यत्सदन्वितं तद्व- हिः समाध्यादौ च यदवशिष्टं चिन्मात्रत्वेन प्रकाशमानं तद्ब्रह्मरूपं विद्धि । यद्यपि (भा० ११।१३।२७) - of m derivative sense of In his commentary on Varuna’s prayers to Śrī Kṛṣṇa, “I offer my obeisances unto You, who are Bhagavan, Brahman and Param- ātmā” (SB 10.28.6), Śrīdhara Svāmī similarly states that Param- ātmā means the controller, regulator and guide of all living beings (paramātmane sarva-jiva-niyantre). The living being is consciousness and is conscious (atmatva). In comparison to him, Bhagavan is Supreme Consciousness and supremely conscious 6 dw.sm ⚫ tasmai namo bhagavate brahmane paramatmane nominem granaly 38 4 Bhagavan Is Nārāyaṇa (paramatva). The word paramātmā thus implies that He is the jiva’s benefactor. The Absolute without these qualifications is called Brahman, whose existence is described in the verse by the phrase, “He pervades the various states of wakefulness, dream- ing, and deep sleep, and also exists beyond them.” The aspect [of the Absolute] that remains undifferentiated from the jiva in the states of wakefulness, dreaming and deep sleep, and which shines beyond them as pure consciousness in states like trance (samādhi), is to be known as Brahman:
- जाग्रत् स्वप्नः सुषुप्तं च गुणतो बुद्धिवृत्तयः । atlas goldryrovs तासां विलक्षणो जीवः साक्षित्वेन विनिश्चितः ॥ १५ ॥ bositara Waking, dreaming and deep sleep are the three modifications of the faculty of intellect (buddhi) and are caused by the gunas of material nature. The living being within the body is different from these three states and is a witness to them. (SB 11.13.27) । กล इति दर्शनेन शुद्धजीवस्वरूपमेवात्रोपस्थितं भवति तथाप्यत्र न तन्मात्रं विवक्षितं किन्त्व- न्तर्भूतजीवाख्यादिशक्तिकं पूर्णचिद्रूपमेव विवक्षितम् । यत्र पूर्णं वस्तु दर्शयितुं न शक्यते तत्रैकदेशनिर्देशेनैवोद्दिश्यते – अङ्गुल्यग्रे समुद्रोऽयमितिवत् । ब्रह्मत्वग्रहणं चाभेददृष्ट्यैव स्यादिति तदभेदनिर्देशश्चात्रोपयुक्त एव । एवमन्यत्राप्यभेदनिर्देशो विवेचनीयः । оле In light of the above verse, though the pure nature of the jiva is the truth being explained in the statement, “He pervades the various states of wakefulness, dreaming and deep sleep, and also exists beyond them,” its purpose is not limited to that. The real purpose is to explain the complete consciousness [of Brahman], which encompasses the potency of the jiva. When it is not pos- sible to depict an object fully, a portion of it is shown, just as the part of the ocean directly present in front of one’s pointing finger is referred to as the entire ocean. It is the perception of nondifference alone that allows Brahman to be apprehended; hence, it is appropriate to consider Brahman and the jiva to be nondifferent in this verse. Other instances of nondifference should be similarly understood. novaporid brow snt es tomong 7 jāgrat svapnaḥ suṣuptaṁ ca gunato buddhi-vṛttayah hoqque admit of tāsām vilakṣano jivaḥ sākṣitvena viniścitaḥ voor hom mol sy 39 39 Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha यदि भेदो ज्ञापनीयस्तदा स्वप्नादौ यदन्वयेन स्थितं यच् च तद्बहिः शुद्धायां जीवाख्यशक्तौ तथा स्थितं चकारात् ततः परत्रापि व्यतिरेकेण स्थितं स्वयमवशिष्टमिति व्याख्येयम् । तदैवं यत् त्रिविधत्वेनैवाविर्भवति तत् परमेव तत्त्वमवेहीति || श्रीनारदः || des If difference is intended, then the explanation should be as fol- lows: Brahman is nondifferent from the jiva in the three states of wakefulness, dreaming and deep sleep. It also exists beyond these states in the potency known as the pure jiva. The word ca (and) implies that it also exists beyond the pure jiva, situated free of everything, as its own remainder. In this way, that Truth which manifests in three aspects [as Brahman, Paramātmā and Bhaga- vän] is the nondual consciousness called Absolute Reality (param tattvam). His part, and thus and thus has to
thomedere quale grab bagimsb.gaiW bre (hud) saling to lost out Commentary pod ad adiw nied galvi zonti sai bas 2912) si mort IN THE PREVIOUS SECTIONS, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi defined the words brahma, paramātmā and bhagavān. In this section, he substantiates these definitions by citing references from Srimad Bhagavatam. In chapter 2 of the Eleventh Canto, there is a dialogue between Narada and Vasudeva, the father of Kṛṣṇa, when the former visited Dvārakā. Vasudeva inquired about bhāgavata-dharma, or intrinsic relation with the Supreme Whole, also known as bhakti. In reply, Śrī Nārada related the discussion between King Nimi and the Nava Yogendras when they appeared in his sacrificial arena. boyed labo In SB 11.3.34, King Nimi inquires about the nature of Nārāyaṇa, Brahman and Paramātmā. In the preceding verse Prabuddha had said that a devotee of Nārāyaṇa can easily transcend material nature, which is most formidable. This inspired King Nimi to ask about Nārāyaṇa and His relation to Brahman and Paramātmā. gait the In commenting on this question, Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī says that Nārāyaṇa here should be taken to mean Bhagavan, because it has been used with the other two words, brahma (Brahman) and paramātmā, as the word bhagavan does in SB 1.2.11.gra sd bluoda To further support his claim, Śrī Jīva refers to three additional verses from Śrīmad Bhagavatam. These all imply that Nārāyaṇa is 404 Bhagavan Is Nārāyaṇa Bhagavan. SB 11.4.3 refers to Śrī Nārāyaṇa as ādi-deva, or the origi- nal God. Adi-deva is a synonym for Bhagavan, as Śrī Kṛṣṇa says in GĪTĀ 10.2 (aham ādir hi devānām). This verse further shows that Bha- gavān, or Nārāyaṇa, expands as Paramātmā, which conforms to the definition of Paramātmā given in the previous anuccheda. The second supporting verse is SB 10.14.14, which was spoken by Brahma in his prayers to Kṛṣṇa. Brahma stole the calves and cowherd boys to test Śrī Kṛṣṇa, but later on realized Bhagavan’s super-excellent position and offered prayers to appease Him. In this verse, Brahma establishes that Śrī Kṛṣṇa is also Nārāyaṇa, which means that Bhagavan is Nārāyaṇa, because Kṛṣṇa is Bhagavan (kṛṣṇas tu bhagavan svayam, SB 1.3.28). Śrī Brahma also provides an etymological meaning of Nārāyaṇa, by which he explains that Bha- gavān expands as Paramātmā and enters into the unfolded cosmos. The third verse quoted in relation to this matter is SB 11.15.16, which was spoken by Kṛṣṇa to Uddhava, who clearly states that Nārā- yana is called Bhagavan. In this way, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmī establishes that Nārāyaṇa, mentioned in the core verse of this anuccheda, is Bha- gavān. As such, SB 11.3.34 is a reflection of SB 1.2.11 (vadanti tat, etc.), with which he began Bhagavat Sandarbha.abduva oliw Next, Pippalāyana answers King Nimi’s question about the nature of Nārāyaṇa, Brahman and Paramātmā in this particular order. He explains the functions of all three features of the Absolute by giving their taṭastha-lakṣaṇa, or extrinsic characteristics. Bha- gavan is the source of creation, maintenance and dissolution, but He Himself is without cause. The Purușa-forms expand from the Supreme Person who is the complete Whole, Bhagavan, and enact the play of creation, maintenance and dissolution. or beffes a Mother To Mother Devaki, while praying to Krsna, indicates this as follows: 10 8 19116l O Supreme Self of the Cosmos! I take shelter of You today, for this world’s creation, maintenance and dissolution are all conducted by a portion of a portion of a part of You. (SB 10.85.31) yasyaṁśāṁśāṁśa-bhāgena viśvotpatti-layodayaḥ bhavanti kila viśvātmams tam tvādyāham gatim gatā 41 Śri Bhagavat Sandarbha This Bhagavan is called turiya (lit., “the fourth”), because He is free from all limiting adjuncts, or upadhis, which are of three types, as given in a verse quoted in Bhavartha-dipika 11.15.16: moro) AT D Virat, hiranyagarbha and kāraṇa are the three limiting adjuncts (upadhis) of God in His capacity as the Supreme Immanent, but He who is free from these is called Turiya, the fourth dimension, or in other words, the Supreme Transcendence? Virat is the gross upadhi, hiranyagarbha the subtle upadhi, and kāraṇa is māyā (the causal upadhi). These three restrictions apply only to the Purușa manifestations, which are known as Kṣiro- dakaśāyi, Garbhodakaśāyi and Kāraṇodakaśāyī Viṣṇus, respectively. But Bhagavan, replete with six opulences, is beyond these three upādhis. boblotnu si odniesine bus tamens 28 ebnisqxs neving at Alternatively, the meaning of the word turiya is that Bhagavan is the fourth dimension, beyond the states of wakefulness, dream- ing and deep sleep. While commenting on Bhagavatam (SB 2.3.9-10), Śrīdhara Svāmī writes that the Puruşa, or Paramātmā, has prakṛti as a limiting adjunct, but the pūrṇa-puruşa, Bhagavan, is nirupādhi, without any such adjuncts. This upadhi, however, does not make the Puruşa a conditioned being like the living beings in the mate- rial world. It does mean, however, that He does not manifest all the features of Bhagavan. The Purusa, which is the same as the Paramātmā feature, is the controller of maya and the living beings. He activates material nature, which is inert. Through the presence of the jiva, who is His part, Bhagavan enlivens the material body and senses. Thus, He is called the hetu-karta, or inspiring agent. When one agent impels another agent to carry out a particular task, then the former is called the causal or inspiring agent and the latter the inspired or instrumental agent.10 9 viräd hiranyagarbhaś ca karanam cety upadhayah išasya yat tribhir hinam turiyam tat padam viduḥ 10 This definition is given by Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi in HNV 4.13: karta svatantra ity ukto hetu-karta prayojakaḥ Vprayojakādhina-karta prayojya iti sa tridhā hottest 20 42 4 Bhagavan Is Nārāyaṇa al The Paramātmā infuses energy into the living beings, and into their bodies, minds and senses. Thus, Paramātmā is called aṁsi, or the Whole, and the living beings are His amsas, or parts, being inte- gral portions of His energy. Therefore, Śrīdhara Svāmi glosses the word paramātmane (in SB 10.28.6) as the controller, regulator and guide of all living beings, sarva-jiva-niyantre. Parama means supreme and ātmā means the self. The Param- ātmā is therefore by definition superior to, and inclusive of, the individual self, and He assists the self by supplying him the requi- site energy and inspiration to work. Thus, in the Vedic scriptures Paramātmā is described as the friend or well-wisher of living beings: aliszew ale tera botuesh od blunda He attains peace who knows Me as the enjoyer of all sacrifices and austerities, the Supreme Lord of all worlds, and the dear friend of all living beings. (GĪTĀ 5.29)11 Because Brahman is the unqualified feature of the Absolute Truth, it is very difficult to understand it. In Sections 52-53 of Tattva Sandarbha, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi established that knowledge of the self is essential to the understanding of Brahman. Now, to further clarify Brahman, he first quotes a verse (SB 11.13.27) that describes the self. Kṛṣṇa spoke this verse to Uddhava. The jīva experiences three states-wakefulness, dreaming and deep sleep - but these states are modifications of the faculty of intellect (buddhi) combined with the three gunas of material nature. Wakefulness is the result of buddhi mixed with sattva-guna; dreaming, with rajo-guna; and deep sleep, with tamo-guna.mes on ad bluow early sebwser10 gnidtyns sorThe living being, however, is different from these three states because he is their witness. In the material world, a witness must be different from what is witnessed. This was explained in detail in The context is the definition of the uses of the nominative case (kartṛ-kāraka). The subject of a verb is the agent of an action, but in the case of causative verbs, where one impels someone else to perform the action (prayojaka), the subject of the verb is still the agent, but is given the name hetu-karta (the causal or inspiring agent). In such a case, the direct agent or performer of the action is understood as an instrument (prayojya) and is grammatically placed in the instrumental case.b 11 bhoktāram yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram suhṛdam sarva-bhūtānāṁ jñātvā mām sāntim rcchati hing Dyzom 43 Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha Tattva Sandarbha, Anucchedas 53-54 and is summarized succinctly in Drg-dṛśya-viveka 1: danes Bre binceiv arly Form is perceived and the eye is its perceiver. The eye is the per- ceived and mind is its perceiver. The various mental states are the perceived and the self is the perceiver. But the self is not perceived by anything.12 dt artesm The jiva remains unchanged in all three states. Indeed, if he underwent any change, he would not be able to perceive these states. Śrī Kṛṣṇa confirms this: igan bas It should be understood that alert wakefulness comes from sattva- guna, sleep with dreaming, from rajo-guna, and deep, dreamless sleep, from tamo-guna. The fourth state of pure consciousness is punchanging and pervades these three. (SB 11.25.20) 13 isd gaivi 9112 5The word santata (unchanging) in this verse is a reference to the transcendental self.nl baby oralamu wabudu sid An objection may be raised that there is no witness in deep sleep, because there is no awareness of anything. But that is not true. In deep sleep the self is aware of not being aware of anything empirical, and that is why on awakening one remembers the pleasurable expe- rience of deep sleep. As stated in the Śruti, “I slept so long and deeply that I had no awareness of anything” (etävantam kālam sukham aham asvapsaṁ na kiñcid avediṣam). Not having any awareness of anything means that a subject is present who perceives the non-awareness of anything. Otherwise, there would be no remembrance of anything, even of sleeping soundly, since no one experiences non-existence, even in deep sleep. There cannot be any recollection without first having experience, but because the mind becomes dissociated from the self in deep sleep, the experience is not very specific. Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi further develops this point and says that through this experience of the self as witness, we should try to ontevig at dud age sit lite at nds joy) and 12 rupam dṛśyam locanam drk tad-dṛśyam dṛk tu mānasam dṛśya dhi-vṛttayaḥ sākṣi drsya eva na tu drsyateha 13 sattvaj jāgaraṇam vidyad rajasä svapnam adiset prasvapaṁ tamasa jantos turiyam trişu santatama bording 44 4 Bhagavan Is Nārāyaṇa understand Brahman, which exists always throughout the three different states of existence as well as in the state of trance. This is called mukta-pragraha-nyāya, or the principle of relieving all con- straints to disclose the fullest meaning. Brahman cannot be realized without the individual being feeling a sense of identity with it. That is one of the reasons for scriptural statements that stress the one- ness of the living being with Brahman, such as tat tvam asi, “You are That (Brahman).” But this does not mean that one becomes Brahman in its original sense. On account of its vastness, we cannot see the entire ocean at once; we can only point to a minute portion of it, which we des- ignate as the whole ocean. This is called ekadeśa-nirdeśa-nyāya — designating a part as the whole. Similarly, a jīva cannot realize Brah- man, which is all-pervading and unlimited, in its entirety. So, to con- vey knowledge of it, the individual being is designated as Brahman, even though it is but a fraction thereof. More details will be given about the process of Brahman realization in Anuccheda 6. In the next section, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmī cites three verses spoken by Śrī Kṛṣṇa to illustrate the three aspects of the Absolute. ad ।। ॐ ।। sault on to havsgenderVan zes maupmann auf 29x or so Town as a stupor mil 30 anemibodms and bas Bis called leradam ad agalan barbodes 1930 gallon to 2 won sysИ Thargo (ls id izan de (val) andlinglash vlibod sind o no brim aid auxit odw ipoy T wished to non ri by Basta airy law woben amased (argada) done most robsart to swoyors) piky bolles nor as zonite si to sonsual d in nobelastinum VM alaM ne haim sug all aszh odw 900 Pleredwalld omsique on enicido camilere bilcopan erenziare) (Brian) mid solos eslash moydala 45 Surtis Sindroilgoods avevi ajal did in bruthersban Freidsondo saiz edo ni 26 llaw as sodaixs to state meronth noo Ils gaivelles to signing at 20-dong-offum holis basiest od former tellut och sabbath of artene Anuccheda 5 918 och movies dos as Imingh de diw paid gaivil sds to eas Absolute Reality Manifests in Three Aspects Lenigh asb sw daidw to nottrog ५ । इदमेव त्रयं सिद्धिप्रसङ्गेऽप्याह त्रिभिः (भा० ११ । १५/१५-१७) - Wing deia BRAHMAN, PARAMĀTMĀ AND BHAGAVAN are also described in the section of Śrīmad Bhagavatam that deals with siddhi, paranormal powers or psycho-spiritual attainments: विष्णौ त्र्यधीश्वरे चित्तं धारयेत् कालविग्रहे । स ईशित्वमवाप्नोति क्षेत्र क्षेत्रज्ञचोदनाम् ॥ १६ ॥ नारायणे तुरीयाख्ये भगवच्छब्दशब्दिते । मनो मय्यादधद् योगी मद्धर्मावशितामियात् ॥ १७ ॥ निर्गुणे ब्रह्मणि मयि धारयन् विशदं मनः । परमानन्दमाप्नोति यत्र कामोऽवसीयते ॥ १८ ॥ One who fixes his consciousness on Visņu, Bhagavan of the Three and the embodiment of time, acquires the paranormal power of controlling other embodied beings, their material bodies and their bodily designations (iśitva). The yogi who fixes his mind on My form as Nārāyaṇa, known as the fourth dimension of being (turiya) and inclusive of all opu- lences (Bhagavan), becomes endowed with My nature and thus We acquires the perfection called vasită (the power of freedom from the influence of the gunas). One who fixes his pure mind on Me in My manifestation as unqualified Brahman obtains the supreme bliss, wherein all desires come to an end (kāmāvasayita). (SB 11.15.15-17)1 vişnau try-adhiśvare cittam dharayet kala-vigrahe sa isitvam aväpnoti kṣetram kṣetrajña-codanām 46 5 Absolute Reality Manifests in Three Aspects टीका च - त्र्यधीश्वरे त्रिगुणमायानियन्तरि । अत एव कालविग्रहे आकलयितृरूपे अन्तर्या- मिणि । तुरीयाख्ये - ima Śrīdhara Svāmi explains: “Visnu is try-adhiśvara (Bhagavan of the Three), that is, the controller of maya, which is composed of the three gunas. Therefore, He is kala-vigraha (the embodi- ment of time), meaning He is the witness, or the indwelling Sup- reme Immanent, Antaryāmi. Turiyakhya (known as the fourth dimension of being) is explained in the following verse: molt 080 Pmas bas birovniki baties zirbbia si aveiros of विराड् हिरण्यगर्भश्च कारणं चेत्युपाधयः । शस्य यत् त्रिभिर्हीनः तुरीयं तत् पदं विदुः ॥ १९ ॥ इत्येवं लक्षणे । Virat, hiranyagarbha and karana are the three limiting adjuncts (upadhis) of God in His capacity as the Supreme Immanent, but He who is free from these is called Turiya, the fourth dimension, or in other words, the Supreme Transcendence.? sashi enisits ipo Alegnied galvi वि० पु० ६।५।७४- “As stated in Visnu Purāna: of thi and ऐश्वर्यस्य समग्रस्य वीर्यस्य यशसः श्रियः । ibno tre best peon sven on on anozing Botas ज्ञानवैराग्ययोश्चापि षण्णां भग इतीङ्गना ॥ २० ॥ bulls at amdsment alorios beesvont is hlw smb to Hob Controlling potency, inconceivable power, fame, wealth, knowl- VERedge and absence of attachment in their totality are the sixt Yopulences (bhaga) indicative of [Bhagavan]. (VP 6.5.74)3 he sw तद्वति भगवच्छब्दशब्दिते । इत्येषा || श्रीभगवान् ।। “The phrase bhagavat-sabda-sabdite means, ‘He who is designated by the word bhagavan,’ or in other words, ‘He who is inherently 3 nārāyaṇe turiyäkhye bhagavac-chabda-sabdite mano mayy adadhad yogi mad-dharmavaśitām iyāt nirgune brahmani mayi dharayan visadam manaḥ paramanandam apnoti yatra kāmo’vasiyate virad hiranya-garbhaś ca karanam cety upadhayaḥ isasya yat tribhir hinaḥ turiyam tat padam viduḥ aiśvaryasya samagrasya viryasya yasasaḥ śriyaḥ jñāna-vairāgyayoś capi sannām bhaga itinganā oneuploigant 47 4 Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha self-endowed with the six opulences,’ or bhagas, as described in VP 6.5.74.” The quotation from Sridhara Svāmi’s tīkā ends here. to navegada) providho- a galvanisiqxs imeve stedbre Commentary idwayam to 19llo alter (and s bodms adt) odopiv-alal al SH sro1975 ang 997 9 10 IN CHAPTER 15 OF THE ELEVENTH CANTO Śrī Kṛṣṇa explains the var- ious paranormal powers yogis can develop through different medita- tion practices. In the three verses cited here, He explains the process to achieve the siddhis called iśitā, vaśitā and kāmāvasayitā. At the same time, these verses also explain the three aspects of the Abso- lute currently under discussion. The first of the three verses rec- ommends meditating on Paramātmā to attain the paranormal power called iśită. By this accomplishment, a yogi can control the func- tions of material nature and the living beings under her control, śakti-preranam iśită. Because Paramātmā is the controller of mate- rial nature and the conditioned living beings, a yogi attains these powers by meditating on Him. This does not mean, however, that he can create and destroy the cosmos. Brahma-sutra states that lib- erated persons do not have the power to create the cosmos. That can be done only by Bhagavan. Paramātmā is called kala-vigraha because He is the personifica- tion of time, which moves and controls everything. As Śrī Kṛṣṇa says in GĪTĀ 11.32, “Time I am” (kalo’smi), and in GĪTĀ 10.30, “Of con- trollers, I am time” (kalaḥ kalayatam aham). Time comes into play when Śrī Viṣņu glances at the unmanifest material nature, prakṛti. This sets everything in motion. Mother Devaki describes time as the movement of His bodily limbs: O friend of the unmanifest (prakṛti)! The phenomenon of time, by which the cosmos becomes active, is Your own activity. It is divided into units, from nanoseconds to years, up to periods as long as the lifetime of Brahma, but You are its master and the abode of all auspiciousness. I take shelter of You. (SB 10.3.26)5 jagad-vyāpāra-varjyam prakaraṇād asannihitatvät VS 4.4.17 5 yo’yam kālas tasya te’vyakta-bandho ceṣṭām āhuś ceṣṭate yena viśvam 48 nimeṣādir vatsaranto mahiyāms tam tveśānam kṣema-dhāma prapadyeng may 5 Absolute Reality Manifests in Three Aspects The second of the three verses explains the siddhi called vaśitā. This is the power to remain free from the influence of the gunas of nature, or of the sense objects, even while in their midst, guneṣu asan- gam vaśitā (Viśvanatha). This is attained by meditation on Bhagavan, the Supreme Personal Nondual Being, and the complete Whole. Śrī Nārāyaṇa is called turiya, because He is beyond all upādhis; Bhaga- vān, or Nārāyaṇa, is thus the supreme manifestation of the Absolute Truth. Bhagavan does not directly contact the gunas and thus can never be influenced by them. He has all opulences in their totality. The third verse explains the psycho-spiritual perfection called kāmāvasāyitā, which means to attain the supreme bliss whereby one becomes free from all desires. This is a result of meditating on unqualified Brahman. Paramananda (the supreme bliss) in this verse means brahmananda (the bliss of Brahman). This is the state in which one realizes brahma-sayujya, or oneness with Brahman, because in that state one can taste a portion of the bliss of Brah- man. Since there is no variety in Brahman, the Brahman-realized being loses all sense of the duality of enjoyer and enjoyed. He has no desires to fulfill. Since such a yogi does not realize any of the qualities of the Absolute, Brahman lacks the higher completion of Paramātmā and Bhagavan. The significance of these three verses is that all three aspects, Nārāyaṇa, Paramātmā and Brahman, are manifestations of one Absolute Reality. Reality manifests in three ways in accordance with different types of worshipers. Because meditation on different aspects of the one Reality yields different accomplishments, their manifestation is not equal in all respects. Bhagavan is superior to the other manifestations because by meditation on Him, one can attain all perfections. As Bhagavan says later in the same chapter: For a sage who is constantly fixed in unbroken meditation upon Me, having conquered his senses and mind, regulated the breath and overcome his self-appropriated nature, what perfections could possibly be difficult to achieve? (SB 11.15.32)6 jitendriyasya dantasya jita-śväsätmano muneḥ mad-dhāraṇām dharayataḥ kā sā siddhiḥ sudurlabha 49 69 Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbhado d In fact, the devotees of Bhagavan never even desire the vari- ous siddhis and thus demonstrate their superiority to the yogis and other transcendentalists. In the next section, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi will continue his deliberations on the vadanti tat verse.valy) in mop W stelgmos adi bas gaisa luback gare airbagir lle bagged al s stuloadA oni to noblestinem smsique art print a video ed at 293nsingo lie and sit mais fransullat od found donery said empaque ad pistle of ansin day toymad этолдиг it ai (zaild among ) phong naming itupun no મારાં હોળી nemder8 daw 2297900 302-amond assiles pond to saild sold to goiting a stast so 18 ni visitsy op and sh bavotus hoc veins to villasub or lo 00 ang douw ni Jadi seo stuload A to naveguria ha 90 to noiseptinem neule bas bow pads of stine tiles 69 RAV4 pilsesquio da gusti no noitalbom sauna gidzow to get end due riad: 109.dailymogus group, ablaty and to res el zonaqua a nevada magas e ni loups son el molilasilasm 6 900 miH no пobatibom vd sansed anolicistinem adto sit gado ame of a 7tal avanevagar8 2A ansioisy le ains wood nobellham sondal hiba voda eriw gaa ar dybug boin Bases and bom pongated M blueb brott 50 tibed vid tion inlop (pans Finitost Prom D कृति Anuccheda 6X1id i bazlewolver de godila The Person Eligible for Brahman Realization of en estudisha hatol at bestarinu s odw Do7) tarfel drdis ad term on ob or donde ngar (oquiava) samman Initness to ६ । अथ “वदन्ति” इत्याद्यस्य पद्यस्य प्रत्यवस्थापनं यावत् तृतीयसन्दर्भमुद्भाव्यते । 19bau 90 nolens)xe WE WILL NOW OFFER further elaboration and exposition of the vadanti verse, which will continue through to the completion of Paramätma Sandarbha. तत्र योग्यतावैशिष्ट्येनाविर्भाववैशिष्ट्यं वक्तुं ब्रह्माविर्भावे तावद् योग्यतामाह ( भा० १०।१४।६)— 2200 2197 According to the specific qualifications and disposition of the spiritual aspirant, the Absolute Truth reveals Himself in a spe- cific way. To elucidate this principle, Śrī Brahmāji describes the characteristics of a person eligible to realize Brahman in his prayers to Bhagavan: कृत Fuck तथापि भूमन् महिमागुणस्य ते विबोद्धुमर्हत्यमलान्तरात्मभिः । अविक्रियात् स्वानुभवादरूपतो ह्यनन्यबोध्यात्मतया न चान्यथा ॥ २१ ॥ एक O Unlimited Lord! You have no attributes (aguna), and so Your glory (mahima) deserves to be perceived by pure-hearted selves. This perception arises from the immutable (avikriyat) experience of, or establishment in, the self (svänubhavät). Being formless (arupataḥ), this glory [Brahman] can be known through aware- ness of non-distinction from it (ananya-bodhyātmatayā) and not bod otherwise. (SB 10.14.6)2 1 bn SB 1.2.11, the original verse under discussion. 2 tathāpi bhuman mahimagunasya te viboddhum arhaty amalantar-atmabhiḥ avikriyāt svānubhavad arupato hy ananya-bodhyatmataya na canyathasty 51 Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha यद्यपि ब्रह्मत्वे भगवत्त्वे च दुर्ज्ञेयत्वमुक्तं तथापि हे भूमन् । स्वरूपेण गुणेन चानन्त ते तव अगुणस्य अनाविष्कृतस्वरूपभूतगुणस्य यो महिमा महत्त्वं बृहत्त्वं ब्रह्मत्वमिति यावत् “अथ कस्मादुच्यते ब्रह्म बृंहति बृंहयति च” इति श्रुतेः । स तव महिमा अमलान्तरात्मभिः शुद्धान्तःकरणैर्जनैर्विबोद्धुमर्हति तेषां बोधे प्रकाशितुमर्हति समर्थो भवतीत्यर्थः । Although Śrī Brahma previously stated in his prayers that Bha- gavan’s Brahman and Bhagavan manifestations are both difficult to understand, he nevertheless states here: O Unlimited Lord, O Bhuman (You who are unlimited in form and attributes)! The glory of that aspect in which You do not manifest the attributes existing within Your essential nature (svarupa) is great. This glory, by which is meant Your greatness (bṛhattva), should by extension be understood to mean brahmatva, or the boundless Absolute, for it is said in the Śruti, “Wherefore is this called Brah- man? Because it expands (brmhati) and causes others to expand (bṛmhayati).” This glory of Yours deserves to be perceived by pure-hearted selves, that is, to persons whose inner perceptual faculties have been purified. In other words, the Brahman aspect is potentially revealed to their awareness, i.e., it is possible for this to happen. alb bas anoitaanileup ofasga edi of gaibroos ala9757 dtuit etuload Aadi insigas lautiniga कस्मान् निमित्तात् ? तत्राह – स्वानुभवात् शुद्धत्वम्पदार्थस्य बोधात् । What is the immediate cause of such perception? To this Brahma says: “It is due to experience of, or establishment in, the self (svanubhavat), that is, through awareness of the pure ‘you-prin- ciple’ (tvam-padartha, i.e., ’the pure self”).“4 नन्वनुभवः खल्वन्तःकरणस्य वृत्तिः । सा च स्थूलसूक्ष्मदेहविकारमय्येव सती कथं निर्विकारं त्वम्पदार्थं विषयं कुर्वीत ? तत्राह - अविक्रियात् त्यक्ततत्तद्विकारात् । ug yd bovisorsg nilau O The objection may be raised that all experiences are mental states (antah-karana-vṛtti), which are transformations of the gross and das (namder8] volg side (doingto) Atharva-sikha Upanisad 3.5d-no) i most hopitalb-non to zasa By the “you-principle,” or tvam-padartha, Śrīla Jīvapāda is referring to the Vedantic discourse surrounding the mahā-väkya, tat tvam asi (You are that). Here, the you-principle is the individual self; the tat-padartha (that-principle), is Brahman. Realizing the essence of one is here said to be the key to understanding the other. to 52 6 The Person Eligible for Brahman Realization subtle bodies. How can the material mind perceive the pure self (tvam-padartha), which is devoid of such transformations? To this, Śrī Brahma answers: “This experience is immutable or free from any transformation (avikriyāt), i.e., the minds of these per- sons are free of all said transformations” [or rather, the experi- ence of self occurs beyond the range of mind, and hence beyond the reach of mental or egoic modifications]. ननु विषयाकार एवानुभवो विषयमुपाददीत । शुद्धत्वम्पदार्थस्तु न कस्यापि विषयः स्यात् प्रत्यग्रूपत्वात् ? तत्राह - अरूपतो रूप्यते भाव्यत इति रूपो विषयः तदाकारतारहितात् । देहद्वयावेशविषयाकारताराहित्ये सति स्वयमेव शुद्धत्वम्पदार्थः प्रकाशत इति भावः । Another objection may be raised that any experience of an object [in the form of mental states, or vṛttis] takes the shape of that object. However, the pure self is not subject to anyone’s expe- rience, being situated within or beyond the senses. In answer to this, Brahmāji says, “Being formless (arupataḥ), etc.” Form means something that can be measured or conceived (i.e., visaya, “an object of the senses”). The self is devoid of any such shape. In other words, when the mind is free from any modifications caused by attachment to the gross or subtle bodies, then the pure self manifests itself. gr ननु सूक्ष्मचिद्रूपत्वम्पदार्थानुभवे कथं पूर्णचिदाकाररूपमदीयब्रह्मस्वरूपं स्फुरतु ? तत्राह - अनन्यबोध्यात्मतया चिदाकारतासाम्येन शुद्धत्वम्पदार्थैक्यबोध्यस्वरूपतया । यद्यपि तादृगात्मानुभवानन्तरं तदनन्यबोध्यताकृतौ साधकशक्तिर्नास्ति तथापि पूर्वं तदर्थमेव कृतया सर्वत्राप्युपजीव्यया साधनभक्त्याराधितस्य श्रीभगवतः प्रभावादेव तदपि तत्रो- Gib दयत इति भावः । To tu A final objection is that even if one realizes the infinitesi- mal individual consciousness (tvam-padartha), how can God’s Brahman aspect, which is complete, undivided consciousness, become revealed to him? Brahmāji answers, “This glory can be known through awareness of non-distinction from it (ananya- bodhyatmatayā), and not otherwise.” In other words, this realiza- tion of non-distinction is possible because Brahman and the jiva share the same characteristic of being conscious by nature. Even if one recognizes that the self is pure consciousness, however, 535 nourile Śri Bhagavat Sandarbhatala this does not result in the ability to experience oneness with Brahman by one’s own efforts. One can, however, attain it by the power or grace of God who has been worshiped by devo- tion (sadhana-bhakti), which is the source and shelter of all perfections, with the aim of such realization. Ils to 5911 91s eroz तदुक्तम् वदन्ति इत्यादिपद्यानन्तरमेव (भा० १।२।१२) - to understa Thus, Sūta Gosvāmī says in the verse immediately following the vadanti verse: तच्छ्रद्दधाना मुनयो ज्ञानवैराग्ययुक्तया । पश्यन्त्यात्मनि चात्मानं भक्त्या श्रुतगृहीतया ॥ २२ ॥ इति । 19565 100 A Therefore, the wise, faithful sages see the Absolute Truth [as Brahman, Paramātmā or Bhagavan] within the self through devo- tion coupled with knowledge and detachment, acquired through the faculty of hearing. (SB 1.2.12)5 सत्यव्रतं प्रति श्रीमत्स्यदेवोपदेशे च (भा० ८।२४।३८) – २०१०७४ Boltsoflibom yas moi seni ai baim sdt nadw ebrow radio n That God’s mercy is instrumental in achieving Brahman realiza- tion is also stated by Śri Matsya to King Satyavrata:ism1192 मदीयं महिमानं च परं ब्रह्मेति शब्दितम् । वेत्स्यस्यनुगृहीतं मे सम्प्रश्नैर्विवृतं हृदि ॥ २३ ॥ इति ॥ ब्रह्मा श्रीभगवन्तम् ॥ You will also know My glory, which is celebrated as Parabrah- man, for it will be thoroughly revealed to you within your heart, both as a result of your own profound inquiry and through My te favor. (SB 8.24.38) sido lana A e’bod ass wod (ottishon-not) sasmanolozno Laubivibui Ism 388 48 Stowane Temnele vein of Bobby Shroud mono) ti most notonttalb-non to assustawa duords wond cilat sids abriredio el “Selwred to ton bas (neniorhod 5 tac-chraddadhānā munayo jñāna-vairagya-yuktaya tel non to hol pasyanty atmani cātmānam bhaktyä śruta-grhitaya ⚫ madiyaṁ mahimanam ca paraṁ brahmeti sabditam da vetsyasy anugṛhitam me sampraśnair vivṛtam hrdi di essingosar arro 71 54 54 6 The Person Eligible for Brahman Realization Commentarywolonesauto.videolano Juodi Jest singletons Tesorib bas luleringaudaitisa od IN SECTION 4 ŚRILA JIVA GOSVĀMI said that by describing Brahman and Bhagavan, Paramātmā would automatically be explained. He then gave a basic description of these three different manifestations of the Absolute Truth in the subsequent sections. Now he discusses the prerequisites and the process for attaining Brahman realization, for which he cites a verse from Śrī Brahma’s prayers to Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi understands the word mahima (glory) in the verse as meaning Brahman, since mahima means greatness and that is the definition of Brahman given in the Śruti, “Brahman is that which is great, powerful or expansive, and also makes others great, powerful, or expansive (brmhati brmhayati iti brahma).” Because the ātmā is infinitesimal and limited, a mere atomic fraction (anu) of the Supreme, it is very difficult for it to know God’s omnipresent Brah- man aspect (vibhu). Indeed, it is impossible unless one takes shelter of unalloyed devotion (bhakti-yoga). Taman Juontiw old This Bhāgavatam verse begins with the word tathapi: although it is difficult to know this Brahman aspect of God, it is possible for those whose hearts have been purified. Śrī Brahmāji had previously acknowledged the difficult nature of this conundrum, “Though my mind and senses are controlled and withdrawn from material affairs, I cannot even estimate the potency of this childlike body of Yours, present directly in front of me, what to speak of the happiness You experience within Yourself” (SB 10.14.2)? A heart overpowered by the gunas of rajas and tamas does not have the ability to perceive the self due to this state of constant agi- tation. The tamo-guna causes laya-drowsiness, lack of enthusiasm and delusion; while the rajo-guna causes vikṣepa - perturbation due to material attachment, anger, greed and so on. There are many pro- cesses for purifying the heart, but causeless devotion is the most potent and immediate. The real impurity of the heart is the attitude of separateness from, and contraction against, the Supreme Truth and Complete Personal God. God supplies all necessities of life even 7 asyapi deva vapuso mad-anugrahaya svecchamayasya na tu bhutamayasya ko’pi nese mahi tv avasitum manasāntarena sākṣāt tavaiva kim utātma-sukhānubhuteḥ 55 OsallŚrī Bhagavat Sandarbha without our asking, so if a jiva refuses to acknowledge this, he must be selfish, ungrateful and dishonest. Therefore, unless one at least acknowledges the Supreme Lord, it is not possible to purify the heart completely or to realize any of His three aspects. Śrī Kṛṣṇa confirms this in His teachings to Uddhava: szarpaib all woll erotips insupsedua sdt ni diuTT stuload A edito The speculative arguments of philosophers - “This world is real,” “No, it is not real” - are based upon incomplete knowledge of the Supreme Self and are simply aimed at discerning material dualities. oda Although such arguments are useless, persons who have turned Te their attention away from Me, their own true Self, are unable to Jan give them up. (SB 11.22.34) nov nsvig s 10 luhewog J6918 279 er One of the revolutionary ideas that Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmī is point- ing out to us is that Brahman realization is impossible without the mercy of God, which comes only as a result of the being’s partici- pation in devotion. In other words, Brahman realization is impossi- ble without engagement in bhakti-yoga. Thus, even the followers of Śankarācārya, the chief protagonist of brahma-jñāna in recent times, must imbibe the spirit of devotion [which is to say, they must wed devotion to jñāna] to attain perfection in their path. Otherwise, they encounter only misery in the form of repeated birth and death. In fact, Brahman, as defined by the Advaitavādīs (Radical Nondualists), is not the same Brahman explained by Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmi. The latter (Brahman), which was also witnessed [and later described] by Śrīla Vyasadeva in his spiritual trance, is the very same Brahman explained in Vedanta-sutra and the Upanisads. The Advaitavadīs, however, manufacture their own idea of Brah- man with the machinery of their mental speculation. Hence, in the Tenth Canto of Srimad Bhagavatam, the gods, headed by Śrī Brahmā, rightly decry such monists:n baeng regne.dnsmilbette lzinstem of from ari zi notiovsh easlseuss Jud Jissd sdt giving 101 292500 shi O lotus-eyed Lord, others [the followers of the path of pure knowl-ro dredge, devoid of devotion] who consider themselves liberated and 8 whose minds are impure due to a lack of devotion to You, fall down ātmāparijñāna-mayo vivado hy astiti nāstīti bhidartha-niṣṭhah vyartho’pi naivoparameta pumsaṁ mattaḥ paravṛtta-dhiyām sva-lokāt 30 56 6 The Person Eligible for Brahman Realization ed from the high position they have attained with great difficulty due vil to having disregarded Your lotus feet. (SB 10.2.32)” In the Third Canto of Srimad Bhagavatam, Śrī Kapiladeva, while explaining the process of aṣṭānga-yoga, which culminates in Brah- man realization, says that the yogi is able to realize Brahman by the strength of his devotion, through meditating on the form of Bhagavan: for Śrīg By practicing meditation the yogi gradually develops love for 298 Hari. His heart melts due to love and the hairs of his body stand erect due to excessive joy. He is constantly bathed in a stream of tears caused by eagerness. At this stage, the yogi withdraws his mind, no which he used to attract God just as a hook is used to catch fish, from To the object of meditation. to biovsb bred vllest Just as the flame of a lamp is extinguished when the oil and wick are exhausted, similarly, the mind becomes situated in Brahman when it is freed from any support [free from the object of meditation or bil from any attachment]. In this state, the jiva becomes free from the reflow of the material gunas [in the form of the body]; the dualism of meditator and meditational object is no more. He sees only one Brah- oman pervading everything, without any deviation. (SB 3.28.34-35)10) ilsinam Here Kapiladeva explains that the yogi begins meditating on the beautiful form of Bhagavan with the purpose of realizing Brahman. When He actually realizes the form of Bhagavan, he makes the mind void even of this form. Though the outcome is Brahman realiza- tion, this too is due to the mercy of Bhagavan. Therefore, Śrīla ad odw 19loved & sildest autol a enerx ye’nye’ravindakṣa vimukta maninas tvayy asta-bhāvād aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adho’nādṛta-yuşmad-anghrayaḥ 10 evam harau bhagavati pratilabdha-bhāvo bhaktyä dravad-dhṛdaya utpulakaḥ pramodate of gribio autkanthya-başpa-kalaya muhur ardyamanas edib bigoy s’ni tastiem tac capi citta-baḍisam śanakair viyunkte vol blogs-Ensar 20 is to ammod muktāśrayam yarhi nirviṣayam viraktam viyunktesvol nirvanam rcchati manaḥ sahasa yathārciḥ ātmānam atra puruṣo’vyavadhānam ekam anvikṣate pratinivṛtta-guna-pravahaḥ Лений For further discussion of SB 3.28.34, see Priti Sandarbha, Anuccheda 73. h 57 57 rotresles Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha sola Jiva Gosvāmi says, “One attains Brahman realization only by the influence of God.”” (candal deslavom begehalb golved b In the first of these two verses from the Third Canto, the pre- fix prati in the word pratilabdha-bhavaḥ signifies that the medita- tor’s attainment of bhava is not favorable (prati-küla), since he has a personal motive. Such a yogi is actually inferior. Śrīla Viśvanatha Cakravarti Thakura comments that such a yogi has a very crooked heart. He is like a fisherman who dips in the Ganges only for the purpose of catching fish. His goal is the fish and not the sanctify- ing quality of the Ganges’ water. So though he bathes in the Ganges every day, he remains hard-hearted, dry and crooked like the very hook he uses to catch the fish.ald) A sm 225moges d The hook looks appealing to the fish only because of the bait on it, but it is really hard, bent, devoid of any juice, and made only for the purpose of piercing live fish. Therefore, though the heart of the yogi melts, such a transformation is not permanent like the melting of butter, but rather like the softening of a fragment of iron in con- tact with fire. As soon as the heat is removed, the iron becomes solid again.hlebybod dry When Śrīdhara Svāmī comments on the phrase projjhita-kaitava (SB 1.1.2), he says that the prefix pra implies that the mere desire for liberation is also an example of a cheating mentality (kaitava). The heart of such a yogi is not completely pure. A pure-hearted person never abandons the lotus feet of Śrī Kṛṣṇa under any circumstances, certainly not due to a preference for His Brahman aspect: The person whose heart has been washed clean never abandons eit Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet. Like a traveler who has returned home, he is free from all distress. (SB 2.8.6) 12drianne gan According to Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmi, the signs of love apparently manifest in a yogi, as described above (SB 3.28.34), are not real symp- toms of rati, or trans-egoic love; rather, they describe rati-ābhāsa, the mere semblance of such love: 11 śri-bhagavataḥ prabhavad eva tad api tatrodayat 12 dhautatma puruṣaḥ kṛṣṇa-pada-mulaṁ na muñcati mukta-sarva-parikleśaḥ panthaḥ sva-saraṇam yatha 58 6 The Person Eligible for Brahman Realization If symptoms of rati, such as softening of the heart, are observed in of people who have desires [such as that for liberation] other than devo- tion in love, then these symptoms do not indicate real rati [but only its semblance or shadow]. (BRS 1.3.41)13yelas If their devotion were real, Bhagavan would never desert their hearts. He is attracted only by the causeless loving devotion ren- dered by His devotees. Indeed, He is conquered by such pure devo- tion. The processes of Yoga, Sankhya and so on are not powerful enough to captivate Bhagavan. This He revealed to Uddhava: NEVER ay My dear Uddhava, the causeless devotion rendered to Me by My devotees brings Me under their control. I cannot be thus controlled for by those engaged in Yoga discipline, Sankhya philosophy, pious work, Vedic study, austerity or renunciation. (SB 11.14.20)14 th vopn Returning to the main verse being discussed by Śrīla Jivapada in this section, we find Śrī Brahma’s statement that the yogi first real- izes the pure self, svanubhavät, and then comes to realize Brahman. An objection was raised about Brahman realization in this regard. When we perceive an object with our senses, the process of perception itself produces a change in our mental state (vṛtti)!5 Since the mind is material and is subject to transformation, how can it perceive either the pure self or Brahman, which are free from transformation? Since knowledge of them is beyond the faculties of the mind and senses, it could not possibly arise from any propensity of the heart dependent on mental or sensual faculties that are in a constant state of instability due to the ebb and flow of the material gunas: signteks To has 91612 Isarion all ar hoen aw aldra 13 14 vyaktam masṛṇateva antarekṣyate rati-lakṣaṇam mumukṣu-prabhṛtīnām ced bhaved eșă ratir na hib I to avastab al melsa to na sadhayati mam yogo na sankhyam dharma uddhava na svadhyāyas tapas tyāgo yatha bhakti mamorjitā 15 This is the process of perception accepted by the schools of Yoga and Vedanta. Vedantists propose that when the eye comes in contact with an object, something luminous flows from the eye and envelops the object. This creates a form in the mind called vṛtti, or a mental state. When the self superimposes itself upon, identifies with, or is reflected within that mental state, cognition occurs. There is no perception without the formation of such a mental state, which will then remain until displaced by another dissimilar mental state. mit 59 66 notexiles Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbhalla Jiva Just as various rivers flow into the ocean, which is ever full and Infimmovable, similarly a person in whom all enjoyments merge with- out causing any disturbance attains peace; but not a person who han- kers after such enjoyments. (GĪTĀ 2.70)16 Ex In reply, Śrī Brahma has used the word avikriyāt, meaning that knowledge of the pure self arises when the mind is free from all vṛt- tis, in other words, when it is in a state of trance. As described above in the verses of Śrī Kapila, the yogi fixes his mind on the form of Bha- gavan, thus freeing his mind from all other engagements (vṛttis). To this a further objection was raised. An experience is always related to an object (visaya), but the pure self, being by nature unmanifest, cannot be an object of experience. As Kṛṣṇa says in Bhagavad Gitā: It is said that the self is unmanifest, inconceivable and unchange- lable. Knowing this to be so, you should not lament. (GĪTĀ 2.25)17 Anked katsellut of abdonsdihna bildinove. Hoe bag 201 In this verse, the word avyakta (unmanifest) indicates that the self is intangible as far as the senses are concerned. This is because the self exists in a non-spatial, non-measurable and non-observable dimension, that yet pervades the body. The senses can experience only those objects that are gross and external. its sim In response, Śrī Brahma uses the word arupatah. When the mind is free from the vṛttis generated by attachment to objects related to the subtle and gross bodies, then the self becomes manifest. To per- ceive a material object we need an appropriate sense organ, a mind in its normal state, and favorable conditions. For example, to see a table we need normal eyes, an undisturbed mind and light. If the eye is defective, or if it is dark, then we cannot see the table. But in the case of self-luminous objects, we require only suitable senses and a mind free from disturbances caused by the lower gunas of passion and ignorance. 16 17 zir old dragolevne fine sys dr mort soft aulinu apūryamāṇam acala-pratistham samudram apaḥ praviśanti yadvat tadvat kama yaṁ pravisanti sarve sa santim apnoti na kama-kāmī dabī avyakto’yam acintyo’yam avikaryo’yam ucyate a rub tasmad evam viditvainam nanuśocitum arhasimod book li met 606 The Person Eligible for Brahman Realization di For example, to see a light bulb, we do not need a separate source of illumination as was needed in the case of the table. Similarly, to realize the self, no external light or condition is needed, nor is any external sense faculty necessary. It automatically becomes manifest in the pure mind, which is to say that consciousness, or the self, is realized not through the mind but beyond mind. This is also accepted by the Advaitavādīs, as stated by Vidyāraṇya Svāmī in his Pañcadaśī: 9511 To see a clay pot kept in darkness, the eye as well as a lamp is neces- sary, but to see a lamp, only the eye is needed. (Pañcadasi 7.93) 18 Of course, according to Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi, this revelation of the self is completely due to the mercy of Bhagavan. Śrī Kṛṣṇa confirms this in Bhagavad Gitä: dove orft 298 зда A person who serves Me alone through unswerving devotion, com-h ed pletely transcends these gunas of nature and becomes qualified to realize Brahman. (GITA 14.26)1930 And again: indisid gnibevise lle sidizivibinis mon ins TheThis divine energy of Mine, māyā, constituted of three gunas, is indeed very difficult to surmount. Those who take refuge in Me Salone cross over this māyā. (GĪTĀ 7.14)20 are wasmano to anw Paramat wod 10 9зnsulini No one can transcend the gunas of material nature without devo- tion. The Advaitavādīs, however, propose that ignorance can be vanquished by the culture of knowledge alone, and that one will attain Brahman realization by dint of this knowledge. However, such knowledge is also a product of material nature, albeit the sattva- guna. Knowledge of one’s identity with Brahman can elevate one to sattva-guna. It is only knowledge directly related to the Supreme Lord, however, that is transcendental, and only such knowledge can 18 cakṣur-dipāv apeksyete ghaṭāder darśane yatha 19 na dipa-darśane kintu cakṣur ekam apeksyater măm ca yo’vyabhicāreņa bhakti-yogena sevate sa gunan samatityaitan brahma-bhūyāya kalpate 20 daivi hy eṣa guna-mayi mama maya duratyaya mam eva ye prapadyante māyām etām taranti te 止ん 61 nalazi Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha s liberate a person. Whenever it is stated that knowledge confers lib- eration, it is to be understood as knowledge related to the Nondual Personal Absolute. Śrī Kṛṣṇa instructs this directly to Uddhava: al My dear Uddhava, the wise do not take to barren literature that doesn’t contain descriptions of My activities, such as the creation, maintenance and destruction of the cosmos, or of My appearances in different lilāvatāras, which purify the whole universe. (SB 11.11.20)21 Later on, He directly states, “Knowledge related to Me is free from the material gunas” (man-nistham nirgunam smṛtam, i.e., “it is transcendental,” SB 11.25.24). 10 Jiva Gosvāmi foresees yet another objection to what Brahmājī has stated thus far. The pure self, though conscious in nature, is atomic in size. Even if one realizes the self, how does such real- ization encompass the unlimited, omnipresent Brahman? Brahmāji responds with the words, ananya-bodhyatmataya, “Brahman can be known through the awareness of non-distinction from it.“22 After realizing the atomic self, the yogi meditates on the self as nondiffer- ent from the indivisible, all-pervading Brahman. During the prac- tice stage, he engages in bhakti while keeping focused on this one- ness of identity. Due to the influence of devotion, the realization of oneness with Brahman, or Brahman realization, finally dawns. Without the influence of bhakti, however, this realization cannot take place. It should be noted here that the living being does not become Brahman, nor does he merge in Brahman and lose his identity, any more than a drop does not become the ocean or lose its separate iden- tity when it flows into the ocean. Even before realizing Brahman, the yogi existed in Brahman, but simply did not recognize this truth. Because the aspirant was adamant to attain this realization, he per- formed devotion with that goal in mind. Bhagavan felt moved to ful- fill his desire, although He does not consider this His real blessing, 21 yasyam na me pavanam anga karma sthity-udbhava-praṇa-nirodham asya lilăvatārepsita-janma va syäd vandhyāṁ giram tām bibhṛyan na dhiraḥ 22 A drop of the ocean has almost the same qualities as the ocean as a whole. Similarly, a spark of fire possesses most of the qualities of fire (heat and light), but only to a very limited extent. 62 6 The Person Eligible for Brahman Realization since such an attainment is available even to His enemies, as stated in Brahmaṇḍa Purana and cited in Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 9mm 2d 1000 brids ads no betsutia ai odw nonsas 26 laut,nbhj-omlord Beyond the darkness of ignorance lies the realm named Siddhaloka. Both the sages who have attained the bliss of Brahman realization and the demons killed by Śrī Kṛṣṇa reside there. (BRS 1.2.280)23 Jon 290b ad Because Brahman is the all-pervading aspect of God, the only way one can realize it is through the perception of non-distinction from, or identity with, it. If one perceives oneself to be distinct from Brah- man, he cannot have full realization of it, because that contradicts доп the very nature of Brahman. Therefore, devotees never hanker after Brahman realization. Rather, they abhor it because radical oneness that fails to admit transcendental distinction, denies the possibility of higher completion, and higher unity, through nondual devotion in love. The experience of oneness with Brahman is, however, not within the individual capacity of the practitioner. It occurs by the strength of devotion performed during the stage of practice. In support of this, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmī cites two verses from Srimad Bhagavatam. The first (SB 1.2.12) succeeds the vadanti verse that describes the three aspects of the Absolute. This is why the word ātmānam (“the Self” or “the Absolute”) can there be taken to indicate Brahman, Paramātmā or Bhagavan, depending upon the qualification of the muni, be he a jñani, yogi or bhakta. All three types of transcenden- talists realize their goal by bhakti and by hearing from authoritative sources, bhaktyä śruta-gṛhitaya. While commenting on this verse, Śrīdhara Svāmī writes: These three facets of Absolute Reality are attained only through bhakti, along with its attendants, such as jñāna and vairāgya?4 The import of the verse spoken by Śri Matsyadeva to King Satya- vrata (SB 8.24.38) is twofold. First, Brahman is realized by the mercy 23 siddha-lokās tu tamasaḥ pāre yatra vasanti hi siddha brahma-sukhe magna daityaś ca hariņā hatāḥ 24 tac ca tattvam sa-parikaraya bhaktyaiva präpyate 63 gbaxlis Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha silla of Bhagavan, and second, a devotee has automatically attained Brah- man realization without any extraneous endeavor for the culture of brahma-jñāna, just as a person who is situated on the third floor has already passed through the lower floors. But there is a slight differ- ence between the Brahman realization of a devotee and that of a jñānī or yogi. The realization of a devotee is momentary since his real inter- est does not lie there. Even when he realizes Brahman, he does not dissolve his sense of self completely, like a jñānī or yogi, but main- tains the sense of transcendental self, one with, yet distinct from, the Nondual Personal Absolute, and inherently related through the bond of devotional love. This he does, knowing Brahman to be non- different from Bhagavan. In the next section, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi will continue his description of Brahman realization. год nobovab laubnon glorifinu engid bas imbs of ellei Jer miritw jon assword at namera w zasmano to soprog evol ni big ar to viagra Livibai silt torque novogoria bom2 grit andresh red 92797 Hraboy odabas bag lo sgsiz adi garuh berolig move to on 200 evil blere aidd (18.182) jan str 9) MA brow si vrlw el aid stulozdA ads to gas sed snsd ibni of need sin (“loadA 9 10 11 9nt to coltsonileup sdu noqu gaibnsqsh havegand no stemsre rake place -9992 to 29gvt mit Ablond to pay inants of ad unum Visitortius mon garised yd fins inland vd 1502 119 ssil697 aas Brahman, nor does it merge to Ayolin-one blonde901002 291w imĚvě sisdbře se zid no gnitusamos elit formed davon with that Byte mix of vsbevis med noge event to hom madi yd basilcer einemden ja biolowizi (8.8.8.8 82) sist 64 Add an enche-andard onthies stovgang overwelodd iyo vading ng the parfor dard seawood as down wollot es zi prod gringom aut tang adilo jesissa ad grind sti of galwo Anuccheda 7 vistaibsmmi The Manifestation of Brahman at a tast andveg vino esso (acro) lutisused were estilloup asbrow auol dennisdi 16 hats dw.nemde 8 sirf nemderalo noilutai stafa telead any aunt al beveger to soubes ७ । तादृशाविर्भावमाह सार्द्धेन (भा० २।७।४७-४८ ) part body arte IN THE FOLLOWING VERSE AND A HALF, Śrī Brahma explains to Nārada some further specifics about the Brahman feature: грън शश्वत् प्रशान्तमभयं प्रतिबोधमात्रं शुद्धं समं सदसतः परमात्मतत्त्वम् । शब्दो न यत्र पुरुकारकवान् क्रियार्थो माया परैत्यभिमुखे च विलज्जमाना ॥ तद् वै पदं भगवतः परमस्य पुंसो ब्रह्मेति यद् विदुरजस्रसुखं विशोकम् ॥ २४ ॥ WOTTO dilweinde testsbarto That which the sages know as Brahman, which is uninterrupted joy and completely devoid of grief, is merely the pedestal (pada) of Bhagavan, the Supreme Person. It is eternally tranquil, free BAY from fear, exclusively of the nature of unadulterated conscious- ness, pure, unchanging, beyond all cause and effect, the source s of all individual beings, which cannot be realized through the performance of sacrifices or the chanting of Vedic mantras, and before which the external energy personified (māyā) flees out of shame. (SB 2.7.47-48)1 1
ibni अयमर्थः – सर्वतो बृहत्तमत्वाद् ब्रह्मेति यद् विदुस्तत् खलु परमस्य पुंसो भगवतः पदमेव निर्विकल्पतया साक्षात्कृतेः प्राथमिकत्वात् । ब्रह्मणश्च भगवत एव निर्विकल्पसत्तारूपत्वाद् śaśvat praśāntam abhayam pratibodha-mātraṁ śuddhaṁ samaṁ sad-asataḥ param atma-tattvam vo yo art tadi ti ai wo Sabdo na yatra puru-kārakavān kriyārtho lamisto al nemdard"aysa Ham maya paraity abhimukhe ca vilajjamānā tad vai padam bhagavataḥ paramasya pumsomoll1979 70 brahmeti yad vidur ajasra-sukham visokama maxs bas (ovailon) set mort puṁso 65 Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha विचित्ररूपादिविकल्पविशेषविशिष्टस्य भगवतस्तु साक्षात्कृतेस्तदनन्तरजत्वात् तदीय- स्वरूपभूतं तद्ब्रह्म तत्साक्षात्कारास्पदं भवतीत्यर्थः । The meaning here is as follows: That which is known as Brahman, owing to its being the greatest of the great, is but the pedestal of the Supreme Person, Bhagavan, because the Absolute is first immediately intuited as indeterminate. Since Brahman is Bha- gavan’s feature as indeterminate existence, and since the imme- diate apprehension of Bhagavan, who is self-endowed with var- ious wonderful qualities, such as a beautiful form, occurs only after the intuition of Brahman, this Brahman, which is the innate existence of Bhagavan, is thus the basis for the realization of Bhagavān (padam bhagavatah). निर्विकल्पब्रह्मणस्तस्य स्वरूपलक्षणमाह प्रतिबोधमात्रमिति अजस्रसुखमिति च । जडस्य दुःखस्य च प्रतियोगितया प्रतीयते यद् वस्तु यच् च नित्यं तदेकरूपं तद्रूपमित्यर्थः । यदात्म- तत्त्वं सर्वेषामात्मनां मूलम् । आत्मा हि स्वप्रकाशरूपतया निरुपाधिपरमप्रेमास्पदतया च तत्तद्रूपेण प्रतीयत इत्यर्थः । एकीक Śri Brahma then goes on to explain the essential characteristics of indeterminate Brahman with words such as pratibodha-matra (unadulterated consciousness) and ajasra-sukha (uninterrupted joy). That substantive which appears as the absence of matter and sorrow, which is eternal (i.e., “ unchanging”), is Brahman, the ātma-tattva (the root source of all selves). The word ātmā here indicates that Brahman is realized as self-luminous and as the essential ground of untainted supreme love. अथ तस्य सुखरूपस्याजस्रत्वे हेतुमाह - शश्वत् प्रशान्तं नित्यमेव क्षोभरहितं तद्वदभयं भयशून्यं विशोकं शोकरहितं चेति । न च सुखरूपत्वे तस्य पुण्यजन्यत्वं स्यादित्याह - शब्दो न यत्रेति । यत्र क्रियार्थो यज्ञाद्यर्थः पुरुकारकवान् शब्दो न प्रवर्तते इत्यर्थः । किन्तु ‘औपनिषदं पुरुषम्” (बृ० ३।९।२६ ) इत्यादिरीत्या केवलमुपनिषदेव प्रकाशिका भवति इत्यर्थः । wnload m How is it that the joy found in Brahman is uninterrupted? Brah- māji says, “Brahman is eternally tranquil” (śaśvat praśāntam), or eternally free from disturbance; similarly, Brahman is free from fear (abhaya) and exempt from grief ( viśoka ). Piety is not 66 7 The Manifestation of Brahman the cause of this joy, as implied by the phrase, “which cannot be realized through the performance of sacrifices or the chanting of Vedic mantras.” Sounds or words intoned during the perfor- mance of sacrifice [which generate piety] are ineffective in bring- ing about apprehension of Brahman. Only the Upanisads have the self-illuminating power to disclose Brahman; as is said, “I inquire about that person who is known from the Upanisads.“2 पुनः सुखस्वरूपत्वे चेन्द्रियजन्यत्वं व्यावर्तयति - शुद्धम् इत्यादिना । तत्र शुद्धं दोषरहि- तम् । सममुच्चावचताशून्यम् । सदसतः परं कारणकार्यवर्गादुपरिस्थितम् । Any supposition that Brahman’s essential joy arises from the senses is rendered inconsistent by use of words like suddha (pure). Pure here means free from defects. Sama (unchanging) means “devoid of any increment or decrement,” and sad-asataḥ param means “situated beyond all cause and effect.” 9 Bood you किं बहुनेत्याह – माया च यस्याभिमुखे यदुन्मुखतया स्थिते जीवन्मुक्तगणे विलज्जमानेव परैति पलायते ततो दूरं गच्छतीत्यर्थः ॥ श्रीब्रह्मा नारदम् ॥ What more is there to say? Māyā herself cannot remain before Brahman; out of shame, she flees from those who are favorably disposed to Brahman, the living liberated beings (jivan-muktas), keeping far, far away from them. 1919bril ball 8 व्यञ्जिते भगवत्तत्त्वे ब्रह्म च व्यज्यते स्वयम् । अतोऽत्र ब्रह्मसन्दर्भोऽप्यवान्तरतया मतः ॥ २५ ॥ ET ads Ba ilov has dwamor When the true nature of Bhagavan is made clearly visible, Brah-y man is automatically understood. Thus, Brahma Sandarbha is 98 257 contained within Bhagavat Sandarbha.* 2 tam tv aupanişadam purusam prcchămi BAU 3.9.26rbogobr ghalword 3 Infinity + infinity = infinity, and infinity - infinity = infinity. vyanjite bhagavat-tattve brahma ca vyajyate svayam ato’tra brahma-sandarbho’py aväntarataya mataḥ This verse is an original composition of Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi, and it is the only verse he wrote for the entire Sat Sandarbha other than a few that appear either as introductory or concluding statements. 67 Tiki Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha Commentary and add botiqmi as you aids to saman si IN QUOTING SRI BRAHMA’S STATEMENT, Śrila Jiva Gosvāmi’s pur- pose is to show that Brahman realization is the first step in Bhaga- vän realization and to define the characteristics of Brahman in ever bt greater depth. tastage olsath Amm Brahman is the indeterminate state of Bhagavan, in whom all qualities (visesas) completely and perfectly exist. Before one real- izes the complete and perfect viseṣas in Bhagavan, however, he expe- riences their indeterminate stage called Brahman. As explained in Anuccheda 5, determinate knowledge (savikalpaka-jñāna) is preceded by indeterminate knowledge (nirvikalpaka-jñāna). For instance, when we look at a boy, we perceive three things: his category “boy- hood,” which is a quality or adjective for the object perceived, the boy himself (the possessor of boyhood), and the relation between the boy (the object) and his boyhood (the quality). Hence, the statement, “This is a boy,” has three elements. Knowledge of an object implies that one must first know its qual- ity. To know a blue lotus we must first have knowledge of the color blue. Therefore, knowledge of “boy” must precede the perception of both boy and boyhood, without any knowledge of their relation- ship. This perception of an object and its quality in lieu of any rela- tionship between the two is called indeterminate knowledge. It pre- cedes every determinate perception for a scant moment, occurring somewhere beyond the purview of the senses. In Nyaya-siddhanta-muktavali 58, the logician Viśvanatha Tarka- pañcanana has declared, “Indeterminate knowledge is beyond the senses.” “15 Knowledge of every object must include its qualifying attributes [except for knowledge of universal category (jati) and knowledge of an inexplicable quality, which is called akhandopadhi]. This princi- ple is known as sākhandopadhi [the invariable co-existence of sub- stance and quality]. In other words, every perceivable object must have some quality. If an object has no quality, it cannot be per- 5 jñānam yan nirvikalpakhyam tad atindriyam işyate to inqu 68 7 The Manifestation of Brahman ceived, since our senses perceive qualities [fragrance, taste, color, texture and sound]. There is no possibility of perceiving an object without quality. Hence, indeterminate knowledge is beyond sense perception. Having established this premise, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmī says that Brahman, which has no manifest qualities, is the first step towards Bhagavan realization - nirvikalpatayā sākṣātkṛteḥ prathamikatvāt. When we look at an electric bulb, we first see light, then the shape of the bulb, and upon closer examination, the filament within. The object, i.e., the bulb, is one, but the stages of perceiving it vary. In the case of ordinary objects, our perception naturally proceeds from indeterminate to determinate. However, in the case of Abso- lute Reality, we need not proceed from stage to stage. If we so desire and are qualified, our perception can remain fixed in the indetermi- nate state, which is called Brahman realization. This entails percep- tion of an object without its attributes, which others may view in conjunction with its qualities. Thus, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmī emphatically says that brahma-jñāna is the same as bhagavan-jñāna (brahmanaś ca bhagavata eva). Yet it is an unclear understanding, due to a lack of qualified insight (nirvikalpa-sattva-rupatvät). and Jud som Śrīla Viśvanatha Cakravarti Thakura quotes a verse from Siśupala-vadha by the poet Magha to elucidate this point. The verse gives a description of Narada Muni arriving at the Sudharma assem- bly house of the Yadavas in Dvārakā. As Nārada had the mystic power to fly, he approached by way of the sky: Śrī Kṛṣṇa first saw him as a bright mass of effulgence. When he came closer, He could understand that it was some being having a body. When he came still closer, He saw a human form. When he landed id in front of them, He finally recognized him as Śrī Nārada. (Śiśupāla- ahovadha 1.3)67 This verse explains how Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s perception changed step by step from seeing a mass of effulgence to seeing Narada Muni. Even when Kṛṣṇa saw him as mass of effulgence at first, it was still ad cayas tviṣām ity avadharitam pură tataḥ śarīrīti vibhāsitäkṛtim vibhur vibhaktavayavaṁ puman iti kramād amum narada ity avabodhi saḥzunan 69 Śri Bhagavat Sandarbha Nārada Muni. The object of perception remained one, but the per- ception itself changed with visibility, which improved in proportion to Nārada’s proximity.onl senimant gone lag trodi Kṛṣṇa’s first perception of Narada Muni is akin to Brahman real- ization, the last like Bhagavan realization. Based on His first expe- rience, He could only say that there was something and that it was effulgent. He could not say anything specific about Narada. But when He recognized him as Nārada, He knew him as the son of Brahma, His own devotee, who carries a viņā, the guru of Dhruva and Prahlada, the friend of Tumburu and so on. The first experience is the basis of the last one and is included within it. The first expe- rience is the indeterminate realization of Narada, the final one the determinate experience of the same person. Next, Śrī Jiva explains nirvikalpa Brahman as unadulterated con- sciousness and nothing else. There is no distinction herein between the perceiver, what is perceived, or the act of perception, neither is there any admixture of the material gunas. Since material mis- ery is conspicuous by its absence, uninterrupted bliss and eternal peace prevail. Agitation is caused by the gunas of passion and igno- rance, but Brahman is pure transcendence (śuddha), unchanging, and beyond cause and effect; the source of all living beings. Fear is caused by duality, but this is absent in Brahman. d hoy-bqua? Brahman is further depicted as ajasra-sukha, full of unlimited joy. The dharma-sastras teach that happiness is an outcome of piety, while misery is caused by sin. The Vedic ritualistic ceremonies and sacrifices are aimed at amassing piety. Knowing this, one may think that happiness in Brahman is the outcome of pious deeds, such as giving in charity. This idea is countered by Brahma’s saying, “Sounds intoned for the performance of sacrifice cannot act as agents in this regard, or in other words, in the apprehension of Brahman” (sabdo na yatra puru-kärakavan kriyārthah). Thus, Brahman, the infinite, cannot be attained by the performance of pious deeds, like sacri- fices, since the power of words is finite. With this intent, the Śruti states, “From Brahman speech returns, along with mind, having been unable to ascertain its existence” (yato vaco nivartante apräpya manasă saha). 70 707 The Manifestation of Brahman HI Sabda (sound) is the quality of the sky, and since Brahman is beyond the sky, sound cannot approach there. Even māyā cannot come near Brahman, what to speak of sound. The sounds of the Upanisads, however, are transcendental, self-manifest and do not depend on the material sky. Thus, it is possible to approach Brahman through the sounds of the Vedas dealing with the Absolute, but not through material sound or the ritualistic parts of the Vedas meant for elevation to heavenly planets. anseM er al modoved Bhagavan is pure, beyond māyā, just like Brahman. He is the Sup- reme Controller; there is no fear or distress in Him. These qualities are perceived in Bhagavan, but not in Brahman, because there is no relationship between the object, Brahman, and its qualities. Brah- man is defined as unadulterated consciousness and uninterrupted joy. Śrī Jīva glosses that these two characteristics are perceived as the absence of inertness and suffering respectively. In other words, Brahman is experienced as the negation of material characteristics, such as inertness, misery, agitation, fear and grief. The experience is akin to deep sleep. Thus, Brahman realization is incomplete, since this lack of relationship cannot be clearly explained, being in the category of indeterminate knowledge. Śrila Jiva Gosvāmi concludes by saying that if Bhagavan is rightly understood, one will know Brahman in the proper perspective. In fact, one cannot come to a thorough understanding of Brahman without understanding Bhagavan, inasmuch as one cannot under- stand sunlight without the sun. Therefore, Jiva Gosvāmī did not compile a separate treatise on Brahman. Although Brahman is the subject of hundreds of books by monists and other scholars in Vedanta, actually no independent analysis is required. Hence, these few paragraphs, which conclude with this verse, can be called Brahma Sandarbha, but they are in fact but a small portion of Bha- gavat Sandarbha. Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī analyses bhagavat-tattva from this perspective. In the next anuccheda, Śrī Jiva will identify the qualifications needed for realizing Bhagavan.com image d Lalimate & A 71 imal sole hegola se to viinip adri (baire) ohdnaro copies must arbo abrupne su baue to desge of sew tomah bas fastlusm-iba Jaroshozam be or breed inden 16an ames word abapinagu Anuccheda 8 fatw guilsob anbev odr bauca Is Devotion Is the Means to Bhagavan Realization annisop sad ८ । अथ श्रीभगवदाविर्भावे योग्यतामाह (भा० १।७।४) - gabenon based luba fod gidenobialsr boulobal st NOW WE WILL DISCUSS the qualifications for the self-manifesta- tion of Bhagavan. Śrīla Sūta Gosvāmī said: भक्तियोगेन मनसि सम्यक् प्रणिहितेऽमले । digs vi अपश्यत् पुरुषं पूर्णं मायां च तदपाश्रयाम् ॥ २६ ॥ इति । In his pure heart which was established in perfect fixity through the yoga of unalloyed devotion, he [Vyasa] saw the original Com- plete Person (pūrṇa-puruşa) along with His external energy, Māyā, which was apart from yet supported by Him. (SB 1.7.4)1 व्याख्यातमेव ॥ श्रीसूतः ॥ 100 bih imavad sell groenedTnue sdt juodin This verse has already been explained? 21 dedure brale asque & aliqmoo Commentary myd alaylens abaud lo spoldus ed li 8 to goitron llamas and THE MAIN VERSE IN THIS SECTION is a description of the trance Śrīla Vyasadeva experienced before compiling Srimad Bhagavatam. Śrīla Narada Muni had instructed him to recollect Bhagavan along with ‘bhakti-yogena manasi samyak pranihite’male g apasyat puruşam purnaṁ māyāṁ ca tad-apäśrayam 2 A detailed explanation of this verse was presented in Tattva Sandarbha, Anucchedas 30-31. 20 72 8 Devotion Is the Means to Bhagavan Realization His energies, abode and pastimes, after first realizing them in the intense absorption of spiritual trance, and to then describe the same for the benefit of humanity. Subsequently, Vyasa’s trance revealed the original Complete Person along with all His potencies. In this verse, bhakti-yogena, the application of devotion in love, is the sine qua non, since bhakti is expedient in the process of realiz- ing the Supreme Person, Bhagavan. Bhakti as it is used here refers to pure devotion, not the bhakti whereby one realizes Brahman, as was described in Anuccheda 7. This bhakti is amala, without a tinge of impurity, i.e., the practitioner possesses no material motives. It is devotion in love of God. ант w gatwollen sitt mi Amany holes awa0) MAY 2 gasd and red had autol adr ni sesswal of AM O of yow 91.02 19va ameng svol iguous not to virow sham bid to tuo gai sud dynordi hoolishnu od podany sales way batizol vlage now 0.10 estavah 007 bawd app beir e.c.se), ric Aminess evil 5 volte med any date 16 heviged to nottels venant of than an ad estab Juods quizend diwaniged and of noyob to vitlord-amba asdWestbite addresses 20 vegera bart 73 1335 sit al medi gnisilest terü fi smea si sdreabredt of bits & balzavar as 2226vV linsupsed asmitasq ban obade Roignons ai tiiga loopgroede senstai vinsmen to honed or not asionstog at la duw bela nozio sisiguro langito an avol ni nobovab lo matrestle tapy-ilder eirit h Anuccheda 9 solbage af dd some non up and поп Bhagavan Manifests According to the Mood of the Devotee flod aftobarbound Bedroob an thugnu lo bolo svol ni nobovsh ai ९ । तदित्थं ब्रह्मणा चोक्तम् (भा० ३।९।११) - THE SAME IDEA was stated by Śri Brahma in the following way: त्वं भक्तियोगपरिभावितहृत्सरोज आस्से श्रुतेक्षितपथो ननु नाथ पुंसाम् । यद्यद्धिया त उरुगाय विभावयन्ति तत्तद्वपुः प्रणयसे सदनुग्रहाय ॥ २७ ॥ इति ॥ श्रीसूतः ॥ O Master! You take Your seat in the lotus heart that has been made worthy of You through love, prema. Even so, the way to reach You can be understood through hearing. Out of kindness toward your devotees, O Lord, who are greatly glorified, You take the very form that they meditate on, appearing to them in that The form. (SB 3.9.11)1y buen geplanted Commentary TO FURTHER SUPPORT THIS CONTENTION, Śrī Jiva Prabhu cites one of Śrī Brahma’s prayers to Śrī Viṣṇu for creative energy. Brahma describes bhakti as an antecedent to the revelation of Bhagavan. Sadhana-bhakti, or devotion in practice, begins with hearing about Bhagavan. This hearing cleanses the heart of material desires. When 1 tvam bhakti-yoga-paribhävita-hrt-sarojässe śruteksita-patho nanu natha pumsäm yad-yad-dhiyā ta urugaya vibhavayanti tat-tad-vapuḥ pranayase sad-anugrahāya 74 74 9 Bhagavan Manifests According to the Mood of the Devotee the heart is clean, sadhana-bhakti matures into bhava-bhakti, or devo- tion as the permanent foundation of feeling-awareness rooted in personal God, which gradually ripens into the fruit of prema-bhakti, or devotion as all-consuming ecstatic love for God. By the power of prema-bhakti, Bhagavan appears to each devotee in the form the devotee desires. Raqqa navegada araw trobbutt nadesh of go Bhagavan is completely independent (svarāt), but by His own sweet will, He is controlled by loving devotion. Bhagavan reveals this secret to Durvāsā Muni: As chaste women bring their gentle husbands under control by service, pure devotees, who are equal to everyone and completely bound to Me in the core of the heart, bring Me under their full control. (SB 9.4.66)2 And again He says the same in His categorical statement to Uddhava, removing any notion that there could possibly be another means to please Him: I, who am the Supreme Immanent Self (Paramātmā) and the most beloved of all (priya), am attainable for those established in truth (satām) only through unalloyed devotion undertaken with full faith. Moreover, bhakti performed with exclusive fixity upon Me purifies even the outcaste dog-eaters. (SB 11.14.21)3 Bhagavan appears as the most attractive object of His devotee’s meditation. This does not mean, however, that He is obliged to appear in any form the devotee imagines. The devotee meditates on His form as it is depicted in scriptures and explained by realized beings. This is the significance of the phrase śrutekṣita-pathah (seen through the ear). In the previous verse, Brahma said, “Even great sages [who fol- low other paths] continue to wander in the cycle of birth and death if they are averse to hearing about You” (SB 3.9.10). The hearts of mayi nirbaddha-hṛdayaḥ sadhavaḥ sama-darśanaḥ vase kurvanti māṁ bhaktyä sat-striyah sat-patim yatha 3 bhaktyāham ekaya grahyaḥ śraddhayātmā priyaḥ satām 4 bhaktiḥ punāti man-niṣṭhā śva-pākān api sambhavät rṣayo’pi deva yuşmat-prasanga-vimukha iha samsaranti 75 ito boŚri Bhagavat Sandarbha the devotees are purified simply by hearing about You (śruteksita- pathah); thus, they easily overcome the cycle of birth and death. Not only are they liberated from the material world, but they can then bring God under their control, as a result of which He takes His seat in their purified hearts. In the next section, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi goes on to describe an incident where Bhagavan appeared to Brahmāji after he had engaged in loving devotion. Bhree Hengee the Devere my shordland hi sul pont M god made to no wa M 380 umml oms arrobnu abbrow of Begido & Helt bood on 26 autotom bosiles vd benialgas bite zenunggu hotoigat al it at all no 1992) dan tog-otresti sa mig ay to son dinge der aufTegmisd Iol ody) ages Jig ned” is any vengadil 30 anosdion (one se) pot od splined of 76 dior hsas 18 espall been age or ol padarotezobs and barspider ban sodan aid becaus This is ique allow ada Ungdoms toin Anuccheda 10 An Example of Bhagavan Realization प्राप्त dio is evods tensely sm adulte radio or at an assm (ers) barel navegada amorque ads to adimplia adi ads to adimulia di ai ai seed १० । तदाविर्भावमाह सार्वैर्दशभिः (भा० २।९।९-१९ ) – indebrow radio pl nulle mori (mon) daxilib ion al ŚRĪ BRAHMA’S VISION of Svayam Bhagavan in Vaikuntha is described in the following ten-and-a-half verses (SB 2.9.9-19):1 megais तस्मै स्वलोकं भगवान् सभाजितः सन्दर्शयामास परं न यत्परम् । 21 mww VOV व्यपेतसङ्क्लेशविमोहसाध्वसं स्वदृष्टवद्भिर्युरुषैरभिष्टुतम् ॥ २८ ॥ alne Śri Bhagavan, being highly satisfied with the penance of Brahma, was pleased to reveal to him His personal abode [Vaikuntha], the supreme planet above all others. This transcendental abode of Bhagavan is free from all kinds of affliction, delusion and fear. It is adored by self-realized beings. (SB 2.9.9) 201 ne yd barobahnho-only-pa तस्मै श्रीभगवदाज्ञापुरस्कारेण श्रीनारायणाह्वयपुरुषनाभिपङ्कजे स्थित्वैव तत्तोषणैस्तपो- भिर्भजते ब्रह्मणे सभाजितस्तेन भजनेन वशीकृतः सन् स्वलोकं वैकुण्ठं भुवनोत्तमं भगवान् (51im20) meit od to yliasual (arlemix) Hotels (2 After receiving the command of Sri Bhagavan, Brahma per- formed penance while sitting on the lotus flower sprouting In the original writing of Śri Jiva Gosvāmi, all ten and a half verses of this section are presented together and are followed by Śri Jiva’s explanation. In order to facilitate understanding, however, the verses have here been arranged separately with Jiva’s comments and the applicable Jiva-toṣaṇi commentary in the p appropriate place.toy bioved tasmai sva-lokam bhagavan sabhajitaḥ sandarśayām āsa paraṁ na yat-param vyapeta-sankleśa-vimoha-sadhvasam sva-dṛṣṭavadbhir purusair abhistutam 77 Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha from the navel of the Purusa named Nārāyaṇa. Pleased with his penances and subjugated by his adoration, Śrī Bhagavān bestowed upon Brahma a complete vision of Vaikuntha, upper- most among all the worlds. यद् यतो वैकुण्ठात् परमन्यद् वैकुण्ठं परं श्रेष्ठं न विद्यते परमभगवद्वैकुण्ठत्वात् । यद् वा यद् यतो वैकुण्ठात् परं ब्रह्माख्यं तत्त्वं परं भिन्नं न भवति । स्वरूपशक्तिविशेषाविष्कारेण माययानावृतं तदेव तद्रूपमित्यर्थः । अग्रे त्विदं व्यक्तीकरिष्यते । slamsx. mA The phrase paraṁ na yat-param (the supreme planet above all oth- ers) means, “There is no other Vaikuntha superior to that Vai- kuntha, because it is the Vaikuntha of the Supreme Bhagavan.” Or, alternatively, “That which is known as the Supreme Brahman is not different (param) from Vaikuntha.“3 In other words, that supreme abode is a distinct manifestation of Bhagavan’s internal potency (svarupa-śakti) [which concerns the interiority of non- dual being], and free from any covering of māyā; as such, it is His very own form. This will be made evident further on. 15571 तादृशत्वे हेतुः – व्यपेतेति स्वदृष्टेति च । अविद्यास्मितारागद्वेषाभिनिवेशाः पञ्चक्लेशाः । विमोहस्तैर्वैचित्त्यं साध्वसं भयं व्यपेतानि सङ्क्लेशादीनि यत्र तम् । स्वस्य दृष्टं दर्शनं तद् विद्यते येषां तैरात्मविद्भिरपि अभितः सर्वांशेनैव स्तुतं श्लाघितम् । भा० ३।१६।२७-२८- I lo sboda latoshrana aid ello lle svods tonale smsique How Vaikuntha is free from maya’s influence is explained in the phrases “free from all kinds of affliction, delusion and fear” (vyapeta-sankleśa-vimoha-sadhvasam), and, “adored by self- realized beings” (sva-drstavadbhiḥ purusair abhistutam). The five types of affliction (sarkleśa) are ignorance (avidya), ego- tism (asmită), desire or attachment (rāga), aversion, (dvesa) and tenacity of bodily consciousness (abhiniveśa). Delusion (vimoha) is the bewilderment caused by the above-mentioned five afflic- tions. Fear is consternation. Vaikuntha’ is thus the place that is 3 In this explanation, the first param in paraṁ na yat-param is translated as “Brahman,” and the second param as “different,” or “other.” gas has 16 * See Section 61. 5 d Yoga-sutra 2.3song vildigge ❝ Various derivations are given of the word vaikuntha, the most popular being the place where there is no obstruction or illusion (kuntha). It is also a name of Viṣṇu, with the same meaning.deban 78 886 10 An Example of Bhagavan Realization completely free from all the above. It is glorified (stuta) com- pletely and in every respect (abhitas) by those who have wit- nessed the self (sva-drṣtavadbhih), i.e., who know the self (ātmā), because they have directly visioned, or apprehended, the self. This is confirmed by the following two verses from the Third Canto [where Śri Brahmā himself says]: Ho अथ ते मुनयो दृष्ट्वा नयनानन्दभाजनम् । वैकुण्ठं तदधिष्ठानं विकुण्ठं च स्वयम्प्रभम् ।। २९ ।। भगवन्तं परिक्रम्य प्रणिपत्यानुमान्य च । प्रतिजग्मुः प्रमुदिताः शंसन्तो वैष्णवीं श्रियम् ।। ३० ।। इति तृतीयात् । Iser ved maint втлаб andard OW abred Having beheld the most fitting receptacle for the ecstasy of the eyes, Bhagavan and His self-effulgent, transcendental abode, Vai-20 kuntha, the sages [the Four Kumāras] circumambulated Śrī Bha-50 olgavan, offered Him their obeisances and then took their leave with His permission, transported with delight and glorifying His divine opulences. (SB 3.16.27-28)” Commentary gut brend IN THE PREVIOUS SECTION, Śri Jiva quoted Śri Brahma saying that Bhagavan appears in the heart of a devotee who is purified by bhakti- yoga. Now he quotes ten and a half verses from Srimad Bhagavatam that give Śrīla Sukadeva Gosvāmi’s description of Bhagavan’s reve- lation to Brahmājī. His intention is to give a practical example of Bhagavan realization after explaining the process and prerequisites for it.onthegadgir milyen toonaly zamdené sadur.com He begins by demonstrating how Vaikuntha is transcendental and cites various evidences to show that māyā has no influence there. The Supreme Lord and other inhabitants of Vaikuntha live there enstatically, or “standing within the self,” as their bodies, minds, senses, actions and even the place are nothing other than atha te munayo dṛṣṭvā nayanananda-bhajanam vaikuntham tad-adhiṣṭhānam vikuntham ca svayam-prabham bhagavantam parikramya praṇipatyānumānya ca gaiv pratijagmuḥ pramuditaḥ śamsanto vaiṣṇavim śriyam hase Two) Emil8 saroy sear 79 4 jolie Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha Ar being-consciousness-bliss. The residents there are eternally free from material misery and continuously serve Bhagavan in the spon- taneous play of loving devotion. (ild honey-rela bila basso ale Vaikuntha is a manifestation of visuddha-sattva, pure being com- prised of Bhagavan’s internal potency. These ten and a half verses offer a description of Bhagavan’s abode, the residents of Vaikuntha, Lakṣmi Devi (Bhagavan’s eternal consort), the actions of the resi- dents and the loving dealings between Bhagavan and His devotees. Brahma’s experience was not a dream or hallucination. The last two verses describe his direct meeting with Bhagavan, shaking of hands, and the conversation that ensued. Bhagavan bestowed this vision of Vaikuntha upon Brahma, as if seeking to help him ward off any pride that might overtake him while engaged in architectural design of the material world. por Chapter 9 of the Second Canto describes how Śrī Brahma awoke fully conscious after being born in the lotus growing from Śrī Nārā- yana’s navel. At that time, Śrī Viṣṇu was lying on the Garbhodaka Ocean beyond Brahma’s vision; the universe was as yet vacant. While deliberating on how to create the universe, Brahma twice heard a voice say, tapa (perform penance). Following this order, he controlled his mind and senses for a thousand celestial years. Pleased that Brahma had complied with His command, Śrī Bhaga- vän blessed him with a vision of Himself in Vaikuntha. The words paraṁ na yat-param in SB 2.9.9 indicate that the world seen by Brahma is the topmost realm in all existence, both finite and infinite. This implies that Vaikuntha is beyond the material cos- mos, where Brahma’s planet of Satyaloka is the highest. There are many Vaikunthas belonging to various personal manifestations of Bhagavan, such as Rama. Śrī Jiva comments here that the Vaikun- tha that Brahma saw was the highest among Vaikunthas, because it was the Vaikuntha of the Supreme Bhagavan, “There is no other Vaikuntha superior to that Vaikuntha, because it is the Vaikuntha of the Supreme Bhagavan.” Later on, while commenting on the four seed verses of Bhagavatam, which were spoken by Bhagavan to Brahma after showing him His abode, Śrī Jiva Gosvāmī argues that these verses were spoken by Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the original complete form 8010 An Example of Bhagavan Realization of Bhagavan. At the same time, Jiva Gosvāmi gives a second inter- pretation to this phrase that Brahman is not superior to Vaikuntha, as the impersonalists wrongly suppose. his to see dood s Vaikuntha is free from the five afflictions (vyapeta-sarkleśa), namely, ignorance (avidya), egotism (asmită), attachment (rāga), hatred (dveṣa) and bodily consciousness (abhiniveśa). Misery sprouts and fructifies in the soil of tamas, the darkness of ignorance, or avidya. Since avidya is absent in Vaikuntha, so are all forms of suffering. Maharși Patanjali defines avidya: rovab sigos To consider the impermanent to be eternal, the impure as pure, the painful as blissful, and the inert as conscious, is called avidya. (Yoga- sutra 2.5)8 9 dilide ain, gol grisd of two The material world and everything within it, including the mind and body, is temporary. To consider it to be permanent is the begin- ning of avidya. Everyone knows that the body becomes old and dies, sometimes even without becoming old. Yet people still make plans to enjoy this body as if it were immortal - or they foolishly even try to make the body eternal! According to Mahārāja Yudhisthira, there is nothing more amazing than this: OH Everyday people die, thus attaining the abode of Yamarāja (lord of death). Yet those who remain here wish to live forever. What could be more amazing than this? (MB 3.313.116) on mi enoidsuriolanet tud gridion zib has zasniq Though the body is full of impurities, such as stool, urine, blood, mucus and so on, out of avidya people consider the body as lovable, thus do they search out some enjoyment therein. If one touches the aforementioned substances, one must bathe to purify oneself. Simi- larly, irreligious acts, like theft and violence, are impure; to perform them as a means of livelihood demonstrates gross avidyā. The material body is a reservoir of misery. The amount of pain arising from any part of it is incalculable. Śrī Kṛṣṇa Himself stated that this body is a reservoir of suffering (duḥkhalaya, GITA 8.15) and anityāśuci-duḥkhānātmasu nitya-suci-sukhātma-khyātir avidya ahany ahani bhūtāni gacchantiha yamalayam seṣaḥ sthavaram icchanti kim aścaryam ataḥ param 81 Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha apr devoid of happiness (asukha, GITA 9.33). Even so, people mistakenly take this body as an instrument of pleasure.gomong The fourth type of avidya is to consider the inert body, senses and mind as conscious. An ignorant person cannot distinguish the conscious self from the inert mind, body and senses (vimūḍhā nānu- pasyanti, GĪTĀ 15.10). People in the bodily concept of life have no idea that the self is distinct from the gross and subtle material bodies.qa do These are the four types of avidya, and a person affected by them is comparable to an unknowing animal, as stated in Hitopa- deśa, “People devoid of transcendental knowledge are no better than animals.” As Sankarācārya sings (Moha-mudgara 21), they must repeatedly undergo birth, death, old age and disease.“1 Owing to avidya, the living being loses his ability to discrimi- nate between the self and the inert mind (citta). This gives rise to the next affliction called asmită [the phenomenal “I”-sense], which is defined in Yoga-sutra as “equating the seer (drk-sakti) with the instrument for seeing [darśana-sakti, i.e., citta or the mind] as one and the same.“12 The living being perceives material objects through citta-vṛtti, mental states that result when the senses come in contact with sense objects. Citta-vṛtti is thus instrumental (karana), but it is not the perceiver; the self is the perceiver. However, out of avidya, the living being considers the citta, i.e., the instrument for seeing, as himself and the citta-vṛtti as a transformation in himself. Feelings of happiness and distress are nothing but transformations in the citta, as Śrī Kṛṣṇa says:a anda d, bitece The five great elements, egoism, the intellect, the unmanifest, the ten senses, the mind, the five sense objects, desire, aversion, hap- piness, distress, the body, consciousness and patience – these are, in brief, the field of activities along with their interactions. (GĪTĀ 13.5-6)13 10 jñānena hīnāḥ paśubhih sāmānāḥ Hitopadeśa 1.25 11 punar api jananam punar api maranam punar api janani-jathare śayanam airh 12 drg-darśana-saktyor ekatmatevāsmită Yoga-sūtra 2.6 13 maha-bhūtāny ahankaro buddhir avyaktam eva ca indriyāņi daśaikam ca pañca cendriya-gocarāḥ 82 10 An Example of Bhagavan Realization A conditioned being identifies with these mental states and thus considers himself as happy or miserable. This misidentification is a hṛdaya-granthi, a knot in the heart, cut only when one realizes Bhagavan within and without. Śrī Sūta Gosvāmi therefore says:elb of botelor ozarb bie opor to Thus, the knot in the heart is pierced, and all misgivings are cut to pieces. The chain of fruitive actions is terminated when one sees the Self as master. (SB 1.2.21)14 In Vaikuntha, the residents do not experience this knot within the heart, because they are fully realized. The natural sequels to asmită are raga and dveṣa, attachment and aversion. By experiencing happiness, attachment (raga) for the enjoyment of sense objects arises, and by suffering misery, aver- sion (dveşa) arises (sukhānuśayī rāgaḥ duḥkhānuśayi dveśaḥ, Yoga- sūtra 2.7-8). As a result of asmită within the mind, body and senses, the living being develops the sense of “I and mine.” When he experi- ences objects or activities that are pleasurable, certain impressions are created within the heart that urge him on to other sense objects. This desire, or attachment, is called rāga, which further gives rise to greed. Similarly, miserable experiences leave their own impres- sions, and the desire to avoid them is called dveṣa, which further gives rise to anger and fear. Śrī Kṛṣṇa says, therefore, that one should not become controlled by raga and dveṣa: Attachment and aversion are in all sense objects. One should not come under their sway, for they are impediments. (GĪTĀ 3.34)15 Attachment and aversion actually reside in the heart of the per- son, not in the sense objects. One’s attachment and aversion, how- ever, become rooted in the sense objects, and thus, Bhagavan says that attachment and aversion are in them. Otherwise, a particular iccha dveśaḥ sukham duḥkham sanghatas cetana dhṛtiḥaim ton of anjos bas etat kṣetram samasena sa-vikāram udahṛtam di 14 bhidyate hrdaya-granthis chidyante sarva-samsayaḥsbian slaves to kṣiyante casya karmāņi dṛṣṭa evätmaniśvare 15 indriyasyendriyasyarthe räga-dveṣau vyavasthitau tayor na vasam agacchet tau hy asya paripanthinau 83 nora Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha am sense object would either attract or repulse everyone, but this is never the case. When devotees hear someone singing a song about God, they feel attracted, but non-devotees may experience it as a disturbance.dava 6103 Because of raga and dveșa related to material objects, one is naturally entangled in the bodily concept of life. This results in constant attempts to protect the body from destruction, plus the constant fear of death. This is called abhiniveśa, which is the “fear of death, found even amongst the learned” (svarasa-vähi viduşo’pi tathāruḍho’bhiniveṣaḥ, Yoga-sutra 2.9). Impressions of the fear of death are carried from previous lives; thus even animals are equipped with the survival instinct. Use of the word viduṣaḥ (learned) in the above sutra refers to those who have scholarship only, without realization. A self- realized being does not fear death, since he is free from the bodily concept of life (vita-rāga-bhaya-krodhaḥ sthita-dhir munir ucyate, GĪTĀ 2.56). Self-realized beings glorify the abode of Bhagavan, Vaikun- tha, because it is free from distress. In this connection, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmī cites the example of the Kumāras cursing the gatekeepers of Vaikuntha. Later, after the Kumāras realized the opulence of Vai- kuntha and the exalted position of the residents there, they recited prayers in their glorification in the two verses quoted at the end of the above subsection (SB 3.16.18). Stad 10.2 WO 16 rods.ono absido sanse lla (c.c Ar15) namibsqui प्रवर्तते यत्र रजस्तमस्तयोः सत्त्वं च मिश्रं न च कालविक्रमः । loune न यत्र माया किमुतापरे हरेरनुव्रता यत्र सुरासुरार्चिताः ॥ ३१ ॥ In that personal abode of Bhagavan, the material gunas of tamas and rajas do not exist, nor does sattva, in which there is an admix- ture of these. Nor is there any influence of time, what to speak of maya. The residents there are worshipable by both devas and asuras. (SB 2.9.10)16 pravartate yatra rajas tamas tayoḥ sattvaṁ ca miśram na ca kala-vikramaḥ 84 10 An Example of Bhagavan Realization T पुनस्तादृशत्वमेव व्यनक्ति “प्रवर्तते” इति । यत्र वैकुण्ठे रजस्तमश्च न प्रवर्तते । तयोर्मिश्रं सहचरं जडं यत् सत्त्वं तदपि न किन्तु अन्यदेव । तच् च या सुष्ठु स्थापयिष्यमाणा मायातः परा भगवत्स्वरूपशक्तिस्तस्या वृत्तित्वेन चिद्रूपं शुद्धसत्त्वाख्यं सत्त्वमिति तदीयप्रकरण एव स्थापयिष्यते । तदेव च यत्र प्रवर्तते इत्यर्थः । The abode of Bhagavan, Vaikuntha, is further described in this verse. The gunas of rajas and tamas do not exist there, nor does the material sattva, which is their correlative, being mixed with the other two gunas. However, the other sattva is present there. As we shall duly establish further on,” this quality of being is known as śuddha-sattva (pure being); it is conscious by nature and a function of the internal potency of Bhagavan, completely beyond māyā. All this will be established later on in the appropri- ate place. The import is that only this purely spiritual quality of being (śuddha-sattva) prevails there in Vaikuntha. пог तथा च नारदपञ्चरात्रे जितन्तेस्तोत्रे - b) grid This conclusion is supported in Narada-pañcarātra, Jitante- stotra: लोकं वैकुण्ठनामानं दिव्यषङ्गुणसंयुतम् । ad अवैष्णवानामप्राप्यं गुणत्रयविवर्जितम् ॥ ३२ ॥ इति । nurtu bas anging an * 183 human-he o That region known as Vaikuntha is endowed with six divine qual-m dalities and is free from the three gunas of material nature. It is Mo unattainable by non-devotees. els amagA adyling In Vaikuntha the verse material पाद्मोत्तरखण्डे (पाद्मे ६।२२७ । ५७-६०) तु वैकुण्ठनिरूपणे तस्य सत्त्वस्याप्राकृतत्वं स्फुट- मेव दर्शितम् । यत उक्तं प्रकृतिविभूतिवर्णनानन्तरम् - of Padm In Uttara-khanda of Padma Purana, in an exposition of Vaikun- tha, it is clearly shown that the sattva, or quality of being, present there has no relation to material nature, since it succeeds a description of material nature (prakṛti-vibhuti): na yatra māyā kim utapare harer anuvrata yatra surāsurārcitāḥ See Section 20. 1s lokam vaikuntha-nāmānam divya-sad-guna-samyutam avaiṣṇavānām aprāpyaṁ guna-traya-vivarjitam dban 85 nolia Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha o एवं प्राकृतरूपाया विभूते रूपमुत्तमम् । करी ਸਰ श Sets त्रिपाद्विभूतिरूपं तु शृणु भूधरनन्दिनि ॥ ३३ ॥ 11ppy प्रधानपरमव्योम्नोरन्तरे विरजा नदी । ए वेदाङ्गस्वेदजनिततोयैः प्रस्राविता शुभा ॥ ३४ ॥ liy तस्याः पारे परव्योम्नि त्रिपाद्भूतं सनातनम् । अमृतं शाश्वतं नित्यमनन्तं परं पदम् । शुद्धसत्त्वमयं दिव्यमक्षरं ब्रह्मणः पदम् ॥ ३५ ॥ इत्यादि । daiw baxim egard to abode of vegarl o 818Thus have I explained to you the actual form of material nature. Now, O daughter of the Himalayas! Hear of the spiritual realm A (tripada-vibhuti). Between the unmanifest material nature als (pradhana) and the spiritual sky exists the Viraja River, in which flows an auspicious current, generated from the perspi-d ration of the Vedas personified. Beyond this river lies the eter- nal spiritual sky (tripada-vibhuti) - deathless, constant, per-sd manent, the unlimited, supreme station. Constituted of pure being (suddha-sattva), it is the divine, imperishable1 realm of pr Brahman. (PP 6.91.54-56)20 201 ‘bang-abo ni batroqgua al mojem al notelonos aldi प्राकृतगुणानां परस्पराव्यभिचारित्वं तूक्तं साङ्ख्यकौमुद्याम् “अन्योन्यमिथुनवृत्तय” इति । तट्टीकायां च – अन्योन्यसहचरा अविनाभाववर्त्तिन इति यावत् । भवति चात्रागमः - The mutual inseparability of the material gunas is described in Sankhya-kaumudi, Kärikā 12, “The gunas and their functions are mutually complementary.” The commentary21 explains, “Non- existence of one guna is not found in another; they always exist concomitantly.” The Agama also states: ab-non yd oldanistanu अन्योन्यमिथुनाः सर्वे सर्वे सर्वत्रगामिनः । (03- रजसो मिथुनं सत्त्वम् ॥ इत्याद्युपक्रम्य कुरक क नैषामादिश्च संयोगो वियोगो वोपलभ्यते ॥ ३६ ॥ इतीति । 19 Another edition repeats ananta (endless). 931ed3 woda vhsssani.ed 20 evam prākṛta-rūpāyā vibhüte rūpam uttamam tripād-vibhuti-rupam tu śrnu bhudhara-nandini pradhana-parama-vyomnor antare viraja nadi vedānga-sveda-janita-toyaiḥ prasravitā śubhā tasyaḥ pāre para-vyomni tripad-bhūtam sanātanam amṛtam śāśvatam nityam anantam param padam m soitelan on and rad da troisi suddha-sattva-mayam divyam akṣaram brahmanah padame muke 21 By Gauḍapada. 86 10 An Example of Bhagavan Realization Had The gunas exist everywhere in a state of mutual intercourse, thus Bardo they move everywhere together. The companion of rajas is sat- brtva; the companion of sattva is rajas; the companions of tamas are Tosattva and rajas; and the companion of these two is tamas. It is not possible to trace out which amongst them existed first, when they first mixed together or when they will be separated.22 तस्मादत्र रजसोऽसद्भावादसृज्यत्वं तमसोऽसद्भावादनाश्यत्वं प्राकृतसत्त्वाभावाच् च सच्चिदानन्दरूपत्वं तस्य दर्शितम् । तत्र हेतुः - न च कालविक्रमः इति । कालविक्रमेण हि प्रकृतिक्षोभात् सत्त्वादयः पृथक् क्रियन्ते । तस्माद् यत्रासौ षड्भावविकारहेतुः कालविक्रम एव न प्रवर्तते तत्र तेषामभावः सुतरामेवेति भावः । I L Therefore, since rajo-guna is not present in Vaikuntha, Vaikun- tha is never created, and since tamo-guna is also absent, it is never destroyed. As material sattva is also non-existent, it is demon- strated that the nature of Vaikuntha is eternal existence, con- sciousness and bliss. The reason for this is given, “Nor is there any influence of time” (na ca kala vikramaḥ). It is the influence of time that destabilizes primordial nature from its equilibrated state,23 giving rise to these separate functions of the gunas. Since the six types of transformation24 are also caused by time, these are also quite naturally absent from Vaikuntha.road BA is and ti son abto radio al.(to asqz of Jadw) otu किं च तेषां मूलत एव कुठार इत्याह “न यत्र माया” इति । मायात्र जगत्सृष्ट्यादिहेतुर्भगव- च्छक्तिर्न तु कापट्यमात्रं रजादिनिषेधेनैव तद्व्युदासात् । Moreover, striking at the very root of the idea that any trace of materialism can exist in Vaikuntha, the verse says, “Māyā is not anyonya-mithunaḥ sarve sarve sarvatra-gāminaḥ rajaso mithunam sattvam naiṣām ādiś ca saṁyogo viyogo vopalabhyate These verses are found in Devi-bhāgavata Purana 5.7.44-46. Prakṛti is the unmanifest state of matter, and its constituents are the three gunas, called sattva (luminosity), rajas (dynamism) and tamas (inertia). The whole of material creation is a modification of prakṛti, catalyzed by the influence of time. In prakṛti, the three gunas persist in a state of static equilibrium. This is the state of dissolution. The three gunas are found in all material objects and actions. The word guna also means “attribute,” but when used for sattva, rajas and tamas, it means the constituents of prakṛti. fstatomedina Tabe 24 This refers to birth, subsistence, growth, reproduction, dwindling and vanishing (see commentary). 87 uolesŚrī Bhagavat Sandarbha Aor found there” (na yatra māyā). Here the word māyā refers to Bha- gavan’s potency that is the cause of cosmic creation, maintenance and dissolution, and not simply to its meaning as “deceit.” Since the gunas of rajas and tamas are absent there, the possibility of deceit there has already been excluded. asdw to disgos haxim tema vads अथवा यत्र तयोः सम्बन्धि सत्त्वं प्राकृतसत्त्वं यत्तदपि न प्रवर्तते । मिश्रमपृथग्भूतं गुणत्रयं प्रधानं च । अत एवेशितव्याभावात् कालमाये अपि नस्त इति । अग्रे मायाप्रधानयोर्भेदो विवेचनीयः । To explain it another way, since rajas and tamas are absent in Vaikuntha, material sattva, always in relationship with them, is also absent. Use of the word misra (admixture) indicates that the three gunas are not existing there in the homogenous state known as pradhana.25 Since there is nothing to regulate, the con- trolling agencies of time and maya are also absent. The difference between pradhana and māyā will be examined later on.2 on) 26 அரni yar कैमुत्येनोक्तमेवार्थं द्रढयति - किमुतापर इति । तयोर्विमिश्रं किञ्चिद् रजस्तमोमिश्रं सत्त्वं च नेति व्याख्या तु पिष्टपेषणमेव । सामान्यतो रजस्तमोनिषेधेनैव तत्प्रतिपत्तेः । stedi.omis vdbsauco dele All the aforementioned points are underlined with the words kim uta (what to speak of). In other words, since it has already been established that in Vaikuntha no rajas or tamas is present, to say that there is no sattva mixed with a little bit of rajas or tamas is like grinding flour. [Flour has already been ground so what is the necessity of grinding it again?] Commentary V ni jais n mailaistam marine nanutim ozoles The second verse in this series from the Second Canto (SB 2.9.10) explicitly establishes that Vaikuntha is free from the three gunas of material nature. The gunas and their source, māyā, are both absent 25 The state of static equilibrium; the original germ from which the material Job universe evolves; the subtle, undifferentiated sum total of all material elements; the condition of material nature immediately previous to its manifestation is called pradhana. 26 In Section 22. 1998) 88 10 An Example of Bhagavan Realization in Vaikuntha, and thus time has no influence there. Time influences material nature, and thus all material objects undergo some or all of the following transformations: coming into being (jayate), sub- sisting for some time (asti), increasing (vardhate), changing (par- inamate), dwindling (apakṣiyate) and finally annihilation (nasyati)?” At the beginning of creation, the gunas are in an equilibrated state (pradhana), but time destabilizes them and various transformations result. In Vaikuntha, however, pradhana is absent; hence, there is no creation or destruction. Everything is sat, cit and ananda. Additionally, Viśva-prakāsā dictionary defines māyā as cheat- ing-māyā dambhe kṛpäyäṁ ca. However, in this verse [SB 2.9.10], māyā refers to the material energy. When it is stated that rajas and tamas are absent in Vaikuntha, it naturally follows that there is no deceit. If māyā referred only to duplicity, then it would be redun- dant to say there is no māyā, since the absence of rajas and tamas naturally means absence of māyā, or deceit. When it is said that Vaikuntha is a manifestation of pure sattva (viśuddha-sattva), it should not be mistaken to mean mundane sattva, free from rajas and tamas. Since the gunas of nature always coalesce, unmixed sattva cannot be found. As Kṛṣṇa says in Bhagavad Gita: that There is no state of being (sattva), whether on earth or even amongst the gods in heaven, that is free from the three gunas born of material nature. (GĪTĀ 18.40)28 just tha dicate When it is said, for instance, that cow’s milk is in sattva-guna, it means that sattva-guna is predominant. Moreover, this is a relative statement. If one consumes more milk than he is able to digest or drinks stale milk, the result will be rajasic or tāmasic. None of the gunas are found in a pure state anywhere in the material world. Śrī Brahma therefore tells Nārada: 27 Ph Roby Iskopin B 3 IT WE sad bhava-vikära bhavantīti värsyāyaṇiḥ jayate’sti viparinamate vardhate’paksiyate vinasyatiti Nirukta na tad asti pṛthivyām vā divi deveṣu vā punaḥ sattvam prakṛti-jair muktam yad ebhiḥ syāt tribhir gunaiḥ 89 molts Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha or It is not possible to find only sattva or only rajas or only tamas any- where. They are always mixed with each other and thus they are said dto be mutually dependent. (Devi-bhāgavata Purana 3.8.14)29al bifo (stadthe) Since the material gunas are inert, even if it is assumed that Vai- kuntha is comprised of an unmixed, mundane sattva-guna, with- out any tinge of rajas or tamas, this would contradict the scrip- tural injunctions which state that Vaikuntha is conscious and self-luminous as is Bhagavan. If Vaikuntha were constituted of inert matter, self-realized beings who have transcended sattva- guna would not take any interest in its glorification, as was stated in the previous verse, “It is adored by self-realized beings” (sva- drstavadbhir vibudhair abhiṣṭutah). Thus, the monistic theory that the Vaikuntha planets are a manifestation of mundane sattva is untenable. The words “worshipable by both devas and asuras” (sura-asura- arcitāḥ) imply that devotees are beyond those in sattva-guna (gods or the devas) and beyond those in the gunas of rajas and tamas (those antithetical to the gods or the asuras). blunda 11(w Allavega A bac 10.3 What to speak of). वक्ष्यते च तस्य सत्त्वस्य प्राकृतादन्यतमत्वं द्वादशे श्रीनारायणर्षिं प्रति श्रीमार्कण्डेयेन (भा० १२।८।४५-४६) has air How pure sattva is distinct from material sattva-guna is clearly stated by Märkandeya Rṣi to Śrī Nārāyaṇa Ṛși in the following two verses from the Twelfth Canto: 178 exib सत्त्वं रजस्तम इतीश तवात्मबन्धो मायामयाः स्थितिलयोद्भवहेतवोऽस्य । लीलाधृता यदपि सत्त्वमयी प्रशान्त्यै नान्ये नृणां व्यसनमोहभियश्च याभ्याम् || 3109 11 तस्मात् तवेह भगवन्नथ तावकानां शुक्लां तनुं स्वदयितां कुशला भजन्ति । ॐ यत् सात्वताः पुरुषरूपमुशन्ति सत्त्वं लोको यतोऽभयमुतात्मसुखं न चान्यत् ॥ ३८ ॥ इति । 29 sattvam na kevalaṁ kvapi na rajo na tamas tatha militāś ca sada sarve tenanyonyāśrayāḥ smṛtāḥ 9010 An Example of Bhagavan Realization So my Lord, O supreme friend of the self, although You playfully as accept the gunas of sattva, rajas and tamas for the sake of creat- ing, maintaining and annihilating this world, it is Your pastimes in sattva that bring liberation to the conditioned beings, and not hen the other two [rajas and tamas], which simply lead them into Vmisfortune, bewilderment and fear. Therefore, O Lord, the wise, being situated in pure sattva, thus worship Your beloved transcendental form, composed of pure sattva, along with the spiritual forms of Your pure devotees. Because the kingdom of God, fearlessness and spiritual joy are (8 vanall accessible through pure sattva, Your devotees consider it, and not the other, to be a direct manifestation of You, the Purușa. (SB 12.8.45-46)30 50 ten wi । अनयोरर्थः - हे ईश । यदपि सत्त्वं रजस्तम इति तवैव मायाकृता लीलाः कथम्भूताः ? अस्य विश्वस्य स्थित्यादिहेतवः तथापि या सत्त्वमयी सैव प्रशान्त्यै प्रकृष्टसुखाय भवति नान्ये रजस्तमोमय्यौ । न केवलं प्रशान्त्यभावमात्रमन्ययोः किन्त्वनिष्टं चेत्याह व्यसनेति । “Soyom to souborg The spirit of these verses is as follows: “O Lord, O Supreme Mas- ter! Although the gunas of sattva, rajas and tamas are Your divine play enacted through the agency of maya, Your external potency, for the sake of creating, maintaining and annihilating this world, nonetheless, it is Your divine play in sattva-guna that brings peace and perpetual joy, not that performed by the potencies of rajas and tamas. It is not just that these other, lower gunas simply lack peace, they yield undesirable effects. This is indicated by the words vyasana-moha-bhiyah (misfortune, bewilderment and msique fear).” हे भगवन् । तस्मात् तव शुक्लां सत्त्वमयलीलाधिष्ठात्रीं तनुं श्रीविष्णुरूपां कुशला निपुणा भजन्ति सेवन्ते न त्वन्यां ब्रह्मरुद्रादिरूपाम् । तथा तावकानां जीवानां च मध्ये शुक्लां सत्त्वै- 30 sattvam rajas tama itiśa tavātma-bandho mayamayaḥ sthiti-layodbhava-hetavo’sya lila-dhṛtä yad api sattva-mayi prašantyai si alot barabra Бовано nanye nṛṇāṁ vyasana-moha-bhiyaś ca yabhyamda visviens tasmät taveha bhagavann atha tavakānāṁ suklam tanum sva-dayitām kuśala bhajanti yat satvataḥ puruşa-rupam usanti sattvam loko yato’bhayam utātma-sukham na canyat FUIBET 91 16 noliasi Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha op कनिष्ठां तनुं तद्भक्तलक्षणस्वायम्भुवमन्वादिरूपां ते भजन्ति अनुसरन्ति न तु दक्षभैरवादि- तु रूपाम् । कथम्भूताम् ? स्वस्य तवापि दयितां लोकशान्तिकरत्वात् । nuteCallbacwaida gaiselidbodens guinisisgni “O Bhagavan! Sagacious persons, therefore, worship and serve Your form of Visņu, the presiding deity of divine play actuated by sattva, not the other forms of Brahma and Rudra. Similarly, among superior living beings, the sages worship and follow Your ideal devotees, such as Svayambhuva Manu, steadfastly estab- lished in untainted (śukla) sattva, and not those like Dakṣa and Bhairava. And what is the nature of these forms [i.e., those of Viṣṇu and His devotees]? They are most dear to You since they confer peace upon the world.“as teils dotado da toh ननु मम रूपमपि सत्त्वात्मकमिति प्रसिद्धम् । तर्हि कथं तस्यापि मायामयत्वमेव ? ललिচbh h Śrī Bhagavan then asks Märkandeya, “It is popularly thought that my body is composed of sattva-guna. Does that not mean it is also a product of māyā?” Qua 00ewollo ad servers to drige Sar न हि न हीत्याह – सात्वताः श्रीभागवता यत् सत्त्वं पुरुषस्य तव रूपं प्रकाशमुशन्ति मन्य- न्ते यतश्च सत्त्वात् लोको वैकुण्ठाख्यः प्रकाशते तदभयमात्मसुखं परब्रह्मानन्दस्वरूपमेव न त्वन्यत् प्रकृतिजं सत्त्वं तदिति । has gainistaiem gaite to salsa art 701 lodieron Märkandeya replies, “No, no! Your devotees (sätvatāḥ) consider the sattva that constitutes Your form as the Purusa, and that also reveals the Vaikuntha planets, to have the characteristics of fear- lessness and spiritual joy, i.e., the very essence of the joy of the Supreme Brahman. It is not the other sattva that is a product of material nature.” अत्र सत्त्वशब्देन स्वप्रकाशतालक्षणस्वरूपशक्तिवृत्तिविशेष उच्यते (भा० ४।३।२३) - The word sattva here refers to a special disposition of Bhagavan’s internal potency characterized by its self-luminous nature. This is referred to in the following verse that shall be cited and dis- cussed extensively further on [cf. Anuccheda 99]: I सत्त्वं विशुद्धं वसुदेवशब्दितं यदीयते तत्र पुमानपावृतः । ३९ ।। इत्याद्युदाहरिष्यमाणानुसारात् । 92 Els 10 An Example of Bhagavan Realization The state of unalloyed being, viśuddha-sattva, is called vasudeva because the Personal God is unveiled therein. (SB 4.3.23)31 Srin अगोचरस्य (प्राकृताप्रत्यक्षवस्तुनः प्रत्यक्षत्वे कारणं प्राकृतं सत्त्वं) गोचरत्वे हेतुः प्रकृति- गुणः सत्त्वमित्यशुद्धसत्त्वलक्षणप्रसिद्ध्यनुसारेण तथाभूतचिच्छक्तिवृत्तिविशेषः (अप्राकृता- प्रत्यक्षवस्तुनः प्रत्यक्षत्वे कारणं चिच्छक्तिवृत्तिविशेषः) सत्त्वमिति सङ्गतिलाभाच् च । Material sattva (prākṛta-sattva) is the means or cause for bring- ing what was unperceived within the range of perception (ago- carasya gocaratve hetuḥ). By the same token, pure sattva (śuddha- sattva) is a particular function (vṛtti) of the internal potency (cit-śakti) that allows us to perceive the otherwise imperceptible, supramundane sphere. It is on this point that we find consis- tency in the definition of the term sattva as it is used both for the material and transcendental realms, awon glaons yousing lartsinl ists ततश्च तस्य स्वरूपशक्तिवृत्तित्वेन स्वरूपात्मतैवेत्युक्तम् तदभयमात्मसुखम् इति । शक्ति- त्वप्राधान्यविवक्षयोक्तम् लोको यत इति । Therefore, by here using the words abhayam atma-sukham (fear- lessness and spiritual joy), it is also pointed out that this sattva, as a disposition of Bhagavan’s internal potency, is the very self of His being (svarupātmatā). And because in this instance the emphasis is placed on the potency [and not on the Potent Source], Märkandeya Rṣi says “the kingdom of God,” i.e., Vaikuntha, man- ifests from the internal potency known as viśuddha-sattva. अर्थान्तरे भगवद्विग्रहं प्रति “रूपं यदेतद्” (भा० ३।९।२ ) इत्यादौ शुद्धसत्त्वस्वरूपमात्रत्वप्र- तिज्ञाभङ्गः । अभयमित्यादौ प्राञ्जलताहानिश्च भवति । sd mon gniah in ad no gainsmmos sliriw1977al di If any other interpretation were to be given to the word sattva [i.e., if it were taken as material sattva-guna], it would contradict Brahmaji’s declaration in SB 3.9.232 that the form of the Supreme Lord is a manifestation of pure sattva. Furthermore, the words abhayam ātma-sukham (fearlessness and spiritual joy) would lose their straightforward meaning.self art to ten brows bise sattvam viśuddham vasudeva-sabditam yad iyate tatra puman apavṛtaḥ bos 32 This verse will be discussed in Section 51. 93 MolazilŚrī Bhagavat Sandarbha a अन्यत्पदस्यैकस्यैव रजस्तमश्चेति द्विरावृत्तौ प्रतिपत्तिगौरवं चोत्पद्यते । पूर्वमपि " नान्ये” इति द्विवचनेनैव परामृष्टे । तस्मादस्ति प्रसिद्धादन्यत् स्वरूपभूतं सत्त्वम् । and The words na ca anyat (and not the other) in SB 12.8.46 refer to material sattva. Interpreting the singular case pronoun anyat to mean both rajas and tamas would assume that the use of the pro- noun in the singular could refer to a plurality, namely, rajas and tamas. If anyat, which is the singular form of the pronoun, were to be taken to refer to both rajas and tamas, that would be over- extending the interpretation.33 In the fourth line of the previous verse (i.e., SB 12.8.45), rajas and tamas were already referred to by the dual case form of the same pronoun anye (the other two).34 In conclusion, therefore, there is another sattva, distinct from the commonly known material sattva, which belongs to Bhagavan’s internal potency. यदेवैकादशे “यत्काय एष भुवनत्रयसन्निवेशः” (भा० ११।४।४) इत्यादौ “ज्ञानं स्वतः” इत्यत्र टीकाकृन्मतम् - यस्य स्वरूपभूतात् सत्त्वात् तनुभृतां ज्ञानमित्यनेन तथा “परोरजः सवितु- र्जातवेदो देवस्य भर्गः” (भा० ५।७।१४ ) इत्यादौ श्रीभरतजाप्ये तन्मतं परोरजो रजसः प्रकृतेः परं शुद्धसत्त्वात्मकमित्यादिना । अत एव प्राकृताः सत्त्वादयो गुणा जीवस्यैव न त्वीशस्येति श्रूयते । यथैकादशे “सत्त्वं रजस्तम इति गुणा जीवस्य नैव मे” ( भा० ११ | २५ | १२) इति । Śrīdhara Svāmi confirms this understanding in his commen- taries to SB 11.4.435 and SB 5.7.14. In the former, he glosses the phrase jñānam svataḥ (knowledge comes directly from Him) as, “The knowledge available to embodied beings comes from the sattva arising from Bhagavan’s internal potency (svarupa).” In the latter, while commenting on the mantra chanted by Jaḍa Bharata, he glosses the words paro-rajah (beyond rajo-guna) in reference to Bhagavan’s effulgence, as meaning “beyond all the qualities of material nature,” i.e., consisting of the quality of pure abrow.adsrom og op igeon si brod 33 Gaurava-dosa (prolixity); assuming something extra. Thus, the speaker shouldin have said the word twice, or the listener needs to assume that the intended meaning was just that. Gaurava denotes needless multiplication of causes as opposed to laghava, brevity of expression.da 34 Sanskrit has three numbers: singular, dual and plural. 35 This verse is further discussed in Section 48. 94 10 An Example of Bhagavan Realization sattva (śuddha-sattvätmaka).36 Therefore, the material qualities including sattva are properties of the jiva and not of Bhagavan. Elsewhere, Śrimad Bhagavatam states that “the three gunas of material nature - sattva, rajas and tamas are attributes of the jiva, but not of Me” (SB 11.25.12).37 श्रीभगवदुपनिषत्सु च (गीता ७ । १२-१४) –
& touppesifie boels aA Bhagavan again confirms this in Sri Bhagavad [Gita] Upanisad: ये चैव सात्त्विका भावा राजसास्तामसाश्च ये । मत्त एवेति तान्विद्धि न त्वहं तेषु ते मयि ॥ ४० ॥ त्रिभिर्गुणमयैर्भावैरेभिः सर्वमिदं जगत् ।ing of thi मोहितं नाभिजानाति मामेभ्यः परमव्ययम् ॥ ४१ ॥ दैवी ह्येषा गुणमयी मम माया दुरत्यया । dow boxalq do T मामेव ये प्रपद्यन्ते मायामेतां तरन्ति ते ॥ ४२ ॥ इति । ÀÀÀÀi || || | Thank he (2319319 of 1) Know that all states of being - be they of sattva, rajas or tamas - are made manifest by My energy. I am not under the gunas of Bmaterial nature, yet they are under Me. Deluded by these three gunas, the whole world does not know Me, who am above the gunas and inexhaustible. This divine energy of Mine, made up of these gunas, is impossible to overcome, but those who have sur- rendered unto Me can easily cross beyond it. (GITA 7.12-14)38 means conach यथा श्रीदशमे ( भा० १० १८८१५) - (19) 9209.si (riboin) wild to your ar Similarly, in the Tenth Canto: 36 37 हरिर्हि निर्गुणः साक्षात् पुरुषः प्रकृतेः परः । 229 l on a bris स सर्वदृगुपद्रष्टा तं भजन् निर्गुणो भवेत् ॥ ४३ ॥ इति । Thus, it is shown that Śrīdhara Svāmī accepts that the sattva present within the internal potency of Bhagavan is different from material sattva. sattvam rajas tama iti guna jivasya naiva me 38 ye caiva sättvikā bhāvā rājasās tāmasāś ca year the ang matta eveti tän viddhi na tv aham teşu te mayi tribhir guna-mayair bhāvair ebhiḥ sarvam idam jagat mohitam nābhijānāti mām ebhyaḥ param avyayam daivi hy eṣā guna-mayi mama māyā duratyaya mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etām taranti te muzi poin 95 55 dobie Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha Abr asi Śri Hari has no connection with the material gunas. He is the Sup-im reme Person, the all-seeing, eternal witness, fully transcenden-n total to material nature. One who worships Him also becomes free [3 SH from the material gunas of nature. (SB 10.88.5)39 श्रीविष्णुपुराणे च (वि० पु० १।९।४३) - As also in Visnu Purāṇa: ver सत्त्वादयो न सन्तीशे यत्र च प्राकृता गुणाः । स शुद्धः सर्वशुद्धेभ्यः पुमानाद्यः प्रसीदतु ॥ ४४ ॥ इति । the The three material gunas, beginning with sattva, do not exist in conthe Supreme Lord. He is the purest of the pure. May that original Person be pleased with Me. (VP 1.9.43)40 अत्र प्राकृता इति विशिष्याप्राकृतास्त्वन्ये गुणास्तस्मिन् सन्त्येवेति व्यञ्जितं तत्रैव (वि० पु० १।१२।६९ ) - nmor 10 word Saying that the material gunas are absent in the Supreme Lord naturally implies that transcendental gunas do exist in Him, as confirmed in Viṣṇu Purāna: Aldausdesel how g ह्लादिनी सन्धिनी संवित् त्वय्येका सर्वसंश्रये । idioming ह्लादतापकरी मिश्रा त्वयि नो गुणवर्जिते ॥ ४५ ॥ इति। M taries to || || the ph The potency of bliss (hladini), the potency of being (sandhini), Thand the potency of awareness (samvit) exist without any devia- otion only in You, the support of everything. You are completely free from the material gunas and thus the potencies that give rise Alto material happiness, distress and a mixture of both, are non- existent in You. (VP 1.12.69) 41 Bitta ar terit atqson tv adbite Jadi mwnde gidi aud movion you boup 11 am to mov 39 harir hi nirguṇaḥ sākṣat puruṣaḥ prakṛteḥ paraḥved 40 sa sarva-drg upadraṣṭā tam bhajan nirguno bhavet on sattvadayo na santiśe yatra ca prakṛtā gunah did slow guid sa suddhaḥ sarva-suddhebhyaḥ puman adyaḥ prasīdatums thr 41 hladini sandhini samvit tvayy eka sarva-saṁśrayem um hlāda-tāpa-karī miśrā tvayi no guna-varjite mom bang bin 96 10 An Example of Bhagavan Realization तथा च दशमे देवेन्द्रेणोक्तम् (भा० १०।२७।४ ) - Similarly, in the words of Indradeva: विशुद्धसत्त्वं तव धाम शान्तं तपोमयं ध्वस्तरजस्तमस्कम् । मायामयोऽयं गुणसम्प्रवाहो न विद्यते तेऽग्रहणानुबन्धः ॥ ४६ ॥ इति । en from wollot ar 175 Your effulgence, a manifestation of pure sattva, is undisturbed by change, radiant with consciousness, and devoid of rajas and tamas. In You the mighty flow of the gunas of material nature, made of māyā, does not exist. (SB 10.27.4) 42 yhod for Boy, biolo अयमर्थः – धाम स्वरूपभूतप्रकाशशक्तिः । विशुद्धत्वमाह विशेषणद्वयेन । ध्वस्तरजस्तम- स्कं तपोमयमिति च । तपोऽत्र ज्ञानं “ स तपोऽतप्यत” ( तै० २।३।१) इति श्रुतेः । तपोमयं प्रचुरज्ञानस्वरूपं जाड्यांशेनापि रहितमित्यर्थः “आत्मा ज्ञानमयः शुद्धः” (भा० १० । ४७ । ३१) इतिवत् । अतः प्राकृतसत्त्वमपि व्यावृत्तम् । अत एव मायामयोऽयं सत्त्वादिगुणप्रवाहस्ते तव न विद्यते यतोऽसावज्ञानेनैवानुबन्ध इति । 0 The meaning of this verse is as follows. The word dhama (efful- gence) refers to the illuminating potency existing in Bhagavan’s essential nature. The state of pure being (viśuddha-sattva) is modified by two adjectival phrases, “devoid of rajas and tamas” (dhvasta-rajas-tamaska), and “radiant with consciousness” (tapo- maya). The word tapas (the penance of meditative force) here means “consciousness,” as indicated by the statement in TU 2.6.1 [and TU 3.1.1], “He undertook the penance of meditation.“43 Thus, tapo-maya means abounding in consciousness, without any tinge of inertness. As such, it is similar in meaning to the statement, “The self is pure and abounding in consciousness” (SB 10.47.31). For this reason, any possibility that material sattva exists in Bha- gavān is invalidated. Therefore, “In You the mighty flow of the gunas of material nature, made of māyā, does not exist. Only due to ignorance do You appear to be involved in the entanglements of material nature.” 43 poy-by-nho v bavadd mein mehl in 42 viśuddha-sattvam tava dhama santam tapo-mayam dhvasta-rajas-tamaskam mayamayo’yam guna-sampravaho na vidyate te’grahananubandhaḥ Śankarācārya comments on these words of Taittiriya Upanisad as follows, “Penance (means consciousness, as it is said [in MUU 1.1.8], ‘His penance was of the nature of consciousness” (tapa iti jñānam ucyate yasya jñāna-mayaṁ tapaḥ iti śruty-antarat). 97 Mata Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha Br अत एव श्रीभगवन्तं प्रति ब्रह्मादीनां सयुक्तिकं वाक्यम् (भा० १०।२।३४-३५) - P Brahma and the other gods, therefore, addressed Bhagavan with the following logical arguments: श्रीति सत्त्वं विशुद्धं श्रयते भवान् स्थितौ शरीरिणां श्रेय उपायनं वपुः । वेदक्रियायोगतपःसमाधिभिस्तवार्हणं येन जनः समीहते ॥ ४७ ॥ सत्त्वं न चेद् धातरिदं निजं भवेद् विज्ञानमज्ञानभिदापमार्जनम् । गुणप्रकाशैरनुमीयते भवान् प्रकाशते यस्य च येन वा गुणः ॥ ४८ ॥ इति । (E O Lord, You accept a transcendental (viśuddha-sattva) body in the course of sustaining the embodied beings; it is the resting place of the highest good, for by it they can worship You through chanting the Vedas, performing ritualistic ceremonies, yoga, penances and ultimately ecstatic absorption in awareness of You. O Maintainer, if Your body was not of this transcendental nature (viśuddha-sattva), no one could attain the transcendental knowl- edge revealed by You, which dispels ignorance and duality. Your existence can only be inferred through the light of the mate- 3rial mode of sattva because this is Your quality, or because it is25 through You that it illuminates. (SB 10.2.34-35)44 ow! diwasibsi bne. (D) bour (h) yd bon अयमर्थः - सत्त्वं तेन (सत्त्वेन) प्रकाशमानत्वात् तदभिन्नतया रूपितं वपुर्भवान्श्रयते प्रक- टयति । कथम्भूतम् ? सत्त्वं विशुद्धम् । अन्यस्य रजस्तमोभ्याममिश्रस्यापि प्राकृतत्वेन जाड्यांशसंवलितत्वान् न विशेषेण शुद्धत्वम् । एतत् तु स्वरूपशक्त्यात्मत्वेन तदंशस्या- प्यस्पर्शादतीव शुद्धमित्यर्थः । The explanation of these verses is as follows: The word sattva indi- cates that the form You accept, or manifest [in the world]’s is made visible through sattva, and hence, it is nondifferent from sattva. What is the nature of this sattva? It is completely pure sub vino 2sob Dyamlo sham 11sam anup 44 sattvam viśuddham śrayate bhavan sthitau sarīriņām śreya-upayanaṁ vapuḥg of veda-kriya-yoga-tapaḥ-samadhibhis tavarhanam yena janaḥ samihate 45 sattvaṁ na ced dhātar idaṁ nijam bhaved vijñānam ajñāna-bhidāpa märjanam guna-prakāśair anumīyate bhavan prakāśate yasya ca yena vā guṇaḥ k Bhagavan’s numberless forms are all eternal manifestations of the internal so potency. Their appearance in the temporal material world seems like the 98 to conventional act of accepting a body, but in fact it is the appearance (or disclosure) within the phenomenal plane of something that exists eternally. 10 An Example of Bhagavan Realization (viśuddha). This means that its purity is categorically distinct from material sattva, which cannot be pure even if free from all tinges of rajas and tamas, because material sattva is necessarily constituted of a portion of inertness ( jādya). This sattva, how- ever, being part of Your svarupa-sakti and a part of Your very Self, cannot be tinged by material gunas and is therefore absolutely pure. किमर्थं श्रये ? शरीरिणां स्थितौ निजचरणारविन्दे मनः स्थैर्याय सर्वत्र भक्तिसुखदानस्यैव त्वदीयमुख्यप्रयोजनत्वादिति भावः “भक्तियोगविधानार्थम् ” ( भा० १।८।२०) इति श्रीकु- न्तीवाक्यात् । Why are You impelled to manifest a body? You do so “in the course of sustaining the embodied beings” (sarīriņām sthitau). This means that your primary purpose in manifesting Your form is to bestow the bliss of devotion everywhere, so that those within the manifest cosmos may fix their minds on Your lotus feet. As Śrī- mati Kuntidevi says, “You appear to distribute Your devotional service” (bhakti-yoga-vidhānārtham, SB 1.8.20). कथम्भूतं वपुः ? श्रेयसां सर्वेषां पुरुषार्थानामुपायनमाश्रयं नित्यानन्दपरमानन्दरूपमित्य- र्थः । अतो वपुषस्तव च भेदनिर्देशोऽयमौपचारिक एवेति भावः । अत एव येन वपुषा यद्व- पुरालम्बनेनैव जनस्तवार्हणं पूजां करोति । कैः साधनैः ? वेदादिभिस्त्वदालम्बकैरित्यर्थः । साधनैस्त्वर्पितैरेव त्वदर्हणप्रायतासिद्धावपि वपुषोऽनपेक्षत्वात् । What is the nature of Your body? It is “the ultimate resting place of the highest good” (śreya-upāyana), that is, of all the goals of human life. In other words, it is supremely and eternally bliss- ful. The purport is that the difference between You and Your body is only figurative. Therefore, people take support of this form to worship You (tavārhana). Through which practices? By means of the Vedas and other such methods that derive their support from You. These means, although offered to You, will for the most part, however, be unsuccessful if Your form is neglected. the तादृशवपुःप्रकाशहेतुत्वेन स्वरूपात्मकत्वं स्पष्टयन्ति - हे धातश्चेद् यदि इदं सत्त्वं यत् तव निजं विज्ञानमनुभवः तदात्मिका स्वप्रकाशताशक्तिरित्यर्थः तन् न भवेत् तर्हि त्वज्ञानभिदा स्वप्रकाशस्य तवानुभवप्रकार एव मार्जनं शुद्धिमवाप । सैव जगति पर्यवसीयते न तु तवानु- भवलेशोऽपीत्यर्थः । 99 nolias Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha Śrī Brahma and the devas further clarify that viśuddha-sattva is identical to Kṛṣṇa’s essential nature, since it is the agency through which Bhagavan’s form becomes manifest. They say [in the second verse under discussion, i.e., SB 10.2.35], “O Maintainer (dhātaḥ)! If this sattva, which is the direct realization or experi- ence, of You, which is in fact identical with that realization, and which is, therefore, Your own power of self-luminosity and self- revelation, did not exist, then through material sattva, one could gain only indeterminate realization of Your self-manifestation.46 Complete Truth would not be achieved. At the farthest reach, only knowledge of what is within the world may be attained; but not even an atom of understanding of You.” aldr Tegnied beibodas sri grinis uz 30 ननु प्राकृतसत्त्वगुणेनैव ममानुभवो भवतु किं निजेनेत्याह- Ditovsblo aldadi wofaud The question may be raised: Surely this could be achieved through material sattva-guna. What need is there for God to have His own sattva? प्राकृतगुणप्रकाशैर्भवान् केवलमनुमीयते न तु साक्षात्क्रियत इत्यर्थः । अथवा तव विज्ञान- रूपमज्ञानभिदाया अपमार्जनं च यन् निजं सत्त्वं तद् यदि न भवेन् नाविर्भवति तदैव प्राकृ- तसत्त्वादिगुणप्रकाशैर्भवाननुमीयते त्वन्निजसत्ताविर्भावेण तु साक्षात्क्रियत एवेत्यर्थः । In answer, Śri Brahma and the devas say, “Your existence can only be inferred (anumiyate) through the light of material sattva-guna (guna-prakāśaiḥ).” In other words, direct perception of You can- not be attained through material sattva. Or, to explain it another way, without the appearance of Your suddha-sattva, which com- pletely vanquishes and drives away tamas, Your existence can only be guessed at through the light of material sattva. However, in the presence of Your pure sattva, one certainly achieves direct experience of You. 46 In the absence of suddha-sattva, what remains is only material sattva (idam sattvam), which indeed does dispel tamas to some extent, but nevertheless falls far short of the mark in providing direct perception of You. Material sattva can only prepare the path, providing some indeterminate, generalized conception of You through inference (anumana), minus direct experience (anubhava).This 10010 An Example of Bhagavan Realization तदेव स्पष्टयितुं तत्रानुमाने द्वैविध्यमाहुः - यस्य गुणः प्रकाशते येन वा गुणः प्रकाशत इति । अस्वरूपभूतस्यैव सत्त्वादिगुणस्य त्वदव्यभिचारिसम्बन्धित्वमात्रेण वा त्वदेकप्रकाश्यमा- नतामात्रेण वा त्वल्लिङ्गत्वमित्यर्थः । यथारुणोदयस्य सूर्योदयसान्निध्यलिङ्गत्वं यथा वा धूमस्याग्निलिङ्गत्वमिति । तत उभयथापि तव साक्षात्कारे तस्य (प्राकृतगुणस्य) साधक- तमत्वाभावो युक्त इति भावः । To clarify further, the gods specify two kinds of inference, “[The quality that illuminates] belongs to You (yasya gunaḥ prakāśate),” and secondly, “It is through You that it illuminates (yena gunah prakāśate).” That is, firstly, even though the material gunas do not occur within Your internal potency, they still have a permanent relationship with You [this relation is shown by the use of the gen- itive case, yasya], or, secondly, their existence is brought to light solely by You (yena), and in this way they are Your indicators. An example of the former is the dawn, indicating that sun-rise is near, and of the second, smoke, indicating the presence of fire. So it is correct to say that material sattva, through these methods of inference, is not the ideal means of attaining direct realization of You. ram bas prite to ururp loristem तदेवमप्राकृतसत्त्वस्य त्वदीयस्वप्रकाशतारूपत्वं येन स्वप्रकाशस्य तव साक्षात्कारो भवतीति स्थापितम् । अत्र ये विशुद्धसत्त्वं नाम प्राकृतमेव रजस्तमः शून्यं सत्त्वं तत्कार्यं भगवद्विग्रहादिकं मन्यन्ते ते तु न केनाप्यनुगृहीताः । रजः सम्बन्धाभावेन स्वतः प्रशान्तस्व- भावस्य सर्वत्रोदासीनताकृतिहेतोस्तस्य क्षोभासम्भवात् । विद्यामयत्वेन यथावस्थितव- स्तुप्रकाशितामात्रधर्मत्वात् तस्य कल्पनान्तरायोग्यत्वाच् च । assign потам wit HOWT Thus, it is established that the non-material sattva is Your own self-revealing potency, by which You, the self-luminous Lord, are directly realized. Those who propose that viśuddha-sattva is nothing more than material sattva devoid of rajas and tamas, and that Bhagavān’s form, abode, etc., are products thereof, do not find support from anyone. This is because material sattva- guna, in the absence of connection with rajo-guna, would be of the nature of self-existent tranquility and hence the cause of utter indifference to exertion since in that case there would be no possibility of its being impelled to act. Furthermore, material sattva, being of the nature of phenomenal knowledge, is consti- tuted in such a way that it can reveal only those objects that are 101 nauka Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha A present before the perceiver. On this account, it cannot facili- tate conceptualization of anything beyond this limited experience.Bung range of तदुक्तमपि अगोचरस्य गोचरत्वे हेतुः - प्रकृतिगुणः सत्त्वम् । गोचरस्य बहुरूपत्वे रजः । बहुरूपस्य तिरोहितत्वे तमः । तथा परस्परोदासीनत्वे सत्त्वम् । उपकारित्वे रजः । अपकारि- त्वे तमः । गोचरत्वादीनि स्थितिसृष्टिसंहारा (गोचरत्वबहुरूपत्वतिरोहितत्वानि) उदासी - नत्वादीनि चेति । It was thus said earlier that the material quality of sattva is the means or cause for bringing what was unperceived within the range of perception (agocarasya gocaratve hetuḥ);47 rajas causes the perception of difference in what is perceived, whereas tamas causes the various features of an object to be withdrawn. Simi- larly, sattva is the cause of mutual objectivity, rajas prepares the way for mutual benefit, and tamas, for mutual maliciousness. The three kinds of perception can be correlated to maintenance, cre- ation and dissolution, respectively, as well as to objectivity, wel- fare and maliciousness. [These are respectively the products of the material gunas of sattva, rajas and tamas.] अथ रजोलेशे तत्र मन्तव्ये विशुद्धपदवैयर्थ्यमित्यलं तन्मतरजोघटप्रघट्टनयेति । Now, if even a particle of rajas is admitted in sattva, then the adjec- tive viśuddha (pure), placed before it [in SB 10.2.34, the first of the two verses under discussion], is rendered meaningless. So let us refrain from refuting further the contrary view that viśuddha- sattva is nothing but material sattva devoid of rajas. BVZo पाद्मोत्तरखण्डे (पाद्मे ६।२२७।५८-६०) तु वैकुण्ठनिरूपणे तस्य सत्त्वस्याप्राकृतत्वं स्फुट- मेव दर्शितम् । यत उक्तं प्रकृतिविभूतिवर्णनानन्तरम् - That viśuddha-sattva is transcendental is explicitly stated in Uttara-khanda of Padma Purana, in the section describing Vai- kuntha. After finishing his description of the material manifes- tation, Lord Siva said: 47 See in Section 10.3, just after the quote of SB 4.3.23. 48 See Section 10.2, for the entire passage. 19110 102 10 An Example of Bhagavan Realization एवं प्राकृतरूपाय विभूते रूपमुत्तमम् ।ool adivritty, asaridimorchdind त्रिपाद्विभूतिरूपं तु शृणु भूधरनन्दिनि ॥ ४९ ॥ प्रधानपरमव्योम्नोरन्तरे विरजा नदी । 1 bord 10 वेदाङ्गस्वेदजनिततोयैः प्रस्राविता शुभा ॥ ५० ॥ lindaforang Pless Estoun) sky Stolt तस्याः पारे परव्योम्नि त्रिपाद्भूतं सनातनम् । अमृतं शाश्वतं नित्यमनन्तं परं पदम् । शुद्धसत्त्वमयं दिव्यमक्षरं ब्रह्मणः पदम् ॥ ५१ ॥ इत्यादि । 100 amood al año amooad oals Ichster dedi pos291 adT no Thus have I explained to you the actual form of material nature.) ng Now, O daughter of the Himalayas! Hear of the spiritual realmu (tripäda-vibhuti). Between the unmanifest material nature (prad- hāna) and the spiritual sky exists the Viraja River, in which flows an auspicious current, generated from the perspiration of the Vedas personified. Beyond this river lies the eternal spiritual sky (tripäda-vibhuti) - deathless, constant, permanent, the unlim- ited, supreme station. Constituted of pure being (suddha-sattva), it is the divine, imperishable realm of Brahman. (PP 6.91.54-56)49 तदेतत्समाप्तं प्रासङ्गिकं शुद्धसत्त्वविवेचनम् । obode all to souris queridazol Thus ends the incidental discussion of viśuddha-sattva. M awabadhmont que si inde arou see Commentary Sido of grisd ras sido instant 1500 To 10 zonup or halimi 192901 201 Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi here cites many verses from different scriptures as evidence that Vaikuntha and the form of Bhagavan are viśuddha- sattva, part of His internal potency. Śrī Bhagavan and His abode have nothing to do with material sattva-guna, which is a feature of the external potency. Thus, Jiva Gosvāmī uproots the impersonalists’ theory that ultimate reality is unqualified Brahman, and that when evaṁ prākṛta-rūpāya vibhūter rūpam uttamaṁ tripad-vibhuti-rupam tu śṛnu bhudhara-nandini pradhana-parama-vyomnor antare virajā nadi vedänga-sveda-janita-toyaiḥ prasravitā śubhā tasyäḥ pāre para-vyomni tripäd-bhūtaṁ sanātanam amṛtam śāśvatam nityam anantam param padam suddha-sattva-mayam divyam akṣaram brahmanah padam 103 nobici Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha DA or Brahman combines with the knowledge potency of māyā (sattva- guna), the Vaikuntha planets and various forms of Bhagavan become manifest.50 This is tantamount to saying that Vaikuntha and Bhaga- van’s forms are material. This theory cannot be sustained in view of the verses (quoted in this passage) that clearly explain that Bhaga- van is beyond the material gunas, and that those who worship Him also become free from material nature (VP 1.9.43; GĪTĀ 14.26). The reason that material sattva and transcendental sattva (viśuddha-sattva) have the same name is because of their common functions. Material sattva is instrumental in acquiring knowledge and an understanding of material objects. Śrī Kṛṣṇa says, “From sattva-guna knowledge arises” (sattvät sañjāyate jņānam, GĪTĀ 14.17). Similarly, transcendental sattva is instrumental in the direct real- ization of transcendental substance. Just as sattva is a manifestation of the material energy (māyā), viśuddha-sattva is a unique manifes- tation of the internal conscious potency (cit-śakti).hid of t Material sattva cannot extend direct realization of the transcen- dental Lord and His abode, but it can help one infer the existence of Bhagavan. For instance, with the appearance of dawn, one can guess that very soon there will be sunrise, yet he cannot know anything more about the sun from the dawn. This inference is of two types. An insentient object, such as a Now chair, is meant for a sentient being. Insentient objects do not exist for the service of other insentient objects. Similarly, the gunas of material nature are inert, so they must be appropriated and used by a sentient being. Then the question arises, which sentient being are the gunas meant for? A living being, although sentient, does not con- trol the gunas and thus he cannot be their owner or independent user. We might then infer the existence of a superhuman person who con- trols and utilizes these gunas of material nature. This process, how- ever, although perfectly valid, cannot award us direct realization of that Supreme Being. The second type of inference is to understand that every inert Aduk having dinyat-allaol sowa or 50 ananda-maya-vijñāna-mayāvīśvara-jivakau māyayā kalpitävetau tābhyāṁ sarvaṁ prakalpitam Pañcadaśī 6.212 104 10 An Example of Bhagavan Realization or insentient object is illumined or activated by a sentient being. Knowledge of a chair cannot be attained by any other insentient object, nor can the chair move by itself. One can similarly under- stand that the gunas are inert and are activated by the energy of a sentient being, who is Bhagavan Himself. In Bhagavad Gitā, Kṛṣṇa explains that He impregnates material nature with His energy and thus sets the creation into motion: O descendent of Bharata, I impregnate the primordial material nature, the womb that gives birth to all beings. (GITA 14.3)51 It is not possible for material nature to create the cosmos with- out the input of a conscious being. That conscious being is the Sup- reme Person, not a jīva. In this way, material sattva can take us as far as inferring the Supreme Person’s existence, but cannot provide us any further enlightenment about Him. That is, however, possible through the viśuddha, or untainted, sattva. It is thus concluded that viśuddha-sattva is not material sattva; otherwise, Śrī Brahma could not have had direct realization of the Supreme Lord and His abode. Śrī Jiva now returns to the verse that was being commented on before the extended discussion of material sattva and suddha-sattva [see Section 7.2]. The remaining portion of the verse still under review is, “The residents there are worshipable by both devas and asuras” (harer anuvrata yatra surāsurārcitāḥ). Enishi has -besos a estas viibod isdt ins dt insang wolloy at bryA 10.4 अथ “प्रवर्तते” इत्यादिकं प्रकृतमेव पद्यं व्याख्यायते । ननु गुणाद्यभावान् निर्विशेष एवासौ लोकः । इत्याशङ्क्य तत्र विशेषस्तस्याः शुद्धसत्त्वात्मिकायाः स्वरूपानतिरिक्तशक्तेरेव विलासरूप इति द्योतयंस्तमेव विशेषं दर्शयति - हरेरिति । We now resume our original discussion of the verse beginning with pravartate [SB 2.9.10]. A doubt might arise here, that if there are no material gunas in Vaikuntha, then it must be a place with- out any variety (nirviseṣa). To dispel this doubt, it is pointed out 51 mama yonir mahad brahma tasmin garbhaṁ dadhamy aham sambhavaḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ tato bhavati bhārata 105 Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha that in Vaikuntha, variety is a manifestation of the potency that is of the nature of pure sattva and is nondifferent from the essen- tial nature of Bhagavan. To show this, the verse states that the residents of Vaikuntha (harer anucaraḥ) are worshipable by both the gods and their nemeses [the asuras, anti-gods].grindimelitese सुराः सत्त्वप्रभवाः । असुराः रजस्तमःप्रभवाः । तैरर्चिताः । तेभ्योऽर्हत्तमा इत्यर्थः गुणातीत- त्वादेवेति भावः । The gods (surah) are produced from sattva-guna, while the anti- gods (asuraḥ) are born from the gunas of rajas and tamas. That the devotees of Śri Hari are worshiped by both means that they are distinguished from both to the highest degree, as they are tran- scendental to the gunas of material nature. तानेव वर्णयति श्यामावदाताः इति (भा० २।९।११) - wadgilas These residents are further described in the next two verses: binos ved son श्यामावदाताः शतपत्रलोचनाः पिशङ्गवस्त्राः सुरुचः सुपेशसः । ribbo सर्वे चतुर्बाहव उन्मिषन्मणि प्रवेकनिष्काभरणाः सुवर्चसः ॥ ५२ ॥ on som प्रवालवैदूर्यमृणालवर्चसः परिस्फुरत्कुण्डलमौलिमालिनः ॥ ५३ ॥ इति । chod breThe inhabitants of Vaikuntha have brilliant blue complexions and their eyes are expanded like the petals of a lotus flower. Arrayed in yellow garments, their bodily features are exceed- ingly attractive and tender. They all have four arms and are elegantly decorated with pearl necklaces embellished with orna- mental medallions; thus are they radiant with effulgence. Some of the residents appear as lustrous as coral, others shimmer like lapis lazulis2 and yet others have complexions as soft and delicate as lotus fiber. They wear dazzling earrings and garlands, while their heads are crowned with diadems. (SB 2.9.11)53 20% WO 52 The specific quality of this gemstone (vaidurya-mani) is that when it touches various other materials, it appears to be separated into different colors (blue,w yellow or red), and consequently its forms also appear different. 53 syāmāvadātāḥ śata-patra-locanaḥ pisanga-vastraḥ surucaḥ supeśasaḥ fuc sarve catur-bahava unmişan-mani-praveka-niṣkābharaṇaḥ suvarcasaḥ pravala-vaidurya-mṛṇāla-varcasaḥ parisphurat-kundala-mauli-mālinaḥ 106 10 An Example of Bhagavan Realization श्यामाश्च अवदाता उज्ज्वलाश्च इति । पद्मनेत्राः पीतवस्त्राः सुरुचोऽतिकमनीयाः सुपेश- सोऽतिसुकुमाराः । उन्मिषन्त इव प्रभावन्तो मणिप्रवेका मण्युत्तमा येषु तानि निष्काणि पदकान्याभरणानि येषां ते सुवर्चसस्तेजस्विनः । प्रवालेति - केऽपि तेभ्यः श्रीभगवत्सारू- प्यं लब्धवद्भ्योऽन्ये प्रवालादिसमवर्णाः । 30 Jasmi 101 to 225) brow sill The residents of Vaikuntha are described by the words syama- vadātāḥ (having brilliant blue complexions), and padma-netrāḥ (lotus-eyed). They wear yellow garments (pita-vastrāḥ), are suru- cah (highly attractive), and supeśasah (exceedingly delicate). Their necklaces and other ornaments are studded with the finest effulgent gems, and so they are suvarcasaḥ (radiant with efful- gence). Some of these residents have the same hue as the Lord, having attained the same form as His (sarūpya), while others have the pink hue of coral. पुनरपि लोकं वर्णयति “भ्राजिष्णुभिः” (भा० २।९।१२) इति । भा० २।९।१३ - miss The Vaikuntha planet is further described by such terms as bhrājiṣṇubhiḥ (by the splendorous): भ्राजिष्णुभिर्यः परितो विराजते लसद्विमानावलिभिर्महात्मनाम् । विद्योतमानः प्रमदोत्तमाद्युभिः सविद्युदभ्रावलिभिर्यथा नभः ॥ ५४ ॥ श्रीर्यत्र रूपिण्युरुगायपादयोः करोति मानं बहुधा विभूतिभिः । प्रेङ्ख श्रिता या कुसुमाकरानुगैर्विगीयमाना प्रियकर्म गायती ॥ ५५ ॥ इति । EV Jed Just as the sky looks very beautiful when decorated with light-a ning and clouds, so are the Vaikuntha planets resplendent with Ans the beauty of the brilliant airplanes belonging to the noble and distinguished residents, combined with the lustrous complex- ions of the best of damsels. The beautiful Goddess of fortune, endowed with Her own transcendental form, is in attendance at the Lord’s lotus feet, respectfully serving Him with her own opulences in many ways. Sporting on a swing and being glori- fied by the black bees, the attendants of spring, She sings of the activities of Her beloved Lord. (SB 2.9.12-13)54 Sverige bhrājiṣṇubhir yaḥ parito virajate lasad-vimānāvalibhir mahātmanām vidyotamanaḥ pramadottama-dyubhiḥ sa-vidyud-abhravalibhir yatha nabhaḥ śrir yatra rupiny urugaya-padayoḥ karoti manam bahudhā vibhutibhiḥ prenkham śrita ya kusumākarānugair vigīyamănă priya-karma gayati lugo sa 107 Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha “श्रीर्यत्र” इति । श्रीः स्वरूपशक्तिः । रूपिणी तत्प्रेयसीरूपा । मानं पूजाम् । विभूतिभिः स्वस- खीरूपाभिः । प्रेङ्खमान्दोलनं विलासेन श्रिता । कुसुमाकारो वसन्तस्तदनुगा भ्रमरास्तैर्वि- विधं गीयमाना स्वयं प्रियस्य हरेः कर्म गायन्ती भवति The word śri (the Goddess of Fortune), means the embodiment of the internal potency (svarupa-sakti). She is the dearly beloved of the Lord and respectfully serves Him in the company of Her cohorts, Her sakhis, who are themselves Her expansions (vib- hūtis). Śrī Herself sings the beautiful pastimes of the Lord in the course of swaying on a swing, while the friends of spring, the black bumblebees, flirt around singing Her glories in various ways. Thus, She becomes inspired to personally sing (gāyati), glorifying the activities of Her beloved Lord. di baniste nived To to audig ott sved Commentary POFF If the material gunas are absent in Bhagavan’s abode, does it mean that Vaikuntha is void? Or if entirely void, is it uniformly pervaded with viśuddha-sattva and hence without any variety? No, Vaikuntha is full of variety. Thus, Śrī Sukadeva Gosvāmī has described the res- idents and their activities in verses 11-14. Sup The devotees there are exquisitely beautiful, their bodies daz- zling and decorated with fine clothes, sparkling gems and jewels; thus are they filled with the most uncommon splendor. Those who have attained särūpya-mukti have the same bodily hue and appear- ance as Bhagavan. The ladies are ravishingly beautiful and effulgent like lightning. Their bodies are endowed with natural fragrance, and so they do not need artificial perfumes, scents or other cosmet- ics. Clusters of shining airplanes crisscross the sky, appearing like clouds; the ladies seated within, like lightning. The airships are con- scious and thus do not require fuel, nor do they pollute the atmo- sphere. The Goddess of Fortune, the personification of all opulence, renders direct service to the Supreme Person. Her beauty and bodily fragrance is so wonderful that bumblebees become intoxicated and in ecstasy sing Her glories. These descriptions give us an inkling of the opulence found in Vaikuntha.gamefendin 108 10 An Example of Bhagavan Realization 10.50 adal adtal bastal hotsthene molovagādā bumère lo noinito at l allot
- ददर्श तत्राखिलसात्वतां पतिं श्रियः पतिं यज्ञपतिं जगत्पतिम् । सुनन्दनन्दप्रबलार्हणादिभिः स्वपार्षदाग्रैः परिषेवितं विभुम् ॥ ५६ ॥ role -noo al ne bih odw sne 29879 99 suolto mol ad There in the Vaikuntha planet, Śri Brahma saw Śrī Bhagavan, guardian of His faithful and devoted followers, Lord of the God- dess of Fortune, Lord of all sacrifices, and Lord of the universe. The omnipotent Lord was being served by His foremost associates like Nanda, Sunanda, Prabala and Arhana. (SB 2.9.14)55 adbb “ददर्श” (भा० २।९।१४) इति । तत्र लोक इति प्राक्तनानां यच्छब्दानां विशेष्यम् । अखिल- सात्वतां सर्वेषां सात्वतानां यादववीराणां पतिः । भा० २।४।२०- The word tatra (there) signifies that Śrī Brahma saw Bhagavan in His own abode, which is the antecedent of the earlier relative pro- nouns (yat, yatra, etc.). The phrase “Guardian of His faithful and devoted followers” (akhila-sātvatam-patih), or “Lord of all the Sat- vatas,” is a reference to Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who is a prince of the valiant Yadava clan. This was also announced earlier in Bhagavatam: श्रियः पतिर्यज्ञपतिः प्रजापतिर्धियां पतिर्लोकपतिर्धरापतिः । पतिर्गतिश्चान्धकवृष्णिसात्वतां प्रसीदतां मे भगवान् सतां पतिः ॥ ५७ ॥ orlw May Bhagavan Śrī Kṛṣṇa, husband of the Goddess of Fortune, the Lord of all sacrifice, sovereign and maintainer of His subjects, master of intelligence, proprietor of all planets, protector of this earth, protector and shelter of the Andhaka, Vṛṣṇi and Satvata peoples, and benevolent master of the saintly, be merciful upon me. (SB 2.4.20)57 इत्येतद्वाक्यसंवादित्वात् । श्रीभागवतमते श्रीकृष्णस्यैव स्वयं भगवत्त्वेन प्रतिपादयिष्य- माणत्वात् । तच् चैतदनन्तरं ब्रह्मणे चतुःश्लोकीरूपं भागवतं श्रीभगवतोपदिष्टम् । तत्र च ( भा० ३।४।१३ ) - ॥ ॥ 55 dadarśa taträkhila-sätvatām patim śriyaḥ patim yajña-patim jagat-patim 56 sunanda-nanda-prabalarhaṇādibhiḥ sva-pārṣadāgraiḥ pariṣevitam vibhum These are all branches of the Yadu dynasty, named after their founding fathers, Andhaka, Vṛṣṇi and Satvata. śriyaḥ patir yajña-patiḥ praja-patir dhiyam patir loka-patir dhara-patiḥmad or patir gatiś candhaka-vṛṣṇi-sätvatām prasidatām me bhagavan satām patih 109 Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha A In the opinion of Srimad Bhagavatam, Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the original Person, Svayam Bhagavan, as will be demonstrated later.58 In the verses following this vision of Vaikuntha that is under discus- sion, Bhagavan instructed Srimad Bhagavatam to Śrī Brahma in the form of four seed verses. That it was Kṛṣṇa who did so is con- firmed by His statement to Śri Uddhava in the Third Canto: पुरा मया प्रोक्तमजाय नाभ्ये पद्मे निषण्णाय ममादिसर्गे । ज्ञानं परं मन्महिमावभासं यत् सूरयो भागवतं वदन्ति ॥ ५८ ॥ O Uddhava, in days of yore, at the beginning of creation, while he sat on the lotus growing out of My navel, I spoke to Brahma about supreme knowledge, which is My transcendental glory, which hi great sages call Srimad Bhāgavatam. (SB 3.4.13)59) ni इति तृतीये श्रीमदुद्धवं प्रति श्रीकृष्णवाक्यानुसारेण । गो० ता० १।२२- ba brow sal bode owo zil tow.toy) enon Gopala-tapani Upanisad also states that it was Śrī Kṛṣṇa Himself who instructed Śrimad Bhagavatam to Brahma: यो ब्रह्माणं विदधाति पूर्वं यो विद्यास्तस्मै गापयति स्म कृष्णः । तं ह देवमात्मबुद्धिप्रकाशं मुमुक्षुर्वै शरणममुं व्रजेत् ॥ ५९ ॥ sal “aslev Anyone desirous of liberation must take shelter of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who illumines everyone’s mind and intelligence. He created Brahmā at the dawn of creation and instructed him in transcendental knowledge. (GTU 1.22)600 2015higong songillstal to sterm इति श्रीगोपालतापन्यनुसारेण च तस्मै वोपदेष्टृत्वश्रुतेः । गो० ता० १।२६ - Śri Brahma also says there: 1 तदु होवाच- ब्राह्मणोऽसावनवरतं मे ध्यातः स्तुतः । 59 (05. परार्द्धान्ते सोऽबुध्यत गोपवेशो मे पुरस्तादाविर्बभूव ॥ ६० ॥ इति । 58 This is the topic of Sri Krsna Sandarbha, the fourth volume of Sat Sandarbha. pura maya proktam ajaya nabhye padme nişanṇāya mamadi-sarge jñānam paraṁ man-mahimavabhasam yat surayo bhāgavatam vadanti 60 yo brahmanam vidadhāti pūrvaṁ yo vidyas tasmai gapayati sma kṛṣṇaḥ tam ha devam atma-buddhi-prakāśam mumuksur vai saranam amuṁ vrajet 11010 An Example of Bhagavan Realization I incessantly meditated upon and eulogized Him; thus, at the end of a parardha [fifty years of Brahma’s life], He became aware of my prayers and appeared to me in the form of a cowherd boy. The(GTU 1.26)61 adh इति श्रीगोपालतापन्यनुसारेणैव क्वचित् कल्पे श्रीगोपालरूपेण च सृष्ट्यादावित्थमेव ब्रह्मणे दर्शितनिजरूपत्वात् तद्धाम्नो महावैकुण्ठत्वेन श्रीकृष्णसन्दर्भे साधयिष्यमाणत्वाच् च । According to this statement from Gopala-tapani Upanisad, Śrī Kṛṣṇa appeared to Brahma at the beginning of some particular round of creation, and showed him His own form as a cowherd boy. In Kṛṣṇa Sandarbha it will also be established that Kṛṣṇa’s abode is the Supreme Vaikuntha. द्वारकायां प्राकट्यावसरे श्रीसुनन्दनन्दादिसाहचर्येण श्रीप्रबलादयोऽपि ज्ञेयाः । यथोक्तं प्रथमे - सुनन्दनन्दशीर्षण्या ये चान्ये सात्वतर्षभाः ( भा० १ । १४ । ३२ ) इति । подр 965 4169 When Śrī Kṛṣṇa appeared in Dvaraka with His associates like Nanda and Sunanda, others such as Prabala [mentioned in this verse along with them], are also understood to have been present, as stated in the First Canto, “Other Satvata heroes, headed by Nanda and Sunanda” (SB 1.14.32).62 sgede Commentary Next Brahma saw Śrī Bhagavan who was being served by His most dear devotees. The Lord and His devotees are full of love for each other and His glance makes them rapturous. Śrī Suka next describes the mood, ornaments and bodily fea- tures of the Lord. He is surrounded by various personified energies appearing as gatekeepers, protectors or supports for His throne, and so on. 61 tad u hovāca - brāhmaṇo’sāv anavarataṁ me dhyātaḥ stutaḥ 62 parardhante so’budhyata gopa-veśo me purastäd ävirbabhuva sunanda-nanda-sirṣaṇya ye canye satvata-rṣabhāḥ 111 WolteŚrī Bhagavat Sandarbha Stil atmak भृत्यप्रसादाभिमुखं दृगासवं प्रसन्नहासारुणलोचनाननम् । किरीटिनं कुण्डलिनं चतुर्भुजं पीतांशुकं वक्षसि लक्षितं श्रिया ॥ ६१ ॥ the form of Brahmāji saw that the four-armed Bhagavan, Śrī Hari, was eager to bestow His favor upon His devoted servants; thus, the delight- ful soothing glance from His dawn-hued lotus eyes acted like an Te intoxicating, spirituous liquor. Crowned with a diadem, and with glittering pendants swinging from His earlobes, He was bris dressed in shimmering yellow garments, His chest decorated with the golden lines representing the Goddess of Fortune, Śrī Lakṣmiji. (SB 2.9.16) 63 “भृत्यप्रसाद” (भा० २।९।१५) इति । दृगेवासव इव द्रष्टृणां मदकरी यस्य तम् । श्रिया वक्षो- वामभागे स्वर्णरखाकारया । 515 (FE1891 The words bhṛtya-prasāda mean “eager to bestow His favor upon His devoted servants;” drg-asava compares the glance of the Lord to a spirituous liquor that intoxicates His devoted servants. Śrī, or Lakṣmi Devi, refers herein to the presence of the God- dess of Fortune in the form of a golden streak on the left side of Bhagavan’s chest:64 Anyone desid अध्यर्हणीयासनमास्थितं परं वृतं चतुःषोडशपञ्चशक्तिभिः । युतं भगैः स्वैरितरत्र चाध्रुवैः स्व एव धामन् रममाणमीश्वरम् ॥ ६२ ॥ The Lord presided over the assembly while seated on a magnifi- cent throne, surrounded by His different energies - the four, the sixteen and the five. He was endowed with His own opulences, which, though sometimes seen in other people, are not perma- nent. Thus was the Supreme Lord delighting in His own abode. 69 (SB 2.9.16)65 63 bhrtya-prasādābhimukham drg-asavam prasanna-hāsāruṇa-locanānanam kiritinam kundalinam catur-bhujam pītāṁśukam vakṣasi lakṣitam śriyā 904 64 Śrīvatsa (favorite of Śrī) is a particular mark or curl of hair found on the chest of Visņu, said to be white or golden in color and represented in pictures in the form of a cruciform flower. 65 adhyarhaniyāsanam asthitam param vṛtam catuḥ-ṣoḍaśa-pañca-saktibhiḥ yutam bhagaiḥ svair itaratra cãdhruvaiḥ sva eva dhaman ramamāṇam iśvaram 112 44 10 An Example of Bhagavan Realization “ अध्यर्हणीय ” ( भा० २।९।१६ ) इति । चतस्रः शक्तयो धर्माद्याः । पद्मोत्तरखण्डे योगपीठे त एव कथिताः । न बहिरङ्गा अधर्माद्या इति । तथा हि (पाद्मे ६ । २२८ । २१ ) - The four energies mentioned here in the verse beginning with adhyarhaniya, are dharma [that which upholds truth] and so on, not the external energies such as adharma [that which provides no ground for truth], because only the former are mentioned in the description of Yogapitha found in Uttara-khanda of Padma Purāṇa: धर्मज्ञानतथैश्वर्यवैराग्यैः पादविग्रहैः । ऋग्यजुःसामाथर्वाणरूपैर्नित्यं वृतं क्रमात् ॥ ६३ ॥ इति । | rib The Yogapitha, or the transcendental seat, throne or ground of the Lord’s play, is supported by the four legs of dharma, wis- dom, opulence and absence of attachment personified and is eternally attended by the Vedas, Ṛg, Yajur, Sama and Atharvāna. (PP 6.228.21)66 niged 200 समस्तान्तस्तथाशब्दप्रयोगस्त्वार्षः । षोडशशक्तयश्चण्डाद्याः । तथा च तत्रैव चण्डादिद्वा- रपालैस्तु कुमुदाद्यैः सुरक्षिताः” (पाद्मे ६।२२८।१३) इति । नगरीति पूर्वेणान्वयः । ते च (पाद्मे ६।२२८।१३-१५) - । In this verse from Padma Purana, the use of the word tatha within a compound word is contrary to the rules of grammar. It has nev- ertheless been employed by the rşi [the sage Vyasa].” The sixteen potencies referred to are Canda, Pracanda and so on,68 as indi- cated in PP 6.228.13, “[Vaikuntha is] protected by the gatekeepers, Canda, etc., and by the guardians of the directions, Kumuda, etc.” That they protect Vaikuntha is understood from the previous verse. They are named there as follows: guisd aid at sub sbird 66 dharma-jñäna-tathaiśvarya-vairagyaiḥ päda-vigrahaiḥ 67 rg-yajuḥ-samatharvāṇa-rūpair nityam vṛtam kramat Such usage is called aṛşa (lit., “employed by a rşi”). Although flouting the known rules of grammar, such usage is accepted on the authority of the rși. Other editions read mahaiśvarya. 68 Other lists name Lambini, Candrikā, Kāņtā, Krūrā, Śāntā, Mahodaya, Bhiṣani, Nandini, Sobhā, Suvimalā, Kṣayā, Subhada, Sobhana, Punya, Hamsaśitā and Hamsa. These are the feminine counterparts, respectively. 113 roles Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha abou चण्डप्रचण्डौ प्राग्द्वारे याम्ये भद्रसुभद्रकौ । (2017) वारुण्यां जयविजयौ सौम्ये धातृविधातरौ ॥ ६४ ॥ চप्र कुमुदः कुमुदाक्षश्च पुण्डरीकोऽथ वामनः । शङ्कुकर्णः सर्वनेत्रः सुमुखः सुप्रतिष्ठितः । по hsupito एते दिक्पतयः प्रोक्ताः पुर्यामत्र शुभानने || ६५ || इति । estgass aucl odr xsation Canda and Pracanda are the keepers of the east gate, Bhadra and Subhadra, of the south gate, Jaya and Vijaya, of the west, and Dhātā and Vidhätä are the protectors of the north gate. Kumuda, Kumudākṣa, Pundarika, Vämana, Śańkukarṇa, Sar- vanetra, Sumukha and Supratisthita are the protectors of the directions of this city, O bright-faced one.” (PP 6.228.13-15)69 कुमुदादयस्तु द्वौ द्वौ आग्नेयादिदिक्पतय इति शेषः । पञ्चशक्तयः कूर्माद्याः । यथा च तत्रैव (पाद्मे ६ । २२८।२४ ) - to egol indi nemdits to sousede ne sanalugo The pairs, beginning with Kumuda and Kumudākṣa, are protec- tors of the intermediate directions beginning from the southeast. The five energies refer to Kurma and so on: कूर्मश्च नागराजश्च वैनतेयस्त्रयीश्वरः । छन्दांसि सर्वमन्त्राश्च पीठरूपत्वमास्थिता ॥ ६६ ॥ इति । Bhaga aid Bdie brow.sd 190 5 Kurma, Nāgarāja, Travisvara Vainateya, all the Chandas and Vall the Mantras are the pedestals [supporting the throne of Bhagavan] in Vaikuntha. (PP 6.228.24)70 Davalos asd azaladtys -ibal as nо оe has Bbm 19 sbaso 976 of herste त्रयीश्वर इति वैनतेयविशेषणं तस्य छन्दोमयत्वात् । es ionsfog Hostes Here Trayiśvara (the Lord of three Vedas) modifies Vainateya or Garuda, due to his being a personification of the Vedas. 69 canda-pracandau präg-dväre yämye bhadra-subhadrakau vāruṇyäṁ jaya-vijayau saumye dhatṛ-vidhätarau kumudaḥ kumudākṣaś ca pundariko’tha vamanaḥ sanku-karṇaḥ sarva-netraḥ sumukhaḥ supratisthitaḥ ete dik-patayaḥ proktāḥ puryām atra subhanane Śrī Haridāsa Śāstrī reads subhanane (O bright-faced one) in place of susobhane (O brilliant one). 70 kūrmaś ca nagarajaś ca vainateyas trayiśvaraḥave chandāmsi sarva-mantraś ca pitha-rupatvam asthitāt 197 114 10 An Example of Bhagavan Realization यद्यप्युत्तरखण्डवचनं तत्परमव्योमपरं तथापि तत्सादृश्यागमादिप्रसिद्धेश्च श्रीकृष्णयो- गपीठमपि च तद्वज् ज्ञेयम् । अत्र षोडशशक्तयः साक्षात् श्रीकृष्ण एव श्रीकृष्णसन्दर्भे पुरस्तादुदाहरिष्यमाणप्रभासखण्डवचनात् श्रुतालम्बिन्यादय एव वा विज्ञेया इति । Although this description from Padma Purana is of Vaikuntha, it can also be applied to Kṛṣṇa’s yoga-pitha, due to its similarity to the well-known descriptions of the latter in the Agama scrip- tures. Here the sixteen energies are actually within Śrī Kṛṣṇa Himself. Alternatively, they are known as Śrutā, Ālambini and so on, as will be shown in Śrī Kṛṣṇa Sandarbha [Section 183] with quotations from Prabhasa-khanda of Skanda Purāna.“am स्वैः भगैः स्वरूपभूतैरैश्वर्यादिभिर्युक्तम् । इतरत्र योगिषु अध्रुवैरागन्तुकनश्वरैस्तत्प्रसादादेव कदाचित् तदाभासरूपतयैव प्राप्तैरित्यर्थः । स्वे स्वस्वरूप एव धामनि श्रीवैकुण्ठे रममा- णम् । अत एव ईश्वरं कथमपि पराधीनसिद्धत्वाभावात् । I Svaiḥ (by His own) indicates that Bhagavan is endowed with the six opulences inherent in His internal potency (svarupa-śakti). When these powers are seen elsewhere, as in yogis, they are impermanent (adhruva), meaning that they are acquired [and not inherent in them] as a reflection of the original powers by the grace of Bhagavan. The word sve (in His own) means “in His own Self,” and dhamani means “in Vaikuntha.” Since Bhagavan delights in His own Self and in His own abode, He is therefore Iśvara, the Supreme Controller, and not dependent on anyone else for anything. oled sa ari berol arw and sat not evol yd ow diw mid of atoga has shed semiara aresan) alle salber #vd bo Commentary रा Bhagavan’s opulences are part of His essential nature and they nat- urally exist in Him. He did not perform penance to acquire them nor will He ever be without them. On the other hand, the opulence of the gods and mahātmās only amounts to a fraction of Bhagavan’s opulence and is acquired by His mercy.htmlion mean “Alternate readings name them as Cyuta and Lambini. 115 10.7 Hola Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha राम तद्दर्शनाह्लादपरिप्लुतान्तरो हृष्यत्तनुः प्रेमभराश्रुलोचनः । ननाम पादाम्बुजमस्य विश्वसृग् यत् पारमहंस्येन पथाधिगम्यते ॥ ६७ ॥ Śrī Brahma, graced with this vision of the Supreme Person in His qifullness, found his heart overwhelmed with joy, his body in tran-0 Bscendental ecstasy, and his eyes filled with tears of love. Thus did br the architect of the universe bow down before the lotus feet of E Bhagavan, which are attained by treading the path traversed by a paramahamsas. (SB 2.9.17)22 of th an oup “तद्दर्शन” (भा० २।९।१७) इति । यत्पदाम्बुजं पारमहंस्येन पथाधिगम्यत इति सच्चिदान- नन्दघनत्वं तस्य व्यनक्ति । The statement, “the lotus feet of Bhagavan, which are attained by treading the path traversed by paramahamsas,” indicates that the Lord’s form is the condensed essence of being, consciousness and bliss (sac-cid-ananda-ghana). salambs wog beds, nod bas berin vd तं प्रीयमाणं समुपस्थितं कविं प्रजाविसर्गे निजशासनार्हणम् | anton भाष ईषत्स्मिरोचिषा गिरा प्रियः प्रियं प्रीतमनाः करे स्पृशन् ॥ ६८ ॥ndi AvayadƐ son12 duplis ni aneem inamadh bus “152 mwa Seeing the most ingenious Brahma present before Him, showing Him such love, the Lord accepted him as worthy to bring forth living beings under His supervision. Pleased at heart and moved by love for the one who loved Him, the Beloved Lord touched Brahma’s hands and spoke to him with words illuminated by a radiant smile. (SB 2.9.18)73 Here three “तं प्रीयमाणम्” (भा०२।९।१८) इति । तं ब्रह्माणं भगवान् बभाषे । प्रजाविसर्गे कार्ये निजस्य स्वांशभूतस्य पुरुषस्य शासनेऽर्हणं योग्यम् । 180 vadi bru In this verse, Bhagavan addresses Brahma, having come to know that he was suitable to receive disciplinary training under His 22 tad-darśanahlada-pariplutantaro hṛsyat-tanuh prema-bharaśru-locanaḥ 73 nanama pādāmbujam asya viśva-sṛg yat paramahamsyena pathadhigamyatel tam priyamāņam samupasthitam kavim praja-visarge nija-śāsanārhanam babhāṣa iṣat-smita-rocișă gira priyaḥ priyam prita-manaḥ kare spṛśang 116 10 An Example of Bhagavan Realization 74 own expansion, the Purusa,” and therefore qualified to create progeny. नन्वसौ पुरुष एव तमनुगृह्णातु श्रीभगवतस्तु परावस्थत्वात् तेन प्राकृतसृष्टिकर्त्रा सम्ब- न्धोऽपि न सम्बन्ध इत्याशङ्क्य तस्य भक्तवात्सल्यातिशय एवायमित्याह – प्रियं तस्मिन् प्रेमवन्तम् । यतः सोऽपि प्रियः प्रेमवशः । तत्रापि प्रीयमाणमिति प्रीतमना इति च विशेषणं तदानीं प्रेमोल्लासातिशयद्योतकम् । तं प्रति भगवत्प्रीतिचिह्नदर्शनेन तस्यापि तत्र प्रीत्य- तिशयं व्यञ्जयति – ईषत्स्मितरोचिषा गिरेति करे स्पृशनिति च । Here a doubt might arise that because Śrī Kṛṣṇa is situated in the spiritual realm, He has no contact with the architect of the material world, so why not accept that it was Śrī Viṣṇu (i.e., the Purusa) who blessed Brahma? In response to this, Śrī Sukadeva says that the reason for Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s appearance was His excessive love for His devotee, indicated by the word priya, which means that Brahma felt love for Kṛṣṇa. The word priya, therefore, simul- taneously indicates that Bhagavan is controlled by His devotee’s love. Moreover, the adjectives priyamāṇām (showing Him such love) and prita-manaḥ (pleased at heart) indicate the excessive delight the Lord felt at that moment due to these mutual loving feelings. Because Brahma was full of loving symptoms, the Lord also manifested excessive love for him, as indicated by the expres- sion, “words illuminated by a radiant smile” (işat-smita-rocișă gira), and by the touching of hands (kare spṛśan). अस्य श्रीकृष्णोपासकत्वं श्रीगोपालतापनीवाक्येन दर्शितम् । तथा च ब्रह्मसंहितायाम् (५।२२-२६) – and (brol sids bod zid ni ba That Brahma is a worshiper of Śrī Kṛṣṇa has already been shown above in the verses quoted from Gopala-täpani Upanisad.” This is again confirmed in Brahma-samhita: 74 Though Śrī Brahma was born in the lotus growing from the navel of the Puruşa, his vision was of Bhagavan in His Nārāyaṇa form. Śrī Jiva said that it was Svayam Bhagavan Śrī Kṛṣṇa who gave instructions to Brahma, knowing the latter to be a qualified person to act under the discipline of His puruşăvatāra. That is the meaning of the phrase nija-śäsanärhana. For more information about puruṣāvatāras, see Paramatma Sandarbha, Anucchedas 1-17, or Laghu-bhagavatămṛta, chapter 2. 75 In Section 10.5. 117 nolia Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha तत्र ब्रह्माभवद् भूयश्चतुर्वेदी चतुर्मुखः ॥ ६९ ॥ so wo सञ्जातो भगवच्छक्त्या तत्कालं किल चोदितः । सिसृक्षायां मतिं चक्रे पूर्वसंस्कारसंस्कृतम् । ॥ ददर्श केवलं ध्वान्तं नान्यत् किमपि सर्वतः ॥ ७० ॥ उवाच पुरतस्तस्मै तस्य दिव्या सरस्वती । कामः कृष्णाय गोविन्द ङे गोपीजन इत्यपि । वल्लभाय प्रिया वह्नेर्मन्त्रं ते दास्यति प्रियम् ॥ ७१ ॥ तपस्त्वं तप एतेन तव सिद्धिर्भविष्यति ॥ ७२ ॥ अथ तेपे स सुचिरं प्रीणन् गोविन्दमव्ययम् ॥ ७३ ॥ इत्यादि ॥ श्रीशुकः ॥ младата When time was instigated by the potency of Bhagavan, Śrī Brahma, learned in the four Vedas and possessing four heads, took birth from the lotus sprouting from the Lord’s navel. After his birth, Brahma turned his mind to the work of creation under ans the impulse of previous impressions, but he saw only darkness in every direction. Then the goddess of learning, Sarasvati, said the following to Brahma: “O Brahma, this mantra, klim kṛṣṇāya Hogovindaya gopi-jana-vallabhāya svāhā, will assuredly fulfill your of heart’s desire. Practice penance by means of this mantra and you vol will attain all perfection.” Thus, Brahma, desirous of pleasing the ab bicimperishable Govinda, began penances that continued for a very long time. (Brahma-samhita 5.22-26)% visoka bedelinam vele Bio-time-inai) slime fociber slime incibere yd betonimulli ebrow nois Seeing the Commentary When Śrī Brahmā saw His worshipable Lord, his heart overflowed with loving feelings and ecstatic symptoms appeared in his body. Bhagavan is realized by treading the path traversed by transcen- dentalists, pāramahamsyena patha’dhigamyate (SB 2.9.17). There 76 […] tatra brahmabhavad bhūyaś caturvedi caturmukhaḥ sañjāto bhagavac-chaktyä tat-kālaṁ kila coditaḥ sisṛkṣāyām matim cakre purva-samskära-samskṛtam dadarśa kevalaṁ dhväntam nanyat kim api sarvataḥ uvāca puratas tasmai tasya divya sarasvati kāmaḥ kṛṣṇāya govinda ne gopi-jana ity api vallabhaya priya vahner mantram te dasyati priyam tapas tvaṁ tapa etena tava siddhir bhaviṣyati atha tepe sa suciram prinan govindam avyayam […] 118 10 An Example of Bhagavan Realization are two types of paramahamsas, or transcendentalists — the jñānī and the bhāgavata. Only the bhagavata-paramahamsas fully realize Bhagavan as He is? odw 212 12 11 ads awolfal 11,miH sesalg The Lord’s heart melted when He saw Brahma so full of loving feelings, and so He came forward to shake hands with him to express His love. He knew that Brahma was able to perform the work of creation. Brahma had proven his mettle by following Bhagavan’s instruction for one thousand celestial years, without having met Him personally. The Lord was convinced that Brahma was obedi- ent and would not deviate from His instructions. These are the basic qualities that inspire the Lord to invest responsibility in His devotee for any task. He intended for Brahma to do the work of secondary creation. Were Brahma to use only his own personal skills to perform the work of creation, the world would not function so meticulously. And so we find in the Śruti: them 1 Śrī Brahma created the sun, moon and other planets as before. (RV 10.190.3)78 bonthe This means that Bhagavan did not fancy a new design. The best design had already been conceived by the Supreme Lord and Brahmā simply had to follow His directions. Bhagavan gave him brief instructions, iṣat-smita-sociṣā gira. It is said that great people are not garrulous by nature (mahānto hi prakṛtyä mita-bhāṣinah). mes After this, the Supreme Lord spoke the essence of Srimad Bhā- gavatam to Śrī Brahma in four seed verses (SB 2.9.32-35). Śrīla Vyasadeva later expanded these four verses into the eighteen thou- sand that form Bhāgavatam as we know it today. These verses will be discussed extensively in Sections 17 and 96. m Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi identifies the Supreme Lord who spoke to Śrī Brahma as Kṛṣṇa, son of Nanda Mahārāja. According to SB 2.9.6, Brahma was first ordered to perform penance (tapas). The verses here quoted from Brahma-samhita show that he was actually initi- ated into the eighteen-syllable Gopala mantra, which he chanted to 78 See Anuccheda 1. surya-candramasau dhāta yathā-purvam akalpayata 119 MOLA Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha please Govinda. Since the presiding deity of this mantra is Gopala, or Kṛṣṇa the cowherd boy, and since Brahma performed tapas to please Him, it follows that it was Śrī Kṛṣṇa who appeared to him and not a Visņu form. For this reason Śrī Brahma prays to Govinda and not to Visņu in Brahma-samhita - govindam adi-puruşam tam aham bhajami. wri en This has also been confirmed in Gopala-tapani Upanisad, where Brahma says that the Supreme Lord appeared before him dressed as a cowherd boy-gopa-veśo me purastad ävirbabhuva. Furthermore, Śrī Kṛṣṇa also tells Uddhava that He spoke the four-verse Śrīmad Bhā- gavatam to Brahma (SB 3.14.13). Because this event took place after Brahma saw the Lord and His abode, it is clear that it was Śrī Kṛṣṇa Himself who spoke these verses to him. od? There is further confirmation of this in the Twelfth Canto, where Śrī Sūta Gosvāmi also concludes his narration of Srimad Bhagavatam by saying, “I meditate on the Supreme Absolute Truth, who enlight- ened Brahma on the wisdom of Srimad Bhagavatam” (kasmai yena vib- häsito’yam […] satyam param dhimahi, SB 12.13.19). This satyam param is none other than Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the subject matter of Srimad Bhaga- vatam, as has been explained in Section 63 of Tattva Sandarbha. In this anuccheda, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmī has given an example of Bhagavan realization. He has simultaneously established all the following: otima 1021 plant is d don sze
- The personal form of Bhagavan is realized only by devotees. 2. Vaikuntha is a manifestation of pure sattva, or viśuddha-sattva. 3. Pure sattva is the internal potency of Bhagavan, and is both transcendental and conscious.
- The material gunas are always mixed; thus, pure unmixed vahe iwmundane sattva, free of rajas and tamas, does not exist in the material world. de bas eranoise ni lav The 5. Vaikuntha is full of transcendental variety. fateve evil alme
- Finally, it was Bhagavan Śrī Kṛṣṇa who spoke Śrimad 29095 Bhagavatam in four seed verses to Śrī Brahma. ad Dine vllamps w of betheds 5 50w 120dear eyewart isznalt nevestado en Sill by Hostin Branlettusaas at lo huq sasishstone EN Tasido ono to Anuccheda 11 udima Kasvugar The Characteristics of Bhagavan Are Inherent ११ । अथ सा भगवत्ता च नारोपिता किन्तु स्वरूपभूतैवेत्येतमर्थं पुनर्विशेषतः स्थापयितुं प्रकरणान्तरमारभ्यते । तत्र वस्तुनस्तस्य सशक्तित्वमाह “वेद्यं वास्तवमत्र वस्तु” इत्यस्य विशेषणाभ्यामेव “शिवदं तापत्रयोन्मूलनम्” (भा० १।१।२) इति । शिवं परमानन्दः । तद्दानं स्वरूपशक्त्या । तापत्रयं मायाशक्तिकार्यं तदुन्मूलनं च तयैवेति ॥ श्रीव्यासः ॥ HERE WE BEGIN A NEW SECTION to specifically establish that the characteristics of Bhagavan are naturally inherent within His essential being and not imposed or acquired from elsewhere. First of all, Bhagavan is the Supreme Substantive or the Supreme Existent (vastu), and is endowed with potencies, as shown in the second verse of Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, where it is said by Vyasa that, “The Real Existent is to be known from this book” (vedyam vāstavam atra vastu, SB 1.1.2). That this Existent has potency is stated by the two adjectives śivada and tāpa-trayonmūlana. Śiva means the supreme bliss; śivada signifies that He grants this bliss to others by His internal potency. Tapa-traya means the three miseries that arise from the external energy, and unmūlana means that He uproots these miseries by this same internal potency. Pole vin Commentary AFTER EXPLAINING THE QUALIFICATIONS for Bhagavan realiza- tion and having given a lucid example, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmī turns his The complete verse will be discussed in Anuccheda 95. 121 Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha attention to the characteristics of Bhagavan Himself. He says that Bhagavan’s attributes and potencies are part of His essential nature (svarupa-śakti), they are not imposed. The technical term used here is āropa, which along with adhyasa is used by Sankarācārya and his followers to indicate the imposition of the properties of one object upon another. Śrī Sadananda Yogindra, a sixteenth century scholar in the line of Śankarācārya, defines this in his Vedānta-sära: To wrongly attribute the properties of an apparent object (avastu) upon an existing object (vastu), is called adhyāropa (superimposi- tion). Examples include mistaking a rope to be a snake, although it is not a snake, or considering Brahman, which is distinct from the form of the material world, to be the world? क According to the Sankara school, the underlying principle of superimposition is to mistake a real object (vastu) for an apparent one (avastu), due to ignorance (avidya). Vastu means a real object or substance, “That which remains at all times is called vastu” (vasati eva tişṭhati eva yat tad vastu). On the other hand, avastu is that which has empirical (vyavahārika), or apparent (pratibhāsika), existence, but does not exist in the true or ontological (päramärthika) sense. When, because of ignorance, a person mistakes a real object for an apparent one, this is called aropa, adhyāsa or adhyāropa. When some- one in semi-darkness mistakes a rope for a snake, he superimposes an apparent (pratibhasika) snake upon the rope, which is empirically real (vyavahārika). Prerequisites for adhyasa or adhyāropa include knowledge of the superimposed object based on previous experi- ence, unfavorable conditions for clear perception, sensory defects in the perceiver, and / or similarity between the two objects (e.g., a snake and a rope). SH The Advaitavādīs cite the Śruti, “All this is indeed Brahman” (sar- vam khalv idam brahma), to establish that Brahman is the only ulti- mate Reality. They say that we mistake Brahman for the empirical world that is unreal (avastu). When our ignorance is dispelled, only Brahman will remain. 80
JAUD SHT slamsxs bipul navy served him not asarpa-bhūta-rajjau sarpāropavat ajagad-rupe brahmani jagad-rūpāropavat vastuni avastv-aropo’dhyāropaḥ 122 11 The Characteristics of Bhagavan Are Inherent Following this line of reasoning, they also take Bhagavan’s form, attributes and abode to be unreal in the ultimate sense. They mistak- enly think that these attributes have also been superimposed upon Brahman. To refute this deep-rooted misconception of the Advaita- vādīs, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi will furnish evidence over the next fifteen sections (Anucchedas 12-26) that Bhagavan’s attributes, in particular His potencies (śaktis), are both real and inherent in His being. He begins by stating that the Lord’s “God-ness” (bhagavattā, i.e., “the state of His being the Complete Whole, and the Supreme Person”) is not superimposed (sã bhagavattă ca nãropită). To support this premise, he quotes from Srimad Bhagavatam, established in Tattva Sandarbha as the topmost authority on the mat- ter, “The vastava (Real) vastu (Substantive) is to be known (vedya) in this book (atra).” This means that Srimad Bhagavatam explains the Supreme Real- ity as distinct from apparition (avastu). Furthermore, it is possible for one to directly experience (vedya) this Reality. This has pre- viously been discussed in Tattva Sandarbha, where västava-vastu is identified as “nondual being-awareness,” or advaya-jñāna of SB 1.2.11, with which this volume began. Here Advaitavādīs may claim that ultimate Reality is Brahman, devoid of qualities or energies, and hence, their philosophy of Rad- ical Nondualism, or Advaitavada, is the ultimate truth. Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi says, however, that this is not the complete truth. Although Reality is nondual being-awareness, it is not devoid of attributes or saktis. This is immediately shown in this verse, where the Real Existent (vastavaṁ vastu) is modified by two adjectives: sivada and tapa-trayonmūlana. Their import is this: understanding this Real- ity grants supreme felicity, dispelling the cumbersome influence of the threefold miseries created by the external energy (māyā). But this could only be possible if this Reality has potency inherent in its own nature. Unmulana means to uproot, implying that no trace of illusion or ignorance is left. If the energy of the Real Existent was superimposed, then it would not have the power to completely See Sections 51-52 of Tattva Sandarbha, where this verse and SB 1.2.11 are quoted to establish the subject matter of the entire Sat Sandarbha. 123 IntŚri Bhagavat Sandarbha uproot illusion. As the saying goes, svayam asiddham katham param sädhayati, “If one is imperfect, how can he make others perfect?” As an apparent snake, mistakenly seen in a rope in semi-darkness, can- not bite, Bhagavan superimposed onto Brahman cannot uproot mis- ery and bestow bliss. So it should be acknowledged that Absolute Reality is potent and He is called Bhagavan, as has been discussed in earlier sections.ad bus in dod sas (pipla) Non-theists (specifically the Advaitavadīs) accept only unqual- ified, i.e., attributeless, Brahman as the vastu, or Ultimate Reality. Nothing else has factual existence. However, Vaiṣṇavas (who accept Visņu or Kṛṣṇa as Supreme God) acknowledge that the material world is also real (vastu), in spite of its not being the vastava-vastu, or the truly abiding Reality, busteduc) stany (18) votal illu Śrīla Viśvanatha Cakravarti Thakura gives an explanation of the word vastu in his Sārārtha-darsini commentary on SB 6.16.51: nobirsage mon totalban ya Vastu (substance) is of two types - vastava (“real” or “abiding”) and avāstava (“unreal” or “non-abiding”). Brahman, Paramātmā and Bhagavan, along with His abode and associates, are the only vastava- hur vastu, or abiding substance. The material world is avastava-vastu, or non-abiding substance. Avastu is also of two types, karya (having an empirical basis) and akarya (devoid of all empirical basis). Objects seen in dreams, hallucinations and so on, are karya, because they have a basis in previously observed phenomena. Objects that never exist to begin with, such as the horns of a rabbit, are called akārya. Lee thammi ei eid zo bus The subject of Srimad Bhagavatam is abiding substance, or the Real Existent (vastava-vastu), and since this subject is Bhagavan, the state or condition of being the Complete Whole (bhagavatta) cannot be imaginary or superimposed. Śivada and tāpa-trayonmulana are basic, affiliated effects of sädhana-bhakti, or devotion in the stage of practice. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmi describes these as klesaghni and subhada: gig af og sdt sved ton bloo 0 If one takes to devotion, all kinds of unnecessary effort and material distress cease entirely and one achieves all good fortune. (BRS 1.1.7) По 124 11 The Characteristics of Bhagavan Are Inherent Commenting on this verse, Śrīla Viśvanatha Cakravarti Thakura writes, “Sadhana-bhakti uproots all types of miseries and grants aus- piciousness to the practitioner.“4 The three types of miseries are adhyatmika, miseries arising from one’s own body and mind, such as disease, lust, anger and greed; adhibhautika, miseries inflicted by other living entities, such as snakes, mosquitoes or malicious people; and adhidaivika, mis- eries arising from the environment or nature, i.e., miseries brought about through cosmic influence or the controlling power of the gods (daivika), such as excessive heat and cold, tsunamis, earthquakes, volcanoes, storms and ozone depletion. These three types of afflic- tion are sometimes likened to the three-pronged spear that Durgā Devi holds in her hand, she being the warden of this prison house (durga) of the material world. When the word bhagavan is used to indicate great persons like Indra or Nārada, the secondary meaning (glorious or respectable person) must be accepted, and not the meaning of being “the pos- sessor of the six opulences,” as explained previously in Section 1.3. Next Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi explains that some of Bhagavan’s energies are contradictory by nature. brol sifs on pollo ant ties the the ॥४॥ dbala amque di pion vacaled for akeup Istrabebit edilme or an as bowon an ghibering tadt babe models sie ihm sie bee gor 4 tatra sadhana-bhaktiḥ klesa-ghni-rūpā subhadă-rūpā ca 125 gm Биб Anuccheda 12 brs Floresy Heatbord-daw buobig Bhagavan Is the Refuge of Mutually Conflicting Potencies I and frolivin) Rgtull se God १२ । ते च स्वरूपशक्तिमायाशक्ती परस्परविरुद्धे तथा तयोर्वृत्तयश्च स्वस्वगण एव परस्पर- विरुद्धा अपि बह्व्यः । तथापि तासामेकं निधानं तदेवेत्याह (भा० ६।४।३१) - W ald rols) on THE INTERNAL POTENCY (svarupa-śakti) and the external potency (māyā-śakti) are diametrically opposed to each other. Further- more, though each has many functions that are opposite to their counterparts, still their support is one, Bhagavan. Dakṣa speaks the following verse to the Lord: यच्छक्तयो वदतां वादिनां वै विवादसंवादभुवो भवन्ति । कुर्वन्ति चैषां मुहुरात्ममोहं तस्मै नमोऽनन्तगुणाय भूम्ने ॥ ७४ ॥ Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto the Supreme All- pervading One, endowed with unlimited transcendental quali- ties. His potencies keep the philosophers, with their differing views, in a state of continual bewilderment, sometimes agree- ing and sometimes disagreeing among themselves. Indeed, their arguments remain ever inconclusive. (SB 6.4.31)1 यत् यस्य शक्तयो विवादस्य संवादस्य च भुवः स्थानानि भवन्ति । स्पष्टम् || दक्षः श्रीपुरु- षोत्तमम् ॥ 1yac-chaktayo vadatām vādinām vai vivada-samvada-bhuvo bhavanti kurvanti caiṣāṁ muhur atma-moham tasmai namo’nanta-guṇāya bhumne ort 126 12 Bhagavan Is the Refuge of Mutually Conflicting Potencies - I Bhagavan’s potencies are the source of dispute and consensus for the contenders of various philosophies. The rest of the verse’s meaning is self-evident. da to 100qR Commentary adione qgo lautum AFTER ESTABLISHING that Bhagavan has integral potencies, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi explains that both the internal and external potencies have their ultimate support in the Lord. The internal and external potencies, even though counter-oppositional, like light and dark- ness, are perfectly supported by Bhagavan. One of the most won- derful characteristics of Bhagavan is that He accommodates oppos- ing qualities. Not understanding this inconceivable feature of the Absolute Truth, speculative philosophers argue endlessly about its nature. Some philosophers realize a certain aspect of the Lord (e.g., His formless aspect) and try to limit Him to that. Other philoso- phers believe what they consider to be an opposing view, that God is a person. Both camps then cite scripture and use logic to advance their respective philosophical conclusions. Dakṣa Mahārāja, how- ever, refers to the Lord as ananta-guna, one who has unlimited quali- ties. Unless we recognize this fact, we will remain bewildered about the personhood of Bhagavan. In the previous section, it was explained that while māyā inflicts the threefold miseries upon the living beings, the internal potency dispels them. Similarly, māyā causes bondage, whereas the svarupa- śakti grants liberation. In this way, māyā and its subdivisions func- tion in an opposing manner to the svarupa-sakti and its portions, yet both potencies are supported by the Lord. Śrī Vyasa’s trance also revealed that maya is sheltered by Bhaga- van - māyāṁ ca tad-apāśrayam (SB 1.7.4)? The word ca (also) there indicates that there are other potencies, such as the intermediary potency. All these energies have various ganas, or subdivisions. Of these, the internal energy with its various divisions will be 2 This verse was discussed in Section 8, as well as more extensively in Tattva Sandarbha, Anucchedas 30-31. 127 camisanth Śri Bhagavat Sandarbha Agele described over the greater part of this volume, and the other two will be discussed fully in Paramatma Sandarbha. Jo vasbusiness To It is not only that one particular energy stands in opposition to another; sometimes even subdivisions within the same group act in mutual opposition, and yet they still coexist with the support of Bha- gavan. For example, the gunas of material nature are always vying for supremacy, yet they cannot exist independent of one another. In a ghee lamp, the flame consumes both the wick and ghee, but it also subsists on them. Ghee is motionless, yet it moves through the wick. Ghee can also, in certain circumstances, be used to extinguish the flame. In this way, different energies may also simultaneously be in disharmony (vivada) or in harmony (saṁvāda). In the next section, Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī will give further proof of the conflicting nature of Bhagavan’s energies. paolidg zod savba of pigal zelidq sme это? mangol all Heup bosimilan endodw and up-nin and off of groter ove Juoda barabliwod nininst www.baleiros 525in zon you landi agiriad golvit oilt now a ninov s odgood as om bolim blotesli soi 50 meryalogaib Joy and spartate of cobrod syd baqqina lalo tod orff (bate) in brow biz(y) by the Traiberriantsiya das ganaro serizo entan Emolevidex to Lathe duolev veelgians best afog ed How enclavil zure el driw viste layout and ses/20 128 asd evegera biva tortion gulegge allautum ed 19 not Anuccheda 13 mdera 26 brod to en Bhagavan Is the Refuge of Mutually Conflicting Potencies - II IIH bren १३ | तथा (भा० ४।९।१६ ) - Is bas boylmilnu noveria SIMILARLY, DHRUVA MAHĀRĀJA also prays to the Lord: al or by 2.6 यस्मिन् विरुद्धगतयो ह्यनिशं पतन्ति विद्यादयो विविधशक्तय आनुपूर्व्यात् । __ तद्ब्रह्म विश्वभवमेकमनन्तमाद्यमानन्दमात्रमविकारमहं प्रपद्ये ॥ ७५ ॥ ॥ 199 bac Varieties of mutually conflicting energies, such as knowledge and ignorance, are constantly arising within Your Brahman lls aspect, each in its turn. I take shelter of this Brahman, the f ground of the universal creation: one, infinite, original, con- arsisting of bliss alone, and changeless. (SB 4.9.16)seu n этот 160 आनुपूर्व्यात् स्वस्ववर्गे उत्तममध्यमकनिष्ठभावेन वर्तमाना विविधशक्तयः प्रायः परस्परं विरुद्धगतयोऽपि यस्मिन् यदाश्रित्य अनिशं पतन्ति प्रवर्तन्ते स्वस्वव्यापारं कुर्वन्तीत्यर्थः ॥ श्रीध्रुवः श्रीध्रुवप्रियम् ।। dw Anupurvyät (each in its turn) means that the various potencies of the Lord have superior, medium and inferior gradations in their respective categories. Although they are nearly always in conflict with one another, they all conduct their respective affairs and exist eternally within the Lord, who is their only support. yasmin viruddha-gatayo hy anisaṁ patanti vidyadayo vividha-śaktaya anupurvyāt tad brahma viśva-bhavam ekam anantam adyam ananda-matram avikāram aham prapadye 1/2 hnginquantavas 2 bot in the hut 129 Commentary Śri Bhagavat Sandarbha ŚRILA JIVA GOSVĀMI now gives further evidence that Bhagavān has mutually opposing potencies. In this verse Dhruva Mahārāja prays to the Lord, who is standing before him in His personal form, yet he refers to the Lord as Brahman. He is “bliss alone” (ananda-mātra), unlimited (ananta), and without transformation (avikāra). In fact, these attributes apply equally to both unqualified Brahman and to the Supreme Person. The very fact that Bhagavan, a person, is nondifferent from unqualified Brahman is itself contradictory. Bhagavan is the source of the cosmos (viśva-bhava) and yet He undergoes no transformation, even though generally a source or cause undergoes some change when producing something else, such as a seed transforming into a sprout. Bhagavan is unlimited and all- pervading, and is nonetheless a person. This is contradictory, yet all such contradictions are reconciled in the Supreme Lord, who is the Absolute Truth. Hence, the Absolute Truth may be defined as that all-inclusive Reality wherein all contradictory extremes meet and are reconciled. Плоз у To zaitshy As explained earlier, Brahman is nondifferent from Bhagavan; therefore, the nature of Brahman is included in Bhagavan as well. The distinction lies in the vision of the particular transcenden- talist, in pursuance of his individual mode of worship. For the jñāni-bhaktas, he appears as Brahman; for those somewhat more advanced in bhakti, He appears as “the ground of cosmic creation” (viśva-bhava), and for the most advanced devotees, He appears as the Supreme Person, who is the source of all bliss (ānanda-mātra). The Śruti gives examples of some of these opposing characteristics: bus mulbs The Supreme Lord walks and does not walk. He is far way, but He is near as well. He is within everything, and yet He is outside of every- bathing. thing. (ISA 5)2qrup yenione su diw qque vlao sinds zi odw.bolada idi ylleet taixo Svetasvatara Upanisad states, “He sees though He has no eyes, and tad ejati tan naijati tad dure tad v antikemat tad antarasya sarvasya tad u sarvasyasya bahyataḥ 13013 Bhagavan Is the Refuge of Mutually Conflicting Potencies - II He hears though He has no ears” (su 5.19). Additionally, in Bhagavad Gītā, Gita, Śrī Kṛṣṇa says:mindah that H The Supreme Self is the original source of all senses, yet He is with- out senses. He is unattached, although He is the maintainer of all Co living beings. He transcends the gunas of nature, and at the same time He is the master of the gunas of nature. (GĪTĀ 13.14)* In the previous section, the cited verse said that the Lord’s ener- gies are the object of dispute among various philosophers. But no description of these energies or the nature of dispute was given. Now in this anuccheda, the verse directly mentions energies, such as knowledge and ignorance, and offers more details about the functions of these energies. emp 2 S posietats Strapsize Shus itto Sys prop frypan fossable for brodniatau guna mesado ym to 1 w/radioan and odhodlanggo i greixs salons bailes to cromeco ? To montok bn yoifasih odi aras portasmala bhfad ydoed bugilistel asense are losino w abog adivastas st [scasa) dmo os bos (sanus props dans forgave THTE E MASES Uppal foflife || miss was firm org allanzamibboniunan Imavě medbr alevied antamals Livstam odi am in 200 291 10 both bassargillsti od katsojabog orli dadaya pasange sch 3 pasyaty acaksuḥ sa śrnoti akarnah sarvendriya-gunābhasam sarvendriya-vivarjitambar diabeet Pota asaktaṁ sarva-bhṛc caiva nirgunam guna-bhoktṛ ca 131 131 Comandat vllanonibba (era ua) Tanto orand oli suor end dilwal 5 150 253 Ils in asmanism art si o dguerile bar Anuccheda 14 Bhagavan Is the Refuge of Mutually Conflicting Potencies III volay gnome sougall in
nsvigtery sugaib to set Bris no ad, gods slide otomatolo ban bone १४ । तथा (भा० ४ । १७।३३) - SIMILARLY, ŚRI MAITREYA said to Vidura:1 सर्गादि योऽस्यानुरुणद्धि शक्तिभिर्द्रव्यक्रियाकारकचेतनात्मभिः । तस्मै समुन्नद्धविरुद्धशक्तये नमः परस्मै पुरुषाय वेधसे ॥ ७६ ॥ I offer my obeisances to the Supreme Person, the fountainhead of exalted energies existing in opposition to one another, who enacts the creation, maintenance and dissolution of this cosmic manifestation by these energies, which are the physical elements, the senses, the gods who control the senses, intelligence, the ego and so forth. (SB 4.17.33)2 Br टीका च – अनुरुणद्व्यनुवर्तते करोति । द्रव्याणि महाभूतानि । क्रिया इन्द्रियाणि । कारका देवाः । चेतना बुद्धिः । आत्मा अहङ्कारः । तैः स्वशक्तिरूपैः समुन्नद्धाः समुत्कटा निरुद्धाः शक्तयो यस्य । इत्येषा || श्रीमैत्रेयो विदुरम् ॥ Śrīdhara Svāmi comments: “Anurunaddhi means ‘He performs’ or ‘carries out;“3 dravyāni means the material elements; kriyāḥ, the senses; kärakaḥ, the gods; cetană, the intelligence; and ātmā, 1 While reciting the prayers offered by Bhumidevi (Mother Earth) to Prthu Mahārāja. 2 sargādi yo’syānurunaddhi śaktibhir dravya-kriya-karaka-cetanatmabhiḥ tasmai samunnaddha-viruddha-saktaye namah parasmai puruşaya vedhase 3 The word anurunaddhi normally means to obstruct, confine, hold, or preserve. 132 14 Bhagavan Is the Refuge of Mutually Conflicting Potencies - III the material ego. The Lord conducts the act of creation through these energies. Samunaddha-viruddha-saktiḥ means that He is the fountainhead of these mighty opposing energies.” Commentary badm A MOTHER EARTH, in the form of a cow, spoke this verse to King Prthu, who had chastised her for neglecting to supply the necessities of life. Thereafter she begged forgiveness from the king. This story is nar- rated to Vidura by the sage Maitreya. This verse shows further how Bhagavan’s energies may be in con- flict with each other. While He is the creator and maintainer of the cosmos, He is its annihilator as well. Moreover, these contrary potencies are simultaneously present in Him eternally. When He employs His creative potency, it is not that His destructive potency is lost, or vice versa. The simultaneous existence of these mutually opposing forces is logically inconceivable. Among the divisions of these energies, such as the material ele- ments, dravyāņi, some are naturally opposed to others. Water and fire are mutually destructive. Actions in sattva-guna lead to libera- tion, while those in the other gunas lead to bondage. The same action performed at different times or places or with a different attitude can yield opposing results. Bhagavan’s personhood cannot be under- stood by mere scholarship as He is beyond reason and logic. All His potencies are inconceivable. This will be explained in the next section. declare does date w To Mi even havayera d 133 dguo noite lo sad arubaco brod slogo Izinstam ort ata dai anasi disine-nihburtiv-bdbbonumo sigions sendi asigrons grisogo vidim saad lo hasileleinunt adi Anuccheda 15 Bhagavan’s Potencies Are Inconceivable HET SE 2012 as mont 280 nos ni so vem १५ । तासामचिन्त्यत्वमाह “आत्मेश्वरोऽतर्क्यसहस्रशक्तिः” (भा० ३।३३।३) इति । OM bater THESE ENERGIES ARE INCONCEIVABLE, as Devahūti says to Kapi- ladeva: “You are the guide and regulator of the living beings and possessor of thousands of inconceivable potencies” (SB 3.33.3). स्पष्टम् । उक्तं चाचिन्त्यत्वम् “श्रुतेस्तु शब्दमूलत्वात्” (ब्र० २।१।२७) इत्यादौ । “आत्मनि चैवं विचित्राश्च हि” (ब्र० २।१।२८) इत्यादौ च ॥ श्रीदेवहूतिः श्रीकपिलदेवम् ॥ The meaning is clear. Two sutras from Brahma-sūtra also state that Bhagavan’s energies are inconceivable: “The Vedas state that the Lord is free from defects and can be understood only by sabda,” and, “Variegated energies exist inherently in Him” (vs 2.1.27-28)? Aasigel da 1 broved zi oH as qirlzicio ixen add ni bonisige od Ufw air Commentary oldey bleay ne IN THE PREVIOUS THREE SECTIONS, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmī has explained that Bhagavan has various energies that may act in opposition to one sa eva viśvasya bhavan vidhatte guna-pravaheņa vibhakta-viryah sargādy aniho’vitathābhisandhir atmeśvaro’tarkya-sahasra-saktiḥ 2 śrutes tu sabda-mulatvāt atmani caivam vicitrāś ca hi That is, by “the eternal sound-revelation that is prior to the cosmos, and without human origin” (apauruşeya). 134 15 Bhagavan’s Potencies Are Inconceivable another. The question might arise, “How is such a thing possible? Does this not defy reason?” 850 2 SH 29llera sdi med rollame To answer, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmī says that Bhagavan’s energies are inconceivable. He cannot be understood by mere logic. Śrīmati Devahūti spoke the above verse to Kapiladeva, after being instructed by Him on the subjects of jñāna, vairāgya and bhakti. She was astonished to learn that her son was the Supreme Lord. She could not grasp how Bhagavan, who created Brahma from His lotus navel and who is the source of the cosmos, could have been within her womb. Thus, from her personal experience she declared that the Lord has thousands of inconceivable potencies.orstein Because Bhagavan’s potencies act beyond the realm of logic, faith- less people take His pastimes to be myth. It is therefore advised that one faithfully hear the exploits of the Lord from the lips of a devo- tee; otherwise, one might fail to realize that Bhagavan, or the Per- sonal Nondual Whole, entails greater completion than its unqual- ified aspect, or Brahman, and thus reject Bhagavan’s pastimes as fanciful stories. By doing so, they deny themselves access to the fur- ther reaches of consciousness in which Bhagavan is disclosed, and thus deny themselves the possibility of higher completion. Sections 9-11 of Tattva Sandarbha establish that Bhagavan can be understood only through revealed sound (sabda). Mere logic does not have the capability to divulge knowledge of Him. Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmī next cites two sutras from Vedānta-sutra that also mention the inconceivable nature of His potencies. The sūtra prior to these two (vs 2.1.26) suggests that Brahman is with- out parts or divisions. One may object, saying that Brahman must have divisions, otherwise every action He performs, however minor, would be accomplished by use of His full power. This controversy is resolved by the first sūtra (vs 2.1.27), which states that the Vedas declare Brahman to be free from such internal divisions. Brahman does in fact possess such inconceivable potency that can accommo- date all opposing traits. This has already been discussed in previous sections. While commenting on this sutra, Baladeva Vidyabhuṣaṇa refers to Mundaka Upanisad: 135 aldaviar Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha gad Sal The Lord is splendorous, inconceivable, and the greatest, yet He isona smaller than the smallest. He is near and far off as well. Indeed, Heo resides in the heart of the realized being. (MUU 3.1.7)3 511 Commenting on the words śabda-mūlatvāt, Baladeva writes: 19116 BV9b Knowledge of Brahman can be obtained only from scriptures; there-96 fore, we have no authority to consider them illogical when they e describe paradoxical attributes within Him. Since only scriptures provide us with knowledge of Brahman, these descriptions of His dedinconceivable attributes must be accepted. This is not so completely mysterious, as even in this world it is seen that certain gems and la mantras produce supernatural effects resulting from inconceivable Power. Because something is inexplicable or inconceivable does not mean it should be dismissed as impossible. The second quoted sutra (vs 2.1.28) explains the existence of var- iegated power within the Lord. While commenting on this sutra, Śrīla Baladeva asserts that if gems and mantras have inconceiv- able power, then why not Bhagavan? He is the original source of everything. 891 1900 In India there are certain healers who can cure incurable dis- eases by chanting mantras. That such a power exists in the vibration of certain syllables is inconceivable. But by seeing the effect, one cannot deny it. Similarly, by observing material nature, a devotee can understand that Bhagavan must have inconceivable power. 90T 29 stog aiH to suis ef Even modern science is forced to admit inconceivable phenom- ena. Light, for example, has the dual nature of being a particle as well as a wave, though this is contrary to logic. There are many such anomalies in science, which are nonetheless accepted on an empirical basis. 2916ta doidw(VE Some examples are the square root of the number -1, the expan- sion of water when cooled below 4 °C, mercury being heavier than other metals though in a liquid state, or a point having no dimension and yet a line, which is made up of points, having length. The next 3 bṛhac ca tad divyam acintya-rupaṁ sūkṣmāc ca tat sukṣmataram vibhāti dürät sudüre tad ihāntike ca paśyantv ihaiva nihitam guhayam A 136 15 Bhagavan’s Potencies Are Inconceivable section explains that these energies are part of Bhagavan’s nature and not incidental occurrences. pienital STA zsigrond en vegada nastero esisted ORDER ROTI & RATAJAST:9 30A? of 201 hos foffo be nauso diod as essage to suole ’nemer e il gainnigod it at ono guon dod mady broyed tsy at 20.ovina lo consid (1Jongle Svipent) Sift és destina The balls under a desvlovic J1 SA 20mat bag moosdbssifidetesh helt stw zuten lettoh to sista dr swiss lilbroming to 10 to ribom bend ovih gol bodo bas balistai simon bil za aviadi diwyd sigbourg I subivibai sdi oni pallani sim nato isang arl adidas auris action date hesht has asosido vanobras adipollo moleda ni asis 2000 ama ban 137 surten enevegen locking to ignito sadilt ja ancients noires Centromiso lambioni 10 be Anuccheda 16 Bhagavan’s Energies Are Intrinsic 16.1 १६ । शक्तेस्तत्स्वाभाविकरूपत्वमाह (भा० ११।३।३७ ) - SAGE PIPPALAYANA INFORMED KING NIMI that these energies are naturally existent in the Lord: सत्त्वं रजस्तम इति त्रिवृदेकमादौ सूत्रं महानहमिति प्रवदन्ति जीवम् । ज्ञानक्रियार्थफलरूपतयोरुशक्तिर्ब्रह्मैव भाति सदसच् च तयोः परं यत् ॥ ७७ || It is Brahman’ alone that appears as both cause and effect, and is yet beyond them both. Though one in the beginning, it first manifests as the (inactive state of the) three gunas of sattva, rajas and tamas. As it involves further, this Brahman is called sutra, “the state of primordial nature when first destabilized, becom- ing active,” mahat, “the first modification of primordial nature, as the cosmic intellect” and ahankara, “modification of the cos- mic intellect into the individual I-principle,” by which the jiva identifies with matter. Brahman thus exhibits its great poten- cies in the form of cognitions, actions, objects and consequences. (SB 11.3.37)2 1 Although it sometimes seems a little awkward, we have kept to Jiva Gosvāmi’s usage of the neuter throughout most of this anuccheda. So rather than referring to “the Lord,” the referent is Brahman or Parabrahman, and the corresponding pronoun is it rather than He, at least wherever Śrī Jiva uses tat rather than sa, on the assumption that his referent is Brahman. Note especially GĪTĀ 13.12, etc., and VP 1.22.54, found in Anuccheda 16.4. 2 sattvam rajas tama iti trivṛd ekam ādau sūtram mahän aham iti pravadanti jivam jñāna-kriyärtha-phala-rupatayoru-saktir brahmaiva bhati sad asac ca tayoḥ param yat 138 16 Bhagavan’s Energies Are Intrinsic ब्रह्मैव उरुशक्तिरनेकात्मकशक्तिमद् भाति । एवकारेण ब्रह्मण एव सा शक्तिर्न तु कल्पितेति स्वाभाविकरूपत्वं शक्तेर्बोधयति । तत्र हेतुः - यद् ब्रह्म सत् स्थूलं कार्यं पृथिव्यादिरूपम् । असत् सूक्ष्मं कारणं प्रकृत्यादिरूपं तयोर्बहिरङ्गवैभवयोः परं स्वरूपवैभवं श्रीवैकुण्ठादिरूपं तटस्थवैभवं शुद्धजीवरूपं च । अन्यथा तत्तद्भावासिद्धिः । Brahman alone exists, inherently self-endowed with great potency, uru-sakti, which means that it encompasses variegated potencies within its essential nature. The word eva (“alone” or “only”) indicates that this potency belongs to Brahman alone; it is not imaginary. By this, the speaker informs us that this potency is its essential nature. The reason is that transcenden- tal Brahman is grossly manifest (sat) as the effect in the form of the material elements, like earth and so on, and subtly manifest (asat) as the cause in the form of primordial nature. Both of these are its external manifestations (vaibhava). Beyond this are its internal manifestations, such as Vaikuntha, and also the inter- mediary manifestations as the pure living beings. If Brahman has no natural energies, then all such manifestations would be impossible.ginized ads ni sno guod sonshivs iwasio 102 to 20gup od120 guliziano (vi) bloissad odt se किंरूपतया तत्तद्रूपम् ? तत्राह - ज्ञानक्रियार्थफलरूपतया महदादिलक्षणज्ञानशक्तिरूप- त्वेन सूत्रादिलक्षणक्रियाशक्तिरूपत्वेन तन्मात्रादिलक्षणार्थरूपत्वेन प्रकृतिलक्षणतत्तत्सर्वै- क्यरूपत्वेन सदसद्रूपं फलरूपत्वेन तयोः परम् । तत्र फलं पुरुषार्थस्वरूपं सवैभवं भगवदा- ख्यं चिद्वस्तु तदनुगतत्वात् शुद्धजीवाख्यं चिद्वस्तु च । एतेन ज्ञानक्रियादिरूपेणोरुशक्तित्वं व्यञ्जितम् । Les da gavata In what forms do all these manifestations of Brahman exist? The sage Pippalāyana answers, “in the form of cognitions, actions, objects and consequences” (jñāna-kriya-artha-phala-rupataya). As the cognitive potency (jñāna-śakti), it manifests in the form of mahat-tattva [the cosmic intellect or wisdom principle], and so on; as the active potency (kriya-śakti), it manifests as sūtra (pri- mordial nature when it first becomes active), and so on; and as objects (artha), it manifests as the tan-matras (the subtle aspect of the material elements, i.e., their potentials of sound, sight, touch, taste or smell), and the gross elements. As the homoge- neous state of all these, it manifests in the form of primordial 139 Sinh Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbhaddat nature (prakṛti). In these ways, Brahman manifests as cause and effect (sad-asad-rupa). As the fruit or result (phala), however, it is beyond both cause and effect. The fruit here refers to the embodiment of the ultimate goal of all human endeavor, namely, the conscious Existent (cid-vastu) known as Bhagavan along with all His opulences. The pure jiva, or the pure living being, which is similarly a conscious existent (cid-vastu), is also considered as the fruit (phala), because the pure being in its totality follows in accordance with (tad-anugata), or is naturally drawn towards, the conscious Whole that encompasses it. The great potency of Brahman is shown by its manifestations in the form of cognitive power, the potency to act, and so on. am vizorg ai nemdrad Ist testinem vidua bas,no os base de dilatomels leistam sci शक्तेः स्वाभाविकरूपत्वं सप्रमाणं स्पष्टयति - आदौ यदेकं ब्रह्म तदेव सत्त्वं रजस्तम इति त्रिवृत्प्रधानम् । ततः क्रियाशक्त्या सूत्रं ज्ञानशक्त्या महानिति । ततोऽहमहङ्कार इति । तदेव च जीवं शुद्धस्वरूपं जीवात्मानं तदुपलक्षणकं वैकुण्ठादिवैभवं च प्रवदन्ति वेदाः । 26 2010 I agnied gaivi em visibsm The sage Pippalayana clarifies the intrinsic nature of these poten- cies with evidence, “Though one in the beginning, Brahman then manifested as the threefold (trivṛt), consisting of the gunas of sat- tva, rajas and tamas” [SB 11.3.37]. It then further transformed into sūtra as the active potency and into mahat-tattva as the cognitive power. After this follows aham, the I-principle, or ego. The Vedas describe that this very Brahman is the jiva in its pure state, which is also indicative of Bhagavan’s opulences, such as Vaikuntha.s mic the Individual 1 prior by Ένα ते च “सदेव सौम्येदमग्र आसीत् ” ( छा० ६।२।१) इत्याद्याः । illa obamno) sadwnl гло anottositoilingod logorvosd wann deng14 ogce Such Vedic statements are: “My dear boy, in the beginning, there was only this unique existent (sat)” (CHU 6.2.1) avitingoa sdt A आदावेकं ततस्तत्तद्रूपमिति शक्तेः स्वाभाविकत्वमायातम् अन्यस्यासद्भावेनौपाधिकत्वा- योगात् । स्वरूपवैभवस्याङ्गप्रत्यङ्गवन् नित्यसिद्धत्वेऽपि सूर्यसत्तया तद्रश्मिपरमाणुवृन्द- स्येव तत्सत्तया लब्धसत्ताकत्वात् तदुपादानकत्वं तदादिकत्वं च स्यात् “तस्य भासा सर्व- मिदं विभाति” (कठ २।२।१५) इति श्रुतेः । ..9.1,2dhstisis insin oils to fara: 1 smisis zorg en bos (Usine to stent ibuny 3 sad eva saumyedam agra āsīta ataslinem Ji sendt le to state arose 14016 Bhagavan’s Energies Are Intrinsic The fact that Brahman was alone in the beginning and then vari- ety manifested out of it proves that energy is innate in Brah- man. Because nothing else existed, there is no possibility that these energies are the result of something external to Brahman. Although the powers in Brahman’s essential nature are eternally part of it, like the limbs and organs of its body, they are depen- dent on the existence of Brahman, just as atomic particles of sunlight are dependent on that of the sun. As such, Brahman is both their material cause and support. The Vedas affirm this: “All this shines with its light” (KU 2.2.15).* Commentary под що пот of snevaleggi va muloge sans pasla Radiopash army anuluad Aada to se oris mode les pures) THERE ARE MANY SCHOOLS OF PHILOSOPHY IN INDIA. One of the most influential amongst them is the Advaitavada of Sankarācārya, which holds that ultimate Reality is without any attributes or ener- gies. According to this school, Bhagavan is a secondary manifesta- tion of this ultimate Reality, and His energies and form are not, in the final analysis, eternally true. According to them, Bhagavan is a reflection of Brahman in māyā, or with some limitation (upadhi) of ignorance (avidya). According to them, Brahman is the only ulti- mate Reality. They recommend the worship of Bhagavan only for people who are unqualified to realize nirguna Brahman directly. Such a concept of Bhagavan and His worship contradicts the Bhā- gavata theology, and therefore, Śrī Jīva systematically and lucidly delineates the essential reality of Bhagavan. Savious The preeminent characteristic of Bhagavan is that His omnipo- tence manifests in variegated ways. To understand the personal fea- ture of God, therefore, it is essential for us to understand His poten- cies and their relationship to Him. One basic and vital element of that understanding is that His energies are inherent in Him. They are not borrowed or superimposed on Him from outside of Him- self. The various manifestations of His potencies, which are without tasya bhāsā sarvam idam vibhāti This line appears in KU 2.2.15, MUU 2.2.11 and SU 6.14. ne befietsb A 141 oleh Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha de limit, can neither overwhelm Him nor can they act or exist indepen- dent of Him. They are subservient to Him and He manipulates them at His will. Another remarkable feature about Bhagavan’s energies is that although they function harmoniously, they never mix with each other. Each remains in its own realm and the apparent imperfec- tions of any one of them never stigmatize the Lord. There is in fact no imperfection in any of His energies. Any apparent imperfection is merely a matter of point of view. What appears as an imperfec- tion from the point of view of a finite individual being is not seen as imperfection from the standpoint of the infinite Supreme Person. To explain how God has variegated energies, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi cites a verse spoken by Pippalāyana to King Nimi, who had inquired (SB 11.3.34) about the nature of the Absolute.” The verse describes the energies of Bhagavan. Uru-śakti, the most significant term in this verse, means powerful energy or manifold energies. Bhagavan has abundant energies and they manifest in a variety of forms. What- ever exists, whether manifest or unmanifest, subtle or gross, is the energy of Bhagavan. This is the significance of the indeclinable eva (only) in this verse. basm We are also part of His creation and the one thing we know with- out doubt is that we exist. No one can claim to be without exis- tence, nor can anyone consciously experience the extinguishing of consciousness. Conscious beings are real and so is our experience of our existence. This implies that God’s energies are not imaginary. If God already has uru-sakti, then what need does He have for imag- inary energies? A person who owns many milk cows does not day- dream about getting a cup of milk. The Lord is the source of the material and spiritual dimensions and of the living beings as well: 19400 I am the source of all spiritual and material worlds. Everything vist emanates from Me. The wise who perfectly know this engage in Mys devotional service and worship Me with all their hearts. (GĪTĀ 10.8)6) 5 A detailed analysis of his question was presented in Section 5. aham sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvam pravartate 142 16 Bhagavan’s Energies Are Intrinsic The verse by Pippalayana explains how this material world pro- ceeds from Bhagavan. Before the creation, only He existed and only He will exist after the dissolution, as the Lord Himself confirms in Catuḥ-sloki of Bhagavatam: bod and add anasm J admom bas bad me at adil zi navegada erodt evil cal se radio be I alone existed before all this creation, when there was nothing else, neither cause nor effect. After the creation takes place, all this is also I. And in the end, I alone will remain. (SB 2.9.32)” The material manifestation undergoes perpetual cycles of cre- ation, existence and dissolution. The words aham eva (I alone) refer to the pre-creation state. At that time all the material elements exist in their causal, inactive and equilibrated state, called pradhana, in which the sum total of all forces is zero. This pradhana is called trivṛt because it is comprised of the gunas of sattva, rajas and tamas. When the Lord destabilizes the neutralization of force that is pradhana, it is called sutra, which signifies the active potency. A further modifica- tion in sutra gives rise to mahat-tattva, the cosmic intellect, indica- tive of the power of knowing. From mahat-tattva comes the ego in three gunas, which further gives rise to the senses and sense objects. In this way, it is Brahman or the Lord who manifests everything in the material world. But this is not His complete manifestation. He also eternally manifests the spiritual planets, which are all beyond the material gunas and are thus free from the imperfections of the material world. The principal implication that Śrī Jiva draws from this verse is that potencies are inherent in Brahman. That is the significance of using the term Brahman here rather than Bhagavan. If before cre- ation only He existed, there is no question of His energies being bor- rowed or superimposed from anywhere. His potencies must origi- nate in Him. Since potencies are inherent in Brahman, the potent feature of the Absolute Truth as Bhagavan can be deduced. When Bhagavan says that only He existed before the creation, existed before the crean iti matva bhajante mam budha bhava-samanvitāḥ “aham evāsam evagre nanyad yat sad-asat param paścãd aham yad etac ca yo’vasişyeta so’smy ahamiy aldevisn This verse will be discussed extensively in the next anuccheda.atta 143 Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha it is understood that His abode and associates were with Him, as they are manifestations of His internal potency. Just as when it is said that the president of the United States lives in the White House, it means that his family members, bodyguards, personal assistants and other servants also live there. Bhagavan is like the Sun God and the spiritual creation is like the sun planet, which is dependent on, nondifferent from, and coexistent with Him. 16.2 1919 (shole 1) शक्तेरचिन्त्यत्वं स्वाभाविकत्वं चोक्तं श्रीविष्णुपुराणे (वि० पु० १।३।१) - 13 m That this energy is both innate and inconceivable is described in Viṣṇu Purana, where the sage Parāśara responds to a query by Maitreya, who asked: SH निर्गुणस्याप्रमेयस्य शुद्धस्याप्यमलात्मनः । कथं सर्गादिकर्तृत्वं ब्रह्मणोऽभ्युपगम्यते ।। ७८ ।। oldwanie Elle Brahman is free of material qualities, immeasurable, completely pure and spotless in essence. How then can we attribute to it the agency behind creation, maintenance and dissolution of the ark world? (VP 1.3.1)shmoh rss Con इति मैत्रेयप्रश्नानन्तरं श्रीपराशर उवाच (वि० पु० १ । ३ ।२) - nahga Śri Parāśara replied: -igl 9PM nemin Ariss si ate on el 979dt baixo vino noite mail bozoominsquare bewas शक्तयः सर्वभावानामचिन्त्यज्ञानगोचराः । यतोऽतो ब्रह्मणस्तास्तु सर्गाद्या भावशक्तयः । भवन्ति तपसां श्रेष्ठ पावकस्य यथोष्णता ।। ७९ ।। इति । O best of the ascetics, the energies of all existent objects are incon- ceivable but perceptible by intuitive knowledge, just like heat in nirguṇasyäprameyasya śuddhasyapy amalātmanaḥ katham sargādi-kartṛtvaṁ brahmano’bhyupagamyate a 144 16 Bhagavan’s Energies Are Intrinsic fire. Similarly, know that Brahman’s energies, such as its cre- ative power, are inconceivable and beyond human intelligence.js of (VP 1.3.2) from them, bok chiderstood only Commentary मन् 8.01 To further explain the inconceivable and intrinsic nature of Bha- gavan’s energies, Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī refers to a dialogue between Maitreya and Parāśara Munis from Visnu Purāna. In the previous chapter, the sage Parāśara had described the Lord both as creator, maintainer and annihilator of the cosmos and as being beyond the gunas of nature. Hearing this, Maitreya Muni posed a question that assumes the Lord to be formless Brahman. In the material world, an agent must have a material body, senses, and mind. He has likes and dislikes, is limited, and is under the influence of karma. If the Lord is free from all these, as had been described by the sage Parāśara, then how can He be an agent for any action?92929 Jon o zamot bas This question was asked from the non-personal, or in other words non-theistic, standpoint. All transcendentalists agree that there is a unity behind the diversity in creation. The Advaitavadīs, however, presume that Ultimate Reality could not possibly have form, variety, energy, attributes or action, and consequently that it must be devoid of personhood. They say that if Reality had any of these features, it would be no different from anything in the lim- ited mundane realm. They contend that scriptures describe what is unknown to us. Since duality, form and action are within our own common, everyday experience, the Supreme Reality must be beyond such things; that could only be Brahman, free from any attributes. Śrī Maitreya raised the doubt based on this line of thought. In answer to Maitreya’s question, Parāśara Muni first establishes that Absolute Reality has inconceivable energies from which form, variety and action unfold. Although it is beyond our experience that an entity with form and attributes can be transcendental, eternal aldingyong sud śaktayaḥ sarva-bhāvānām acintya-jñāna-gocarāḥ yato’ to brahmanas tās tu sargadya bhava-saktayah abalword of als onañ bhavanti tapasāṁ śrestha pävakasya yathoṣṇata olgai vd Twistdo.sd 145 alanŚrī Bhagavat Sandarbha ac and unlimited, the Cause of all causes, it is possible by the inconceiv- able power of the Absolute. bins aldatigogoani 90 750 16.3 अत्र श्रीधरस्वामिटीका च - तदेवं ब्रह्मणः सृष्ट्यादिकर्तृत्वमुक्तम् । तत्र शङ्कते निर्गुण- स्येति । सत्त्वादिगुणरहितस्य अप्रमेयस्य देशकालाद्यपरिच्छिन्नस्य शुद्धस्य अदेहस्य सहकारिशून्यस्येति वा अमलात्मनः पुण्यपापसंस्कारशून्यस्य रागादिशून्यस्येति वा । एवम्भूतस्य ब्रह्मणः कथं सर्गादिकर्तृत्वमिष्यते । एतद्विलक्षणस्यैव लोके घटादिषु कर्तृत्वा- दिदर्शनादित्यर्थः । bral sth bedivas । our bravad grled as birth ones aristo Śrīdhara Svāmī here makes a lengthy comment: “It was previ- ously stated that Brahman is the agent behind the creation, main- tenance and dissolution of the cosmos. Śrī Maitreya now raises a doubt about this proposition. In this verse ( vP 1.3.1 ), nirgunasya (free of material qualities) means that the gunas of sattva, rajas and tamas are not present in Brahman. Aprameyasya (immea- surable) means not limited by space, time and so on. Suddhasya (completely pure) can mean either without a body or without any assistants. Amalātmā (spotless in essence) means that Brahman is free from any effects of pious or sinful acts, or from impurities like attachment and repulsion. How can Brahman, whose nature is such, be the agent behind the creation of the cosmos when we see that agents in this world, such as a potter, are exactly the opposite in nature? ng tattoo your miestensbrium betr परिहरति - शक्तयः इति सार्द्धेन । लोके हि सर्वेषां भावानां मणिमन्त्रादीनां शक्तयोऽचि- न्त्यज्ञानगोचराः । अचिन्त्यं तर्कासहं यज्ज्ञानं कार्यान्यथानुपपत्तिप्रमाणकं तस्य गोचराः सन्ति । यद् वा अचिन्त्या भिन्नाभिन्नत्वादिविकल्पैश्चिन्तयितुमशक्याः केवलमर्थापत्तिज्ञा- नगोचराः सन्ति । esdalidates Jduob 12upyist of asy nl “Śrī Parāśara clarifies this doubt in one and half verses. In the material world, ’the energies of all existent objects’ (śaktayaḥ sarva-bhāvānām), such as gems or mantras, are inconceivable but perceptible’ (acintya-jñāna-gocarah). The words acintya- jñāna refer to knowledge that confounds rationality and must be obtained by simple acceptance of the effects (karya-anyathā- 146 16 Bhagavan’s Energies Are Intrinsic anupapatti). Alternatively, the meaning of acintya (inconceiv- able) is that the energy of objects cannot be thought of in terms of oneness with, or difference from, them, but understood only by presumption (arthāpatti).” यत एवमतो ब्रह्मणोऽपि तास्तथाविधाः शक्तयः सर्गादिहेतुभूता भावशक्तयः स्वभावसिद्धाः शक्तयः सन्त्येव पावकस्य दाहकत्वादिशक्तिवत् । अतो गुणादिहीनस्याप्यचिन्त्यशक्तिम- त्त्वाद् ब्रह्मणः सर्गादिकर्तृत्वं घटत इत्यर्थः । 1 “This being the case with ordinary phenomena, then certainly inconceivable real potencies inhere in Brahman that are the cause of creation, maintenance and so forth, just as fire has inconceivable burning potency. The conclusion is that even though Brahman is devoid of the gunas of nature, by its incon- ceivable energies it is the agent behind creation, maintenance and dissolution of this world. grinsam mit ni stanning sig श्रुतिश्च (श्वे०६।८) – “The Śrutis confirm this: ॥ gons le गण न तस्य कार्यं करणं च विद्यते न तत्समश्चाभ्यधिकश्च दृश्यते । ( परास्य शक्तिर्विविधैव श्रूयते स्वाभाविकी ज्ञानबलक्रिया च ॥ ८० ॥ 1 He has no material body nor senses; nothing is equal to or supe- rior to Him, yet it is said that His transcendental energy is indeed 10 poi air aldesnuomtuani ai swag anivib ziH and guid 10 This phrase means the “inability to come to a conclusion” (anupapatti), “by any o other means than” (anyatha), “the result” (karya). The meaning is that one must accept a cause by the existence of the effect due to the lack of a viable alternative explanation. This is in fact a synonym for arthapatti (presumption) used in the next sentence. In the first definition, acintya is an adjective of jñāna and in the second, of objects. taminop “See the explanation in the commentary to Tattva Sandarbha, Anuccheda 9, “Similarly, if we know that Devadatta is robust in stature and yet does not eat during the day, we can safely assume that he must eat at night.” Here, since there is a manifestation of a multifarious creation on the one hand, and Brahman, described both as its source and without attributes, on the other, the contradiction can only be resolved by the presumption of energies in Brahman. 147 Stan Śri Bhagavat Sandarbha da vis variegated and natural, having the divisions of knowledge, will, and action. (su 6.8) 12 do to vas od sed et (olds yluo hootersbou tud,msdt mod sonsoftih no diw zaango to “मायां तु प्रकृतिं विद्यान् मायिनं तु महेश्वरम्” (श्वे०४।१० ) इत्यादि । पूर्व “And, ‘Know prakṛti, or material nature, to be māyā, and the Sup- reme Controller to be its master’ (SU 4.10).13 यद्येवं योजना – सर्वेषां भावानां पावकस्योष्णताशक्तिवदचिन्त्यज्ञानगोचराः शक्तयः सन्त्येव । ब्रह्मणः पुनस्ताः स्वभावभूताः स्वरूपादभिन्नाः शक्तयः “परास्य शक्तिर्विविधैव श्रूयते” (श्वे० ६।८) इति श्रुतेः । nimadi sonsolersidayisonosni an as Jauj dol op har soninism noils To SEUSS “Understood in this way, the implication is that all existent objects certainly possess inconceivable, yet perceptible energies in them, just as fire has heat. In the case of Brahman these ener- gies are innate in Him, meaning they are nondifferent from His essential nature. As is confirmed in the Vedas, ‘His transcenden- tal energy is indeed variegated’ (śU 6.8).14 अतो मणिमन्त्रादिभिरग्यौष्ण्यवन् न केनचिद् विहन्तुं शक्यन्ते । अत एव तस्य निरङ्कुश- मैश्वर्यम् । तथा च श्रुतिः “स वा अयमस्य सर्वस्य वशी सर्वस्येशानः सर्वस्याधिपतिः” (बृ० ४।४।२२) इत्यादिः । यत एवमतो ब्रह्मणो हेतोः सर्गाद्या भवन्ति । नात्र काचिदनुपपत्तिः । इत्येषा | “Therefore, unlike heat in fire, which can be controlled by gems or mantras, His natural energies cannot be subdued by any- thing. Thus, His divine power is insurmountable. This too is confirmed in the Vedas, ‘He is the Subduer, Master and Sovereign of all this creation’ (BAU 4.4.22).15 In conclusion, therefore, it is not unreasonable to say that Brahman is the agency behind cre- ation, destruction and annihilation.” Here ends Śrīdhara Svāmi’s comment. materia 12 na tasya karyaṁ karanam ca vidyate na tat-samas cabhyadhikaś ca dṛśyate parasya saktir vividhaiva śruyate svabhāviki jñāna-bala-kriya ca 13 māyām tu prakṛtim vidyan mayinam tu maheśvaram 14 parasya saktir vividhaiva śruyate 15 sa va ayam asya sarvasya vasi sarvasyeśānaḥ sarvasyādhipatiḥ 148 16 Bhagavan’s Energies Are Intrinsic Commentaryanib 20 di ono as storier sound pizsgress (inquit) roitgmusing to radios onto honeygrens Śrīdhara Svāmi comments on these verses of Vişņu Purana, saying that the Absolute’s energy is acintya-jñäna-gocara - inconceivable, yet perceptible. This is the most crucial factor in understanding the Absolute as Personal God. Otherwise, one is bound to succumb to the seemingly powerful arguments of the Advaitavadīs. The Abso- lute must be accepted as inconceivable (acintya); otherwise, it will remain a plaything in the hands of the mental speculators. Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi therefore repeatedly stresses this acintya aspect of the Lord. It was Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī, in fact, who coined the term Acintya-bhedabheda-vāda (inconceivable simultaneous distinction within oneness) to name the philosophy propounded by Śrī Caitanya Mahaprabhu and His followers. His ton aliud qbus ordŚrīdhara Svāmi gives two definitions for the compound word acintya-jñāna-gocara. Acintya-jñāna means knowledge beyond logic (tarkāsaha). Although energy is beyond logic, its existence has to be accepted because no task can be accomplished without it. Śankarācārya also accepts this, “The effects of any energy are inher- ent in it” (śakteś cätma-bhūtām kāryam, Sankara-bhāṣya 2.1.18). If a person suffering from leukemia is cured by a chanter of mantras or a soothsayer, this will appear illogical from the viewpoint of a physician, who thinks the disease incurable without removing the impurities from the blood. For him, it is irrational that leukemia can be cured by a simple incantation. Nevertheless, if a disease is cured by mantra, then we must accept, logically, that the mantra has a certain power that is inconceivable to the ordinary rational mind. In this regard Śrī Kumārila Bhaṭṭapāda writes: One can never question the natural energy inherent in an object. How can one deny the fact that it is fire that burns and not the sky? (Śloka-värttika 5.12.29)16 Tuono 62 Śrīdhara Svāmi’s second definition of acintya-jñāna-gocara is based on our inability to decipher how energy is related to its potent na ca paryanuyogo’sti vastu-sakteḥ kadācana vahnir dahati nākāśam ko’tra paryanuyujyatām H 149 Sonia Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha E energetic source, whether as one with, or different from, it. Yet, energy is accepted on the authority of presumption (arthāpatti). Presumption means we assume a cause by seeing its effect. If a per- son is hale and hearty, but does not eat during the day, then we assume he must eat at night. Yet, in the case of a magnet, it is dif- ficult to say whether its power is one with the magnet or distinct from it. Its energy can be felt outside the magnet and this makes it appear different; yet, this energy is not present in the absence of the magnet. Thus, no one can deny that the magnet has inherent power. This feature of energy is called acintya-jñāna-gocara and, according to the sage Parāśara, all real objects have this attribute. not That the Absolute has form and attributes is beyond our experi- ence and is inconceivable. This has to be accepted on the authority of scriptures. But it is not entirely beyond logic. The Absolute is defined as complete, unlimited and perfect. In keeping with this, the Vedas describe the Absolute Truth as the source of everything - all qualities, attributes and varieties must be contained in it. Furthermore, as pointed out earlier, the Absolute is that all- inclusive Reality in which all contradictions and opposing potential- ities exist in harmony. Hence, qualities of both form and formless- ness inherently exist in the Absolute Truth. This conclusion is quite logical, though one must agree that it is inconceivable to us how it all works. Nevertheless, to deny it is to go against logic. We have to allow that such a supra-mundane Absolute Person can exist just to fulfill the literal meaning of the word “absolute.” In the same breath, we have to concede that such a Person must be acintya, inconceiv- able. Inconceivable, however, does not mean incomprehensible or ineffable (anirvacaniya). no Jusion thereo It follows that this inconceivable person has inherent, natural powers (svabhāviki śakti), because the Absolute contains everything: all variety, all energy and so on, without limit. Being the Absolute Person and inherently self-endowed with potency, it follows that He is the agent, wielder and manipulator of all potencies. And yet He has no material form. He is in possession of the material energy, yet He is not in contact with or influenced by it. He is all-pervading, yet He is a person. 15016 Bhagavan’s Energies Are Intrinsic Upon seeing His creation, no one can deny that God possesses energies. A creation must have a creator, and that implies intel- ligence, potency, knowledge and activity. Thus, Svetasvatara Upanisad says, “He is naturally endowed with the potencies of knowl- edge, will and action” (svabhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriya ca, śu 6.8). In order to create, one must have the necessary knowledge, desire, energy and resources. By presumption (arthapatti) we are obliged to accept that the Lord has natural energy in Him. This energy is one with Him, as it cannot exist without Him, and it is different from Him, as He exists independent of its products. This oneness and distinction of potency and Potent is inconceivable.nl zeam It is to be noted here that although energy is contained in an object, in this discussion the same objects are also treated as ener- gies of Bhagavan. The reason is that just as energy cannot exist with- out its potent source, no object can exist without the Lord. Bhagavan is the only supremely independent entity. This is the import of the Śruti statement, “All this shines forth after His brilliance.””” agrind Another vital consideration about the Absolute as Personal God is that His energy cannot be subdued by anyone. This is because nothing exists which is superior to Him. Bhagavan Himself says: There is no truth superior to Me. Everything rests on Me, as pearls are strung on a thread. (GĪTĀ 7.7)18 In the material world a superior power overwhelms an inferior power, just as the brilliant lighting of an outdoor tennis court, which belittles the glow of a glow worm at night, is barely noticeable in sun- light. The burning power of fire can be subdued by chanting certain mantras or by throwing certain herbs in it. Vedic literature also men- tions a gem called the candra-kanta, in the proximity of which, fire loses its burning capacity. Certainly water can subdue the burning potency of fire, but Bhagavan’s energy cannot be curtailed by any such means. tasya bhāsā sarvam idam vibhāti mattaḥ parataraṁ nanyat kiñcid asti dhananjaya mayi sarvam idam protaṁ sūtre mani-gaṇā iva vbod (m 151 Stani Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha The next point Parāśara establishes is that these energies natu- rally belong to Bhagavan. His energies do not dissipate like heat leaving water, causing the water to return to its natural temper- ature. His energies do not deteriorate or suffer reduction in any way. Śvetāśvatara Upanisad states, “Material nature is called māyā and the Lord is called Mayi - the possessor of maya.” The word māyi is formed by applying the nini suffix to māyā. As was discussed in Section 5, suffixes such as matup and nini are applied to indicate excess, criticism, glorification, eternal relation and so on. In the case of mayi, the suffix is applied to show eternal possession. This means that Bhagavan is always the controller of maya. The mantra from Svetāśvatara Upanisad refers to Bhagavan as Maheśvara, or the Supreme Controller. Thus, māyā can never subjugate Bhagavan, as confirmed in Bhagavad Gitā: Material nature, which is one of My energies, is working under My direction, O son of Kunti, producing all moving and non-moving beings. Under its rule, this manifestation is created and annihilated bocagain and again. (GĪTĀ 9.10)19dos coinshrams Lallyed on A berised ataiitty laneynard bonbdue id forms versus 2 media squivel adhwand gnidrom 16.4 अत्र प्रश्नः – सोऽयं ब्रह्म खलु निर्विशेषमेवेति पक्षमाश्रित्य परिहारस्तु सविशेषमेवेति पक्ष- माश्रित्य कृत इति ज्ञेयम् । अत एव प्रश्ने शुद्धस्येत्यत्रादेहस्येत्यपि व्याख्यातम् । शुद्धत्वं ह्यत्र केवलत्वं मतं तच् च युक्तं परिहारे ब्रह्मणि शक्तिस्थापनात् । पूर्वपक्षमते ब्रह्मणि शक्तिरपि नास्तीति गम्यते । flod Here it should be understood that Maitreya asked his ques- tion under the assumption that Brahman is without attributes, whereas Parāśara answered from the point of view that it does have attributes. Therefore, Śrīdhara Svāmi defined the word śuddhasya (pure) in Maitreya’s question as adehasya (without a body). However, because the answer established that Brah- man does innately possess qualities, it is our opinion that the 19 mayadhyakṣena prakṛtiḥ suyate sa-carācaram hetunänena kaunteya jagad viparivartate 152 16 Bhagavan’s Energies Are Intrinsic word “pure” should be defined as kevala (unconditional being, exclusively its own, uncompounded with anything else). In the opposing view, there are no energies in Brahman. yd.boubdue ततः प्रश्नवाक्येऽप्येवमर्थान्तरं ज्ञेयम् । निर्गुणस्य प्राकृताप्राकृतगुणरहितस्य अत एव प्रमा- णागोचरस्य तत एवामलात्मनोऽपि शुद्धस्य न तु स्फटिकादेरिव परच्छाययान्यथादृष्टस्य । As such, even from the question, another meaning can be ascer- tained. The word nirgunasya [translated above as “free of mate- rial qualities”] means free from manifested material and spiri- tual qualities. This implies that Brahman is aprameya, beyond the scope of any means of acquiring knowledge (pramāṇa). This in turn indicates that it is amalātmā (spotless in essence), or suddha (pure). Whereas crystal is subject to alterations in appearance in proximity of foreign elements, it does not appear differently. तदेवं निर्विशेषतामवलम्ब्य प्रश्ने सिद्धे परिहारे तु प्रथमयोजनायां निर्विशेषपक्षमनादृत्य ब्रह्मणि कर्तृत्वप्रतिपत्त्यर्थं शक्तयः साधिताः । all 20min να vd badalosia Fi tada hi anu asi tadi hi anugin at hendell 02 In this way, though the question assumed Brahman to be with- out qualities, the answer showed disregard for this prima facie understanding. Furthermore, the idea of an Absolute without attributes was cast aside in order to prove that it does possess energies. As such, it was established that there is agency in Brahman. द्वितीययोजनायां तत्र च विशेषप्रतिपत्त्यर्थं यथा जलादिषु कदाचिदुष्णतादिकमागन्तुकं स्यात् तथा ब्रह्मणि न स्यादिति निर्धारितम् “न तत्समश्चाभ्यधिकश्च दृश्यते” (श्वे० ६।८) इति श्रुतेः । तथा मणिमन्त्रादिभिरिति व्यतिरेकदृष्टान्त इत्यतो ब्रह्मशक्तयस्तु नान्येन पराभूता इत्येतच् च दर्शितम् । उभयत्र च स्वरूपशक्तिप्रभावमात्रेण प्राकृतसत्त्वादिगुणपरिणामरू- पसर्गादिसाधकत्वादावेशाभावेन तद्दोषस्यालेपश्च दर्शितः । EM ei sH sams Now this second explanation of the question is offered with a special purpose in mind, namely, that it can now be shown that the energies in Brahman are not adventitious, like heat in water, as shown by the Śruti, “Nothing is equal or superior to That” (u 6.8).20 The potency of gems and mantras is given as a counter- 20 na tat-samaś cabhyadhikaś ca dṛśyate 153 Djani Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha 18 example: whereas they are able to negate adventitious and seem- ingly natural qualities in objects, Brahman’s energy cannot be subdued by anything external. This also has been shown. In both explanations, it is by the mere influence of the internal potency that Brahman remains free from the defect of contact with mat- ter, for it is devoid of absorption, involvement or entanglement in the work of creation, which is a transformation of the material gunas, such as sattva. mon किं च ब्रह्मपदेन “सर्वं खल्विदं ब्रह्म ” ( छा० ३।१४ । १) इति प्रसिद्धिं व्यज्य सत्त्वादिगुणमय- मायायास्तदनन्यत्वेऽपि निर्गुणस्येति प्राकृतगुणैरस्पृष्टत्वमङ्गीकृत्य तेषां बहिरङ्गत्वं स्वी- कृतम् । Moreover, in keeping with the widespread understanding of the word brahma as given in Chandogya Upanisad, “Indeed, all this is Brahman” (CHU 3.14.1),21 it is said that māyā, consisting of the gunas of nature, like sattva, is nondifferent from Brahman. Even so, Brahman is nirguna in that it is untouched by these gunas. By accepting this, it is acknowledged that the material gunas are external to Him (bahiranga). boworia nowane odrestrilsup two toodtiw stuloadA as to ssbi od odrgnibnstansban तदेतदेव “मायां तु प्रकृतिं विद्यात्” (श्वे० ४।१०) इत्येषा श्रुतिः स्वीचकार । “मायां च तदपा- श्रयाम्” (भा० १।७।४) इतिवन् महेश्वरत्वान् मायाया बहिरङ्गया आश्रय इति तां पराभूय स्थितमिति च लभ्यते । In the Śruti, the above truth is accepted by the Veda, “Know prakṛti, or material nature, to be maya, and the Supreme Con- troller as its master” (su 4.10).22 As in the statement of Bhāga- vatam, “Māyā, being supported by Him” (SB 1.7.4),23 here also because He is Maheśvara, the Supreme Controller, it is under- stood that māyā, although existing outside of Him, derives her support from Him, and the Lord dominates her. 21 sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma supe 25 auto2 22 māyām tu prakṛtim vidyān mayinam tu maheśvaram stog 23 mayam ca tad-apāśrayām This verse is fully quoted and discussed in Tattva Sandarbha, Anucchedas 30-31. 154 16 Bhagavan’s Energies Are Intrinsic तस्मात् पूर्ववदत्रापि शक्तिमात्रस्य स्वाभाविकत्वं मायादोषास्पृष्टत्वं च साधितम् । अत एव प्रयोगश्चायम् – ब्रह्म स्वाभाविकशक्तिमद् वस्तुत्वादग्निवद् व्यतिरेके शशविषाणादि- वदिति । श्रुतौ च “मायां तु प्रकृतिं विद्यान् मायिनं तु महेश्वरम्” (श्वे०४।१० ) इति । Therefore, as before, it is shown that all energies are natural in Him, and He is untouched by the defects of maya. This is estab- lished both by positive and negative concomitance: Positively it may be stated that Brahman has natural energies because of being a real entity, like fire. Negatively it may be stated that Brahman is not devoid of natural energies because of not being an unreal entity, like the horns of a rabbit. The Vedas state, “Know prakṛti, or primordial nature, to be māyā, and the Supreme Controller to be its owner” (su 4.10). adolg nua en adelg mua 297812 yalimte ond अत एव श्रीगीतोपनिषत्सु च (गीता १३।१२) - And therefore Śri Gita Upanisad also states: ones ज्ञेयं यत्तत्प्रवक्ष्यामि यज्ज्ञात्वाऽमृतमश्नुते । अनादिमत् परं ब्रह्मन सत् तन् नासदुच्यते ॥ ८१ ॥ (ec.cs.rgv) com200 st odgoda I shall now explain that which is worthy to be known, apprehend- ing which you will attain to liberation. Brahman, the Transcen- dence, beginningless and sheltered in Me, cannot be described $74 either as the cause of creation or as its effect. (GĪTĀ 13.12) “सर्वतः पाणिपादं तत्” इत्यादि । dillidedois (at.s.com) namdard to eesnevizsv19q-lls [22slerutest] odt diw gaols gni This is followed by an extended description [GITA 13.13-17] of this Brahman, beginning with the phrase, “Everywhere are its hands and legs,” etc.25 24 jñeyam yat tat pravakṣyami yaj jñātva’mṛtam aśnute anadimat paraṁ brahma na sat tan nasad ucyate 25 “Everywhere are its hands and feet, everywhere its eyes, head and mouth. Its ears everywhere; it covers everything and yet remains in the world. Seemingly having the qualities of all the senses, it is yet devoid of all senses. Non-attached, yet bearing all; without qualities and yet the enjoyer of qualities. It is within and without all entities; it moves and yet does not move. In truth unknowable due to its subtlety, it is both far away and yet near. Undivided in all entities, it seems to be divided. That which is to be known maintains all entities; it both creates and 155 blani Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha अत्रेयं प्रक्रिया - एकमेव तत्परमतत्त्वं स्वाभाविकाचिन्त्यशक्त्या सर्वदैव स्वरूपतद्रूपवै- भवजीवप्रधानरूपेण चतुर्धावतिष्ठते । सूर्यान्तर्मण्डलस्थतेज इव मण्डलतद्बहिर्गतरश्मित- त्प्रतिच्छविरूपेण । एवमेव श्रीविष्णुपुराणे (वि० पु० १।२२।५४) - I The explanation is as follows: The one Absolute Reality, by its nat- ural inconceivable power, always exists in four aspects: (1) as His own Self (svarupa); (2) as His inherent magnificence (tad-rupa- vaibhava), or in other words, the transcendental potency inher- ent in, and emanating from, His being; (3) as the living beings (jivas); and (4) as pradhana, i.e., the unmanifest material nature. These four aspects can be compared respectively to four distinc- tive aspects of the sun: the effulgence that forms the inner core of the sun globe, the sun globe, the sun’s rays, and finally the sun’s reflection. Visnu Purāņa similarly states: Wएकदेशस्थितस्याग्नेज्र्ज्योत्सा विस्तारिणी यथा । परस्य ब्रह्मणः शक्तिस्तथेदमखिलं जगत् ॥ ८२ ॥ इति Just as the light of a fire situated in one place is diffused all By around, so also the energy of the Supreme Brahman is spread ext throughout the cosmos. (VP 1.22.54)26 -bradsrque worded of vilrow at doidwest ateigs won lads! “यस्य भासा सर्वमिदं विभाति” (कठ २।२।१५) इति श्रुतेः । अत्र व्यापकत्वादिना तत्तत्स- मावेशाद्यनुपपत्तिश्च शक्तेरचिन्त्यत्वेनैव पराहता । दुर्घटघटकत्वं ह्यचिन्त्यत्वम् । The Śruti similarly says, “All this shines with its brilliance” (KU 2.2.15). Here the improbability of all these features abid- ing along with the [featureless] all-pervasiveness of Brahman is resolved by the inconceivable quality of the energy. To accomplish the impossible is the meaning of inconceivable. Ma vatam Maya, bein Him शक्तिश्च सा त्रिधा अन्तरङ्गा तटस्था बहिरङ्गा च । तत्रान्तरङ्गया स्वरूपशक्त्याख्यया सूर्यत- न्मण्डलस्थानीयपूर्णेनैव स्वरूपेण वैकुण्ठादिस्वरूपवैभवरूपेण च तदवतिष्ठते । तटस्थया swallows them up. It is the light of all lights, beyond darkness. It is knowledge, the 8 knowable, and attainable through knowledge. It is situated in the heart of everyone.” -no sense lle to biovsh 26 eka-deśa-sthitasyāgner jyotsna vistarini yathā 27 parasya brahmaṇaḥ śaktis tathedam akhilam jagat tasya bhāsā sarvam idam vibhāti This line appears in KU 2.2.15, SU 6.14 and MUU 2.2.11. 156 16 Bhagavan’s Energies Are Intrinsic रश्मिस्थानीयचिदेकात्मशुद्धजीवरूपेण । बहिरङ्गया मायाख्यया प्रतिच्छविगतवर्णशाब- ल्यस्थानीयतदीयबहिरङ्गवैभवजडात्मप्रधानरूपेण चेति चतुर्धात्वम् । अत एव तदात्मक- त्वेन जीवस्यैव तटस्थशक्तित्वम् । प्रधानस्य च मायान्तर्भूतत्वमभिप्रेत्य शक्तित्रयं श्रीवि- ष्णुपुराणे (वि० पु० ६ | ७ | ६१ ६३) गणितम् - Parabrahman’s energy is of three types - internal, intermediary and external. By His internal energy, called svarupa-sakti, He exists in His complete form, as well as in the form of His inherent magnificence (svarupa-vaibhava), such as the Vaikuntha planet; these can be likened to the sun and its orb. By His intermediary energy, He exists as the pure living beings, which are conscious by nature and are like the sun’s rays. By His external energy, called māyā, which is compared to the variety of colors in the reflection of the sun’s rays, He exists as the external magnificence (bahiranga-vaibhava) in the form of inert pradhana. These consti- tute the fourfold manifestation of Brahman. Because the jiva is one with the nature of Brahman, it is called the taṭastha, or inter- mediary, energy. Similarly, counting pradhana as a part of māyā, Viṣṇu Purāna summarizes the three energies in the following way: 10 विष्णुशक्तिः परा प्रोक्ता क्षेत्रज्ञाख्या तथापरा । sill anvita sola अविद्याकर्मसञ्ज्ञान्या तृतीया शक्तिरिष्यते ॥ ८३ ॥ hidanura तया तिरोहितत्वाच् च शक्तिः क्षेत्रज्ञसञ्ज्ञिता ।ad newogati slt bise सर्वभूतेषु भूपाल तारतम्येन वर्तते ॥ ८४ ॥ इति । तत 10919 “ץ 21909 ते। The energies of Sri Viṣṇu are of three types: pară, or transcenden- lid tal [to māyā]; apară, or conditioned [by mayā], also called “the w to knower of the field” (kṣetrajña), i.e., the individual self; and thei third, avidya-karma, action rooted in ignorance. According too the extent that its powers are eclipsed by the effects of this third energy, O King, the kṣetrajña potency exists in all creatures in Svarying gradations. (VP 6.7.61 and VP 6.7.63) 28 visņu-saktiḥ para proktā kṣetra-jñākhyā tathāparā avidya-karma-sañjñānya tṛtīya śaktir işyate taya tirohitatvac ca saktiḥ kṣetra-jña-sañjñitā sarva-bhūteṣu bhūpāla taratamyena vartate 157 plami Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha
अविद्या कर्म कार्यं यस्याः सा तत्सञ्ज्ञा मायेत्यर्थः । यद्यपीयं बहिरङ्गा तथाप्यस्यास्तट- स्थशक्तिमयमपि जीवमावरितुं सामर्थ्यमस्तीत्याह तयेति । तारतम्येन तत्कृतावरणस्य ब्रह्मादिस्थावरान्तेषु देहेषु लघुगुरुभावेन वर्तते इत्यर्थः । तदुक्तम् “यया सम्मोहितो जीवः” ( भा० १/७/५) इति । I The energy whose action ( karma), or effect, is ignorance (avidyā) is called avidyā karma, meaning māyā. Although this māyā is external, she is capable of covering the jiva who is constituted as the intermediary energy. This is stated in the second verse of Vişņu Purāņa cited above. Täratamya, or gradation, means that living beings exist with different degrees of covering, from sub- tle to gross, in different bodies, beginning with Śri Brahma down to the immovable living beings. This capacity of māyā is also men- tioned in Śrimad Bhagavatam where it is stated, “The living being is bewildered by her, māyā” (SB 1.7.5) 29 1 ni (ovaridiov.nphotiod) to mobi stinsm blotsuot or STU अत एव जीवस्य रश्मिस्थानीयत्वान् मण्डलविलक्षणमायाव्यवधानतिरोधापनीयवैभवत्वं युक्तम् । तदनन्तरं चोक्तं यया (मायया) क्षेत्रज्ञशक्तिः सा तारतम्येन वर्तत इति । ययैवाचि- न्त्यमायया चिद्रूपतानिर्विकारतादिगुणरहितस्य प्रधानस्य जडत्वं विकारित्वं चेति ज्ञेयम् । प्रधानस्य मायाव्यङ्गत्वं चाग्रे दर्शयिष्यते । YEW Since the jiva is like a particle of sunlight making up the rays of sunshine that lie outside the orb of the sun, it is appropriately said that its powers can be eclipsed by maya’s separating capac- ity. Thus, the verse from Vişnu Purana goes on to say that it is on account of maya that the intermediary energy exists in different gradations. This inconceivable māyā is the reason that pradhana, which is devoid of qualities such as consciousness and immutabil- ity, appears inert and mutable. That pradhana is a manifestation of māyā will be explained later on. 6 अत्रान्तरङ्गत्वतटस्थत्वबहिरङ्गत्वादिनैव तेषामेकात्मकानां तत्तत्साम्यम् न तु सर्वात्मनेति तत्तत्स्थानीयत्वमेवोक्तम् न तु तत्तद्रूपत्वम् । ततस्तत्तद्दोषा अपि नावकाशं लभन्त इति ॥ श्रीपिप्पलायनो निमिम् ॥ 29 yayā sammohito jivah IND This verse is also discussed in Tattva Sandarbha, Anucchedas 30-31. 158 16 Bhagavan’s Energies Are Intrinsic Here the internal, intermediary and external energies, which belong to Bhagavan, are each influential in their respective domains and not in regard to the Lord’s complete personhood. Thus, it is said that they are tat-tat-sthāniya, or limited to their own domains, and not extending their influence to Him as He is in His own form (tad-rupa). Therefore, their defects cannot affect To Jimil Him. nemderd Commentary ni toss as 14 Jom ags After quoting Śrīdhara Svāmi’s commentary on the verses from Visnu Purāna, Śrī Jīva Prabhu gives his own analysis of those verses and commentary. The logical phrasing given to prove that Brahman has innate energies is according to the five-step syllogism of the Indian logic system (nyaya) called inference (anumana).30 Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmī gives two phrasings, one positive, “Brahman has natural energies because of being a real entity, like fire” (brahma svābhāvika- śaktimad vastutvad agnivat), and one negative, “because it is not unreal, like the horns of a rabbit” (vyatireke śaśa-viṣaṇādivat). The five steps of the first syllogism will be as given in its simple form: alidire 1911. Proposition: Brahman possesses natural potency. 2. Reason: Because it is a real entity. and towns ton isob dod al3. Universal proposition: Every real object, such as fire, possesses ot on of potency. Infatti orsini ich asitilipads instal broyad 4. Application: Brahman is a real entity. 3d toonseque 5. Conclusion: Therefore, it has natural potency.tulomes invo bas niemob woedt of han dienog wo BiH ni da or The negative phrasing will be as follows:
- Proposition: Brahman is not devoid of natural potency. 22. Reason: Because it is not an unreal entity.styleroo Ha 3. Universal proposition: Only unreal entities, like the horns of a anah rabbit, do not have natural potency. lowes Instant edi
- Application: Brahman is not an unreal entity.ssl 30
- Conclusion: Therefore, it is not devoid of natural potency.bimava For details, see Tattva Sandarbha, Anuccheda 9. 159 DianŚrī Bhagavat Sandarbhade In this way, both from scriptural authority and logical inference it is proven that Brahman or the Supreme Lord has natural poten- cies. This completely shatters the theory of the Advaitavadīs that Brahman is without attributes, devoid of all energy and, when influ- enced by māyā, becomes individual consciousness, either as jīva, the conditioned being, or as Bhagavan. There are no upadhis of māyā that can limit or condition Brahman.ng maya. Although this maill ext Māyā can never influence Brahman but is always under its con- trol. Māyā is real. The manifestation of its energies is not like the appearance of color in crystal when kept in juxtaposition to a real object. Therefore, the world, which is a manifestation of māyā, is also real. A doubt may be raised here. Since Kṛṣṇa is the Lord of maya and of the living beings, all the defects belonging to them, such as trans- formation, inertness, and so on, must also exist in Him. Then how can Bhagavan be considered free from all inferior attributes and the possessor of all auspicious qualities, as claimed above in Section 5 (vina heyair guṇādibhiḥ, VP 6.5.79)?
69100 In reply to this, the sage Pippalayana said in the central verse of this anuccheda, tayoh param (He is beyond both subtle and gross, or beyond cause and effect). Bhagavan is transcendental to the subtle and gross material world, just like a lotus leaf that stands in water but does not get wet. Although the cosmic creation is a manifesta- tion from the Lord - sarvam khalv idam brahma (CHU 3.14.1) — He is beyond it. Hence, the qualities that inhere in material nature do not appear in the person of the Supreme Lord. For this reason Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi concludes the section by saying, “These energies are lim- ited to their own domains and do not extend to Bhagavan in His own being.“31 This is possible by His inconceivable potency, which can accomplish seemingly impossible acts.ai nedan moitigogor Generally, a material cause transforms into an effect, just as a seed transforms into a seedling. Bhagavan, however, is both the material as well as the efficient cause (abhinna-nimittopādāna- kāraṇa) of the creation, and yet is aloof from it. That is why Śrīdhara Svāmi describes acintya as, “The inability to decipher whether 31 tat-tat-sthāniyatvam evoktam na tu tat-tad-rupatvam nilalang alistados 16016 Bhagavan’s Energies Are Intrinsic energy is one with or distinct from its potent source.” The Lord is distinct because He does not undergo transformations. bib DqCreation cannot take place without Bhagavan because every action needs an agent. In the material world the material cause, referring to the ingredients used in production, is different from the efficient cause, which is the agent. Sometimes a spider is cited as an example of being both material as well as efficient cause because of its ability to produce a cobweb from the constituents of its own body. But the spider also has to eat to produce the saliva that makes the web. The Lord, however, is absolutely independent in the act of creation, maintenance and annihilation of the cosmos. Thus, Śrī Kṛṣṇa says in Bhagavad Gitā: I am the goal, the sustainer, the master, the witness, the abode, the refuge and the most dear friend. I am the creation and the annihila- tion, the basis of everything, the resting place and the imperishable seed. (GĪTĀ 9.18) 32 siquor: A bhow Istre The important phrase in this verse is bījam avyayam, imperish- able seed. There is no seed in the material world that is imperishable. The seed perishes and gives birth to a seedling. Another distinction is that a seed has a source. But Bhagavan is a seed without a source. He is sarva-kāraṇa-karaṇa, or the source condition behind all causes, and He is anadi, or beginningless. He produces countless universes, yet remains intact. He is not diminished or transformed because of His being the source of everything. Thus, any defects in His energies do not reflect on Him. This is confirmed in the Śruti mantra: To in 33 The Supreme Truth is perfect and complete. This phenomenal world is also perfect and complete. Whatever emanates from the perfect and complete is also complete. Though one takes the complete away from the Complete Whole, what remains is still complete. (ISA 1)33 w nova poole to spigs of wob Brads gatir bharta prabhuḥ sākṣi nivasaḥ saranam suhrt prabhavaḥ pralayaḥ sthānaṁ nidhānaṁ bījam avyayam om pūrṇam adaḥ pūrṇam idam pūrṇāt pūrṇam udacyate pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya pūrṇam evāvasiṣyateR 161 Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha by Although the energy of Bhagavan is one, it manifests in three different ways: internal (antaranga), intermediary (taṭastha) and external (bahiranga). The internal potency is also called svarupa- sakti, or the energy that constitutes the very nature of God. It man- ifests as His abode along with all paraphernalia required for His pastimes: ITWOR Fra dod The conscious potency (cit-śakti) is also known as the potency inher- ent in Bhagavan’s very own being (svarupa-śakti), and as His internal potency (antaranga-śakti). Its transcendental manifestations are unlimited, including the Kingdom of God, Vaikuntha, along with all its variegated paraphernalia. (CC 1.2.101) 34mm polo 2610 boopprys spad The intermediary potency manifests as the unlimited living beings (jivas), which are of two types - nitya-mukta and nitya- baddha, ever-liberated and ever-bound.eans sid) has wubo The external energy, also called māyā, manifests the inert, muta- ble material world. Although all the energies of Bhagavan are anādi, or beginningless, the material energy undergoes mutation perpetu- ally. The Supreme Person, Kṛṣṇa, is likened to the Sun god; the inter- nal energy to the Sun orb; the living beings are like the atomic rays that exist outside the Sun; and maya is like the reflection of the sun’s rays into darkness.98 gd8 Paramātma Sandarbha features a detailed description of the taṭastha-sakti. Maya-śakti will be further explained in Section 25 below, whereas various divisions of the internal potency will be described in Sections 100-101. tokob When the living beings are not in direct contact with the inter- nal potency, they remain under the influence of the external energy, which covers their intelligence (ajñanenävṛtam jñānaṁ tena muhyanti jantavaḥ, GĪTĀ 5.15, SB 1.7.5). Depending on the extent of the covering, living beings exist in various grades of life, beginning from Śrī Brahma down to a piece of stone. Even within a partic- ular species, there are different degrees of covering. Because the 34 cic-chakti svarupa-sakti antarangā nāma tāhāra vaibhava ananta vaikunthādi dhāma 35 See Sections 19 ff. of Paramatma Sandarbha. 162 16 Bhagavan’s Energies Are Intrinsic living being can be influenced either by the internal or the external potency, it is called intermediary. od 12ujanted wo aboo su By the inconceivable power of Bhagavan, māyā can cover the intermediary potency, although inferior to it. This is stated by Maitreya Muni while instructing Vidura: The external energy of the Supreme Lord acts contrary to logic; oth- erwise, how would it be possible that the living being, who is [by nature] conscious and liberated, becomes bound and miserable? (SB 3.7.9) 36 Soyas to guides yd noubdued to sh But it is clear from Visnu Purana verses that para-sakti is never covered by the external energy called avidya-karma. When a living being surrenders to Krsna, offering the self in lov- ing devotion, he becomes free from the clutches of māyā and eter- nally remains under the protection of the internal potency of Bhaga- vān. This is the highest goal of human life and the essential teaching of the Vedic literature. Another marvelous, inconceivable feature of Bhagavan is that His external energy produces pradhana, which is inert and mutable. These two characteristics, inertness and mutability, are opposed to the dynamic nature of God, and yet they emanate from Him. A mate- rial example of this is in the growth of hair and nails from the human body. Although consciousness pervades the entire body, the same body produces nails and hair, which are devoid of consciousness. Nails and hair are in contact with the body, derive their nourishment from it, and even grow, yet they are inert and mutable. It is astonish- ing that an inert object grows. Similarly, pradhana, though inert and mutable, is a product of Bhagavan’s external energy. All three energies remain active within their respective domains and do not encroach upon each other. Thus, there is harmony among them. When the jiva is within the internal potency, it is in harmony with it, and when within the external energy, it is in harmony with that. The external energy never influences the internal energy. This 36 seyaṁ bhagavato maya yaṁ nayena virudhyate iśvarasya vimuktasya kārpanyam uta bandhanam 163 blanŚrī Bhagavat Sandarbha also implies that the shortcomings of these energies do not influ- ence God’s own being, just as the presence of hair and nails do not encumber the person who grows them. In conclusion, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmī has established these points in this anuccheda: de along wibba gravel show Tom syu
- Bhagavan is a person. bodomaquant grins lan was sil 2. Bhagavan is naturally endowed with energy. Bleed sows 3. Bhagavan’s energies are inconceivably simultaneously one with, and different from, Him.
- His energy cannot be subdued by anything or anyone. 195. He creates, maintains and destroys the cosmos, but is never influenced by it. vol ballco
- His energy manifests as internal, intermediary and external. 7. Potency and Potent (Source) are simultaneously inconceivably one and distinct. -7509
- The various energies of Bhagavan work in their respective gnito domains and do not have any negative influence on Him.
- When the intermediary energy is not in contact with the internal ad potency, it is covered by the external energy.
- The external energy brings forth matter, which is inert and mutable. m ba In the next section, Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī will give us an introduc- tion to the external energy. dquod ybod 2uolpando to blovab doing iad bne alien acubong ybor Hainoras af sids Ennist you say wing novo link di mon bas moribing helime or fold and he digi damen gric 164 obbni pete piss Anuccheda 17say He lo ad annua Bhagavan Has Both Conscious and bu Inert Potencies alinan na halm १७ । तदेवं सर्वाभिर्मिलित्वा चिदचिच्छक्तिर्भगवान् । एवमेव परमेश्वरत्वेन स्तूयमानं ब्रह्माणं प्रति हिरण्यकशिपुनाप्युक्तम् “चिदचिच्छक्तियुक्ताय” (भा० ७ | ३ | ३४ ) इति । UNITED WITH ALL THESE POTENCIES in this manner, the Lord is endowed with both conscious (cit) and unconscious (acit) ener- gies. Even Hiranyakaśipu, eulogizing Brahma as the supreme controller, spoke in this way: “[I offer my obeisances] to the Lord who has conscious and inert potencies” (SB 7.3.34). चिद्वस्तुनश्चिद्वस्त्वन्तराश्रयत्वं रश्म्याभासादिज्योतिषो ज्योतिर्मण्डलाश्रयत्वमिव । अत्र तटस्थाख्या जीवशक्तिर्यथावसरं परमात्मसन्दर्भे विवरणीया । अथान्तरङ्गाख्याविवरणाय बहिरङ्गाप्युद्दिश्यते यतः परा अपरा चेति श्रीविष्णुपुराणे (वि० पु० १ । १९ । ७६-७७) श्रूयते - The conscious Lord is the shelter for other conscious entities, just as the effulgent sun orb is the fountainhead of the light in the sun rays and its reflections. Among these various potencies, the intermediary energy, called the jiva, will be described in the appropriate place in Paramatma Sandarbha? Now, in order to explain the internal potency, the external potency will first be introduced. Visnu Purana names them as the pară (superior) and apară (inferior) energies respectively: 1anantāvyakta-rūpeṇa yenedam akhilaṁ tatam cid-acic-chakti-yuktaya tasmai bhagavate namah 2 Anucchedas 18-46 165 Śri Bhagavat Sandarbha सर्वभूतेषु सर्वात्मन् या शक्तिरपरा तव । गुणाश्रया नमस्तस्यै शाश्वतायै सुरेश्वर ॥ ८५ ॥ यातीतगोचरा वाचां मनसां चाविशेषणा । ज्ञानिज्ञानपरिच्छेद्या वन्दे तामीश्वरीं पराम् ॥ ८६ ॥ इति । O Supreme Self of all selves! O controller of the gods! I bow down to Your eternal inferior potency, the support of the three gunas, which exists in all beings. I further worship Your all powerful infinite potency, which is a goddess beyond the reach of word, mind and sense objects, devoid of distinguishing characteristics, l and which illuminates the wisdom of the wise. (VP 1.19.76-77)3 सैषा बहुवृत्तिकैव ज्ञेया “परास्य शक्तिर्विविधैव श्रूयते” (श्वे० ६।८) इति श्रुतेः । This latter infinite (para) potency manifests in multiple forms, as confirmed in Śruti by the phrase, parasya saktir vividhaiva śrūyate (śu 6.8). al brol s aldi ni 2TOS 323HT JAHTIW STIMU pono bar (th) zvolano diod diw bawobns Eder8 gaixigolus ugly neva asig Commentary sman BY ESTABLISHING that Bhagavan has natural intrinsic potencies that manifest in three ways, Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī has laid the groundwork for a detailed description of the internal potency, svarupa-śakti. First he explains that Bhagavan’s three energies fall into two cat- egories: cit (conscious) and acit (inert). The internal energy and the intermediary energy belong to the first group, the external energy to the second. Bhagavan owns both the conscious and inert ener- gies; otherwise, He could not be the supreme controller and enjoyer. Because potency cannot be separated from its potent source, Ulti- mate Reality is a nondual conscious entity, who is the subject matter of Srimad Bhagavatam. This was established in Tattva Sandarbhage This clearly negates the theory that Ultimate Reality is the form- less, impotent, indistinguishable, all-pervading Brahman. Rather, sarva-bhūteṣu sarvātman yā śaktir aparātava 297 21909 (zorini) Broo 3 gunasraya namas tasyai śāśvatayai sureśvara yatita-gocarā vācām manasāṁ caviseṣaṇā jñāni-jñāna-paricchedya vande tam iśvarim parame Anucchedas 50-51 166 17 Bhagavan Has Both Conscious and Inert Potencies Brahman is the particular realization of Bhagavan in which one does not distinctly perceive His energies, like seeing sunlight with- out clearly seeing its source, the sun itself. This type of indistinct God-realization is certainly possible because potency is nondiffer- ent from the Potent. When a spiritual aspirant is predisposed to con- ceive of the Absolute in terms of radical non-distinction, or exclusive abheda, this creates a barrier to the recognition of the distinction of potency, or bheda, within the nondual potent source. In this case, there is realization only of the abheda portion of the complete non- dual Whole, which, inconceivably (acintya) preserves its condition of nonduality while encompassing both bheda and abheda. Such indistinct realization barely touches the shore of the ocean of God realization pertaining to the complete personal nondual Whole. It is for this reason that Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī says that Brahman realization is an incomplete realization of the Absolute Truth. Non-distinction between potency and Potent is inconceivable, acintya. Other than declaring that Brahman is without any mani- fest qualities, there is nothing left to be said. The Advaitavādīs can describe Brahman only in negative terms. They say, neti neti (not this, not this), but what Brahman is they cannot say. Therefore, Tait- tiriya Upanisad states, “Speech along with the mind returns from Brahman, unable to grasp it” (TU 2.4.1). Of course, the Vaiṣṇava rendering of this mantra is that the mind and speech of a devotee are unable to completely capture and describe the personhood of Bhagavan.79 ters bisz 3H 2159fts bad to bong of seiz It is interesting that Jiva Gosvāmi quotes the chief of the asuras, Hiranyakasipu, as evidence that God has both conscious and inert energies. It shows that in bygone days even those antithetical to the gods did not consider the Absolute to be void or impersonal, nor did they think of the Absolute as nature, matter or any such notion. They had the logical sense to conclude that the cause of the cosmos cannot be insentient. This is in stark contrast to contempo- rary atheists, who uphold many foolish speculative theories in their attempt to establish inert matter or the void as the cause of all causes. Hiranyakasipu spoke this while glorifying Śrī Brahma, because he 5 yato vaco nivartante apräpya manasa saha 167 alonso Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha considered Brahma the ultimate creator and master of the universe. He is considered to be a demon because he opposed Śrī Visņu as Sup- reme, even though he did not deny His existence. The Advaitavādīs have a similar concept. bed sidetog viniero al noitesile-bo no Another significant point Śrila Jiva Gosvāmi makes is that a con- scious entity can only emanate from, and be supported by, another conscious entity. Consciousness does not spring from matter; hence, all conscious living beings must come from a conscious source, the Supreme Personal Absolute. This is certainly not to the lik- ing of materialistic philosophers like Cārvāka Muni or his modern counterparts, the reductionistic evolutionists. slidw vllaubnou to Long ago Carvāka, the most famous gross materialist in Indian history, proposed that there is no self and no God in control of exis- tence. The goal of life is to eat good food and enjoy the senses as much as possible. He said that consciousness comes into existence in the body at the time of birth and is finished at death; hence, there is no rebirth. Since this is the only life we live, we must enjoy it to the utmost. Śankarācārya summarized the view of this school in the following verse: yodams) vitsgon ni vino namera adimesh Heavenly enjoyment means eating delicious food, keeping the com- pany of young damsels, using fine clothes, perfumes, garlands and 99 sandalwood paste. (Sarva-siddhänta-sangraha 1.9) 9910 Again, according to Carvāka, there is no such thing as sin or piety that can give rise to good or bad effects. He said that even though the earth has no specific intoxicating quality, the fruit of the cat- echu or dhatura plant, which grows in the earth, does. The intox- icating quality comes into existence due to a special combination of chemical elements in the fruit. Similarly, consciousness mani- fests in the body due to a special combination of material elements. This philosophy is akin to the modern day evolutionists who have developed elaborate theories on the evolution of consciousness from the body’s inert matter. Yet they themselves are unable to produce even a mosquito. These theories are very fascinating to those who Iroly slidw супстін ⚫ svargānubhutir mrstäṣṭir dvy-aṣṭa-varṣa-vadhu-gamaḥ sükṣma-vastra-sugandha-srak-candanādi-niṣevanamc2015/ 168 17 Bhagavan Has Both Conscious and Inert Potencies are attached to enjoying the senses. That is why the Indian philoso- pher was called cārvāka (lit., “beautiful speech”), or one who has a fascinating philosophy. On the whole, though, it is highly illogical that consciousness could arise from a combination of matter. That would be like saying that light comes from an arrangement of darkness, or that knowl- edge arises from a particular blend of ignorance. An effect is always dependent upon its causes. This understanding is called satkarya- vada by Śrī Iśvara Kṛṣṇa in his Sänkhya-kärikā. His explanation goes as follows: od dnshasakasthofr brebno eo god of 1960 bamboo a The effect is present in the cause because:como vish of igmetle
- That which is non-existent cannot produce anything.
- A product is always dependent on its material cause.
- A particular cause cannot produce effects that lie beyond its causal power. Rather, a particular cause gives rise only to a particular effect.
- Only a capable cause produces an effect. tab
- Cause transmutes into effect. (Sankhya-kārikā 9)’ vlam 2581 TH. 3o nos ad deM abelist If a particular attribute does not exist in the cause, it cannot appear in the effect. Oil can be squeezed from peanuts, but not from stone. Energy can be neither created nor destroyed, only trans- formed from one state to another. One can transform heat into light, but both are material energies. It is not possible to transform mate- rial energy into consciousness. Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi will throw more light on this satkarya-vāda in many places in Paramatma Sandarbha In the previous section, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmī said that each of the Lord’s three energies functions in its respective domain. They do not merge or encroach upon each other. This also lends support to the theory of satkarya-vada. In Tattva Sandarbha, Śrī Jīva Prabhu dis- cussed in detail that the physical body and senses cannot be the sup- port for the self, rather the Supreme Self is the shelter of all. A con- scious being can be the shelter for matter because of its superior 7 8 9 asad-akaraṇāt upādāna-grahaṇāt sarva-sambhavabhāvāt sibeledoled at of śaktasya sakya-karaṇāt kāraṇābhāvāc ca sat-karyam See particularly Anuccheda 60. lepsie you Anucchedas 59-60 169 stof Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha nature. In fact, matter is used in the service of conscious beings. It has no independent purpose. To study the internal potency, which is unfamiliar to us, Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī first gives a description of the external energy as a basis for comparison. The external energy is dependent on the internal, so if we first comprehend the nature of the material energy, which is an object of our experience, it will be easier to study Bhagavan’s internal potency, which is beyond our sense perception. Tattva Sandarbha also explained how the topics of creation and dissolution are delineated in Śrimad Bhagavatam in order to help us understand the transcendental Lord. The devo- tees study the cosmos in order to appreciate Bhagavan’s energies, whereas the atheists study it in an attempt to deny His existence. Their actual aim is to further exploit and enjoy this world; they are interested in the kingdom of God, minus God. Jiva Gosvāmī cites two verses from Visnu Purana that name the two energies as pară (“infinite” or “superior”), and apară (“finite” or “inferior”). Then he defines the external energy and follows with a detailed analysis of the definition10 Interestingly, Prahlada Mahārāja, the son of Hiranyakasipu, is the speaker of the two verses from Vişņu Purāna. Demoniac Hiranyakasipu was so enraged by his son’s devotion to Śrī Kṛṣṇa that he tried to kill him in various ways. In one of these attempts, he fastened boulders to Prahlada’s body and threw him into the ocean. It was on this occasion that Prahlada recited these two verses in the prayer he addressed to Śrī Kṛṣṇa. thy The material energy is also eternal, śāsvata. As God is eternal, so are His energies. The internal energy is called Iśvarī, or Goddess, which means that She is like a queen who remains in the king’s pri- vate chambers. The external energy, on the other hand, is like a maidservant, who must remain outside. This metaphor indicates that since māyā cannot directly associate with Bhagavān, she cannot influence Him. Nor can she influence His internal energy. 10 In the traditional Indian philosophical system of argumentation, the general procedure is to first name the object (uddeśa), give a definition (lakṣana), and then examine the definition for any defects (pariksa); trividha câsya sastrasya pravṛttir uddeśo lakṣaṇam parīkṣā ca (Nyaya-vātsyāyana-bhāṣya 1.1.3). 17017 Bhagavan Has Both Conscious and Inert Potencies The para energy is beyond mind, speech and sense perception (atita-gocara). It is transcendental, yet it can be understood by the pure living beings (jñāni-jñāna-paricchedya). The word jñānī in this compound means the devotional sages and not the monistic jñānis, who limit themselves to the unqualified feature of Bhagavan. According to Śrīdhara Svāmi, the word jñānī means the living being, and jñāna, the cognition of sense objects. Paricchedya means that all these sense perceptions are like streams of water flowing from a big lake, which signifies the internal energy. Just as these streams indi- cate the existence of the lake, the jiva’s sense perceptions indicate the presence of a supreme source. In Anuccheda 19 it will be shown that the internal potency is the fountainhead of all actions even in the material world. Next, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi continues with a detailed exposition of the external energy, showing how māyā has two divisions. gus gledhut having die diod gutras linne av a daldud begivers (at) there Med of word bluodis ugy (inamis) 152 yet pezio Canimam” to “”) dan brow adida al seda vlana (mon) nless Inlinszes marque ads bevisszon of daid teisel y solver zi brod sdr AlsamiH To af hams Traw bavising to be some Instw TM) laben es havlastog did for at abo FE 171 gig az hon dosage baten buoyed algo sell and yd boogersbusines joi in brow an olaybadaangat) ante sagna lamnuove ar vegada locore Anuccheda 18 letsdt betilsupir of eylenterit smil on tum Maya’s Two Divisions ibui emera १८ । तत्र बहिरङ्गामाह (भा० २१९३३) - THE SUPREME LORD NOW EXPLAINS the external energy to Brahma as follows: ead nyom ऋतेऽर्थं यत् प्रतीयेत न प्रतीयेत चात्मनि । तद विद्यादात्मनो मायां यथाभासो यथा तमः ॥ ८७ ॥ That which is perceived only when the underlying essential Real- ity (artha) is not perceived, but which is never perceived in the Self (ätmani), you should know to be My māyā, manifesting both as a reflection (abhāsa) and as darkness (tamas). (SB 2.9.33)1 अर्थं परमार्थभूतं मां विना यत् प्रतीयेत मत्प्रतीतौ तत्प्रतीत्यभावात् मत्तो बहिरेव यस्य प्रती- तिरित्यर्थः । यच् चात्मनि न प्रतीयेत यस्य च मदाश्रयत्वं विना स्वतः प्रतीतिर्नास्तीत्यर्थः । In this verse, the word artha (“essence” or “meaning”) refers to the supreme essential Reality (paramartha), namely, Bhagavan Himself. The Lord is saying, “Maya is that which is perceived when I am not seen, and is not perceived when I am seen. In other words, it is that which is perceived as external to Me.” 1 तथालक्षणं वस्तु आत्मनो मम परमेश्वरस्य मायां जीवमाया गुणमायेति द्वयात्मिकां माया- ख्यशक्तिं विद्यात् । अत्र शुद्धजीवस्यापि चिद्रूपत्वाविशेषेण तदीयरश्मिस्थानीयत्वेन च स्वान्तःपात एव विवक्षितः । तत्रास्या ढ्यात्मिकत्वेनाभिधानं दृष्टान्तद्वैविध्येन लभ्यते । rte’rtham yat pratiyeta na pratiyeta cätmani tad vidyad ātmano māyāṁ yathābhāso yathā tamaḥ This is the principal verse of this anuccheda. See also Section 96. 172 18 Māyā’s Two Divisions Furthermore, māyā is that “which is not perceived in the Self,” meaning that it does not manifest independently without My sup- port. So, the entity that has such characteristics is called My, i.e., the Supreme Lord’s, māyā śakti. It has two features, jiva- māyā and guṇa-māyā. In this analysis, the pure jiva is counted in the same category as Bhagavan because of its being likened to a ray/particle of the sun-like Lord and because of being conscious like Him. The two kinds of māyā can be deduced from the two examples in [the last quarter of] the verse. Lesso sarol mid तत्र जीवमायाख्यस्य प्रथमांशस्य तादृशत्वं दृष्टान्तेन स्पष्टयन्नसम्भावनां निरस्यति - यथाभास इति । आभासो ज्योतिर्बिम्बस्य स्वीयप्रकाशाद् व्यवहितप्रदेशे कथञ्चिदुच्छ- लितप्रतिच्छविविशेषः । स यथा तस्माद् बहिरेव प्रतीयते न च तं विना तस्य प्रतीतिस्तथा सापीत्यर्थः । अनेन प्रतिच्छविपर्यायाभासधर्मत्वेन तस्यामाभासाख्यत्वमपि ध्वनितम् । अतस्तत्कार्यस्याभासाख्यत्वं क्वचित् “आभासश्च निरोधश्च” (भा० २।१०।७) इत्यादौ । SIT Of these two, the first, namely, jiva-māyā, is referred to by the example of a reflection, which clarifies how the above-stated qualities are present in the jiva, and also refutes the objection of impossibility. The word ābhāsa refers to indirect light, i.e., the light that is somehow reflected into an area separate from where direct light falls. Just as a reflection exists outside its source, and yet cannot be perceived without it, so it is with jiva-māyā. By this quality of reflection, which is synonymous with praticchavi, it is implied that māyā can also be called ābhāsa. Therefore, its prod- ucts are also sometimes called ābhāsa, such as in SB 2.10.7, where the creation and dissolution of the cosmos are respectively called ābhāsa and nirodha 3 अत्र स यथा क्वचिदत्यन्तोद्भटात्मा स्वचाक्चिक्यच्छटापतितनेत्राणां नेत्रप्रकाशमावृ- णोति । तमावृत्य च स्वेनात्यन्तोद्भटतेजस्त्वेनैव द्रष्टृनेत्रं व्याकुलयन् स्वोपकण्ठे वर्णशाब- ल्यमुद्गिरति । कदाचित् तदेव पृथग्भावेन नानाकारतया परिणमयति । तथेयमपि जीवज्ञा- नमावृणोति । सत्त्वादिगुणसाम्यरूपां गुणमायाख्यां जडां प्रकृतिमुद्गिरति । कदाचित् Sanskrit has several synonyms for reflection, such as pratibimba, praticchāyā, pratiphala, etc. Normally, abhāsa means something somewhat different from a “mirror image.” abhāsaś ca nirodhaś ca yato’sty adhyavasiyate sa asrayaḥ paraṁ brahma paramätmeti sabdyate 173 Śri Bhagavat Sandarbha पृथग्भूतान् सत्त्वादिगुणान्नानाकारतया परिणमयति चेति ज्ञेयम् । तदुक्तम् “एकदेशस्थि- तस्याग्नेः” (वि० पु० १।२२।५४ ) इत्यादि । emjon 11tadt grinsem VM ballso al soltalisomedo dos ad id ass 02 og When the powerful light of the sun shines directly into someone’s eyes, it obstructs his vision. After doing so, it causes further pain to the eyes by its dazzling brilliance and produces from within a polychromatic effect. Sometimes this very sunlight transforms into diverse forms in this polychromatic vision. Similarly, māyā covers the real consciousness of the living being, and manifests from within herself the inert material nature called guna-māyā, consisting of the gunas in their balanced, or equilibrated, state. Sometimes she transforms the different gunas into various forms. This was stated earlier in the quote from VP 1.22.54, “Just as the light of a fire situated in one place is diffused all around.” तथा चायुर्वेदविदः- vitaleman Jer adtyd of deviator at him Similarly, experts in Ayurveda say: To noid जगद्योनेरचिन्त्यस्य चिदानन्दैकरूपिणः । पुंसोऽस्ति प्रकृतिर्नित्या प्रतिच्छायेव भास्वतः ।। ८८ ।। …..चेतनापि चैतन्ययोगेन परमात्मनः । अकरोद् विश्वमखिलमनित्यं नाटकाकृतिः ॥ ८९ ॥ इति । Like a reflection of the sun, this eternal material nature is a reflection of the Supreme Person, who is purely transcendental, inconceivable, and the source of the cosmos. Although primor- bdial nature is inert, like a mask in a play, she has manifested this ephemeral cosmos, by the association of the conscious potency of Bhagavan. (Śärngadhara-saṁhitā 1.5.99-100)5 the तदेवं निमित्तांशो जीवमाया । उपादानांशो गुणमायेत्यग्रेऽपि विवेचनीयम् । 4 eka-deśa-sthitasyāgneḥ For the full verse, see Section 16.4. 5 jagad-yoner acintyasya cid-änandaika-rūpiṇaḥ pumso’sti prakṛtir nitya praticchayeva bhāsvataḥ acetanapi caitanya-yogena paramätmanaḥ akarod viśvam akhilam anityam nāṭakākṛtiḥ Śrī Haridāsa Śāstrī reads acintyasya in the first line. 174 18 Maya’s Two Divisions In this way, the instrumental, or sentient, aspect of māyā is called jiva-māyā, and the material, or insentient, aspect is called guna- māyā. This will be further analyzed later on. अथैवं सिद्धम् – जीवमायाख्यं गुणमायाख्यं द्वितीयमप्यंशं दृष्टान्तेन स्पष्टयति “यथा तम” इति । तमः शब्देनात्र पूर्वोक्तं तमःप्रायं वर्णशाबल्यमुच्यते । तद्यथा तन्मूलज्योतिष्यसदपि तदाश्रयत्वं विना न सम्भवति तद्वदियमपीति । Bomba Thus, the portion of maya called jiva-māyā has been explained. The second portion, called guna-māyā, is illustrated through the example of darkness (tamas). The word tamas refers to the previously mentioned polychromes, which are almost like dark- ness. Just as this polychromatic effect can exist neither in the light source nor without it, similarly māyā also cannot exist in Bhagavan, nor without His support. अथवा मायामात्रनिरूपण एव पृथग्दृष्टान्तद्वयम् । तत्राभासदृष्टान्तो व्याख्यातः । तमोदृष्टा- न्तश्च । यथान्धकारो ज्योतिषोऽन्यत्रैव प्रतीयते ज्योतिर्विना च न प्रतीयते । ज्योतिरात्मना चक्षुषैव तत्प्रतीतेर्न पृष्ठादिनेति तथेयमपीत्येवं ज्ञेयम् । ततश्चांशद्वयं तु प्रवृत्तिभेदेनैवोह्यं न तु दृष्टान्तभेदेन । Alternatively, both of these examples [of reflection and darkness] separately describe māyā [in its entirety] and not its two divi- sions. In that case, the example of reflection, abhāsa, is the same as given above. The example of darkness would be as follows: Darkness is perceived only in a place devoid of light, but not with- out the help of light. It is perceived by the eye, which depends on the energy of light, and not by the back etc. [i.e., not by anything which is merely turned away from the light]. Māyā is to be under- stood similarly. Thus, [in this way of looking at the phrase yathāb- hāso yathā tamaḥ], the two divisions of maya are to be understood by their different functions and not by the different examples. प्राक्तनदृष्टान्तद्वेधाभिप्रायेण तु पूर्वस्या आभासपर्यायच्छायाशब्देन क्वचित् प्रयोगः । उत्त- रस्यास्तमः शब्देनैव चेति । यथा ( भा० ३ । २०।१८) - In the first way of interpreting the examples, jiva-māyā is called chāyā, a synonym for abhāsa, and guṇa-maya is referred to only by the word tamas. Srimad Bhagavatam states: 175 Śri Bhagavat Sandarbha Caches ससर्ज छाययाविद्यां पञ्चपर्वाणमग्रतः । antiff ww sirls al तमो मोहो महामोहस्तामिस्रो ह्यन्धसञ्ज्ञितः ॥ ९० ॥ इत्यत्र | b по no Total basylans de lliw aid Ayam Before creating anything else, Śri Brahma created, from the shadow (chaya), ignorance in five aspects, namely, tämisra (aver- Osion), andha-tämisra (tenacity of bodily existence), tamas (igno- prance), moha (ego) and maha-moha (attachment). (SB 3.20.18)6Jph यथा च “क्वाहं तमोमहदहम्” (भा० १० | १४ | ११) इत्यादौ । Avam-Drup bolles dogord ποίητος απ And, again in the Tenth Canto, Śrī Brahma uses the word tamas to indicate the total material energy (SB 10.14.11).smo vlasovsz पूर्वत्राविद्याविद्याख्यनिमित्तशक्तिवृत्तिकत्वाज् जीवविषयकत्वेन जीवमायात्वम् । उत्तरत्र स्वीयतत्तद्गुणमयमहदाद्युपादानशक्तिवृत्तिकत्वाद् गुणमायात्वम् । In the first of the above two quotes, the māyā referred to is jiva- māyā, because its subject is the jiva, being the potency of instru- mentality (nimitta-śakti), in the form of knowledge and igno- rance. The second verse describes guṇa-māyā, being the mate- rial cause in the form of mahat (“the first evolute of primordial nature” or “the cosmic intellect”), and other elements that are composed of her three gunas. ai] vam sdimesh laterega d तथा“ससर्ज” (भा० ३।२०।१८) इत्यादौ छायाशक्तिं मायामवलम्ब्य सृष्ट्यारम्भे ब्रह्मा स्वय- मविद्यामाविर्भावितवानित्यर्थः । भा० ११ । ११ । ३ SB 3.20.18 states that at the dawn of creation Śrī Brahmā mani- fested ignorance with the support of the maya called the shadow energy, chāya-sakti. Srimad Bhagavatam states: editagablool3oyewaids at sunt vizatimiz boora bor विद्याविद्ये मम तनू विद्व्युद्भव शरीरिणाम् । vihowards [amordica बन्धमोक्षकरी आधे मायया मे विनिर्मिते ॥ ९१ ॥ इत्युक्तत्वात् । ⚫ sasarja chāyayavidyaṁ pañca-parvāṛṇam agrataḥ tamo moho maha-mohas tāmisro hy andha-sañjñitaḥ d कार This is the reading in Haridasa Śāstrī’s edition. The Jadavpur edition has only the first line. The second line reads tämisram andha-tämisram tamo moho maha-tamaḥ in most editions of Bhagavatam. The translation of the five terms is according to the commentary of Śrī Viśvanatha Cakravarti Ṭhākura. 176 18 Maya’s Two Divisions O Uddhava, both knowledge and ignorance, being products live of māyā, are expansions of My potency. Both knowledge and Bignorance are beginningless and award liberation and bondage respectively to embodied living beings. (SB 11.11.3)” अनयोराविर्भावभेदश्च श्रूयते । तत्र पूर्वस्याः पाद्मे (पाझे १०४ । २३-२४) श्रीकृष्णसत्यभामा- संवादीयकार्त्तिकमाहात्म्ये देवगणकृतमायास्तुतौ-
ni Also, the different appearances of these two divisions of māyā are described in the scriptures. The manifestation of the first divi- sion is described in Padma Purana in a dialogue between Śrī Kṛṣṇa and Satyabhama concerning the glories of the Kärttika month, in which the gods’ prayers, previously offered to māyā, are cited: -259 900 इति स्तुतवन्तस्ते देवास्तेजोमण्डलसंस्थितम् । ददृशुर्गगने तत्र तेजोव्याप्तदिगन्तरम् ॥ ९२ ॥ तन्मध्याद् भारतीं सर्वे शुश्रुवुर्व्योमचारिणीम् । अहमेव त्रिधा भिन्ना तिष्ठामि त्रिविधैर्गुणैः ॥ ९३ ॥ इत्यादि । 29110 11 alimu of mi While the gods were thus eulogizing her, they saw an effulgent aura in the sky, illuminating all directions. From this being, they heard a voice that filled the sky, “Divided by the three gunas, I am art situated in three ways.” (PP 6.73.230-231) mm of dogs empl Borey 2nd byom med slovom vasas sms1x9 21H उत्तरस्याः पाद्मोत्तरखण्डे “असङ्ख्यं प्रकृतिस्थानं निविडध्वान्तमवययम्” (पाद्मे ६ । ९१।५१) इति ॥ श्रीभगवान् ब्रह्माणम् ॥ moh The second (division of māyā) is described in Uttara-khanda of Padma Purāṇa, “Unlimited are the places of material nature, all imperishable and pitch black.” 19 vidyavidye mama tanu viddhy uddhava śarīriņām bandha-mokṣa-karī ādye māyaya me vinirmite iti stutavantas te devās tejo-mandala-samsthitam dadṛśur gagane tatra tejo-vyäpta-dig-antaram tan-madhyād bhāratim sarve suśruvur vyoma-cāriņīm aham eva tridha bhinnä tiṣṭhāmi trividhair gunaih PP 6.104.22-23 in electronic edition dawallos This verse is not found in the electronic edition of Padma Purana. Śrī Haridāsa Śāstrī gives the reference as PP 6.91.51. 177 Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha Commentary dog bo sgbalwon diodeverbbu O babatwont do dog vM to anolamaqxs 918,byam to ŚRILA JIVA GOSVĀMĪ IS IN THE PROCESS of explaining the Lord’s two types of energy: para and apară. Pară means distant, beyond, supe- rior and so on. The energy is called para because it is superior to, or beyond, the material energy, which is thus called apară, i.e., near or inferior. In Bhagavad Gita, Kṛṣṇa also states that the living beings can be counted as pară, because of their conscious nature: A ima edi ni badirash This eightfold energy (the material nature) is called apară, but differ- ent from it, O mighty-armed one, is the para energy of mine, called the jiva, by which this world is sustained. (GĪTĀ 7.5) 10 stinam adf abog sis doidw To understand pară, first apară is explained because it is eas- ier to understand. This is called candra-śäkha-nyaya (the branch- moon principle), by which one precedes the development of a more complex argument by first explaining an easier point, just as one might first point to the branch of a tree to show someone where the moon is. To define the apară, or external energy, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmī cites one of the four seed verses of the (Catuḥ-sloki) of Bhagavatam that Śrī Kṛṣṇa spoke to Brahma at the dawn of creation.” In this verse, the Lord defines His external energy, māyā. The term māyā has various meanings, such as false, cheating, illusion, compassion, power, wis- dom, entanglement, the Goddess of Fortune, magic and so on. Kṛṣṇa here uses it in the sense of the energy that causes bewilderment, the external energy. ut beidimas boat (tooth) broder According to this verse, the basic characteristics of maya are as follows: bald dasig has sldedainsqmi 10
- Māyā does not exist within Bhagavan. 2. Mäyä does not exist without Bhagavan.
- Mäyä exists outside Bhagavan.jyot
- Māyā is perceived when Bhagavan is not perceived. apareyam itas tv anyam prakṛtim viddhi me param jiva-bhūtām maha-baho yayedam dharyate jagat 11 The verses of Catuḥ-sloki are SB 2.9.32-35. 178 18 Maya’s Two Divisions at A doubt may be raised concerning this definition. A conditioned living being also has the above characteristics, and thus, this defi- nition has the defect of being too broad (ativyapti-dosa). To avoid this, Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī says that the jiva is conscious and has been counted in the same category as Bhagavan. Moreover, the above def- inition should include the jiva-māyā and guṇa-māyā features, which are indicated in the verse. Māyā is not in the para-sakti. This also implies that it is not in the svarupa of the jiva, or in the nature of the living being, and this is good news. Were maya part of the jiva, there would be no question of being liberated from it.mogus This explanation of māyā defies the monistic view. Monists say that māyā is neither sat (real), asat (false), nor a combination of both. It is different from both, and yet not non-existent. Thus, it is inexpli- cable, or anirvacaniya, and antagonistic to knowledge. Śankarācārya describes māyā as follows: JonnessWoldavisto bor Maya is neither sat nor asat, nor is it a combination of sat and asat. It abis neither different from, nor one with, Brahman, nor is it different from and one with it simultaneously. It does not have limbs or divi- sions, nor is it without them, nor is it a combination of both of these conditions. Māyā is most astonishing and inexplicable. (Viveka- cūḍāmani 111)12 dind (top) an The reason for such an explanation is due to the fact that Radi- cal Nondualists do not accept the potencies of Brahman. Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi, however, establishes that the Absolute is full of inconceiv- able potencies that manifest in multifarious ways. This is a sim- ple fact, and yet, without acknowledging it, Absolute Reality can- not be comprehended. Because Advaitavadīs cannot accommodate this fact, they are forced to manufacture complicated definitions. Instead of accepting inconceivable power (acintya-sakti), they are forced to accept a power that simply defies description (anirvacaniyā māyā), which is a convenient way not to have to adequately account for it. This strategy of theirs is itself inconceivable (acintya). 12 san napy asan näpy ubhayatmika no bhinnäpy abhinnapy ubhayatmika no sangapy ananga hy ubhayatmika no mahādbhuta’nirvacaniya-rupām alloy 179 Śri Bhagavat Sandarbha Gen Advaitavādīs also propose that both Isvara and jīva are products of māyā and, at the absolute level, there is only formless, unqualified Brahman. Vidyaranya Svāmī states in his famous work Pañcadaśī: sed as نجاء Both jiva and Iśvara are the two calves of maya, the cow that grants all desires. Let them drink the milk of dualism to their fill, but Real- ity is most certainly nondual. (Pañcadasi 6.236)13 PA The Absolute Person, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, however, does not agree with such definitions of maya, claiming, rather, that māyā is under His support. In SB 11.11.3 cited by Śri Jīva, Kṛṣṇa states that maya is His energy (mayayā me) and that it is beginningless (adye). Śrī Brahmā also confirms this in the Second Canto, “The Lord is the support of both the vidya and avidya features of maya” (yad avidya ca vidya ca purusas tūbhayasrayaḥ, SB 2.6.20).ORG The existence of an entity that can influence Brahman to turn into Ïśvara and jīva is impossible as well as inconceivable. We cannot invent a new category different from existence and non-existence (sat and asat). Kṛṣṇa Himself states in Bhagavad Gita that there is either sat or asat; there is no third category, as speculated by the sat monists: The unreal (asat) has no existence and the real (sat) has no non- Joexistence. The conclusion about both of these has been seen by the theknowers of Truth. (GITA 2.16)oys a doua pol moanser Ev ها This definition of māyā also invalidates the Sākta philosophy. The Śāktas consider Śakti or Devi, who has various forms, to be the supreme controller. She is the mula-prakṛti, original nature, and divides herself into puruşa and prakṛti. She is maha-māyā, who cre- ates Visņu, Śiva and Brahma out of herself and enables them to per- form their respective duties. In her ultimate feature, she is nir- guna and called Parabrahman. There are various branches of the Śāktas, and they have various types of practices for attaining their goal, which is described in scriptures like Devi-bhāgavata Purana, Kularṇava-tantra, Rudra-yamala-tantra, Spanda-kärikā, Tantrāloka, 13 māyākhyāyāḥ kāma-dhenor vatsau jivesvarāv ubhau yatheccham pibatām dvaitam tattvam advaitam eva hi 18018 Maya’s Two Divisions and so on. In Skanda Purana, Narada Muni describes the glories of gated guivil suff Devi: go wybod leristem adi shivong dala seum bom sgabrod #isa ar Bhagavati, or the Supreme Goddess, is eternal and has a transcen- dental form. She pervades the whole cosmos and there is nothing superior to Her. (Devi-bhagavata-māhātmya 2.36)14mga tem In Sections 17-19 of Tattva Sandarbha, Jīva Gosvāmī established after careful analysis that among all the Puranas, Srimad Bhaga- vatam is the amala (spotless) purana, the saram ekam, the cream of Vedic knowledge. The various Puranas are categorized as belonging, six each, to sattva, rajas and tamas, respectively. Yet Srimad Bhāga- vatam is of the nature of visuddha-sattva (“pure sattva,” free from the gunas); hence, the most complete and uncompromising in its disclo- sure of the Absolute. Skanda Purana and Siva Purana conceal Reality, glorifying secondary deities for the benefit of those in lower gunas. Therefore, verses that depict Devi (or the goddess of the external potency) as Absolute cannot be accepted as representing the conclu- sions of nirguna truth. If, however, we take the statements at face value, then the names Devi or Bhagavati, in such verses, refer to the consort of Bhagavan (the Goddess of the internal potency). On the contrary, Śrimad Bhagavatam clearly indicates that māyā cannot exist without the support of Śrī Kṛṣṇa. She cannot even face Him (māyā paraity abhimukhe ca vilajjamānā, SB 2.7.47). In GĪTĀ 7.14, Kṛṣṇa says, “Māyā is My divine material energy.” Since Bhagavad Gītā is accepted as authoritative even by the Sankaraites, certainly the claim of the Śāktas is not supported by the prasthana-trayi, the three sources of scriptural authority, which are accepted by all Vedic philosophers. Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmī says that maya can be subdivided into two cat- egories based on her functions. The two examples in the principal verse (SB 2.9.32) indicate these two aspects. The first is called jiva- māyā, the feature of maya that covers the living being’s true nature, or svarupa. He also uses the term nimittämśa (efficient or instrumen- tal aspect), to refer to this subdivision due to its being instrumental ya sa bhagavati nitya saccidananda-rūpiņi parat paratară devi yaya vyaptam idam jagat 181 Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha in covering the living being with ignorance. But it is not sufficient to cover consciousness, or the nature of the living being. To per- fect the self’s bondage, māyā must also provide the material body, senses and sense objects for the jiva’s enjoyment. This is called guna- māyā, because all this paraphernalia is a transformation of the gunas of maya. The guna-māyā feature is also called upadana, or the mate- rial aspect, because it supplies the material ingredients. Just as when a man goes to a nightclub, he first gets intoxicated, which covers his intelligence (like jiva-maya); then he gets allured by the sense objects, such as a young woman (comparable to guṇa-māyā). That makes his illusion complete. In this way, the attack of māyā is twofold - internal and external. The two features complement and strengthen each other. Thus, it is impossible for a conditioned being to get out of her clutches without assistance from beyond the gunas. Although mayä is real and this world manifested by her is also real, the bondage of the jiva is not real. Otherwise, there would be no pos- sibility of liberation. This is confirmed in Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s teachings to Uddhava: sidad to suole Śrī Kṛṣṇa says, “My dear Uddhava, due to the influence of the mate- morial gunas of nature, the living being is sometimes designated as con-03 ditioned and sometimes as liberated, though, in reality, he is never 926really conditioned or liberated. Since I am the supreme Lord of 163 maya, which is the cause of the gunas of nature, I am never to be i boyconsidered liberated or in bondage.” (SB 11.11.1)15 May These two aspects of maya are further indicated by Jvara in his prayers to Śri Krsna: Time, fate, karma, the jiva and its propensities, the subtle material elements, the material body, the vital-force, egotism, the various senses and the totality of these are reflected in the living being’s sub- tle body. All this constitutes Your material energy, maya, and is an Sendless cycle, like that of seed and plant. I take shelter of You, they negation of maya. (SB 10.63.26)16 ubrioizividus 15 baddho mukta iti vyakhya gunato me na vastutaḥ 16 gunasya māyā-mülatvan na me mokso na bandhanam kālo daivam karma jīvaḥ svabhavo dravyaṁ kṣetram prāņa ātmā vikāraḥ 182 18 Maya’s Two Divisions In this verse, time, fate, karma and the jiva” and his propensities form the jiva-māyā, and the rest of the elements constitute the guna- māyā. The Lord says (in the principal verse) that whatever is experi- enced in His absence is māyā. This means that a living being experi- ences māyā precisely in all those moments when, in the perception of what is, he or she fails to witness the nondual Absolute as ground and support for both seer and seen. This dualistic perception, which represents the normal or average range of human functioning, rein- forces the sense of a separate self, staring out at a separated world. Sage Kavi further describes this to King Nimi: vozu no anyth A living being who is set apart from the Supreme Lord becomes absorbed in separativeness. As a consequence, he is overpowered by fear, his conception of being is reversed and he becomes forget- Bful of his constitutional position. All this takes place by Bhagavan’s its external energy. Therefore, one who is actually wise worships Bha- so gavan by the process of unalloyed devotion, considering his wisdom- teacher as an embodiment of the Divine and as the source of life180 This absorption of the living beings in separativeness (dvitīyā, “in the perception of the secondary,” i.e., māyā, devoid of reference to the primary, or God), is the cause of their bondage, and thus the jīvas are called nitya-baddha or anãdi-baddha. Nobody can trace the begin- ning of this conditioning. When by good fortune the living being sur- renders to a sad-guru, or a wisdom-teacher who embodies truth, this bondage is cut. Fear is ultimately not of māyā, but of absorption in separativeness. If one is absorbed in devotion, then māyā can do no harm, though one continues to live in the material world. Therefore, the material world needn’t be renounced; consciousness, however, must be reoriented - the field of absorption must change. ai tat-sanghato bija-roha-pravahas tvan-mayaiṣā tan-niṣedham prapadye Here, the jiva, although not a part of māyā, has been included within it because it is influenced by māyā. Just as a citizen ruled by the Communist Party is also called a communist even though he may personally not like Communist ideology, or dr even oppose it. 20mor bel Ste dood bhayam dvitiyābhiniveśatah syad iśäd apetasya viparyayo’smṛtih tan-mayayāto budha abhajet tam bhaktyaikayeśam guru-devatātmā SB 11.2.37 183 Śri Bhagavat Sandarbha The jiva-māyā feature can be further classified into two divisions, vidya and avidyä. This has also been explained in SB 11.11.3,9 as cited in Jiva Gosvāmi’s text. Vidya is the gateway to liberation, while avidya leads to bondage. The jiva-māyā and guṇa-māyā potencies work in coordination to create and perpetuate the state of bondage. The essence is that guṇa-māyā creates the upadhis, or material desig- nations, and then, owing to the ignorance caused by jiva-māyā, the jiva identifies with them. The result is bondage in illusion. When the jiva understands his real nature and surrenders to a genuine wisdom-teacher, who is a servant of Bhagavan, he is freed from this adhyāsa, or illusory superimposition. It adashdi va gaz 9868 BW This understanding refutes the impersonal theory that the jiva comes about by the reflection of consciousness into inert matter, which in effect means that the jiva has no factual existence. In the verse of the Catuh-sloki that defines māyā, the Lord gives two examples to illustrate the covering and deluding aspects of māyā. The first is that of light reflected into darkness. A reflection cannot occur without the light source, nor can it occur within the source; moreover, it cannot be perceived while perceiving the source. Yet to perceive the reflection, we need eyes, which work on the principle of light. If a powerful light shines into one’s eyes, the vision will be distorted. It is not possible to see the source of light. This is the func- tion of jiva-māyā - to cover the vision of the living being so that the act of perception, and hence, the perceiver, is oriented toward the reflection, not the Source. This is also called abhāsa and chāyā. 29b097 When the eyes are dazzled, one sees colors, caused by the reflected light, that appear to take various shapes. This effect is the guṇa-māyā feature - to delude the living being. This polychromatic effect is referred to by the word tamas, because it is like darkness. Just as in darkness one cannot see things, similarly, when a powerful light is flashed before the eyes, one’s vision is blurred and one sees diverse colors. One does not see objects present as they are. This is the commonality between darkness and the diverse colors created by intense light. Therefore, both are called tamas. 19 This verse is further explained in greater detail in Paramātma Sandarbha, Anuccheda 53. 184 18 Maya’s Two Divisions So far, Jiva Gosvāmi has interpreted the two examples in the verse as indicating two distinct divisions of māyā. Alternatively, he says that reflection and darkness may be taken as independent exam- ples, both describing māyā (without reference to its two divisions). In that case, reflection is understood as above (as distortion in the act of perception), while darkness is explained as follows. Darkness can- not be found in the source or presence of light; yet, it is dependent on light because darkness is nothing but absence of light. Further- more, it is perceived with the help of light, or in other words with the eyes, which are designed to perceive light. Māyā, although the energy of Bhagavan, is external to, or apart from, His internal nature. She is like the skin of a snake just before it is shed. It is dependent and supported by the snake and grows from its body, yet is inert and external to it. The defects of this shed skin do not reflect in the being of the snake. Hence, it is neither one with nor different from the snake. It is not one because the snake sheds it and still exists as before, without any feeling of loss. It is not different because it cannot grow independent of the snake. In conclusion, māyā is an inert potency of Bhagavan. It is sepa- rate from Him, yet not independent. Although inferior, apară, to the jīvas, who are para or superior, māyā nevertheless covers their wis- dom by its inconceivable power and engrosses them in sensual enjoy- ment by supplying them with a material body, senses and sense objects. It is real and thus eternal, yet it undergoes incessant muta- tion and has a personal form called Devi or Durgā. Śrī Jiva further supports the use of these terms by referring to Padma Purana, which describes the different appearances of jiva- māyā and guṇa-māyā energies and confirms that one can get free from their influence only by taking shelter of the Supreme Lord. The word māyā is also used to indicate yoga-māyā, which is a manifestation of Bhagavan’s internal potency. This should be noted. Sometimes the external energy is called maha-māyā to distinguish it from yoga-māyā. Whereas, maha-māyā is an energy that operates prior to the state of liberation, covering knowledge so that Reality remains unperceived, yoga-māyā is an energy that operates post- liberation. It covers the exclusively reverential disposition toward 185 Śri Bhagavat Sandarbha the Supreme Reality, so that the same Reality can be perceived in the most intimate of terms. Yoga-māyā thus acts favorably to enable liberated beings to participate in intimate pastimes with Bhagavan without feelings of awe and reverence. Feelings of awe and rever- ence create a distance between master and servant. Such distance is not conducive to affectionate intimacy. Yoga-maya, however, being the internal potency of the Lord, accommodates the pleasure of Bha- gavan. Thus, liberated persons who are eligible are favored by the over-shadowing of “majestic-awareness,” so they can enjoy loving intimacy, free of awe and reverence. The understanding of maha- māyā will help one to understand yoga-māyā. dgonile vDM 11 In the next anuccheda, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmī explains that all actions have their ultimate source in the internal potency. obuble beds and to a fare la thonshih ton al af ingol de tullest vibeau rawuhout the atana att to tabasqabel wong ohus of sunse see for havaged to stog but also defunto ille water awasfoitieron quanto tried an oil d Base Bu esanez bod fortisanta by meds gulvlagiar y from omnes esogtsom ti jav larrests exly be less el 17 do reflection, nor the age toys balles vol laisse har nou of galants d’amisest to a saroque de evit Lovt to asortenaga Bent 148 no ano er en 2 si edholdwaters on bot bed tons on sing bir m Wom-do 185lb of bon neler bablut Harughal or by tam bollo al grans miss bili tamiram of Wifnos tail oz oghalonx antyes not lost ads of turn biswas coblangen stoves visviauloxetterves tulleted) 186 Anuccheda 19 The Internal Energy Is the Source of All Action de Leber&M s hru To albing dalw bezel adayaq bas १९ । अथ स्वरूपभूताख्यामन्तरङ्गां शक्तिं सर्वस्यापि प्रवृत्त्यन्यथानुपपत्त्या तावदाह द्वा- भ्याम् (भा० ६।१६।२३-२४) - NOW, THE INTERNAL ENERGY, which is of the nature of His essential being and thus called svarupa-bhūta, is described as the source behind all action, by the logic of there being no other possibility (anyatha-anupapattya), in the following two verses spoken by Narada to Citraketu: de aguadi viralimie यन् न स्पृशन्ति न विदुर्मनोबुद्धीन्द्रियासवः । How hand swind अन्तर्बहिश्च विततं व्योमवत् तन् नतोऽस्म्यहम् ॥ ९४ ॥ to asionalog देहेन्द्रियप्राणमनोधियोऽमी यदंशविद्धाः प्रचरन्ति कर्मसु । नैवान्यदा लोहमिवाप्रतप्तं स्थानेषु तद्द्रष्टृपदेशमेति ॥ ९५ ॥ I bow down to Him who cannot be contacted or known by the mind, by intellect, by the sense faculties or by the life-force, though He pervades within and without like the sky. The body, senses, life-force, mind and intellect, although matter, can engage in action only when infused with a particle of the Sup- ereme Brahman, and not otherwise, any more than iron can burn without having been heated by fire. Where [this infusion of the body-mind occurs, the jiva] acquires the name of “seer.” (SB 6.16.23-24)1 2.1.ravaomaos ad to 907 yan na spṛśanti na vidur mano-buddhindriyāsavaḥ antar bahis ca vitatam vyomavat tan nato’smy aham dehendriya-prāṇa-mano-dhiyo’mi yad-amsa-viddhaḥ pracaranti karmasu naivānyada loham ivaprataptaṁ sthäneṣu tad draṣṭr-apadeśam eti 187 Śri Bhagavat Sandarbha टीकाच - यद्ब्रह्म व्योमवद् विततमपि असवः प्राणाः क्रियाशक्त्य न स्पृशन्ति मनादीनि च ज्ञानशक्त्या न विदुः तद्ब्रह्म नतोऽस्मि । तेषां तदज्ञाने हेतुमाह - देहेन्द्रियादयोऽमी यदंश- विद्वा यच्चैतन्यांशेनाविष्टाः सन्तः कर्मसु स्वस्वविषयेषु प्रचरन्ति जाग्रत्स्वप्नयोः । अन्यदा सुषुप्तिमूर्च्छादौ नैव प्रचरन्ति यथा अप्रतप्तं लोहं न दहति । अतो यथा लोहमग्निशक्त्यैव दाहकं सदग्निं विना न दहति एवं ब्रह्मगतज्ञानक्रियाशक्तिभ्यां प्रवर्तमाना देहादयस्तन् न स्पृशन्ति न विदुश्चेति भावः । इत्येषा । Śridhara Svāmi comments: “I bow down to that Brahman, which the life-force cannot contact by its power of action nor the mind and psyche know by their cognitive power, even though this Brah- man is all-pervasive like the sky. [In the second verse, Nārada] explains the reason for this inability. ‘Infused with a particle of the Supreme Brahman,’ i.e., filled with a fraction of His conscious energy, the body, senses and so on can engage in their respec- tive fields of action while in the waking and dreaming states, but ’not otherwise,’ i.e., not in the states of unconsciousness and deep sleep, ‘any more than iron can burn without having been heated by fire.’ Iron in its normal state cannot burn, but when heated, acquires burning power from the fire; nevertheless, it cannot burn the fire itself. Similarly, though the body and senses per- form their respective functions by the knowledge and working potencies of Brahman, they cannot approach or know it.” अत्राद्वैतशारीरकेऽपि साङ्ख्यमाक्षिप्योक्तं यथा “अथ पुनः साक्षिनिमित्तमीक्षितृत्वं प्रधान- स्य कल्प्येत यथाग्निनिमित्तमयःपिण्डादेर्दग्धृत्वं तथा सति यन्निमित्तमीक्षिततृत्वं प्रधानस्य तदेव सर्वज्ञं मुख्यं जगतः कारणम्” इति । one cidw mit of rwel wod In this regard, while refuting a Sankhya doctrine in his commen- tary on Vedānta-sūtra, Sankarācārya also writes : “Then again [one should consider that] pradhana is imparted with seership by the power of the witness [i.e., the purusa], just as a piece of iron acquires the ability to burn from fire. As such, that which is the cause of pradhāna’s seership is certainly the all-cognizant, prin- cipal source of the cosmos” [vs 1.1.15]. (2) श्रुतिश्चात्र “तमेव भान्तमनुभाति सर्वम्” ( कठ २।२।१५ ) “को ह्यन्यात् कः प्राण्याद् यदेष आकाश आनन्दो न स्यात्” ( तै०२।७।१) “चक्षुषश्चक्षुरुत श्रोत्रस्य श्रोत्रम्” (बृ० ४।४।१८) इत्याद्या । 188 19 The Internal Energy Is the Source of All Action This is confirmed in the Śrutis, “All this shines after His bril- liance” (KU 2.2.15), “If Brahman, the personification of bliss, were not in the sky or in the heart, who else would infuse action and maintain the vital-force” (TU 2.7.1)?3 “He is the seeing power of the eye and the hearing capacity of the ear” (BAU 4.4.18).* अथ प्रकृतस्यावशिष्टा टीका - जीवस्तर्हि द्रष्टृत्वाज् जानातु । नेत्याह स्थानेषु जाग्रदादिषु द्रष्टृपदेशं द्रष्टृसञ्ज्ञां तदेवैति प्राप्नोति । नान्यो जीवो नामास्ति । “नान्योऽतोऽस्ति द्रष्टा ” (बृ० ३।७।२३) इत्यादि श्रुतेः । यद् वा द्रष्टृपदेशं द्रष्टृसञ्ज्ञं जीवमपि तदेवैति जानाति न तु जीवस्तज् जानातीत्यर्थः । इत्येषा । Śrīdhara Svāmi’s commentary on the last line of the second Bha- gavatam verse under discussion reads as follows: “Just because the jiva is imparted with the power of seership, does it make him a knower of all things? The verse answers in the negative. ‘Where this happens,’ i.e., in the waking and dreaming states, ‘he acquires the designation of seer.’ In truth, the title of ‘Seer’ applies to no one other than Brahman, not even the jiva. This is confirmed in the Śruti, ‘Besides Him, there is no other seer’ (BAU 3.7.23). An alternate meaning is that Paramātmā knows the jiva who bears the designation of ‘seer,’ but the jiva does not know Him.” तदुक्तम् “त्रितयं तत्र यो वेद स आत्मा स्वाश्रयाश्रयः” (भा० २।१०।९) इति । श्रुतौ च जीवो नामातोऽन्यः स्वयं सिद्धो नास्ति परन्तु तदात्मक एवेत्यर्थः । तथातोऽन्यो द्रष्टा नास्ति सर्व- द्रष्टुस्तस्यापरो द्रष्टा नास्तीत्यर्थ इति व्याख्येयम् ॥ श्रीनारदश्चित्रकेतुम् ॥ Therefore, Śrimad Bhagavatam states, “The one who knows these three is the Supreme Self, who is His own support and the basis of everything” (SB 2.10.9). In the text of Bṛhad-aranyaka Upanisad cited at the end of Sridhara Svami’s commentary (BAU 3.7.23), it is shown that the jiva is not an independent, self-existing entity. It dwal Jed barson 4 tam eva bhantam anubhati sarvam ko hy anyāt kaḥ prāṇyād yad eṣa ākāśa ānando na syāt cakṣuşaś cakṣur uta śrotrasya śrotram 196160292E 5 nänyo’to’sti draşță tritayam tatra yo veda sa ātmā sväśrayāśrayah alih vd on This verse was explained in Tattva Sandarbha, Anuccheda 59-60. our shuls 189 noina la 30 Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbhani su avows, rather, that the jiva exists in the Paramātmā alone. There- fore, there is no seer other than Bhagavan; in other words, there is no entity who sees the all-seeing Lord. This is how the verse should be understood. (UT) “bono-dale si nishatent as sillo begin gairead schaays Commentary pine page stasafte IN SECTION 17, ŚRILA JĪVA GOSVĀMĪ SAID that prior to explaining the internal potency, he would first explain the external energy. Then in Section 18, he defined māyā as dependent on Bhagavan and estab- lished how she cannot function independently. In this anuccheda, he explains more explicitly how action in the material world ultimately emanates from Bhagavan, and more specifically, from His internal potency. To establish that all action originates from the internal potency, Jiva Gosvāmī cites two verses of Bhāgavatam that Narada Muni spoke to King Citraketu. The first of these explains that both the working (conative) and cognitive senses are unable to perceive the Lord. This is because they lack the capacity to know Him, not because He is too far away. To illustrate this, the first verse says that Bhagavan is all-pervading like the sky, and yet impalpable to the senses. The sky can be perceived through its quality of sound and its granting space to objects, but not so with the Lord. The second verse explains the cause of the body and sense inabil- ity. The body and senses are inert by nature, being products of guna- māyā. An inert object has no capacity to perceive anything. But when the living being extends consciousness into the inert body and senses, which include the mind, they can function and perceive their respective sense objects. The proof of this is that, during an uncon- scious state or in deep sleep, the senses do not perceive their respec- tive objects. A sleeping man is as good as dead as far as external sense awareness is concerned. That is why it is sometimes said, “Sleep is an image of death.” This is because in deep sleep or in an unconscious state the living entity loses contact with the senses. Therefore, by direct and indirect inference, it is logical to con- clude that the senses acquire their functional capacity from the 19019 The Internal Energy Is the Source of All Action living being, who is dependent upon God. Nevertheless, even when surcharged by the potency of the living being, they cannot approach Him. This is illustrated by the example of an iron rod, which has no natural capacity to burn, but can do so when infused with heat. Still, it can never exceed the heat of its source. This is what Śrīdhara Svāmī means when he says, “It cannot burn the fire itself.” A hot iron can heat a cold object by its acquired heat, but the iron can never heat its own source. In the same way, the material senses cannot know the conscious being or Bhagavan. Yet, one may ques- tion, “If the jiva is a conscious seer, why can’t he know God?” Nārada replies that the jiva is also limited in its capacities and is an atomic fraction of Bhagavan’s intermediary energy. Krsna says, “The living beings in this material world are verily My eternal integrated parts.” (mamaivāmśo jiva-loke jiva-bhutaḥ sanatanah, GĪTĀ 15.7). Just as the senses and body derive their energy from the self, the self in turn receives its energy from Kṛṣṇa. The statement, “My integrated parts,” does not mean that the ātmās are chipped off from Bhagavan’s body like stone pieces, but that they are distinct parts of the integrated Whole that He is. Just as parts are dependent on the whole and are meant to serve the whole, so also the jivas are dependent on the Lord and are His servants of the Lord. A part loses the purpose for which it exists if separated from the whole. The jivas, however, being eternal parts of the Supreme Whole, can never be separated from Him; they exist always in Him. It is only the illusion of being a separate self in a separated world that causes them to become engrossed in matter. Consequently, they forget their true identity and miss the completion and connection available, moment to moment, through service of Bhagavan. The jiva is not an independent seer. Although he is a seer during the waking and dreaming states, he cannot see anything during deep sleep. He does not lose the power to see, he simply does not see: 꿈이 [In deep sleep,] he certainly does not see. [That is to say,] though seeing, he does not see visible objects, although his capacity to see is not lost. (BAU 4.3.23)7 yad vai tan na pasyati pasyan vai draṣṭavyān na paśyati → 191 dotA ILAJ Śri Bhagavat Sandarbhad But the living being’s seeing is under the control of the Lord. Śri Jiva corroborates this with several Upanisadic statements like, “He is the seeing power of the eye and the hearing capacity of the ear,” and, “All this shines after His brilliance.” Thus, Bhagavan is the original Seer, and by His power the living entity can also see. vanill Мне od In Sections 58-59 of Tattva Sandarbha, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi estab- lished that Bhagavan is the ultimate support. Although the jiva (adhyatmika-purusa), the body (adhibhautika-purusa), and the pre- siding deities of the senses (adhidaivika-puruşa) can also act as mutual supports, Bhagavan is the support of everyone, including Himself. Thus, He is the absolute aśraya, or support. The jiva and the material energy both function by His power. Śrī Kṛṣṇa confirms this: The splendor of the sun, which dissipates the darkness of this whole world, comes from Me. And the splendor of the moon and of fire are also from Me. (GĪTĀ 15.12) Kṛṣṇa gives a brief list of His opulences in chapter 10 of Bhagavad Gitā and then concludes: da no But what need is there, Arjuna, for all this detailed knowledge? With a single fragment of Myself, I pervade and support this entire od Cosmos. (GĪTĀ 10.42) mi ni ayawla faixa vedam alonw era Fly In regard to living beings, Kṛṣṇa says, “I am seated in everyone’s heart and from Me come remembrance, knowledge and forgetful- ness” (sarvasya caham hrdi sannivisto mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca, GĪTĀ 15.15). The words smṛti, jñāna and apohana can also refer to the three states of dreaming, waking and deep sleep, respectively. Dreaming is nothing, but seeing what one has experienced, involv- ing the faculty of remembrance, or smrti. Jñana is appropriate aware- ness of the world, as in the waking state, and apohana means the loss na hi drastur drster viparilopo vidyate yad aditya-gatam tejo jagad bhasayate khilam yac candramasi yac cagnau tat tejo viddhi māmakam 9athava bahunaitena kim jñātena tavārjuna viṣṭabhyaham idam kṛtsnam ekāmsena sthito jagat 192 19 The Internal Energy Is the Source of All Action of knowledge, signifying deep sleep, wherein one loses contact with sense perception as well as with memory. Śrī Bhagavan says that all three states are under His control; they come from Him. Bṛhad- aranyaka Upanisad thus rightly says nanyo’to’sti draṣṭā, “Besides Him, there is no other seer” (BAU 3.7.23).shasan bilay he 61 The essence of all this is that the jiva is not a self-existent entity. He is a seer, but his seeing power is dependent on the All-Seer, the Lord, as confirmed by Vedanta-sutra, “The actions of the self depend on the transcendental Lord, as is said in the Śrutis” (parāt tu tac chruteḥ, vs 2.3.39). The Śruti being referred to in this sūtra is Bṛhad-aranyaka Upanisad, “Who controls all beings from within” (BAU 3.7.15)10 10 Ping sift no ofis ueridos bi Although the jiva dwells in the body even during deep sleep, he cannot perceive either the subtle or gross bodies. In fact, he is depen- dent on Paramātmā to return him to the waking state from deep slumber. This can be demonstrated logically. When one is in deep sleep, he cannot hear his name being called. One must be awake in order to respond. Then how does one wake up when called? There must be a third party to help one reach external consciousness. This party must have the power to reach the sleeping self as well as to hear the call. This can be performed only by Paramātmā, who “pervades within and without, like the sky,” as the first verse under discussion says (antar bahis ca vitatam vyomavat). Because the three states of the jiva are dependent on Bhagavan, it is established that all func- tions of material nature, as well as of the living being, are dependent on the internal potency. This conclusion specifically counters the Sankhya philosophy of Kapila Muni. There are two Kapila Munis, both of whom propagated a system of philosophy called Sankhya. The one described in Śrimad Bhāgavatam was an avatara of God, fifth of the twenty-two avatāras listed in chapter 3 of the First Canto. This Kapila gave His teachings to Asuri and to His mother Devahuti. The other Kapila Muni prop- agated similar Sänkhya doctrines related to the enumeration of the different material elements, prakṛti and puruşa, and so on, but his conclusions differ from those of Srimad Bhagavatam. He compiled 10 yaḥ sarvāni bhūtāny antaro yamayati 193 HOA AŚrī Bhagavat Sandarbha his philosophy into 526 aphorisms divided into six chapters called Sänkhya-sutra. He too had a disciple named Asuri. bring ganse This Kapila’s doctrine is dualistic, in which the purusa (the con- scious living being) and prakṛti (material nature) are two indepen- dent eternal realities. Insentient prakṛti, or pradhana, is the inde- pendent cause of the world. Pradhana creates the world in order to give release to the conditioned beings. Although insentient, it cre- ates the world, just as insentient milk turns into yogurt of its own accord. How can an insentient object work for the welfare of a sen- tient being? Kapila’s answer is that it does so automatically, just as a mother’s breast fills with milk for the nourishment of her baby on its birth. There is no conscious effort on the part of the mother; it is all nature’s arrangement. vbod odt at With respect to the agency of material nature, this is confirmed in Bhagavad Gita, which also condemns the person who thinks himself to be the doer: 50 651cnomab aid belles ontsd The self, bewildered by the influence of material ego, thinks himself the doer of activities that are in actuality carried out by the three gunas of material nature. (GITA 3.27)11 quart of veg burd (GĪTĀ 16911 01 25 In Kapila’s view, prakṛti is beginningless, unending and all- pervading. It is the root cause and has no underlying cause. Sankhya- sūtra states: isnt seed (1ovemore mointiv Is insab 18 vers amills jadi badaildajas ei linivegada no ins Because the root is without root, the root of all is rootless. (Sankhya- sutra 1.67) 12 to Purușa, on the other hand, has no attributes and is all-pervading consciousness. There is a separate puruşa in every body. This is sup- ported by Iśvara Kṛṣṇa, a follower of Kapila Muni, in his Sankhya- kärikā: ow Because the various bodies have individual births, deaths and senses, because everyone does not perform the same action simul- taneously, and because the three gunas of material nature have 11 prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni gunaiḥ karmāņi sarvaśaḥ ahankara-vimüḍhātmā kartāham iti manyate 12 müle mülābhāvād amūlaṁ mūlam 194 19 The Internal Energy Is the Source of All Action different attributes, it is established that there are many purusas. sid (Sankhya-kärikā 18)13: The Sankhya philosophers say the pure self is inactive, under- goes no modification and is thus without enjoyment. Suffering and enjoyment belong to material nature. When prakṛti and puruşa come together, their association produces a mutual interchange of qual- ities. Consciousness and agency appear in matter, and enjoyment appears in spirit. This is called adhyāsa, superimposition, and is the cause of the purusa’s bondage. sdi The Sankhya philosophers compare prakṛti to a blind woman and puruşa to a lame man. The lame man rides on the shoulders of the blind woman and thus do they move. In this way, the material world is functioning through the combination of these two. If, however, the puruşa can understand, and thus see beyond, the twenty-four ele- ments of material nature, realizing the self as distinct from them, then liberation becomes a reality. The analogy is given of a man learning of a woman’s unchaste behavior: when this happens, she shies away from him. Similarly, when the puruşa learns about the countless mutations of prakṛti, she flees from him. bezahliwed This philosophy, though intriguing, is possessed of faulty logic and is certainly not supported by scriptures. The very fact that mate- rial nature cannot produce anything without the association of the puruşa proves that prakṛti is not the ultimate cause of the creation. It is common experience that an insentient object (prakṛti) cannot be an independent agent. It can only serve as a tool in the hands of a sentient being (puruşa). itnes sdt to exsilew sdi nol dow The Sankhya followers further come to the faulty conclusion that the puruşa cannot be an agent because he cannot work without prakṛti. This is tantamount to saying that because a man cannot write without a pen, the pen, and not he, is the writer. He may not be able to write without a pen, but the capacity to do so is within him and not in the pen. But by Sankhya logic, the pen is the writer. That their philosophy is not supported by scriptures is shown by 13 janana-maraṇa-karaṇānāṁ pratiniyamat, ayugapat pravṛttes ca purusa-bahutvam siddham traigunya-viparyayāc caiva 195 SA ILA Śri Bhagavat Sandarbhaililor the reference in this anuccheda to Narada’s teachings to King Cit- raketu. Śrīla Vyāsa has strongly refuted the dualistic Sankhya in his Vedanta-sutra, especially in the second pada of the Second Chapter. For example, vs 2.2.1 states, “The pradhana, which is inferred from the existence of the world, is not the cause of the world, because it is impossible for it to create by itself.“14 GĪTĀ 3.27, quoted above, teaches that one should not consider oneself the doer, or the exclusive cause of any action. It is not that the self has no responsibility for his actions, but it is not the exclu- sive, or even the primary, cause. In GĪTĀ 18.14, Kṛṣṇa explains that there are five factors of action. The jiva is included as only one of the five. In the phrase kartāham iti manyate (GĪTĀ 3.27), the verb manyate (thinks) is used. This implies that the self is a doer, because thinking is mental work. In GĪTĀ 18.15 as well, Kṛṣṇa accepts that work includes actions performed by the mind when he says, “whatever work a man performs with his body, speech or mind.” The problem arises when a person thinks him- self to be the only doer, forgetting the help extended by the Lord and the external energy. It is then that he is condemned as foolish and bewildered. mori 2991 sri pling to anottarin sinuos It would be wrong, however, to conclude that the jiva does noth- ing at all. This is also the significance of the mantra BAU 4.3.23 quoted above, in which it was said that the seeing capacity of the seer is not lost even in deep sleep. The jiva has the capacity to desire, and is hence one of the five causes of action (karma-hetavah). The S The Sankhyaites cannot explain why insentient prakṛti should work for the welfare of the sentient purușa. The flow of milk in a mother’s breast is not exclusively the act of prakṛti, since no such action occurs in a dead body. It happens after the birth of a child because it is needed at that time, and not before. If the child dies after birth, there should be no milk in the mother’s breast, accord- ing to Sankhya logic, but such is not the case. But neither does the mother have any real control over the flow of milk. Therefore, we have to accept that neither prakṛti nor the individual living being are 14 racanãnupapatteś ca nānumānam 15 śarīra-vān-manobhir yat karma prārabhate naraḥ tra 196 19 The Internal Energy Is the Source of All Action in control, but that there is a higher controlling authority governing such phenomena. It is by the power of Bhagavan that prakṛti and her products acquire the energy to execute their functions. This has been exem- plified by the iron rod’s burning capacity, when acquired from fire. Both the potency of action (kriya-sakti) and the cognitive power (jñāna-śakti) belong to the Lord and not to prakṛti. Now that Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi has denied prakṛti any indepen- dent existence, he will extend the discussion further, in the next anuccheda, to say that the jiva too cannot independently know the material gunas. elayed at eserlily by bored 2018 Pirwonloans Jerichomesitems old bath zongo) Ban 3rd and sword on dignoriris estados sistcup wint adras niall amorqat bumili balefumo moral oralden al A hiro Lay so pomanes ovnen bodds are shayiril pacaklarsi shills to animal (eava) indain oral holisini baie gaibulsailsdayeg stores (büm)dawa 01 allarmismeva addanamu:[mine if bes ogs antar dan bezat besi dew drots] anom 197 ghiansheng warithigaillotno radgideshond and loans ni BAR MOR BS Anuccheda 20 vind & bor the bralod at gold (sing-rint) The Jiva Is Dependent on Bhagavāna for His Power of Cognition २० । किं च ( भा० ६।४।२५ ) - MOREOVER, DAKSA STATES in his prayers to the Lord: देहोऽसवोऽक्षा मनवो भूतमात्रा नात्मानमन्यं च विदुः परं यत् । सर्वं पुमान्वेद गुणांश्च तज्ज्ञो न वेद सर्वज्ञमनन्तमीडे ॥ ९६ ॥ by Because the body, the vital-force, the external senses, the psyche and the gross and subtle elements are material, they cannot know their own nature, the nature of other senses, nor the nature of their controllers. But the living being can know all these, as well Tas the three qualities. Nevertheless, although he knows these, he is unable to know the omniscient and unlimited Supreme Being, whom I praise. (SB 6.4.25)1 plain देहश्चासवश्च प्राणा अक्षाणीन्द्रियाणि च मनवोऽन्तःकरणानि भूतानि च मात्राश्च तन्मा- त्राणि । आत्मानं स्वस्वरूपमन्यं स्वस्वविषयवर्गं तयोः परं देवतावर्गं च न विदुः । action In this verse, deha means the body; asavaḥ means prāṇa, or “vital- force;” akṣāņi (eyes) is representative of all the external senses; manavaḥ (mind) refers to the psyche [including mind, intellect, ego and the store of memory]; bhuta means “the five material ele- ments” [earth, water, fire, air and ether]; and mātrāḥ refers to 1 deho’savo kṣā manavo bhūta-mātrā nātmānam anyaṁ ca viduḥ paraṁ yat sarvam puman veda guņāmś ca taj-jño na veda sarvajñam anantam iḍe 198 20 The Jiva Is Dependent on Bhagavan for His Power of Cognition the tan-matras, or the subtle elements [form, taste, smell, sound and touch]. None of these know ātmānam (themselves), i.e., their own nature; anya, i.e., the respective field of operations of each one; or para, i.e., the gods who are beyond these last two. पुमान् जीवस्तु सर्वमात्मानं स्वस्वरूपं तदन्यं प्रमातारं तयोः परं देहाद्यर्थजातं तदधिष्ठातृदे- वतावर्गं च वेद । तथा देहादिमूलभूतान् गुणांश्च सत्त्वादीन् वेद । तत्तज्ज्ञोऽप्यसौ यं सर्वज्ञं देहादिजीवान्ताशेषज्ञातारं न वेद तमनन्तम् “महद्गुणत्वाद् यमनन्तमाहुः” ( भा० १ । १८ । १९ ) इति प्रथमोक्तिदिशा स्वरूपभूतानन्तशक्तिमीडे । The living being, however, is aware of all of the above, namely his own true nature and the other (anya), i.e., the knower [as a con- ditioned being]. Besides this, he is aware of the conglomeration of matter, energy and mind, in the form of the body, vital-force, the psyche and so on, as well as the deities [or personified cosmic intelligences] that preside over all of these. He also knows the gunas of nature, beginning with sattva, which constitute the body and the rest. While aware of all this, he does not know the omni- scient Supreme Person, who is the knower of everything, begin- ning from the body up to the jiva. I (Dakṣa) worship Him, who has unfathomable energy in His essential nature. As is stated in the First Canto of Srimad Bhagavatam, “He is called Ananta, unlim- ited, because He possesses unlimited qualities” (SB 1.18.19).20 bavis rig has visto 28 अत एव “यत्र हि द्वैतमिव भवति तदितर इतरं पश्यति” (बृ० २।४।१४ ) इत्यारभ्य जीवस्ये- तरद्रष्टृत्वमुक्त्वा “यत्र त्वस्य सर्वमात्मैवाभूत् तत् केन कं पश्येत्” । A similar explanation is given in Bṛhad-aranyaka Upanisad, beginning with mantra BAU 2.4.14, “When the jiva conceives of himself as different from the Lord, he then perceives things other than the Lord.” After declaring the jiva to be a seer of other objects, it is denied that he can see Bhagavan: “When everything is viewed as the self, then who can be the seer and what will be the seen?” After this, it is stated that Paramātmā is the knower of everything, including Himself, and finally it is said, “Then, O Maitreyi, by what means can the Knower be known?“3 2 mahad-guṇatvad yam anantam āhuḥ 3 yatra hi dvaitam iva bhavati tad itara itaram paśyati […] → 199 nobingalow Sri Bhagavat Sandarbha affa owŚrī इत्यादिना तस्य परमात्मद्रष्टृत्वं निषिद्धय परमात्मनस्तु तत्तत्सर्वद्रष्टृत्वं स्वद्रष्टृत्वमप्य- स्तीति “विज्ञातारमरे केन विजानीयात्” (बृ० २।४।१४ ) इत्यनेनाह । अस्य जीवस्य तदधि- ष्टनभूतस्य य आत्मा परमात्मा स एव यत्र स्वस्मिन् स्वरूपे तच्छक्त्यादिकं सर्वमभूत् न तु वस्त्वन्तरप्रवेशेनेत्यर्थः । boy SIS odw aboy ad 100 201500 The second statement means that ātmā, i.e., Paramātmā, whose seat is the jiva (asya), manifests (abhūt) everything ( sarvam) in His own svarupa, with His own potency - not that He does so by entering into something else. Sti अयमर्थः – यत्र मायावैभवे द्वैतमिव भवति । तन्मूलकत्वात् तदनन्यदपि मायाख्याचिन्त्य- शक्तिहेतुकतया जडमलिननश्वरत्वेन तद्विलक्षणतया सम्पादितम् । ततः स्वतन्त्रसत्ताक - मिव मुहुर्जायत इत्यर्थः । तत्तु तत्र इतरो जीव इतरं पदार्थं पश्यति । तस्य करणदृश्ययोर्मिथो योग्यत्वादिति भावः । ni baim bas 1995 Simeon baino 10] ashish si es llaw as no os bra odayag ads The implication of the above discussion is as follows: There is apparent duality in the realm of maya. The jiva emanates from the Supreme and so is nondifferent from Him; even so, by the inconceivable potency called māyā, the jiva appears inert, impure, perishable and distinct from the Supreme. Therefore, he considers himself to be independent and takes birth repeatedly. In this state, the living being sees objects other than the Lord, because his senses and the sense objects are mutually suited to co-exist as perceiver and perceived. ि यत्र तु स्वरूपवैभवे तस्य जीवस्य रश्मिस्थानीयस्य मण्डलस्थानीयो य आत्मा परमात्मा स एव स्वरूपशक्त्या सर्वमभूत् । अनादित एव भवन्नास्ते न तु तत्प्रवेशेन तत्तत्र इतरः स जीवः केनेतरेण करणभूतेन कं पदार्थं पश्येत् न केनापि कमपि पश्येदित्यर्थः । न हि रश्मयः स्वशक्त्या सूर्यमण्डलान्तर्गतवैभवं प्रकाशयेयुर्न चार्चिषो वह्निं निर्दहेयुरिति भावः । तदेवं सति यस्य खल्वेवमनन्तं स्वरूपवैभवं तं विज्ञातारं सर्वज्ञं परमात्मानं केन इतरेण करणेन विजानीयात् । न केनापीत्यर्थः । तदेवं ज्ञानशक्तौ तत्र सिद्धायां क्रियेच्छाशक्ती च लक्ष्येते ॥ दक्षः श्रीपुरुषोत्तमम् ॥ Whereas the jiva, who is like a ray of the sun, exists within the influence of Bhagavan’s internal potency, Paramātmā, who is like yatra svasya sarvam ātmaivābhūt tat kena kam paśyet […] vijñātāram are kena vijäniyāt See the commentary for the full text of BAU 2.4.14. 20020 The Jiva Is Dependent on Bhagavan for His Power of Cognition the sun orb, exists “as everything,” by His internal potency. He exists in this way without beginning and not due to entering into the jiva. In this state, by what sensory instrument would the jiva see, and what would it see? Not by any instrument would it see, and so it would not perceive anything. The sun’s rays cannot illu- minate the effulgence inside the sun orb, nor can a flame burn its source, fire. Since Bhagavan’s unlimited opulence is such, then by which sense faculty can that all-cognizant knower, the Lord, be known? Not by any. In this way, the cognitive potency is estab- lished in Him. This indicates that the potency to act and that of volition also exist in Him. Commentary IN THIS SECTION, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmī explains that Bhagavan’s inter- nal energy is the fountainhead of all cognition. He gives evidence from the Hamsa-guhya prayers of Dakṣa Mahārāja. The quoted verse explains that the working and cognitive senses can know neither themselves nor the living being, because by constitution they are inert instruments. A spoon transports food from plate to mouth, but does not taste; it serves only as an instrument. Similarly, the senses are instruments that assist the jiva in the work of perception, but have no such power of their own. The jiva is conscious by nature and superior to the inert senses and body. The senses function after being energized by the jiva, but have no power to perceive themselves or the jiva. Ritor The same analogy is further extended to the jiva and Bhagavan. With proper deliberation and discrimination, the jiva can under- stand the senses, body, mind and the gunas of nature, though not completely. It can also understand itself as different from them and conscious by nature. Śrī Jiva comments that in relation to the jiva the word ātmā refers to the pure self (sva-svarupa) and anya refers to its conditioned state. An enlightened being can understand these two states along with the senses, body, mind and the gunas; yet, it cannot understand God. Exalted living beings, like Brahmā, have 201 Śri Bhagavat Sandarbha knowledge and intelligence far superior to ordinary mortals of this world, yet their intelligence fails to reach to the Lord. antendo Just as the senses, body and mind function, being inspired by the ātmā, the ātmā functions because it is energized by the Lord. Just as the senses, body and mind cannot know the ātmā, the ātmā cannot know God. A living being can understand that it is not the creator of the cosmos and the objects within it. By seeing the harmony in nature, one can guess that there is a Supreme Being, but where does one go from there? ew aids nl syne vd to Sawom 20 In commenting on this verse, Śrīla Viśvanatha Cakravartipāda writes, “Although the conscious jiva perceives material objects, it is unconscious in perceiving Bhagavan” (sarvatra cetano’pi parames- vare tv acetana eva). This means that the jiva is unable to perceive Bhagavan by his own cognitive power. Although consciousness is the basic requirement for cognition, it is not sufficient - Bhagavan’s grace is also necessary. No one can know the Lord without His mercy. The jiva is covered by the veil of māyā. In GĪTĀ 7.26, Kṛṣṇa explains that although He knows past, present and future, no one knows Him. He can be known only by pure devotion, bhaktyāham ekaya grahyaḥ (SB 11.14.21): ind infuomes be Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s name, form, qualities and pastimes cannot be uttered or by grasped by way of the material senses. Only when the mind and senses are transmuted through unalloyed devotion, do the name, form and so on, manifest of their own volition, on the tongue or other senses. (BRS 1.2.234) 19f This service begins with the tongue. By uttering the Holy Names of God, and by tasting the remnants of foodstuffs offered to Him, the inert senses are transmuted, just as a cold piece of iron, when placed in contiguity with fire, acquires the characteristics of fire. It gives off light, and if you touch it, it will burn you. Dedication of the senses in the transcendental name, fame, qualities and līlā (divine play) of Bhagavan, makes possible the gradual pervasion and transformation of the blunt material senses, by the internal potency. atah śri-kṛṣṇa-nämädi na bhaved grähyam indriyaiḥ sevonmukhe hi jihvadau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ 202 20 The Jiva Is Dependent on Bhagavan for His Power of Cognition Thus, the Lord reveals Himself to those who take shelter of this process. 15ologe well Further, the consciousness of the living being is not always in its normal state. It can be covered by jiva-māyā, as was explained in Anuccheda 16.4. When the consciousness of the living being is covered, he or she is bewildered and cannot properly understand even material nature (ajñānenävṛtam jñānam tena muhyanti jantavaḥ, GĪTĀ 5.15). Even if a living being is blessed by Bhagavan, he cannot under- stand Him completely. Dakṣa Mahārāja reasons that this is because the Lord is unlimited and infinite, ananta. There is no end to His attributes. The jiva is finite. The finite can never completely know the infinite. This is confirmed in the Śruti, “Even a person who could count all the dust particles in the cosmos cannot assimilate the glories of Śrī Vişnu” (Nārāyaṇa-pūrva-tapani Upanisad 4.4)5 For this reason Bhagavan is called Ananta. It is not that only ordinary jīvas cannot understand Him, but even highly elevated per- sons, like Brahma and Śiva, cannot fathom His glories. Therefore, the Śrutis personified prayed: Because You are without end or limit, the cosmic administrators [such as Brahma] simply cannot find any limit to You. Moreover, biceven You cannot do so. Under the influence of time, the countless Ho universes, each enveloped in its own seven-layered covering, float a contemporaneously within You, like particles of dust in the sky. se For this reason, we Śrutis, whose final conclusion is in You alone,on become successful by revealing You indirectly, through the method of negating everything that is not You. (SB 10.87.41) bus Actually, even the infinite Lord cannot know Himself fully; otherwise, He would defy the very definition of the infinite. vişnor nu kam viryani pravocaṁ yaḥ pārthivāni vimäme rajāmsi dyu-pataya eva te na yayur antam anantataya tvam api yad-antaranḍa-nicaya nanu săvaraṇāḥ kha iva rajāṁsi vänti vayasa saha yac chrutayas tvayi hi phalanty atan-nirasanena bhavan-nidhanāḥ See Section 98.8 for a full discussion of this verse. 203 no to w Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbhavi Souk To further explain Dakṣa’s verse, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi quotes parts of the mantra BAU 2.4.14, which Yajnavalkya spoke to his wife, Maitreyi. The complete mantra reads as follows: When the self is bound in the material world, there arises the notion of duality. Then the jiva sees something, smells something, hears something, speaks something, thinks something, and knows some- thing. When He is situated in the Self and everything is a manifes- tation of the Lord, then what would he smell and with what? What 95 would he see and with what? What would he hear and with what? 620 What would he think and with what? And what would he know and with what? With what can one know Him, because of whom, all this is known? O Maitreyi, by what means can the Knower be known? The Advaitavādīs interpret this mantra in the following way. They say that the first part refers to the conditioned state in which there is apparent duality, but in reality there is only one Brahman. In this state, a conditioned being uses his material senses and mind to perceive material objects. When he is freed from illusion, how- ever, and reinstated as Brahman, no distinction remains between the perceiver, what is perceived, and the act of perceiving. Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi approaches this mantra in another way. In the conditioned state, the jiva is forgetful of Krsna and thinks of him- self as an independent enjoyer and thus falls into duality. The word itara (lit., “the other”) is used both for the conditioned being as well as material objects. In reality, there is no duality because the jiva is not independent of Krsna and His energies, but under illusion, he considers himself to be an enjoyer and regards material things as objects for his sense gratification. But when he takes to devotion, he is freed of this illusion. He abandons duality and recognizes Kṛṣṇa as the supreme controller and enjoyer. At that time, he does not per- ceive the material world as itara because his consciousness has been 7 ? The same mantra is repeated in BAU 4.5.15. by able to 8 yatra hi dvaitam iva bhavati tad itara itaram jighrati tad itara itaram paśyati tad itara itaram śrnoti tad itara itaram abhivadati tad itara itaram manute tad itara itaram vijānāti. yatra vā asya sarvam ātmaivabhut tat kena kam jighret? tat kena kam paśyet? tat kena kaḥ śṛṇuyat? tat kena kam abhivadet? tat kena kam manvita? tat kena kam vijäniyāt? yenedam sarvam vijänäti tam kena vijäniyāt? vijñātāram are kena vijäniyāt? 204 20 The Jiva Is Dependent on Bhagavan for His Power of Cognition attuned to a higher viewing frequency. He sees the spiritual energy everywhere. He does not have material senses anymore. He under- stands that all actions occur by the potency of Bhagavan and that he is not independent in acquiring knowledge. He knows he is minute, and just as a spark cannot illuminate its source, he understands that he is incapable of knowing the Lord. He knows himself to be a part of Bhagavan’s energy, like a ray of the sun. The word anădita (without a beginning) is important. The Lord exists in His svarupa-sakti and there is no beginning to this. There- fore, the word abhut in the Upanisad, though in the past tense, car- ries the meaning of the present, bhavann äste: Bhagavan always exists like the sun. In relation to Him, the jiva is an instrument in His hands, and just as the senses cannot know the ātmā, the ātmā cannot know the Lord by its own power. YOSTOT JAHATI 387 This example has its limits, however, in that a fully surrendered soul is able to know Bhagavan by His mercy. Krsna says, “I give them the wisdom by which they can know Me” (dadami buddhi yogam tam yena mam upayanti te, GĪTĀ 10.10). This analysis proves that the Lord has cognitive potency that flows from Him to the living beings. Because He has this potency, He must also have working potency and will power. These three poten- cies always exist together (svābhävikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca, śʊ 6.8). Knowledge leads to willing, and then to action. We cannot desire something unless we have knowledge of it. When we have knowl- edge about something, then a desire may manifest. We deliberate on it and then decide whether to act on it or not. So, action is always preceded by knowledge and will. Hence, these three always accom- pany each other. They are natural characteristics of a conscious being. lo 9867 tog (anystal to zuela In this anuccheda, Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī has shown that Bhagavan’s internal potency is the source of the jiva’s cognitive power. In the next section, he will further substantiate this by explaining that māyā, the total material energy, is under His control. of S 205 added bor navegade loonstones online Us Jedi Ende smim zi a awond sHogbolt Jedvabastarshitaniulli dosega su Be Anuccheda 21d awal bed vir galword to sldagsbui avait neething, speaks so how to Talvions ensole Māyā Is under Bhagavan’s Control Baby Salam of grinniged on ar २१ । वशीकृतमायत्वेनापि तामाह (भा० ७।९।२२) - 152 30 26 32 Bos abued wit THE INTERNAL POTENCY is additionally explained by describ- ing Bhagavan’s feature of controlling maya. Prahlada Mahārāja prayed to Śri Nrsimha: -дэ सत्वं हि नित्यविजितात्मगुणः स्वधाम्ना कालो वशीकृतविसृज्यविसर्गशक्तिः । ९७ ॥ इति । geo ong awoll O Supreme Lord, by Your effulgence You have eternally con- aquered the qualities of the ātmā. In Your form as Time, You keep material cause and effect under Your control. (SB 7.9.22)1 “स्वधाम्ना चिच्छक्त्या यतः कालो मायाप्रेरकः” इति टीका च । आत्मा त्वत्र जीवः तस्य गुणाः सत्त्वादयः “सत्त्वं रजस्तम इति गुणा जीवस्य नैव मे” (भा० ११।२५।१२) इत्युक्तत्वात् ॥ श्रीप्रह्लादः श्रीनरसिंहम् ॥ liw bas om vd Śrīdhara Svāmī interprets sva-dhamna (by Your effulgence) as the Lord’s cit (conscious or internal) potency, because of which, Time (kāla) activates māyā. Here the word ātmā refers to the jiva, and its qualities are the gunas - sattva, rajas and tamas. As stated by Śrī Kṛṣṇa, “The gunas of sattva, rajas and tamas belong to the living being and not to Me” (SB 11.25.12)? sa tvam hi nitya-vijitätma-guṇaḥ sva-dhāmnā kālo vasi-kṛta-visṛjya-visarga-saktiḥ 2 sattvam rajas tama iti guņā jīvasya naiva me 206 21 Māyā Is under Bhagavan’s Control Commentary rochossbrists be roman ay all goodie darloo) baisins vam yow zasulod same edini blow againsqab that the IN THE PREVIOUS SECTION it was shown the jiva is not inde- pendent in exercising cognition. This section now explains that all his other actions are controlled by Bhagavan through the agency of māyā. Māyā works under the control of His internal energy, and thus all actions are initiated from the internal potency. In the verse from Srimad Bhagavatam under discussion in this section (SB 7.9.22), Prahlada says that the Lord controls material nature. Popular meanings of the word dhama are effulgence or abode. According to Amara-koşa lexicon, however, one of the meanings of the word dhama is influence or power (prabhava), gṛha-deha-tvit- prabhāvā dhāmāni (Amara-koşa 3.3.124). Viśva-prakāśa also confirms this, dhāma saptan prabhāve ca tejo-mandira-janmasu. The word sva- dhāmnā, therefore, here means, “by His own potency,” referring to the cit or internal potency, as commented by Śrīdhara Svāmi. Bha- gavan is eternally in control of the gunas of material nature, which influence the living being- nitya-vijitätma-guṇaḥ. Ātmā here refers to the conditioned being. He or she is influ- enced by the material gunas, not Bhagavan (guņā jivasya naiva me, SB 11.25.12). When it is said that the gunas belong to the jiva, it means they bind him, not that he owns them. In the material world, every- thing belongs to God. As Kṛṣṇa asserts, “I am the Supreme Lord of all that be” (mama bhūta-maheśvaram, GĪTĀ 9.11); “I am the source of everything” (aham sarvasya prabhavaḥ, GITA 10.8); and, “I am the father of creation” (pitäham asya jagataḥ, GITA 9.17). Even so, living beings still believe that some things belong to them, and thus they become attached and bound to matter. The general principle is that when one becomes attached to some- thing, he becomes its slave. God is the real owner, yet He is not attached and thus not bound. The living entity imagines himself the owner and thus becomes bound. When Mother Earth witnesses this, she laughs, having seen powerful emperors, who considered them- selves rulers of the planet, vanish into thin air. In the Twelfth Canto of Srimad Bhagavatam, she speaks the following verse:samin ba 207 Joe Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha CM Although in the past great men and their descendants have left me, ob departing this world in the same helpless way they entered it, foolish shmen even today still try to conquer me. (SB 12.3.6)3 Ile Fortunately, this bondage is not real, just as the sense of owner- ship is not real. It happens because of the superimposition of the subtle body onto the self. When the living being recognizes the real proprietor and becomes captivated by Him, then the knot of mate- rial attachment is loosened. This can happen only by the mercy of the Lord and His devotees. Bhagavan is not touched by the gunas, as was explained in great detail in Anuccheda 10.3. Although He controls them, He impels them to act through His potency of time (kāla), which regulates cause and effect. This function of kala is described by Mother Devaki in her prayer to Kṛṣṇa: O Friend of the unmanifest! This creation works under the control dy of powerful time, which is divided into seconds, minutes, hours and years. This element of time, which extends for many millions ofIni years, is but another of Your forms. I take shelter of You, the con- troller of time and the reservoir of all good fortune. (SB 10.3.26)* According to Śrīdhara Svāmi, the word visrjya means the mate- rial objects, and visarga, the means used to produce them. Every- thing is under God’s control. In this way, all action originates from Him. Śrī Kṛṣṇa affirms this, “All action issues forth from Me” (mattaḥ sarvam pravartate, GITA 10.8). sa lo R The next anuccheda further confirms this with a statement from agnidi smoa 15 Bhū Devi. 20100 29/00090 Jon 20 SH 197 190W0 SVRl2 abnigami vi garvit our brid W brued yam visṛjyaiva manavas tat-sutaś ca kulodvahāḥ gata yathāgatam yuddhe tam mam jesyanty abuddhayaḥ yo’yam kalas tasya te’vyakta-bandho ceṣṭām āhus cestate yena viśvam nimeşadir vatsaranto mahiyāms tam tveśānam kṣema-dhāma prapadye This verse will be discussed in detail in Section 29. 208 бакма bawat such hertigmont alite hood amerique silo imao sdfyd nollom gaura lo viming sdr of sub wom of eben galed agil of a soultonbau) n-bodan ad to sit did on anoise yolla ongam edi ted to heaping si daldagnisd grtvilad to valobasang Anuccheda 22 ima? ne 8 anos buite Māyā Is Activated by Bhagavan । 532 २२ । तथा च (भा० ५।१८।३८)-nofound nokres SIMILARLY, MOTHER EARTH addressed Śrī Varāhadeva: करोति विश्वस्थितिसंयमोदयं यस्येप्सितं नेप्सितमीक्षितुर्गुणैः । माया यथायो भ्रमते तदाश्रयं ग्राव्णो नमस्ते गुणकर्मसाक्षिणे ॥ ९८ ॥ 29/09 T 2997019 O Lord, You neither desire the creation, maintenance and anni- hilation of this material world, nor do You not desire it, but by Your glance You activate māyā, who carries out these functions through the gunas, exactly as a piece of iron moves under the influence of a magnet. I bow down to You, O Lord, the witness be of the qualities and actions of all beings. (SB 5.18.38)1 9225350 art Oh943 Shit 194 subling have unod nine in hol टीका च-यस्येक्षितुर्जीवार्थमीप्सितम् । अत्यन्तानिच्छायामीक्षणायोगात् । स्वार्थं तु नेप्सितम् । विश्वस्थित्यादि स्वगुणैर्माया करोति । तस्या जडत्वेऽपीश्वरसन्निधानात् प्रवृत्तिं दृष्टान्तेनाह यथायो लोहं ग्राव्णोऽयस्कान्तान् निमित्ताद् भ्रमति । तदाश्रयं तदभिमुखं सत् । गुणानां कर्मणां च जीवादृष्टानां साक्षिणे तस्मै नमः । इत्येषा ॥ भूः श्रीवराहदेवम् ॥ Śrīdhara Svāmi comments: “Śri Bhagavan, who glances over māyā, desires [the creation, etc., of the world] on behalf of the living beings. If He were adamantly opposed to this idea, there would be no question of His glancing. His desire, however, is not for His own benefit. Māyā carries out the functions of creation, and so on, through the gunas. Though maya is inert, she is set in karoti viśva-sthiti-samyamodayam yasyepsitaṁ nepsitam ikṣitur gunaiḥ maya yathayo bhramate tad-äśrayam gravno namas te guna-karma-sākṣine 209 Śri Bhagavat Sandarbha motion by the proximity of the Supreme Lord. This is compared to iron filings being made to move due to the proximity of a mag- net. Tad-asraya (under the influence of) means turning towards the magnet. I offer my salutations unto Him, the witness of the unseen destiny of the living beings, which is composed of their qualities and actions.” Here ends Śridhara Svami’s comment. Commentary loo navegarla vd Belavia al EvEM IN THE PREVIOUS SECTION it was explained that mayă functions under the Lord’s control. Although she is inert, she carries out the functions of creation and so forth. This text explains how inert māyā can perform such acts. Mother Earth spoke this verse to Śrī Varaha. She says that the Lord has no purpose in the material creation and it is not meant for His own enjoyment. He has His personal abode where He sports eter- nally with His loving devotees. But the question arises that if He has no desire, why does He cre- ate the world? No one acts without a desire. The answer is that He does not desire it for Himself; He desires it for the welfare of the jiva. That is why He glances over the material energy, which results in the successive unfoldment of prakṛti as the cosmos. This is stated in CHU 6.2.3, tad aikṣata bahu syaṁ prajayeyeti. This creation comes about by Bhagavan’s glance, and its annihilation takes place when He shuts His eyes. A doubt may be raised here. Living beings in the material world are suffering in the cycle of birth and death. How can this be the purpose of creation? Does the Lord enjoy watching the suffering of jīvas? Śrī Śuka answers: drtos nollers] and 519 The Supreme Lord manifested the material intellect, senses, mind, vi to and vital-force of the living beings so that they could indulge their ow desires for sense enjoyment, take repeated births to engage in pur- ni poseful action, become elevated in future lives and, ultimately, to attain liberation. (SB 10.87.2)2 2 buddhindriya-manaḥ-pränän janānām asṛjat prabhuḥ 21022 Māyā Is Activated by Bhagavan The true purpose of creation is the last of these, i.e., to attain liberation (atmane’kalpanaya). Śrī Bhagavan personally comes to teach this message to conditioned living beings. He also provides the Vedas for the welfare of humanity. to sonsofting sal aldr Now a further doubt can be raised. If this is the case, why does God not offer an equal opportunity to everyone? Why is it that some enjoy in heaven, while others suffer in hell? The answer is indicated in the phrase, “the witness of the qualities and actions of all beings” (guna-karma-sākṣine). This means that the Lord awards results according to individual karma. He is not biased. Everyone suffers or enjoys the results of his karma. This does not mean that He is impersonal or indifferent, however, nor that He is bound to deliver the results of karma, or that He has no discrimination. He provides knowledge of how to become free from suffering, and He certainly favors His devotees, which is to say that He favors those who are fully receptive and available to Him. When He sees that a person has realized the purpose of creation, Bhagavan takes per- sonal interest in helping her or him. Such a surrendered soul is no longer under the indifferent laws of karma. This, Śrī Kṛṣṇa revealed to Arjuna: I am equally disposed to all living beings, and so there is no one whom I despise or favor. But those who worship Me through devo- tion are situated in Me, and I too am established in them. (GĪTĀ 9.29)3 Another doubt may be raised. Māyā is inert, so how can she create the cosmos? In Bhagavad Gita, Śrī Kṛṣṇa says that He impreg- nates material nature, and then all living beings take birth. He injects the seed. This means that by His potency, inert māyā becomes active. She carries out the functions of creation (udaya), maintenance (sthiti) and dissolution (samyama) by her gunas of rajas, sattva and tamas, respectively. Śrīmad Bhagavatam explains that mäträrtham ca bhavartham ca ätmane’kalpanaya ca This verse will be discussed more fully in Section 98.2. samo’ham sarva-bhüteşu na me dveṣyo’sti na priyah ye bhajanti tu mám bhaktyä mayi te teşu căpy aham mama yonir mahad-brahma tasmin garbham dadhamy aham GĪTĀ 14.3 211 Sri Bhagavat Sandarbha Bhagavan does not contact māyā personally, but that she is ener- gized or impregnated through proximity to Him, simply by His glance, just as an iron shaving is energized in proximity of a magnet. This is the significance of the word “glance” (ikṣitu, sa aikṣata, etc.). When one glances at an object, he does not personally contact it. The example of a magnet conveys both meanings, i.e., absence of contact and causing movement. An inert piece of iron cannot move by itself. 30 Similarly, māyā is dependent on the energy of Bhagavan to ener- gize her functions. In this manner, the actions of maya are always under the control of, and impelled by, Bhagavan’s internal potency. She is not capable of acting independently. This certainly contra- dicts the dualistic Sankhya philosophy of Kapila Muni, who consid- ered material nature to be an independent agent. In the following anuccheda Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi further explains how māyā cannot influence Bhagavan. This does not mean that māyā is illusory. She is as real as the other energies of Bhagavan. balis 0019 to 9g basiles Cegnel cupe d had gatall and huge innow only saodh tu soval as steals Lindwoo Thane oma is he the-pubgucas al by Sh riz na wod oz real at om beigs od vam dalton M 980 Sed qufyll le hads has supen lansirin asfan chhu) nobest to anodominan dua edirse 2 Lavine comosed 2000 to 250g 75d 212 svswari mobstation.esda hud ni,no di soiala badwrotny oY ted goincent wurten leftatem buoyed stanov adid Anuccheda 23 Threefold Māyā Is Real 23.1 bro amarque sitt as som Wod ardian Istions to 91 ad I did wollen nad who U alse 36 sildarbs ni glavicales obs Bym To avis150 20910M Star Ute writers’s imbs bne viish within २३ । अथ मायाशक्तिशाबल्ये कैवल्यानुपपत्तेः कैवल्येऽप्यनुभवाभावे तदानन्दस्यार्थतानु- पपत्तेश्चान्यथानुपपत्तिप्रमाणतस्तामेवाह (भा० १।७।२३) - LIBERATION (KAIVALYA) is not possible where there is even a tinge of māyā-śakti; and owing to a lack of sense experience in kaivalya, the bliss of kaivalya cannot be an object of experi- ence (arthata). Thus, using the evidence of presumption (an- yathanupapatti-pramāna), the presence of the internal potency in kaivalya is established. Arjuna prays to Kṛṣṇa: त्वमाद्यः पुरुषः साक्षादीश्वरः प्रकृतेः परः । मायां व्युदस्य चिच्छक्त्या कैवल्ये स्थित आत्मनि ॥ ९९ ॥ Visinemmo You are directly the original person, the Supreme Lord, beyond the material energy. By dint of Your conscious potency, You have cast away the effects of maya and are always situated in Your own Self, the state of absolute unity. (SB 1.7.23)2 Iristai anav त्वं साक्षात् स्वयमेवाद्यः पुरुषो भगवान् । तथा य ईश्वरः अन्तर्याम्याख्यः त्वमेव । तदेवमुभयस्मिन्नपि प्रकाशे प्रकृतेः परस्तदसङ्गी । I पुरुषः सोऽपि [Arjuna says,] “You are directly the original person, or Bhaga- vän. At the same time, the Supreme Lord, or Isvara, namely the indwelling witness and regulator (Antaryami) of this creation, is 2 See note in Section 16.3. tvam adyaḥ puruṣaḥ sākṣād iśvaraḥ prakṛteḥ paraḥ māyām vyudasya cic-chaktyä kaivalye sthita ātmani BOUTIA 213 Śri Bhagavat Sandarbha also none other than You. In both these manifestations, however, You are beyond material nature, meaning that You are untouched by her.” ननु कथं केवलानुभवानन्दस्यापि तदनुभवित्वं यतो भगवत्त्वमपि लक्ष्येत । कथं चेश्वरत्वात् प्रकृत्यधिष्ठातृत्वेऽपि तदसङ्गित्वम् ? A If one then asks, “How can it be possible for one who delights exclusively in the bliss of Self (kevalänubhavananda) to be the perceiver of māyā, in such a way that His nature as Bhagavan remains still intact? Moreover, since as the Supreme Lord He is the presiding deity and administrator of material nature, how can He be free from intercourse with her?” तत्राह “मायां व्युदस्य” इति । अव्यभिचारिण्या स्वरूपशक्त्या तामाभासशक्तिं दूरे विधाय । तथैव स्वरूपशक्त्या कैवल्ये । The reply given in this verse is, “You have cast away the effects of māyā” (māyāṁ vyudasya), i.e., “By Your undeviating internal potency, You keep the shadow-like material energy at bay.” Simi- larly, “by this internal potency, You are situated in the liberated state of absolute unity (kaivalya).” Commentary sily og sis bnoyed bol smarque si no laigizo la vitih s IN THE PREVIOUS SECTIONS, it was shown that māyā, inert by nature, is activated by, and functions under the control of, Bhaga- vān’s internal energy. This gives rise to the following doubts: If the Lord activates māyā, it must mean that He comes into contact with her. If this is so, how can it be said that He is liberated (kaivalya)? And, since kaivalya is devoid of any experience, because there is nothing to be experienced in the state of absolute unity, how can it be said that He enjoys bliss? The second doubt is raised in view of the impersonal understanding of liberation. szliw tw gm Śrī Jiva Prabhu answers these two questions on the basis of SB 1.7.23, which is the principal verse of this anuccheda. There Arjuna explains that the Lord, although the controller of māyā, is 214 23 Threefold Māyā Is Real transcendental to her, and though He is transcendental, He is not without energies. A vom vd bodornu ai névegeta sad awol The word kaivalya (lit., “alone-ness” or “that which alone remains when all coverings have been removed”) is derived from kevala, which means “only,” or “pure.” Although this word is gen- erally translated as “liberation” and is understood to mean being nondifferent from Brahman, its real import is “unadulterated,” or “free from material contamination.” In this sense kaivalya signifies absolute unity, but without denying the existence of Bhagavan’s internal energy. The Lord experiences bliss through His internal energy for His own delight. He has no need of the material energy for this purpose. The internal energy is likened to a queen and the external energy to a maidservant. A king does not sport with his maidservant. Because the internal energy is nondifferent from the Lord, He is understood to be situated in kaivalya. du ved a Similarly, Bhagavan does not contact māyā, but controls her as a magnet manipulates a piece of iron, without direct contact and with- out any influence of the iron upon the magnet. A magnet has its own internal power with which it can influence a piece of iron outside of itself. A solar machine works by the energy of the sun, yet the sun is neither in contact with the machine directly, nor is it influenced by it. The Lord controls mayã through His expansion, called the Puruşa, or Paramātmā, who is also not touched by maya. Sve In Arjuna’s verse, the words adyaḥ puruṣaḥ refer to the Lord as Bhagavan, while Iśvara means Paramātmā. Both are transcendental to māyā, prakṛteḥ parah. In Bhagavad Gita, Śrī Kṛṣṇa says: all Besides the fallible and the infallible, there is another, the greatest person, the Supreme Self, the imperishable Supreme Controller, who has entered the three worlds and is maintaining them. Since I am beyond both the fallible individual self and My infallible man- ifestations as Brahman or Paramātmā, I am known in both the Vedic literature and among the people of the world as Purusottama. (GĪTĀ 15.17-18)3 uttamaḥ purusas tv anyah paramatmety udahṛtaḥ yo loka-traya aviśya bibharty avyaya isvaraḥ → по 215 Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha Because Paramātmā is transcendental to māyā, it naturally fol- lows that Bhagavan is untouched by maya. According to GĪTĀ 13.13, Brahman too is beyond material nature.) loving bow air Although the Lord controls māyā, He remains in His svarupa, or internal nature, kaivalye sthita ätmani (SB 1.7.23). This is confirmed in Chandogya Upanisad, “Where is the Lord situated? In His own nature” (sa bhagavaḥ kasmin pratisthitaḥ sve mahimni, CHU 7.24.1). Hence, He is not like an ordinary controller who must remain in contact with the controlled. Moreover, the bliss He enjoys is derived from His internal potency and not from material experience. A further doubt may be raised. If the Supreme Lord is transcen- dental and situated in pure bliss, how can He even experience māyā to thus control her? sob anix A revisable of viss Terry Arjuna answers this question by saying that He presides over māyā, having subdued her by His cit-sakti. He remains free from māyā, perceiving her through His internal potency. Since inert māyā functions according to certain specifications, we can indi- rectly infer or presume (anyathanupapatti) that the internal potency is what sets māyā in motion. Otherwise, it is not possible to explain the actions of inert māyā. Thus, the answer to the first two doubts raised in this anuccheda proves the existence of the Lord’s internal energy. art balls,noinqxs eiH nguori om alon brol an Śrīla Viśvanatha Cakravarti, commenting on this same verse, says that prakṛti here denotes māyā and not avidyā. Māyā has two features, vidya and avidya, and the Lord is superior to both. He exists within His internal energy, and because His internal energy is nondifferent from Him, He always remains in the state of kaivalya, or absolute unity. Maya is like a shadow. Just as a shadow is simul- taneously separate from, or outside, its source and yet dependent on it, so too māyā is outside Bhagavan’s svarupa and yet functions under His control. This also unravels the Advaitavadīs’ proposition that māyā is the only energy, and that the Absolute Truth in its pure state is devoid of potency. yasmat kṣaram atito ‘ham akṣarad api cottamaḥ ato’smi loke vede ca prathitaḥ purusottamaḥ 4 See Section 18. 216 23.2 23 Threefold Māyā Is Real भा० ११।९।१८– परावराणां परम आस्ते कैवल्यसञ्ज्ञितः । केवलानुभवानन्दसन्दोहो निरुपाधिकः । १०० ।।। whichgaon how He Im The Lord, designated as kaivalya, is the supreme shelter for His in 29 own plenary portions as well as for the differentiated portions, the jivas. He is the totality of pure (kevala) bliss and experience, Wuntinged by anything material. He is eternally devoid of any material designation. (SB 11.9.18)5 इत्येकादशोक्तरीत्या कैवल्याख्ये केवलानुभवानन्दे | According to the Eleventh Canto, kaivalya is defined as kevalānub- havananda, or the bliss of pure experience:” आत्मनि स्वस्वरूपे स्थितः । अनुभूतस्वरूपसुख इत्यर्थः । तदुक्तं षष्ठे “देवैरपि स्वयमुपल- ब्धनिजसुखानुभवो भवान्” (भा० ६।९।३३) इति । सन्दोहशब्देन चैकादशे वैचित्री दर्शिता सा च शक्तिवैचित्र्यादेव भवतीति । अत एवमस्त्येव स्वरूपशक्तिः । The phrase “situated in Your own Self” (ätmani) means situated in Your true identity. In other words, “through Your internal potency, You are experiencing the joy of Your own Self.” This is confirmed by the devas in the Sixth Canto, who say, “You Yourself taste the bliss derived from Your own Self” (svayam upalabdha- nija-sukhānubhavo bhavan, SB 6.9.33). The word sandoha (totality) in this verse from the Eleventh Canto reveals that variety (vaic- itri) exists in Him, and this arises exclusively due to the varieties 28 SW (Tom) parāvarānāṁ parama äste kaivalya-sañjñitaḥ kevalänubhavananda-sandoho nirupadhikahdeva (int-above) Translation following Śrīdhara Svami: “For the gods, beginning with Śri Brahma, and for liberated and conditioned beings alike, He exists as the supreme goal, to designated as kaivalya (liberation). The ecstasy of His experience is pure (kevala) and total, untinged by anything material. He is eternally devoid of any material designation” (SB 11.9.18). ⚫ tatra kevalatve iti svagatābhedam darśayati kevaleti. svarupa-śakti-vaicitryāt bog kevalānāṁ śuddhānāṁ svarūpa-bhūtānām anubhavānām ānandānāṁ ca yaḥ sandoho vaicitri. tad-rupaḥ, kevalatvam darśayati nirupadhika iti. Krama-sandarbha 217 Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha in His energies. Therefore, there most certainly is an internal energy. प्रकृतिर्नामात्र मायायास्त्रैगुण्यम् । एवमेव शक्तित्रयविवृतिः स्वामिभिरेव दर्शिता । तथाहि श्रीदेवहूतिवाक्ये ( भा० ३ । २४ । ३३ ) - The word prakrti (the material energy) [in the main verse of this anuccheda] refers to the threefold gunas of māyā. Śrīdhara Svāmī has also demonstrated the existence of the three types of energies in the same way. For instance, in her prayers Devahūti states: परं प्रधानं पुरुषं महान्तं कालं कविं त्रिवृतं लोकपालम् । आत्मानुभूत्यानुगतप्रपञ्चं स्वच्छन्दशक्तिं कपिलं प्रपद्ये ॥ १०१ ॥ du I surrender unto You, Śrī Kapila, the Supreme (para), the sum total of primordial nature (pradhana), its animating self (purusa), the cosmic intellect (mahat), Time, the wise one (kavi), the three- fold (trivṛt), and the maintainer of the cosmos (loka-pala). By dint of Your own experience, the entire phenomenal world follows You, for You possess Your own independent potency (svacchanda- śakti). (SB 3.24.33)’ batautia इत्यत्र परं परमेश्वरम् । तत्र हेतुः - स्वच्छन्दाः शक्तयो यस्य तमेवाह प्रधानं प्रकृतिरूपम् पुरुषं तदधिष्ठातारम् महान्तं महत्तत्त्वस्वरूपम् कालं तेषां क्षोभकम् त्रिवृतमहङ्कारभूतम् लोकात्मकं तत्पालात्मकं च । तदेवं मायया प्रधानादिरूपतामुक्त्वा चिच्छक्त्या निष्प्रप- ञ्चतामाह – आत्मानुभूत्या चिच्छक्त्यानुगतः स्वस्मिन् लीनः प्रपञ्चो यस्य तम् । कविं सर्वज्ञं प्रधानाद्याविर्भावसाक्षिणमित्यर्थ इति । I ni [Śrīdhara Svāmi:] “The word para means the Supreme Lord (Parameśvara). Why? Because He has independent potencies (svacchanda-sakti). Devahūti then names those potencies: Prad- hana is the form of material nature; puruşa is the superintendent of pradhana; mahat is the mahat-tattva (’the first evolute of prad- hāna,’ or ’the cosmic intellect’); Time is the element that unsettles the above and trivṛta (threefold) is the material ego [being com- posed of the three gunas]. The word loka-pāla means that He is 7 paraṁ pradhanam puruşam mahantam kālam kavim tri-vṛtam loka-pälam ātmānubhutyanugata-prapañcaṁ svacchanda-śaktim kapilaṁ prapadye 218 23 Threefold Māyā Is Real both the cosmos and its maintainer, too. After thus describing Bhagavan in reference to His external energy, māyā, which man- ifests as pradhana and so on, Devahūti next explains how He is beyond the material energy by virtue of His conscious potency. She states this with the words ātmānubhutyanugata-prapañca (by dint of your own experience, the entire phenomenal world fol- lows You). Atmänubhutya (lit., by Your own experience) means by Your internal potency. The entire phenomenal world follows Him, i.e., is dissolved in Him, through His internal potency. The word kavi (wise one) means omniscient. This means that He is the witness of the manifestation of the material elements, beginning with pradhana.” अत्र पुरुषस्यापि मायान्तःपातित्वं तदधिष्ठातृतयोपचर्यत एव । वस्तुतस्तस्य तु तस्याः परत्वम् । तथा च श्रीकपिलदेववाक्ये (भा० ३।२६।३ ) - In this verse, it is figuratively said that the Purusa is contained within māyā, meaning that He is her presiding Lord, for in reality He is transcendental to her. This is confirmed by Śrī Kapiladeva in Srimad Bhagavatam: अनादिरात्मा पुरुषो निर्गुणः प्रकृतेः परः । प्रत्यग्धामा स्वयं ज्योतिर्विश्वं येन समन्वितम् ॥ १०२ ॥ इति । bas (ma) The Purusa is the beginningless Self, who is free of the gunas and is beyond material nature. He is perceivable everywhere because He is self-effulgent, and by His luster, the entire creation is main- tained. (SB 3.26.3)8 नामस्वरूपयोर्निरूपणेन महासंहितायामपि विविक्तं तत्त्रिशक्ति- Maha-samhitä also categorizes these three energies by defining their names and natures: श्रीर्भूर्दुर्गेति या भिन्ना जीवमायामहात्मनः । आत्ममाया तदिच्छा स्याद् गुणमाया जडात्मिका ॥ १०३ ॥ इति । anadir ātmā puruşo nirgunaḥ prakṛteḥ paraḥ pratyag-dhāmā svayañjyotir viśvaṁ yena samanvitam 219 Śri Bhagavat Sandarbha The jiva-maya of the Great Self is divided into three - Śri, Bhu and Durgā. His personal power (ätma-māyā) is His will, and the da el power of the gunas (guna-māyā) is inert? bna unadhang as
adi buoyed अस्यार्थः – श्रीरत्र जगत्पालनशक्तिः । भूस्तत्सृष्टिशक्तिः । दुर्गा तत्प्रलयशक्तिः । तत्तद्रूपेन या भेदं प्राप्ता सा जीवविषया तच्छक्तिर्जीवमायेत्युच्यते । This is to be understood as follows. Śrī is the maintaining potency, bhū is His creative potency, and durga is His dissolving potency. Bhagavan’s energy, when divided into these features, in relation to the jiva, is called jiva-māyā. पाद्मे श्रीकृष्णसत्यभामासंवादीयकार्तिकमाहात्म्ये " अहमेव त्रिधा भिन्ना तिष्ठामि त्रिविधै- र्गुणैः” (पाद्मे ६।७३।२३१) इत्येतद्वाक्यानन्तरम् । पाद्मे ६ । ७३ ।२३४- In a dialogue between Śrī Kṛṣṇa and Satyabhāmā in PP 6.73.231, Māyā says, “I exist, dividing myself into three, through the three gunas.“10 Shortly after this, the following verse is found: ततः सर्वेऽपि ते देवाः श्रुत्वा तद्वाक्यचोदिताः । गौरीं लक्ष्मीं धरां चैव प्रणेमुर्भक्तितत्पराः ॥ १०४ ॥ इति । After hearing and being inspired by her statements, all the gods bowed down with devotion to Gauri (Durgā), Lakṣmi (Śrī) and Dhara (Bhu). (PP 6.73.234)11 एकादशे च (भा० ११ । ३ । १६) - Also, in the Eleventh Canto: 9 char एषा माया भगवतः सृष्टिस्थित्यन्तकारिणी । त्रिवर्णा वर्णितास्माभिः किं भूयः श्रोतुमिच्छसि ॥ १०५ ॥ इति । śrir bhur durgeti ya bhinnä jīva-māyā mahātmanaḥ atma-māyā tad-icchā syāt guṇa-māyā jaḍātmikā 10 aham eva tridha bhinnā tiṣṭhāmi trividhair gunaiḥ “tataḥ sarve’pi te devāḥ śrutvā tad-vākya-coditāḥ gaurim lakṣmim dharam caiva pranemur bhakti-tat-parāḥ 22023 Threefold Māyā Is Real We have thus described Bhagavan’s māyā, consisting of the three gunas of material nature, the agent behind the creation, mainte-as nance and annihilation of the material cosmos. Do you wish to hear anything further? (SB 11.3.16)12 आत्ममाया स्वरूपशक्तिः । olalvik Ātma-māyā13 means His own internal potency (svarupa-śakti), or that potency by which He is known. Commentary B In order to further explain the usage of the word kaivalya in Śrī- mad Bhagavatam, Śrī Jiva Prabhu cites the sage Dattatreya from the Eleventh Canto (SB 11.9.18). The latter states that the Lord is called kaivalya because He is superior to all existence, material and spir- itual. He is free from all limiting designations and situated in the bliss of His own experience. This verse also implies that He has internal potency; otherwise, there is no need to say that He enjoys supreme bliss. Moreover, the word sandoha (totality) indicates that His internal energy is variegated. This is confirmed in su 6.8, “The transcendental Lord has multiple energies.” “14 Dattatreya goes on to describe, in the following verse, that the internal energy activates māyā: 5di of bersam AO subduer of the enemies, at the time of creation, the Supreme Person destabilizes His material energy (maya), composed of the three gunas of material nature, through His unadulterated internal potency (kevalätmänubhāvena), and thus manifests the mahat-tattva (sutra)15 الله 12 eṣā māyā bhagavataḥ srsti-sthity-anta-kāriņi trivarṇā varṇitāsmābhiḥ kim bhūyaḥ śrotum icchasi 13 As used in the Maha-samhita verse quoted in this section. parasya saktir vividhaiva śruyate 15 kevalātmānubhāvena sva-māyāṁ tri-guṇātmikām sankṣobhayan sṛjaty ādau tayā sūtram arindama 221 Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha In this verse, the word kevalätmānubhāvena16 refers to the influ- ence of His cit-sakti, described as His glance, by which He activates māyā. o called prakṛti Māyā, which is sometimes also called prakṛti or nature, has three divisions according to the gunas. In Anuccheda 18, māyā was divided into jīva-māyā and guṇa-māyā based on its being the efficient and the material cause, respectively. These divisions are explained in Mahā- samhita. Guṇa-māyā is nature’s inert aspect; it produces insentient products. It is also called pradhana, in which the three gunas are in a balanced or equilibrated state. The efficient aspect, which influences the jiva, is called jīva-māyā. It is also divided into three, according to the three gunas. The presiding deities of these three energies are Bhu, Śrī and Durga. Their corresponding energetic counterparts are called Brahma, Visņu and Śiva, whose respective functions are the creation, maintenance, and dissolution of the cosmos. Mel In SB 12.8.45, the sage Märkandeya says: O my Lord, O supreme friend of the self, although You playfully accept the gunas of sattva, rajas and tamas for the sake of creat-a aving, maintaining and annihilating this world, it is Your pastimes in the mode of sattva that bring liberation to conditioned beings, and not the other two [rajas and tamas], which lead them simply into misfortune, bewilderment and fear!” wand brod The idea behind this verse is that although Visņu, like Brahmā and Śiva, is the energetic counterpart of one of the material gunas, He is transcendental to them. He should not be compared to the other two, for He is never touched by the gunas and thus has the power to liberate those who surrender unto Him. For this reason, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi writes that although the Purusa, or Paramātmā, 16 In his Krama-sandarbha commentary, Śrī Jiva Prabhu glosses this compound as suddha-svarupa-prabhavena (the pure influence or power of His true Self), i.e., His internal potency. Śrīdhara Svāmi simply says kälena (by Time). Most translations follow the latter. 17 sattvam rajas tama itisa tavātma-bandho maya-mayāḥ sthiti-layodbhava-hetavo’sya lila-dhṛtā yad api sattva-mayi praśäntyai nanye nṛṇāṁ vyasana-moha-bhiyaś ca yābhyām 222 23 Threefold Māyā Is Real is within māyā, in reality He is transcendental to her. According to Śrīla Suta Gosvāmī, this is the very Godhood of God yo siped ni babпnow 10 ballbiyy odw al illow adi astrosa stalo This is the divinity of God: Though He stands within material nature, He is not affected by its qualities, for they are always within Him. This is so, just as an ordinary person too, whose intelligence has taken complete shelter of Him, also remains unaffected by the qualities of nature. (sB1.11.38) 18 23.3 To मीयतेऽनयेति मायाशब्देन शक्तिमात्रमपि भण्यते ( भा० १० | १३ | ४५ ) - Deriving the meaning of māyā from the verbal root √mā, “by which one knows,” atma-māyā can also mean energy in general, as in the following statement by Śrī Brahmä: तम्यां तमोवन् नैहारं खद्योतार्चिरिवाहनि । महतीतरमायैश्यं निहन्त्यात्मनि युञ्जतः || १०६ ॥ इति ब्रह्मवाक्यं तथैव सङ्ग- च्छते । As the power of fog to create darkness is eclipsed by night, and the light of a glow worm, by daylight, so is the māyā of an ordi- nary person struck down when directed against a person of great power. (SB 10.13.45) 19 H Wbala शक्तिमात्रस्य तारतम्यं हि तत्र विवक्षितम् । स्वल्पा शक्तिः खल्वनृतस्य सत्यस्य वा व्यञ्जिका भवतु नाम पराभवाय कल्पत एवेति हि तत्र गम्यते । दृष्टान्ताभ्यां च तथैव प्रक- टितम् “तम्यां तमोवत्” इत्यादिभ्याम् । तथा युद्धेषु मायामयशस्त्रादिना बहवश्छिन्नभिन्ना जाता इति पुराणादिषु श्रूयते । ततः सा च माया मिथ्याकल्पिका न भवतीति गम्यते । न हि मरुमरीचिकाजलेन केचिदार्द्रा भवन्तीति । (Mouses (artif The purpose of this verse is to show the gradations of energy (śakti) in general. A weak energy may be instrumental in reveal- ing a falsehood or a truth, but it can easily be overpowered by 18 1s etad iśanam iśasya prakrti stho’pi tad-gunaih 19 na yujyate sadatma-sthair yatha buddhis tad-āśrayā tamyam tamovan naiharaṁ khadyotarcir ivāhani mahatitara-mayaiśyam nihanty ätmani yuñjataḥthing 223 Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha a superior energy. This is the gist of the verse, as depicted by the two illustrations of fog and the glow worm. The Purāņas relate stories of people who were killed or wounded in battle by weapons made of maya. This māyā should not be regarded as merely illusory or imagined, for no one gets wet from the water in a mirage. Caturveda-śikhā says: स्वरूपभूतया नित्यशक्त्या मायाख्यया युतः । अतो मायामयं विष्णुं प्रवदन्ति सनातनम् ॥ १०७ ।। The eternal Supreme Person, Śrī Visņu, is called Mayamaya (the possessor of maya), because He is endowed with His eternal energy, called māyā, as part of His essential nature.20 इति चतुर्वेदशिखाख्या श्रुतिश्च तथैव प्रवर्तते । to grines adt guival mond oil no fotd w Thus, Caturveda-sikha and the Śruti confirm this meaning of māyā as energy. ततश्च “आत्ममाया तदिच्छा स्यात्” इत्यत्र ज्ञानक्रिये अपि लक्ष्येते । ज्ञानक्रियावृत्त्योरपी- च्छोपलक्षितत्वात् तेऽपि गृह्येते । Therefore, in the phrase, “His personal power is His will” (ātma- māyā tad iccha syat, from the Maha-samhita verse quoted above), His cognitive (jñāna) and working (kriyā) potencies are also indi- cated. Will (icchā) implies knowledge and action, so both of these are also accepted as inherent in the Lord. अत एव “माया वयुनं ज्ञानम्” इति निघण्टौ च पर्यायशब्दाः Therefore, Nighantu gives wisdom (vayuna) and knowledge (jñāna) as synonyms for māyā. The śabda mahodadhi lexicon says: Jo anotebag wod aids to stoging an wanagn (mm) vd त्रिगुणात्मिकाथ ज्ञानं च विष्णुशक्तिस्तथैव च । मायाशब्देन भण्यते शब्दतत्त्वार्थवेदिभिः ॥ १०८ ॥ इति शब्दमहोदधौ । 20 svarūpa-bhūtayā nitya-śaktyā māyākhyayā yutah ato māyāmayaṁ viṣṇum pravadanti sanātanam 224 23 Threefold Māyā Is Real Māya means, material nature, endowed with the three gunas (triguṇātmikā), knowledge and the energy of Śrī Viṣṇu.” (od 02hy bus (se त्रिगुणात्मिकात्र जगत्सृष्ट्यादिशक्तिः । सा च द्विधेत्युक्तमेव । “माया स्याच् छाम्बरीबुद्ध्योः” इति त्रिकाण्डशेषे । “माया दम्भे कृपायां च” इति विश्वप्रकाशे । Triguṇātmikā, or endowed with the three gunas, means the power to create, maintain and destroy the cosmos. This māyā is of two types [namely jiva-maya and guṇa-māyā], as stated earlier. Trikända-seṣa lexicon defines māyā as magical powers (sambari)22 and knowledge (buddhi), while Viśva-prakāśa also gives pretence (dambha) and mercy (kṛpā) as synonyms. bled fort zo zo व्याख्यातं च टीकाकृद्भिरेकादशे “कालो मायामये जीवे” (भा० ११ । २४ । २७ ) इत्यत्र “माया- प्रवर्तके ज्ञानमये वा” इति । नवमे “ दौष्मन्तिरत्यगान्मायां देवानां गुरुमाययौ” ( भा० ९।२०।२७) इत्यत्र टीका च “देवानामपि मायां वैभवम्” इति । तृतीयेऽपि “आपुः परां मुदम्” (भा० ३।१५।२६) इत्यादौ योगमायशब्देन सनकादावष्टाङ्गयोगप्रभावं व्याख्याय परमेश्वरे तु चिच्छक्तिविलासो व्याख्यातः । ततस्त्रिभेदैवात्ममायेति सिद्धम् । While commenting on the word maya-maya in SB 11.24.27, Śrī- dhara Svāmi says that it also means knowledge (jñāna). In his commentary to SB 9.20.27, he writes, “Maya refers to the opulence of the gods.” And in his comment on SB 3.15.26, he first explains the word yoga-māyā as the supernatural power manifest in the Kumāras by dint of aṣṭanga-yoga, and then in relation to the Lord, as the manifestation of His cit potency (cit-śakti-vilāsa). Thus, it has been established that atma-māyā has three divisions. यत्तु - 97 However, as it is said: gum ad ho महामायेत्यविद्येति नियतिर्मोहिनीति च । प्रकृतिर्वासनेत्येवं तवेच्छानन्त कथ्यते ॥ १०९ ॥ orrob HEVAULT Cohere is a s ini dguodils uneavis tor 21 triguṇātmikatha jñānam ca viṣṇu-śaktis tathaiva ca maya-śabdena bhanyante sabda-tattvärtha-vedibhiḥ 22 The word sambari specifically refers to the sorcery or conjuring power of the demon known as Sambarāsura. 225 Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha O unlimited Lord! Your will is called mahā-māyā, avidyā (igno- the rance), niyati (destiny), mohini (delusion), prakṛti (material nature) and väsana (subconscious impressions).23 इति जीवमायाया अपीच्छात्वं दृश्यते तदिच्छाभासत्वेनैवेति ज्ञेयम् । जगत्कार्यहेतौ तस्यां साक्षात् तदिच्छात्वानभ्युपगमात् । गुणमाया त्रिगुणसाम्यं प्रधानमिति । When jiva-māyā is said to be the will of Bhagavan, as in the previ- ous verse, it should be known that it is only a shadow of His will. This is because Bhagavan’s direct will does not intercede in the sphere of universal affairs. The word guṇa-maya means the three gunas in their balanced state (pradhana). Commentary pr arpo The word maya has many meanings and Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmī here enumerates some of them on the basis of scriptural sources. Some of these meanings include energy, either internal or external, will, knowledge, action, intelligence, illusion, magic, pretence, mercy mercy and opulence. Generally, the word māyā is used in philosophy to denote Bhagavan’s energies, both internal and external. Thus, Śrī Viṣṇu is called maya-maya (the possessor of maya, or energy). In the material world, māyā manifests as inert matter and the potency that enacts creation, maintenance and annihilation. In the spiritual world, maya is the variegated cit potency of Bhagavan. Bangadag geed and The Brahmavādīs claim that Brahman alone is real, and the mate- rial creation as well as the spiritual world of Vaikuntha are mithya, or māyā - brahma satyam jagan mithya jivo brahmaiva naparaḥ. They do not accept this material world as real in an absolute sense, only in an empirical sense. The Vaisnavas do not support this view. Rather, they understand prakṛti to be a real, and hence eternal, potency of the Lord, although finite and endlessly mutable. Therefore, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi gives numerous references from Srimad Bhagavatam to 23 maha-mayety avidyeti niyatir mohiniti ca de prakṛtir vasanety evam tavecchananta kathyatele Source of the verse not found. 226 23 Threefold Māyā Is Real show that maya means the energy of Bhagavan. Sometimes the word may refer to the external energy and sometimes to the internal. This is supported by the numerous Sanskrit dictionaries. qolinderi Śrila Jiva Gosvāmi further explains that one should not mistake māyā to be mithya, or only empirically real. If it were so, the liv- ing entity could not be bound, and to say that the Lord activates māyā by His internal energy would make no sense. Nobody gets wet from the illusory water of a mirage, nor do mirages arise out of someone’s will. Similarly, phenomenal existence has not arisen out of illusion. Otherwise, to say that Bhagavan’s māyā causes the creation (cf. SB 11.3.36) would be senseless. The law of karma would have no meaning. Bhagavan’s abode, form and pastimes would also be imaginary, since He is, after all, maya-maya (imbued with māyā). Ultimately, such a view can be put forth only if it assumed, a pri- ori, that the Absolute must be without potency. In the previous sec- tions, however, it was shown that Bhagavan has inherent potencies. By failing to accommodate this truth, Advaitavādīs are bound by the inbuilt limitations of their view to reduce māyā to empirical reality, and Bhagavan to a material designation. Is When it is said, therefore, that the light of a glow worm is insignificant in comparison to that of the sun (cf. SB 10.13.45), this illustrates how the internal energy is superior to the intermediary and external energies. The comparison is between different grades of energy, not between reality and illusion. This verse is taken from Kṛṣṇa’s brahma-vimohana-lilä, when Śrī Kṛṣṇa took Brahma by sur- prise with a demonstration of His internal energy. There is no impli- cation in this verse or in the description of the lila that Brahma’s stealing the calves and cowherd boys was false. Thus, the conclu- sion is that though the external energy is subdued by the internal, this does not mean that one is real and the other false, or that when one is realized in Brahman, the world ceases to exist. Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi has cited many references that offer various meanings for the word maya, yet none of them validate the idea of falseness, imaginariness or non-existence. It is very difficult to understand Bhagavan and His māyā, impossible for those lacking the inclusivity of devotion. Even great souls become bewildered, 227 Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha muhyanti yat surayaḥ (SB 1.1.1), so it is not surprising that Advaitava- dis are unable to come to a proper conclusion. This is due to their inbuilt conceptual defect of assuming the Absolute to be without inherent energies, and thus not being able to comprehend Bhaga- vän as the Personal Nondual Absolute, encompassing even Brahman. Because of this conceptual defect, surrender to Bhagavan becomes an impossibility. When Brahma was finally able to comprehend something, he said: To people ignorant of Your actual transcendental position You appear as part of the material world, manifesting Yourself by Your Blue inconceivable energy. Thus, for the creation of the universe, You appear as me [Brahma], for its maintenance, You appear as Yourself [Visnu], and for its annihilation, You appear as Lord Trinetra [Śiva]. (SB 10.14.19)24 ji li vino dot jug od 52 20 d ing Juoibiw 100 In this way, it has been established that Bhagavan’s māyā has three divisions. The Upanisads compare māyā to a three-colored goat, referring to her three divisions, ajām ekām lohita-sukla-kṛṣṇām (SU 4.5). act Atma-māyā means the will of Bhagavan, which is His internal potency. It also indicates that He has knowledge and working potency, which is confirmed in the Upanisads, “Bhagavan natu- rally possesses knowledge, will and agency” (svabhäviki jñāna-bala- kriya ca, śu 6.8). The faculty of will would have no efficacy if He did not have working potency. And will naturally assumes knowledge about the object of will. When the word “will” is used in reference to the external energy, it indicates that the external energy works according to His will. It does not mean that it has independent will. dannede 23.4 They अथवा “त्वमाद्यः पुरुषः” (भा० १।७।२३) इत्यादिमूलपद्यमेवमवतार्यम् । श्रीवैकुण्ठे मायां निषेधन्नपि साक्षात् तामेवाह “त्वमाद्य” इति । कैवल्ये मोक्षाख्ये श्रीवैकुण्ठलक्षणे आत्मनि 24 ajānatāṁ tvat-padavīm anātmany ātmātmanā bhāsi vitatya māyām sṛṣṭāv ivaham jagato vidhana iva tvam eṣo’nta iva trinetrah da This verse is quoted as the principal verse of Section 37. 228 23 Threefold Māyā Is Real स्वांश एव स्थितः । किं कृत्वा ? तत्रातिविराजमानया चिच्छक्त्या मायां दूरस्थितामपि तिरस्कृत्यैव । An alternative explanation of the main verse under discussion in this section [“You are the Original Person,” etc., SB 1.7.23] can be given as follows: Although the existence of māyā is denied in Vai- kuntha, the existence there of the internal energy is confirmed in this verse. “You are always situated in the state of absolute unity (kaivalya), which is known as liberation and appears as Vaikuntha, Your own essential part. And what have You done to be thus situated? You showed disdain for māyā, even though it is already situated far away, through Your cit potency, which exists so majestically in Vaikuntha.” मतं चैतन्मायादिकं निषेधता श्रीशुकदेवेन ( भा० २।९।१० ) - g vans rodjons This doctrine of maya’s absence in Vaikuntha is also confirmed by Śrī Śukadeva: प्रवर्तते यत्र रजस्तमस्तयोः सत्त्वं च मिश्रं न च कालविक्रमः । न यत्र माया किमुतापरे हरेरनुव्रता यत्र सुरासुरार्चिताः ॥ ११० ॥ इति । In that personal abode of the Lord, the material gunas of tamas 00 bed and rajas do not exist, nor does sattva, in which there is an admix- no ture of these. Nor is there any influence of time, what to speak ads of maya. The residents there are worshipable by both devas and Jonasuras. (SB 2.9.10) 25 “मोक्षं परं पदं लिङ्गममृतं विष्णुमन्दिरम् ” (पाद्मे ६।२२७/७९) इति पाद्मोत्तरखण्डे वैकुण्ठ- पर्यायशब्दाः ।। अर्जुनः श्रीभगवन्तम् ॥ Uttara-khanda of Padma Purana, lists a number of synonyms for Vaikuntha, including mokşa (liberation), paraṁ padam (the supreme destination), linga (the signifier), amṛta (immortality) and vişnu-mandira (the abode of Viṣṇu).26 25 pravartate yatra rajas tamas tayoḥ sattvam ca miśram na ca kala-vikramaḥ na yatra māyā kim utapare harer anuvrata yatra surăsurărcitāḥ See Section 10.2. dinesh 26 PP 6.227.79 229 Commentary Śri Bhagavat Sandarbha Śri Jiva Gosvāmi offers an alternative meaning of the main verse (SB 1.7.23) to emphasize the fact that dependent māyā has no entry into the spiritual world. It is the cit potency, or the internal energy, which reigns supreme in that abode. Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi concludes the section with a list of synonyms for Vaikuntha, all of which indicate that Vaikuntha is free from any contact with māyā. of s bas It has been explained that Bhagavan is endowed with variegated energies, and that His energies are real, though at the same time inconceivable. For our basic understanding, these energies have been divided under three classifications - internal, external and intermediary - which are then further subdivided according to function. Although some of these energies continuously oppose one another, they exist harmoniously in Bhagavan, since He is their ulti- mate support. The relation between Bhagavan and His energies is like that of the sun and its rays - inconceivably simultaneously one and different. In the conditioned state, one cannot realize Bhagavan as the source behind creation. One may perceive the actions of some of His conscious and inert energies, without perceiving how these actions are impelled by the internal energy. The external energy is incited to act under the influence of the internal energy, as a piece of iron is pulled or rotated by a magnet. Although Bhagavan controls the external energy, it does not influence Him, just as a shadow does not affect its source. The external energy has two divisions —jīva-māyā and guṇa- māyā - and they each have three divisions according to the three gunas of material nature. Māyā is real; there is nothing illusory regarding her existence. 19dil) pelom gnibobni, adjoulie 201 (In the next section, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmī begins a discussion, describing the qualities of the Lord as belonging to His internal nature. me 230heha? Vil foot beer mag sa fufpino mis 156 Anuccheda 24 dorensishened (or) o asin/moved? sta brow sn) to sau te ad (saussed) tomen errem in (vi) The Qualities of Bhagavan Are Intrinsic to His Nature aid jadi gainsa grtn dow loud solvitasbi so sense mot hoog Us aszol H astianp Instam २४ । अत ऊर्ध्वं गुणादीनां स्वरूपात्मतानिगमनात् स्वरूपशक्तिरेव पुनरपि विव्रियते यावत् सन्दर्भसमाप्तिः । तत्र गुणानां स्वरूपात्मतामाहुः (भा० १० । ८७ । ३८) - pani alict of its ald reject NOW, BY CONCLUDING that all of Bhagavan’s qualities and such belong to His essential nature, His internal energy will be further explained from here through to the end of this Sandarbha. In the prayers of the personified Vedas, it is affirmed that the qualities of the Lord are inherent in His svarupa; they are intrinsic to His ला nature: badas HE da स यदजया त्वजामनुशयीत गुणांश्च जुषन् भजति सरूपतां तदनुमृत्युमपेतभगः । SASTR alline ads ToMidw der al 150m Joneschte त्वमुत जहासि तामहिरिव त्वचमात्तभगो महसि महीयसेऽष्टगुणितेऽपरिमेयभगः | १११ || 20 MIDI DA BOY helimia vbod 211 10 zajld ylls Because the jiva lies alongside ignorance through the influence of maya, and, delighting in her qualities, takes a suitable form [for enjoying them], he loses all good fortune and suffers death. You, on the other hand, reject māyā, like a serpent its skin, and, -filled with Your own opulences, are exalted in Your own glory,2 antequipped with the eight paranormal powers and immeasurable sin opulences. (SB 10.87.38)autiz 15 uoY 20 of no boqideroW SER BOY sa yad ajayā tv ajām anusayīta guņāmś ca juşan bhajati sarupatam tad anu mṛtyum apeta-bhagaḥ→→ modom 231 Śri Bhagavat Sandarbha टीका च- स तु जीवो यद् यस्मादजया मायया अजामविद्यामनुशयीत आलिङ्गेत् । ततो गुणांश्च देहेन्द्रियादीन् जुषन् सेवमानः आत्मतया अध्यस्यन् तदनु तदनन्तरं सरूपतां तद्ध- र्मयोगं च जुषन्नपेतभगः पिहितानन्दादिगुणः सन् मृत्युं संसारं भजति प्राप्नोति । त्वमुत त्वं तु जहासि तामजां मायाम् । Śrīdhara Svāmi comments: “Sa (he) here refers to the living being (jiva). Yat means yasmāt (because ). The first use of the word ajā refers to māyā, by whose influence the living being lies alongside her (ajā), meaning that he embraces ignorance (avidyā). Then, as the phrase ‘delighting in her gunas’ (“indulging the body and senses’ or ‘identifying himself with them ‘) indicates, the jiva sub- sequently takes a corresponding form (sarupată), i.e., he acquires material qualities. He loses all good fortune, meaning that his real qualities, such as bliss, are covered, and he suffers death, i.e., he falls into the cycle of birth and death. You, on the other hand, reject her, māyā. dawe bus ननु सा मय्येवास्ति कथं त्यागः ? तत्राह “अहिरिव त्वचम्” इति । अयं भावः - यथा भुजङ्गः स्वगतमपि कञ्चुकं गुणबुद्ध्या नाभिमन्यते तथा त्वमजां मायाम् । न हि निरन्तराह्लादसं- वित्कामधेनुवृन्दपतेरजया कृत्यमिति तामुपेक्षसे । कुत एतत् ? तदाह आत्तभगो नित्यप्रा- प्तैश्वर्यः । महसि परमैश्वर्ये अष्टगुणिते अणिमाद्यष्टविभूतिमति । महीयसे पूज्यसे विराजसे । कथम्भूतः ? अपरिमेयभगः अपरिमेयैश्वर्यः । न त्वन्येषामिव देशकालपरिच्छिन्नं तवाष्टगुणि- तमैश्वर्यम् अपि तु परिपूर्णस्वरूपानुबन्धित्वादपरिमितमित्यर्थः । इत्येषा । to act I the futu “If Bhagavān should object, ‘How can I reject her, who is situated within Me?’ the Śrutis answer, ’like a serpent its skin.’ The sense is this: The snake does not much value its skin, even though part of its body; similarly, You are indifferent to māyā, just as the owner of eternally blissful, transcendental kāma-dhenus (wish- fulfilling cows) is indifferent to an insignificant goat. Why is that? Because You are eternally associated with complete opu- lences (ätta-bhaga ). Mahasi ( in Your own glory) means in Your supreme Godhood, which is filled with ’eight paranormal poten- cies’ like animā (atomization). Mahiyase (You are exalted) means ‘You are worshiped,’ or, ‘You are situated.’ How are you situated? tvam uta jahāsi tām ahir iva tvacam atta-bhago mahasi mahiyase’sta-gunite’parimeya-bhagaḥ 232 24 The Qualities of Bhagavan Are Intrinsic to His Nature ‘In immeasurable opulence’ (aparimeya-bhaga). Unlike in any other, Your eight types of opulences are not limited by time and place, but are immeasurable, being completely intrinsic to Yourself.” Here ends Śrīdhara Svami’s comment. तथा च तत्रैव पूर्वमुक्तम् " त्वमसि यदात्मना समवरुद्धसमस्तभगः” (भा० १० । ८७ ।१४) इति । A similar statement was made earlier by the Śrutis in the same chapter, “You contain all opulence in Your Self” (ātmanā samavaruddha-samasta-bhagaḥ, SB 10.87.14). o ano so of his यद्वा अहिरिव त्वचमित्यत्र त्वक्शब्देन परित्यक्ता जीर्णत्वगेवोच्यते । स यथा तां जहातीति तत्समीपमपि न व्रजति तथा त्वमपि मायासमीपं न यासीत्यर्थः । Alternatively, the word tvacam, in ahir iva tvacam (like a serpent its skin), can mean the old rejected skin. As the snake never contacts its rejected covering, You never associate with māyā. अन्यत्र च (भा० १० । ३७।२३) – Elsewhere it is stated: ad विशुद्धविज्ञानघनं स्वसंस्थया समाप्तसर्वार्थममोघवाञ्छितम् । ११२ ॥ इति । You are the embodiment of pure and perfect spiritual awareness, and, being situated in Your original identity, You have automat- ically fulfilled all that You could intend, for Your will is never thwarted. (SB 10.37.23)2 तथोद्धवं प्रति श्रीभगवद्वाक्यम् (भा तथोद्धवं प्रति श्रीभगवद्वाक्यम् (भा० ११।१५१३) - Similarly, Śri Krsna informs Uddhava: सिद्धयोऽष्टादश प्रोक्ता धारणा योगपारगैः । तासामष्टौ मत्प्रधाना दशैव गुणहेतवः ॥ ११३ ॥ इति । 2 viśuddha-vijñāna-ghanam sva-samsthaya samapta-sarvärtham amogha-väñchitam ए Jendary aid i olytilaup yd bas 233 javaŚrī Bhagavat Sandarbha Suth ChThe masters of the yoga system have declared that there are eigh- teen types of paranormal power, of which eight are primary, hav-to aring their shelter in Me. The ten others are secondary, appearing from the material gunas. (SB 11.15.3)3 अग्रे च “एता मे सिद्धयः सौम्य अष्टावौत्पत्तिका मताः” ( भा० ११।१५। ५) इति । अत एव दैत्यबालकान् प्रति श्रीप्रह्लादवाक्यम् (भा० ११।१५।५) - And later on, “Gentle Uddhava, these eight paranormal powers are inherent in Me” (SB 11.15.5). Therefore, Prahlada Mahārāja said to the sons of the asuras: केवलानुभवानन्दस्वरूपः परमेश्वरः । माययान्तर्हितैश्वर्य ईयते गुणसर्गया ॥ ११४ ॥ इति । F The Supreme Lord, who is the personification of His own bliss and is realized though His divinity, is hidden by the veil of external energy, which creates the world by these gunas. (SB 7.6.23)5 टीका च - ननु स एव चेत् सर्वत्र तर्हि सर्वत्र सर्वज्ञताद्युपलभ्येत । तत्राह गुणात्मकः सर्गो यस्यास्तया मायया अन्तर्हितमैश्वर्यं येन सः । इत्येषा । Śrīdhara Svāmi comments here: “If the Supreme Lord alone exists everywhere, then qualities like omniscience should be available everywhere, shouldn’t they? The verse answers this objection as follows: [It is not so, because] He has concealed His divinity by māyā, which manifests the creation, consisting of the three gunas.” Ila ball अत्र भगवदैश्वर्यस्य माययान्तर्हितत्वेन गुणसर्गयेति मायाया विशेषणविन्यासेन च तदती- तत्वं बोधयति स्वरूपवत् । अतः परमेश्वर इति विशेषणमपि तत्सहयोगेन पूर्वमेव दत्तमिति ज्ञेयम् । You In this verse, by stating that the Lord’s opulence is concealed by māyā, and by qualifying maya with the adjective guṇa-sargā, “in 3 siddhayo’ṣṭādasa prokta dharana yoga-paragaiḥ 4 tāsām aṣṭau mat-pradhana daśaiva guna-hetavah eta me siddhayaḥ saumya aṣṭāv autpattikā matāḥ 5 kevalānubhavananda-svarupaḥ parameśvaraḥ mayayantarhitaiśvarya iyate guna-sargaya 234 24 The Qualities of Bhagavan Are Intrinsic to His Nature the form of the three gunas,” it is disclosed that His opulence, like His svarupa, is transcendental to māyā. It is for this reason that the qualifier, “Supreme Lord” (Parameśvara), was previously given along with the words “His divinity is hidden” (antarhita- aiśvarya). श्रुतयश्च (श्वे०४।५) — The Vedas also say: edA botagegong aw sitalooning oberw 07 अजामेकां लोहितशुक्लकृष्णां बह्वीः प्रजाः सृजमानां सरूपाः । instal अजो ह्येको जुषमाणोऽनुशेते जहात्येनां भुक्तभोगामजोऽन्यः || ११५ || इति । geod There is a red, black and white she-goat that produces offspring all of the same nature as herself. There is one ram (jiva) who is captivated and enjoys her, but another (Paramātmā) who abandons this she-goat as already enjoyed. (śu 4.5) यदात्मको भगवांस्तदात्मिका व्यक्तिः । किमात्मको भगवान् ? ज्ञानात्मक ऐश्वर्यात्मकः शक्त्यात्मकश्च “दैवात्मशक्तिं स्वगुणैर्निगूढाम्” (श्वे० १।३) इत्याद्याः । 29ri) quơng broosa imdac The manifestation of Bhagavan’s energies is according to His own nature. What is His nature? He has the nature of knowledge, con- trollership and energy. As is stated in su 1.3, “The divine power is concealed by His own qualities.” अत्र स्वगुणैः इति “यातीतगोचरा वाचाम्” (वि० पु० १।१९।७६) इत्युक्तैः स्वीयस्वभावैरित्य- र्थः । अत्र श्रीविष्णुपुराणे षष्ठांशे “निरस्तातिशयाह्लाद” (वि० पु० ६ । ५ । ५९) इत्यादिप्रकरणं तदीयश्रीधरस्वामिटीका चानुसन्धेया ॥ श्रुतयः श्रीभगवन्तम् ॥ Here sva-gunaiḥ (by His own qualities) means by His own nature, as VP 1.19.76 states, “That which is beyond speech.” In this con- text, one should also consult VP 6.5.59, where it is said, “That which is replete with spiritual bliss,” along with the comments of Sridhara Svāmi. ⚫ajām ekām lohita-śukla-kṛṣṇām bahviḥ prajäḥ sṛjamānāṁ sarūpā ajo hy eko juṣamano’nusete jahaty enam bhukta-bhogam ajo’nyaḥ daivātma-śaktim sva-gunair nigūḍhām nirastātiśayahlada-sukha-bhāvaika-lakṣaṇā bheṣajam bhagavat-präptir ekäntätyantiki matā to 235 SaloŚrī Bhagavat Sandarbha Commentary Hadhocolathatalar shared to rich ods RIH THE PHILOSOPHY OF BHAGAVATAM establishes one Absolute Non- dual Truth, without any peer. The natural questions that follow are, why is there empirical duality, and what is the nature of this Absolute Truth that is one without a second? This is a difficult sub- ject to understand and even more difficult to explain. Different wisdom schools have propagated different doctrines, attempting to accommodate empirical duality within the transcendent Abso- lute. Mainly, they can be divided in two groups - those who regard the Absolute as Oneness only, radically unqualified (non- theistic Vedanta), and those who regard the radically unqualified as but the indeterminate perception of the complete Nondual Abso- lute, encompassing all potency, personhood and distinction (the- istic Vedanta). The first group comprehends Absolute Reality as undifferentiated, all-pervading and devoid of energy, quality and personhood. This includes, primarily, Sankarācārya’s Māyāvāda interpretation of Advaitavada, the followers of Bhartṛhari and the Pratyabhijña-vādīs of Kashmir. The second group (theistic Vedanta) includes the Vaisnavas, who mainly adhere to five philosophies: alwor
- Visiṣtadvaitavada of Śrī Rāmānujācārya
- Dvaitavada of Sri Madhvācāryand nwo el ob3. Svabhävika-bhedabheda of Sri Nimbārkācārya H Почт Bine qulders Bott
- Suddhadvaita of Śrī Vallabhācārya Prienus de Mar R 5. Acintya-bhedabheda of Śrī Caitanya MahaprabhupEERID All these Vaiṣṇava doctrines identify the Absolute as a person, possessing energies that are real. There are subtle nuances of dif- ference in view between the schools, as to how these energies are related to the Supreme Person. Śrī Jīva Prabhu explains these in Sarva-saṁvādīni. The main obstacle to the personal realization of the Absolute is Radical Nondualism (i.e., oneness alone, devoid of variety or potency), of which Mäyävāda (Sankarācārya’s absolutist interpretation of Advaitavada) is the chief proponent. If this the- ory is exposed as inadequate to explain the Absolute Truth, then the other two schools of thought will be refuted along with them. So, 236 24 The Qualities of Bhagavan Are Intrinsic to His Nature throughout his work, Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī points out the inherent lim- itations and flaws in their theories, which necessarily deny the pos- sibility of understanding the Nondual Absolute, as a person, replete with transcendental potency. The followers of Sankarācārya hold that the material world is not real in the ultimate sense. It is like a dream: it appears real as long as one is asleep, but has no factual existence; when one wakes up, it is no more. The only reality is Brahman, which, by definition is an amorphous, non-variegated reality; it appears as many because of māyā. Advaitavādīs have different theories regarding māyā, and how she manifests this material world. Their explanations are cer- tainly not validated by Srimad Bhagavatam. This was shown in great detail in Tattva Sandarbha, Anucchedas 35-43. peab glois) According to Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi, the Bhāgavatam philosophy pro- pounds the doctrine of acintya-bheda-abheda. The Supreme Lord has energies, and these energies are simultaneously one with, and dif- ferent from, Him. This is inconceivable. Such inconceivability does not imply implausibility. After all, logically, the Absolute Truth has to have such inconceivable features, because it is the plane of exis- tence wherein all contradictions are reconciled. Here oneness and difference must co-exist. bas pa on and According to the norms of the widely accepted science of quan- tum mechanics, we have at hand an example of such inconceivable, but real, events in the sub-atomic world. In this domain, the same phenomenon - a sub-atomic particle is simultaneously a point and a wave. This is contrary to all logic and defies all explanation, other than to state the plain fact. Hence, the concept of simulta- neous oneness and difference, in regard to the Lord and His ener- gies, is not so far-fetched, though it may be inexplicable in terms of conventional experience.edit and esialgu odl Since the material world functions systematically, it must have only one underlying Supreme Person. A multiplicity of supreme per- sons would more likely produce chaos than systematic order. This Supreme Person is Bhagavan. He is both the material and efficient cause of the material creation. Die at mole 237 Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha The last few anucchedas have explained how Bhagavan is the only cause and controller. All actions originate in Him and the material world is not independent of Him. He is the fountainhead of all ener- gies, which naturally and eternally exist in Him. Māyā is His eternal, natural potency. She is not a product of someone’s dream or imagi- nation. She is His external potency, however, because He does not engage with her for transcendental lila. This in turn proves that the internal energy is most definitely part of His nature. His various qualities, all aspects of His internal energy, are therefore natural. This will be the subject of Anucchedas 24-28. have in Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmī begins by citing from the prayers of the per- sonified Vedas, which glorify Bhagavan. This verse (SB 10.87.38) lucidly describes the Lord, His relation with the internal and external energies and the conditioning of the living beings. The verse first explains that the living being is conditioned because of its association with the material energy. Though con- scious and blissful by nature, the jiva assumes a phenomenal and constricted nature, owing to absorption in the material body and senses. Thus, although conscious and eternal, he is deluded and experiences death, owing to material association. It will be explained in Paramatma Sandarbha that this association with māyā has no beginning and, hence, is not by any faulty choice of the jiva, nor by any capricious choice of the Lord Himself. This implies that the jiva should abandon oppressive association and take up association with the True, as Canakya Pandita advises - tyaja durjana-samṁsargam bhaja sädhu-samagamam. In this verse, the word anusayita is glossed by Śrīdhara Svāmī as meaning “to embrace” (alinget), or in other words, to be bound by the material designations (upādhis) of māyā. 93 01 The question arises, why is Bhagavan not conditioned by māyā? The verse explains that He “abandons” (jahāti) her. This means He does not associate with or engage with her for enjoyment. She can- not, therefore, have any influence on Him. A further doubt is raised. How can the Lord abandon māyā, who is His potency? The verse clarifies that mayä is like the skin of a snake. When a snake’s skin is old, it slackens and clings loosely to 238 24 The Qualities of Bhagavan Are Intrinsic to His Nature the snake’s body. At that point, the skin is part of the snake’s body and yet not part of its body. The old skin originated from the snake and is supported by it, yet the snake feels no loss when the skin is finally shed. Similarly, maya is neither independent of the Lord nor part of His internal nature. Just as clouds cannot cover the sun, māyā cannot cover Bhaga- van. Clouds can cover only the vision of the living being. The infe- rior nature of māyā does not reflect onto the personhood of the Lord, owing to His inconceivable power. The meaning of the phrase, “He abandons her,” is that He does not engage with her and thus consid- ers her insignificant.day du M In this Bhāgavatam verse, māyā is called aja (unborn), because she is beginingless or unborn. There is a pun, however, as ajā also means “goat.” Śrī Kṛṣṇa is a cowherd boy who tends millions of kama- dhenus, wish-fulfilling cows. So what need is there for Him to keep an insignificant goat? No need whatsoever! The kama-dhenus are His personal opulence and are unlimited. The verse mentions Krsna’s eight paranormal powers and immea- surable opulences (astagunite’parimeya-bhagah), or eight types of opulences that have no limit. In the Eleventh Canto of Śrimad Bhāgavatam, the Lord describes eighteen types of psycho-spiritual perfection, eight of which belong predominately to Him: The Supreme Lord said: The masters of the yoga system have declared that there are 18 types of paranormal power, of which eight are primary, having their shelter in Me. The ten others are secondary, appearing from the material gunas? nisom daga att Among the eight primary paranormal powers, the three by which one transforms one’s own body are animă (atomization), becom- ofing smaller than the smallest; mahima (magnification), becoming For greater than the greatest; and laghima (levitation), becoming lighter than the lightest. Through prapti (attainment), one has the power of acquiring whatever one desires, and through prākāmya-siddhi (wish-fulfillment), one can experience any enjoyable object, either siddhayo’ṣṭādaśa prokta dharana yoga-para-gaiḥ tāsām aṣṭau mat-pradhana daśaiva guna-hetavaḥ 239 Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbhash vboin this world or the next. Through isita-siddhi (lordship), one can ad manipulate the subpotencies of maya, and through vaśitä-siddhi al(mastery), one is unimpeded by the three gunas of nature. One who has kāmāvasäyitä-siddhi (dwelling in virtual-worlds of desire), can obtain anything from anywhere to the highest possible limit. My dear gentle Uddhava, these eight paranormal powers naturally exist in Me and are unexcelled. (SB 11.15.3-8)10 vino The natural fountainhead of all perfections and opulences is Śrī Kṛṣṇa. The Lord makes this clear: Blends 20s bh 49 891 9gagns for 250b 9H asdenobnadz My dear Uddhava, I am the cause, the protector and the Lord of all paranormal powers, of the yoga system, of analytic knowledge of the constituents of being (Sankhya), of action in harmony with the law of being (dharma), and of the community of wisdom-teachers of Ulti- mate Being. (SB 11.15.35)11 Bhagavan is full of bliss, knowledge, energy and opulence, so why is He not perceived by everyone, at all times and in all places? Because the jivas have embraced the inferior energy, māyā. Although the Lord is present everywhere, He cannot be perceived through the material senses: ab by I am not manifest to everyone, for I am covered by My yoga-māyā. nor This foolish world does not know Me, who am unborn and infallible. (GĪTĀ 7.25)12 Just as the sun is present always in the sky, but is not visible to everyone at all times, so the Lord is visible only when He mani- fests His pastimes in the cosmos at a specific time. At other times, He remains covered by a veil of māyā, māyā-javanikācchannam (SB 1.8.19). Yet even when He manifests His pastimes, not everyone 10 anima mahima mürter laghimă prăptir indriyaiḥ prākāmyaṁ śruta-dṛṣṭeşu śakti-preranam iśitā guneṣv asango vasitä yat-kāmas tad avasyati itä me siddhayaḥ saumya aṣṭāv autpattikä matāḥ O 10: “sarvāsām api siddhinam hetuḥ patir aham prabhuḥ finom lala ALI aham yogasya sankhyasya dharmasya brahma-vādinām 12 nähaṁ prakāśaḥ sarvasya yoga-māyā-samāvṛtaḥ mudho’yam nābhijānāti loko mām ajam avyayam 24024 The Qualities of Bhagavan Are Intrinsic to His Nature can recognize Him as the Lord on account of this covering of māyā, just as the sun cannot be seen when clouds cover our vision. The veil of māyā is a manifestation of the three gunas. An inferior object is generally used to conceal a superior one. As cloth is used to hide a gem, or an iron strongbox to secure money, similarly, Bhagavan hides Himself with the veil of māyā. This shows not only that He is superior to māyā, but that His abode and attributes are also of the same nature as Himself. In the fifth chapter of the sixth division of Visnu Purana, Parāśāra Muni gives a detailed definition of the word bhagavan. Some of these verses have already been discussed in Anuccheda 3. There Parāśara says that the Lord has natural attributes and potencies that consti- tute His essential nature. When the word bhagavan is used to refer to someone other than the Lord, it does not carry this original meaning, but is simply used as a sign of respect. Svetasvatara Upanisad explains that māyā consists of the three gunas and that she overpowers the living being who is identified with, and wants to enjoy, her (śu 4.5). The Lord, who is aja (unborn), abandons this māyā, also called unborn (ajā). This verse indicates furthermore that Bhagavan, the material energy and the living being are all eternal. That the material energy creates progeny means she supplies material bodies to the living beings, and these bodies are endowed with the same material nature (sarupa). The word prajah (progeny) is in the plural number and indicates the many conditioned beings. The Lord, on the other hand, is just one, aja, the primary unborn, who takes no interest in māyā. Māyā is also one, ajām ekām. The alternative explanation of the word māyā, found in the main verse of this anuccheda (SB 10.87.38), is that she is like the shed skin of a snake. Snakes shed their skin yearly. The shed skin has no utility for the snake. It belongs to the snake, but it is not part of his body. It is his “external energy.” The shed skin is not false or illusory, but is not alive like the snake’s body. This example explains the difference between Bhagavan’s internal and external energies. The qualities of the internal energy are part of the Lord’s own svarupa, just as the qualities of the snake’s body are part of its body’s svarupa. 241 21 Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha soll In the next anuccheda, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmī gives further scriptural references substantiating that Bhagavan’s qualities are intrinsic to His nature. Radical Nondualists do not accept the absolute nature of His qualities. el sit en vino fod swolle aut Haami edit to oala 978 astudion bus ubods aft bos bhods and sad sudom of ich squa auto obrixia it to des 929rl to sme? novopard brow and to norimallu balist Б162 STEARTS Banos Tabbombeuse M advised avail esejov bsite al od gated privilors wasto al lor amyg work dow modulatory boda (402) and some of esthothri soy side (6) modni bollen als um bis erobrede gaivi bil bryghus isiotam odiversita Jeli smo var 291 visus potem w at Jerois line aniso sasitt brisegnis divil wilt of valbod ferstar ilgges de nesmy 90T(byte) Must Listem Sree of die bewoon vs zaion dan lezolq sat of a (voogora) item brow si astethi has mpls mole ono pale pismeni hali brow ulju andsnelgas vägm. Us sut on male bade vifitu on and nila bada en vigyni odbere more il ybod aid to fine tonal trud ur aljud vosulli to pala) on ai nisa bera orgasan lamas) 10 25 ad en tu wengi to m 242 Anuccheda 25 fol Bhagavan’s Attributes Constitute His Essential Nature came a gled bed vital गलक ungTV of stung esite u dit al ba २५ | तथा (भा० ११ ।१३ ।४० ) - IN BHAGAVATAM, Haṁsävatāra tells the four Kumāras: मां भजन्ति गुणाः सर्वे निर्गुणं निरपेक्षकम् । सुहृदं प्रियमात्मानं साम्यासङ्गादयोऽगुणाः ।। ११६ ।। dashni All gunas, such as equanimity and absence of attachment, take shelter of Me, who am free of the gunas (nirguna) and indifferent to them, and who am the well-wisher of all, the most beloved Self. These qualities are not of the gunas (aguṇaḥ). (SB 11.13.40)1 टीका च - कथम्भूताः ? अगुणा गुणपरिणामरूपा न भवन्ति किन्तु नित्या इत्यर्थः । इत्येषा । Śrīdhara Svāmi says: “What kind of qualities [are inherent in Him]? Those which are ’not of the gunas’ (agunaḥ), i.e., they are not transformations of the material gunas, but are eternal.” mes doidw.onup 1 odi no anollersy au तथा च नारदपञ्चरात्रे जितन्तेस्तोत्रे “नमः सर्वगुणातीतषङ्गणायादिवेधसे” इति । Similarly, Jitante-stotra of Narada-pañcaratra states, “I bow down to the original creator who is endowed with six qualities that are transcendental to all the gunas.” “12 mam bhajanti gunaḥ sarve nirgunam nirapekṣakam suhṛdam priyam ātmānam sāmyāsargādayo’guṇāḥ 2 namaḥ sarva-gunatita-sad-gunāyādi-vedhase 243 तदुक्तं ब्रह्मतर्के - wcche And Brahma-tarka says: Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha गुणैः स्वरूपभूतैस्तु गुण्यसौ हरिरीश्वरः । न विष्णोर्न च मुक्तानां क्वापि भिन्नो गुणो मतः ॥ ११७ ॥ इति । The Supreme Lord Hari is adorned (guni) by qualities that belong Is to H to His essential nature. The qualities of Śrī Visņu and those of the eternally liberated beings are never distinct from them.3 कालिकापुराणे देवीकृतविष्णुस्तवे- And in Kalika Purana, Devi offers prayers to Visņu: यस्य ब्रह्मादयो देवा मुनयश्च तपोधनाः । न विवृण्वन्ति रूपाणि वर्णनीयः कथं स मे ॥ ११८ ॥ स्त्रिया मया ते किं ज्ञेया निर्गुणस्य गुणाः प्रभो । नैव जानन्ति यद्रूपं सेन्द्रा अपि सुरासुराः ॥ ११९ ॥ इति ॥ श्रीहंसदेवः सनकादीन् ॥ How can I depict a person whose forms are indescribable even by austere sages as well as by gods like Brahma? O Lord, You are beyond the gunas, so how can I, a woman, know Your qualities, which are unknown even to asuras and devas, including Indra?” (donimo) zomi sdi in tan ons asinileup sand मीरा Commentary БИ ŚRILA JIVA GOSVĀMĪ OFFERS FURTHER REFERENCES TO SHOW that Bhagavan is full of inherent transcendental qualities that do not undergo any mutation, since material qualities are absent in Him. Most of these verses use variations on the word guna, which means attribute or quality. When applied to material nature, it means con- stituent and refers to the three qualities of sattva, rajas and tamas. 1975 3 gunaiḥ svarupa-bhūtais tu guny asau harir isvarah woda isnight adier na vişnor na ca muktānām kväpi bhinno guno mataḥs of lesbank yasya brahmadayo deva munayaś ca tapo-dhanaḥ na vivṛṇvanti rūpāņi varṇaniyaḥ katham sa me striya maya te kim jñeya nirgunasya gunah prabho naiva jānanti yad rūpam sendrā api surāsurāḥ 244 25 Bhagavan’s Attributes Constitute His Essential Nature The words nirguna (without attributes) and saguna (with attributes), are used frequently by Advaitavadīs, who consider nirguna-brahma to be the true Absolute, and the saguna-brahma to be a lesser mani- festation of God within the illusory world of phenomena. The exam- ples quoted by Śri Jiva are meant to show that Bhagavan does possess qualities or attributes without being under the influence or control of māyā’s three qualities, or gunas.atque Are In chapter 13 of the Eleventh Canto of Srimad Bhagavatam, Kṛṣṇa explains to Uddhava about the gunas of nature and their influences. The Lord recounts that the four Kumāras once asked their father the following question: SIL lle O Lord, people’s minds are naturally attracted to material sense zi objects, and similarly the sense objects, in the form of desire, enter ar within the mind. Therefore, how can a person who desires libera- tion, who desires to cross beyond the mire of sensual indulgence, break-free from this mutual bond between the sense objects and the mind? (SB 11.13.7)5 Śrī Brahma was unable to answer the question because his intelli- gence was absorbed in the work of creation. He prayed to Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who assumed the form of a swan and replied to the queries of the Kumāras. The main verse of this anuccheda is one of the verses spo- ken by Lord Hamsa. opian 2 best ad oals no brow duo In it, the Lord says that all attributes (gunas) worship Him. Since He is the Supreme Person, why should the attributes worship any- one else? If they do, they should not rightly be called “attributes.” The Lord says that He is nirguna - one who is free from material qualities, as described in Padma Purāṇa: gobalward to Whenever the scriptures describe the Supreme Lord as nirguna (lit., “without qualities”), it means He is devoid of the inferior gunas of material nature, such as goodness em svedbane aid ni Hood all bat ayavbaM ave 5 guneṣv avisate ceto gunas cetasi ca prabho katham anyonya-santyāgo mumukṣor atititirṣoḥ yo’sau hi nirgunaḥ proktaḥ śästresu jagadisvaraḥ 1690 prākṛtair heya-sattvädyair guṇair hinatvam ucyate b of bisz addove 245 Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha The word guna refers to the constituents of nature, and thus nir- guna means one who is free of them. Thus, the word can be trans- lated as “transcendental.” Other etymologies can be elaborated as follows: Nirguna means the fountainhead of all qualities, or, the One whose attributes are beyond the gunas of material nature. Therefore, Sūta Gosvāmi calls Kṛṣṇa “the Self of all qualities, who is beyond all qualities” (nirgunasya gunātmanaḥ, SB 1.10.19). 12pm to Nirapekṣakam (indifferent) also means absolute or independent. Because Bhagavan is complete in Himself, He does not depend on the material creation for anything. He is His own support, svāśraya. For those who say that the Lord is dependent on His parents, Śrīmati Yasoda and Nanda Mahārāja, or upon those He stole butter from, this verse replies, suhṛdam priyam ātmānam, “He is the well-wisher of all, the most beloved Self.” The implication is that the Lord enacts His divine play for the benefit of His intimate and dear devotees, who are like His very Self (ātmānam). Thus, He is not dependent on anyone else. He has natural attributes, as stated in Svetasvatara Upanisad: The Lord has variegated transcendental potencies naturally existing in Him, such as knowledge, will and action. (śu 6.8)” The Lord says that He has attributes like samya, which means that He is equal to all, and asanga, or absence of attachment. This word can also be read as asanga, which would then mean that He is affectionately bound to His devotees, even though He is without attachment for material nature and her products. His attributes are called agunaḥ (free of the gunas), because they do not undergo any transformation.lowance at Hvad my biod siff The six qualities mentioned in Jitante-stotra are the six opulences of knowledge, fame, wealth, absence of attachment, controlling power and inconceivable power. 7 Śrīla Madhvācārya makes many references to Brahma-tarka, said to be written by Vyasadeva. Madhvācārya had this book in his " nirgatah gunah sarve yasmāt saḥ 8 9 nirgata-gunebhyo guna yasya paräsya säktir vividhaiva śrüyatewe svabhäviki jñāna-bala-kriya ca 246 25 Bhagavan’s Attributes Constitute His Essential Nature library, but it is no longer available. The quote is relevant because it uses the word guni to describe Bhagavan as one possessing attributes. It then confirms that these attributes arise out of His svarupa, and so they are not like the material qualities that are products of māyā. The significance of the statement made by Devi, “I am unable to describe Your form,” is that Bhagavan is transcendental. Devi is in charge of the material gunas, and thus, she cannot approach the Lord who is beyond them. 9 STA 29 vegada In the next anuccheda, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi will list some of these qualities of the Lord as they were described by the Earth personified. 16135 70 slow and haut en ft an hilsni u bas seadu esbulando lead ada helykas H be ha doldwastrop bottes odio vai bine sesde sao sidesVO the LE FIAT FIA FIS hire anita) of stay (sund) is our bis stadt 929di zablank [sensvald of wing benoitsmallcup basenyalard gatos quan es desitilcup basics 19dio vnam Jaxyllasts Ens vllasan rainwestowab of odda gatioño 247 ti sausood fasolaradoop holdsllave sgol da i dynendil audingasabg endes navegada diesboinup bonario bos, og athadikudi wasdz indamos nadr auto emphouette Ihren op ons vado Anuccheda 26 bm Bingle sn h Bhagavan’s Attributes Are Eternally zer hedinges २६ । अन्यत्र च श्रीहंसवाक्यस्थितादिग्रहणक्रोडीकृतान् तान् बहूनेव “सत्यं शौचम्” ( भा० १।१६।२७) इत्यादिभिर्गणयित्वाह (भा० १।१६।२९) - the most ELSEWHERE, MOTHER EARTH LISTS MANY QUALITIES, like truth- fulness and purity, including the ones found in the words of Hamsavatāra, and she finally concludes: एते चान्ये च भगवन् नित्या यत्र महागुणाः । प्रार्थ्या महत्त्वमिच्छद्भिर्न वियन्ति स्म कर्हिचित् ॥ १२० ॥ इति । O Venerable One, these and many other exalted qualities, which tha are desired by those aspiring to greatness, are eternal and never Wordiminish in the Lord. (SB 1.16.29)2 टीका च - एते एकोनचत्वारिंशत् । अन्ये च ब्रह्मण्यत्वशरण्यत्वादयो महान्तो गुणा यस्मिन् नित्याः सहजा न वियन्ति न क्षीयन्ते स्म । इत्येषा । Śrīdhara Svāmi: “The pronoun ete (these) refers to thirty-nine qualities [mentioned prior to this verse]. Besides these, there are many other exalted qualities, such as respecting brāhmaṇas and offering shelter to devotees, which naturally and eternally exist in the Supreme Lord. They never diminish.” अत्र श्रीविष्णुपुराणम् (वि० पु० ४।१।८४) - 1 SB 1.16.27-29 2 ete canye ca bhagavan nitya yatra mahā-guṇāḥ prarthya mahattvam icchadbhir na viyanti sma karhicit 248 26 Bhagavan’s Attributes Are Eternal On this same theme, Visnu Purana states: Theds bad zonian Tate te abode ricanstroma below, he कलामुहूर्तादिमयश्च कालो न यद्विभूतेः परिणामहेतुः ॥ १२१ ॥ ad banab || || 6 इति । श्रीपृथिवी श्रीधर्मम् ॥ Jon abbas veoDew The divisions of time, such as kāla and muhurta, cannot trans-eil Bonform the qualities of the Supreme Lord. (VP 4.1.84)3 escopi30 36 Commentary TO FURTHER ESTABLISH that Bhagavan’s attributes are eternal, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi quotes a verse that Mother Earth, in the form of a cow, spoke to Dharma personified. When Parīkṣit Mahārāja was on a world tour, he saw Dharma personified in the form of a bull stand- ing on one leg and speaking to Mother Earth. The cow had lost her beauty and was dejected. The bull inquired after her welfare, think- ing that since Śrī Kṛṣṇa had left for His abode, powerful time had snatched away all her good fortune.dly ‘brod silt Jars antelo In response, the cow enumerated 39 characteristics of the Lord and then spoke the principal verse of this anuccheda. She was lamenting because Kṛṣṇa, who possesses all wonderful qualities, had left, and thus the whole world had fallen under the grip of Kali. The earth’s beauty is measured not by rivers, mountains, mines and forests, but by how many saintly people reside on her surface. In the same way, a person is beautiful not because of having a perfectly sculptured body, but because of his or her beautiful attributes. In this regard, Bhartṛhari says (Niti-sataka 72): assista 3 The real ornament of the ear is not an earring, but one’s learning. The hands appear beautiful not by donning golden bangles, but by da giving in charity. The bodies of benevolent people are decorated not with sandalwood paste, but by the welfare they bestow on others. 3 kalā-muhūrtādi-mayaś ca kālo na yad-vibhuteḥ pariņāma-hetuḥadu 4 strotram śrutenaiva na kundalena dänena pāṇir na tu kankanena vibhāti kāyaḥ karuṇā-parāṇāṁ paropakārair na tu candanena 249 Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha dlac Mother Earth therefore said that she had lost her beauty because Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who is the abode of all wonderful qualities, had aban- doned her. Nevertheless, she stated that His qualities are eternal and do not diminish or change in time. In his Krama-sandarbha, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmī lists 85 of Sri Krsna’s qualities, and Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmi lists 64 in his Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu. These are only token mentions of His qualities, for in actuality there is no end to them. Śrī Brahmā says: gavan Even for those highly qualified people who, given the time, might be able to count all the atoms of the earth, the snowflakes in the sky, or the rays of the sun, who amongst them could possibly count Your qualities, You who are the embodiment of all qualities and have www descended to this earth for the welfare of all? (SB 10.14.7)5 6 10 26W (G The words na viyanti sma mean that Bhagavan’s qualities do not decay. In the material world, people have good qualities but they are not permanent. Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmī cites a verse from Visnu Purāṇa, spoken by Śrī Brahma to King Raivata regarding Śrī Balarama, which explains that the Lord’s vibhutis are not influenced even by the smallest unit of time. By the mercy of Bhagavan, His devotees are also imbued with a portion of these attributes. Prahlada Mahārāja confirms this in the Fifth Canto: vd Jon When one has devotion for the Supreme Lord without desire for any personal goal, all the gods come and invest him with their qualities. As for the non-devotees, where are their virtues? Led by their desires, they are always superficially running about in Queimpermanent existence (SB 5.18.12). al ma Even if such a non-devotee is adept in the practice of astanga- yoga or makes an honest endeavor at maintaining his family and rel- atives, he will be driven by his own mental speculations and must gunātmanas te’pi guṇān vimātum hitāvatirṇasya ka isire’sya kālena yair vā imitāḥ sukalpair bhū-pāṁśavaḥ khe mihika dyu-bhāsaḥ yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcana sarvair gunais tatra samāsate surāḥ harav abhaktasya kuto mahad-guna-manorathenasati dhāvato bahiḥ 25026 Bhagavan’s Attributes Are Eternal thus engage in the service of the Lord’s external energy. How can there be any real qualities in such a person? According to logic, the relation between a substance and its essential qualities is invariable. For example, the relation between sugar and sweetness is permanent (i.e., it exists as long as the sugar exists), for it can never change - the attributes of a substance define the substance itself. Similarly, the qualities of the Lord are eternal in relationship to Him (samavaya-sambandha), and because He is eternal, His qualities are also eternal. The principle of logic states, nityam gate nityam, the attributes of an eternal substance are eter- nal. Therefore, time can have no influence over the attributes of Bhagavan. лозит Bh for Lanieret Toumal sangu? bit and condo Ammay be (owed) dos led air (vegeda) doug semead dec out by free day with the hated dod quo (9) 162 manimm) and blow is to obse He 119 T saodw snap red ning gold bain to bread us ad ann bl smden lo stigen ut ad of alastineur brunan heimens to mortgage and ledt sneam ali navegade hoe Ams dgordi siding ton of anoletinem asidi scads to yna ni H esto 02 dilida utan sedaya da çöm toare de alquot sinh labatem ad lito (gif) ist try-wool) Somos i gobsidione bus buenos gado 7 See Anuccheda 3. 251 neworlewensless brod sea lo olvase allt utagens audi Se Kesme is the aforadorastrup Lessyrin at your wind baleader slymers to side haven tastbar intime/ Anuccheda 27 Bhagavan Is Transcendental to Māyā gol to slqinning ont fairs nagus 192 30 २७ । अत एव आह (भा० १०।२८।६) - THEREFORE, Varuna prayed to the Lord: नमस्तुभ्यं भगवते ब्रह्मणे परमात्मने । न यत्र श्रूयते माया लोकसृष्टिविकल्पना ॥ १२२ ॥ My obeisances unto You, the Supreme Nondual Personal Whole (Bhagavan), the Absolute Truth (Brahman), and the Supreme Imminent Self (Paramātmā). Māyā, which orchestrates the creation of this world, has never been heard of within You. HOT (SB 10.28.6)1 यत्र भगवदादित्वेन त्रिधैव स्फुरति स्वरूपे माया न श्रूयते । तस्य तथा तथा स्फूर्तिर्मायया न भवतीत्यर्थः । तत्र हेतुः – लोकसृष्टावेव विकल्पितुं सृष्टिस्थितिसंहारैर्विविधमीशितुं शीलं यस्याः सा । No one has ever heard of maya being present in Śrī Kṛṣṇa, whose essential nature manifests in the three aspects of Brahman, Paramātmā and Bhagavan. This means that the perception of Him in any of these three manifestations is not possible through māyā. The reason is that māyā has the natural ability to orches- trate (vikalpana) only the material affairs through the acts of creating, maintaining and annihilating the cosmos (loka-srsti). 1 namas tubhyam bhagavate brahmane paramātmane na yatra śruyate maya loka-sṛṣṭi-vikalpana 252 27 Bhagavan Is Transcendental to Māyā अत एव भूगोलप्रश्ने हेतुत्वेन राज्ञाप्युक्तम् (भा० ५।१६।३) - birs byaj silt to mot Therefore, while inquiring about the structure of the universe, King Parikṣit says, with the intent of showing that the Lord is transcendental: of leans भगवतो गुणमये स्थूलरूप आवेशितं मनो ह्यगुणेऽपि सूक्ष्मतम आत्मज्योतिषि परे ब्रह्मणि भगवति वासुदेवाख्ये क्षममावेशितुम् | १२३ ॥ इति ॥ वरुणः श्रीभग -वन्तम् ॥ The mind that can be fixed on the gross material form of the Lord can also meditate upon the most subtle, self-effulgent, transcen- dent Lord, Parabrahman, called Śrī Vasudeva. (SB 5.16.3)2 Commentary adru abhore flew 30 on bluorla tagle ŚRILA JIVA GOSVĀMĪ HAS ALREADY ESTABLISHED that the one Abso- lute Truth manifests in three features - Brahman, Paramātmā and Bhagavan. He has also shown in previous anucchedas that the Lord and His attributes are free from the gunas of nature. This raises a doubt: Are the other two features, Brahman and Paramātmā, also free from the influence of māyā? In answer, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi quotes a verse that Varuna, the god of water, spoke to Kṛṣṇa when He went to rescue His father, who had been arrested for taking bath in the Yamuna at a forbidden hour. In this verse, Varuna explicitly states that Brahman, Param- ātmā and Bhagavan are all free from the influence of māyā. The Lord’s qualities are not products of maya. She is neither heard nor seen there - na yatra śruyate. Māyā has influence only in the mate- rial world. Therefore, it is not possible to realize the Lord and His attributes through the help of māyā. The second verse is by Parīkṣit Mahārāja. He wanted to under- stand the structure of the cosmos. Sometimes neophytes on the path of transcendence have difficulty fixing their mind on the transcen- dental form of the Lord. They are advised to meditate on the viraț 2 bhagavato guna-maye sthula-rupa ävesitam mano hy agune’pi sükṣmatama atma-jyotiși pare brahmani bhagavati vasudevākhye kṣamam āvesitum 253 EVEM Śri Bhagavat Sandarbha form of the Lord and visualize the whole cosmos as His body. This virat form is material and not the Lord’s real form. It is a facility to aid their meditation. Later, when the candidate is able to focus his mind, he is taught to fix it on the self-effulgent Lord, who has a per- sonal form that is transcendental to the gunas of nature. From Parikṣit’s question, it is clear that Bhagavan’s personal form is not imbued with the gunas of nature. The ultimate purpose of meditating on the cosmic form is to progress to the level of Bha- gavan realization. This is the purpose of the description given in the Fifth Canto of Bhagavatam about the structure of the cosmos. Parīkṣit Mahārāja calls the Lord’s form aguna, or free from the mate- rial gunas. Because virat is also called the form of the Lord, one should not confuse it to be part of His essential nature. This is the significance of referring to Parikṣit’s question. In the next anuccheda, Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmi will provide further evidence of Bhagavan’s being free from the influence of māyā. bus Amterenemde udob el bra nadie low af Imbassy-to summufint ala moal 9991 asdweep of esloge 191ew to bog ang adanya 29mun dred guest hot bozart ssd bed od isdetaily of inw brom 30 sultne silt moi 9971 line neyeged & bue Emis 254 Visinemmoo D mommy M Anuccheda 28 Māyā Feels Shy to Appear before Bhagavān २८ । तथा ( भा० २ ।५।१२-१३ ) - ŚRI BRAHMA told Nārada: Pr dg तस्मै नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय धीमहि । यन्मायया दुर्जयया मां वदन्ति जगद्गुरुम् ॥ १२४ ॥ विलज्जमानया यस्य स्थातुमीक्षापथेऽमुया । विमोहिता विकत्थन्ते ममाहमिति दुर्धियः ॥ १२५ ॥ обламы дез локтеу enger I offer my obeisances to the Supreme Person, Vasudeva, upon whom I meditate. Due to His invincible māyā, people call me the universal teacher, jagad-guru. These less intelligent people are bewildered by her, who is too shy to stand in the path of the Lord’s vision, and so they talk nonsense, absorbed in thoughts of “I” and “mine.” (SB 2.5.12-13)1 shup bad ed तम आदिमयत्वेन स्वस्य सदोषत्वात् सच्चिदानन्दघनत्वेन यस्य निर्दोषस्य नेत्रगोचरे विलज्जमानया अमुषा मायया विमोहिता अस्मदादयो दुर्धियः | श्रीब्रह्मा श्रीनारदम् ॥ Jaud no 1 Māyā, knowing herself to be defective, owing to the presence of the material gunas, such as ignorance, and realizing Bhagavan to be blissful, eternal, all-knowing, and thus free from defects, feels shy to stand before Him and flees from Him. But less intelligent persons like me, bewildered by her, boast of “I” and “Mine.” tasmai namo bhagavate vasudevāya dhimahi yan-mayaya durjayaya mam vadanti jagad-gurum vilajjamanaya yasya sthātum īkṣā-pathe’muya vimohitä vikatthante mamäham iti durdhiyaḥ 7 mont Ygolus 255 Commentary and Śri Bhagavat Sandarbha MAYA BEWILDERS THE CONDITIONED BEINGS in a number of ways. One is to conceal the Lord so that people think Him to be material. Māyā cannot put the Lord into ignorance the way a living being is covered, but she can hide Bhagavan so that the ignorant cannot see Him as He is. In Bhagavad Gita, Kṛṣṇna says: nevegend 910190 769907A of via 21991.sysM Being unacquainted with My ontological identity as the Supreme Lord of all existence, the bewildered misconceive Me as having accepted a [perishable and limited] human body. (GITA 9.11)2 Another way māyā bewilders the conditioned beings is to make them consider an ordinary human being to be the Supreme Person. In the last anuccheda it was shown that the Lord is not an ordinary person, nor is He material. This anuccheda explains that an ordinary person can never be the Supreme Lord, and whoever thinks in this way is certainly bewildered by māyā (vimohita). Such bewilderment is prevalent in modern times, especially in India, the land of avataras. There is always a so-called avatara appearing in India, showering His blessings on the naive with a poor fund of scriptural knowledge. Nārada Muni once approached his father, Śrī Brahma, the cre- ator and first person in the cosmos. Brahma is the father and teacher of great sages like the Kumāras and the Prajapatis. Nārada thought Śrī Brahma was the Supreme Lord, yet he could not comprehend why he had undergone severe austerities to accomplish the work of creation. This created a doubt in his mind. The Supreme Lord has natural powers and opulences. He cannot depend on anyone for any- thing. By way of contrast, modern so-called avatāras depend on busi- ness tycoons or trickery to maintain their godhood. Therefore, after eulogizing Śrī Brahma for his prowess as the creator, Narada Muni posed this relevant question, “Is there anybody above you?” Brahma is a pure devotee of Śrī Kṛṣṇa and thus completely free from the cheating propensity. He was neither flattered by Narada’s eulogy nor did he misguide his son in replying to his question. 2 avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā manuṣiṁ tanum āśritam param bhāvam ajananto mama bhūta-maheśvaram 256 28 Maya Feels Shy to Appear before Bhagavan Although he is exceedingly powerful, knowledgeable and intelli- gent, and in fact a guṇāvatāra, he did not pose as one. He imme- diately prayed to the Lord who had empowered him to create the universe. Śrī Brahma said that maya is very difficult to surpass (dur- jaya), and therefore, people fall prey to her. Being bewildered by her, they consider a living being, or jiva, as God. Brahma, the knower of the Vedas, clearly denounces such thought. Accordingly, he prays to Bhagavan in Brahma-samhita 5.53: I adore the primeval Śrī Govinda, by whose conferred power are maintained all manifested potencies found to exist, whether of virtues, vices, the Vedas, penances and all the jivas from Brahmā to the meanest insect. This maya cannot face Bhagavan, however, just as darkness can- not face the Sun. Māyā is not magic, illusion, or something false - it is a potency of Bhagavan. Māyā has factual existence. Sometimes His energies are likened to His wives. In that sense, Māyā is also the Lord’s wife, but her service is to entice the living beings. The Lord is aware of this impure task, and thus she feels shy to come into His presence. Moreover, she knows the Lord to be transcendental, and herself as consisting of the gunas. Thus, she is unable to face Him. This has also been discussed in Tattva Sandarbha, Anucchedas 31-32. The purpose of citing these two verses here is to show that Bhaga- vän and His qualities are not made of material gunas. Indeed, Māyā cannot even come close to Him. In comparison to the Lord’s opu- lence, the totality of her opulence is no more than the flicker of a glow worm in front of the sun. 3 In the last five anucchedas Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī has established that:
- Bhagavan has unlimited inherent attributes.
- All His potencies are eternal.
- Mäyä, the external potency, does not influence Him. dharmo’tha papa-nicayaḥ śrutayas tapaṁsi brahmadi-kita-patagavadhayaś ca jivāḥ yad-datta-matra-vibhava-prakata-prabhāvā govindam adi-puruṣam tam aham bhajāmi 257 vegad8 Śri Bhagavat Sandarbha 18yaM S
- Brahman, Paramātmā and Bhagavan are all transcendental to A 9mm māyā. 900 en sang ton bib ed avbrugsel ni bar 1099 5. Time has no influence on the internal potencies of the Lord.latsib 6. Even great gods, like Varuna and Brahmã, are also servants of Bhagavan, who is completely free from māyā. In the following anuccheda, Śrīla Jiva Prabhu will begin to explain that Bhagavan’s body is part of His essential nature. 50gb vin -மார் wil set la fine 25 sella gallonte no rolailli organton arme sort som mitsu x yeM 52 by mys Bro by gated grill anf going of alte or fud sliw bod alor so of Vile el de kunt bee blad shugh to STOWE Bal stasBredba mitad of fred and wolled Tavo sabaung milf and of bidem al da uning at 20 midlandt an gold bars work brel de auroy own stadgadb B&M Babel zorlig teljem to shem for Irgoleto 1 gift of nositachios it mild stasion to Stent 258 Anuccheda 29 nent 2 bolles al ainsad Bhagavan’s Body Is Part of His Essential Nature zamnoad aomao २९ । तदेवमैश्वर्यादिषट्वस्य स्वरूपभूतत्वमुक्त्वा श्रीविग्रहस्य पूर्णस्वरूपभूतत्वं वक्तुं प्रकरणमारभ्यते । तत्र तस्य तादृशत्वसचिवं (स्वरूपभूतत्वस्य सचिवम् ) नित्यत्वं तावत् पूर्वदर्शिततादृशवैकुण्ठाधिष्ठातृत्वेन सिद्धमेव । प्रपञ्चावतीर्णत्वेऽप्याह त्रिभिः ( भा० १०।३।२५ ) - IN THIS WAY, after explaining that the six opulences, beginning with controlling power, are part of Bhagavan’s essential nature, a new section is here begun in order to establish that His body fully belongs to His essential nature. The characteristic of the Lord’s body of being eternally part of His essential nature has been nat- urally established in earlier sections because of His being the pre- siding deity of Vaikuntha, which is eternal. Now it will be shown that even when the Lord appears in the material world, His body is still part of His essential nature. This is stated in the following three verses spoken by Devaki to the newly-born Kṛṣṇa: 1 नष्टे लोके द्विपरार्द्धावसाने महाभूतेष्वादिभूतं गतेषु । व्यक्तेऽव्यक्तं कालवेगेन याते भवानेकः शिष्यते शेषसञ्ज्ञः || १२६ ॥ After the lifetime of Śrī Brahma, at the time of cosmic dissolution, when all the five gross elements enter into their original undiffer-V entiated state, and the manifest enters into the unmanifest by the force of time, then You, who are known as Seṣa, alone remain.2 See Anuccheda 10. naşte loke dvi-parardhāvasane mahā-bhūteşv ādi-bhūtam gateşu vyakte vyaktam kala-vegena yate bhavan ekaḥ śisyate seṣa-sañjñaḥig SB 10.3.25 259 Śri Bhagavat Sandarbha अतः शेषसञ्ज्ञः । तत्र युक्तिः (भा० १० । ३ । २६) - Therefore, He is called Seșa. The reasoning behind this is given in the following verse: योऽयं कालस्तस्य तेऽव्यक्तबन्धो चेष्टामाहुश्चेष्टते येन विश्वम् । निमेषादिर्वत्सरान्तो महीयांस्तं त्वेशानं क्षेमधाम प्रपद्ये ॥ १२७ ॥ O friend of the unmanifest (prakṛti)! This phenomenon of time, This phenomenon of time. by which the cosmos becomes active, is Your own action. It is divided into units, from a nanosecond (nimeşa) to years, up to periods as long as the lifetime of Brahma, but You are its mas- ter and the abode of all auspiciousness. I take shelter of You. (SB 10.3.26)3 हे अव्यक्तबन्धो सान्निध्यमात्रेण प्रकृतिप्रवर्तक । चेष्टा निमेषोन्मेषरूपाम् । O Friend of the unmanifest (avyakta-bandho), You who set the unmanifest material nature (prakṛti) into motion by Your mere proximity. Your action (ceṣṭā) takes the form of Your eyes opening and closing. 1998 ads ad siten laitaszas all of agnolo श्रुतिश्च “सर्वे निमेषा जज्ञिरे विद्युतः पुरुषादधि” (महा० ना० ११८) इति ।adhu ghod -979 sdt gated all to saused anobiose 79llas ni ilderes vlsou The Vedas also confirm, “All divisions of time, beginning with nimeșa, are born from the Self-luminous Person” (MNU 1.8). सर्वे निमेषादयः कालावयवा विशेषेण द्योतते विद्युत् पुरुषः परमात्मेति श्रुतिपदार्थः । Here, sarve nimeṣaḥ refers to all units of time, beginning with the twinkling of an eye (nimeșa). Vidyut (self-luminous) means a distinct form (vi-) of effulgence (dyotana); Puruşa means the Sup- reme Immanent Self. These are the meanings of the words in the Vedic statement.olds 03/07 3 4 Jasms सर्वत्र सृष्टिसंहारयोर्निमित्तं काल एव तस्य तु तदङ्गचेष्टारूपत्वात् तौ तत्र न सम्भवत एवेति भावः । तत्र हेत्वन्तरम् - क्षेमधामेति । त्वा त्वाम् । yo’yam kālas tasya te’vyakta-bandho ceṣṭām āhuś ceṣṭate yena viśvam nimeṣādir vatsaranto mahiyāms tam tveśānam kṣema-dhāma prapadye sarve nimeṣā jajnire vidyutaḥ puruṣad adhi 26029 Bhagavan’s Body Is Part of His Essential Nature Time is the efficient cause behind every creation and annihila- tion. But because time is manifest from the bodily movement of the Lord, creation and annihilation cannot apply to the Lord’s body. This is the sense [of Devaki’s words]. Another reason for this [absence of creation and destruction in the Lord’s body] is that He is the “abode of all auspiciousness” (kṣema-dhama). Tvä means “unto You.” blevod w 300 10 atriol अत्र स्वाभीष्टात् तस्मादाविर्भावादेव कंसभयं कैमुत्येन वारितवती । तथैव स्पष्टं पुनराह ( भा० १०।३।२७) - oman is no Bod In this verse, Śrīmati Devaki dispels her fear of Kamsa through the a fortiori arguments that since this Lord [who is the master of time and is, therefore, in control of the creation, maintenance and dissolution of the cosmos] has appeared in accordance with His own desire, [it goes without saying that He should have no fear of Kamsa]. She makes this clear in the next verse: मर्त्यो मृत्युव्यालभीतः पलायन् लोकान् सर्वान् निर्भयं नाध्यगच्छत् । त्वत्पादाब्जं प्राप्य यदृच्छयाद्य स्वस्थः शेते मृत्युरस्मादपैति ॥ १२८ ॥ All human beings are mortal and are thus constantly afraid of being swallowed up by the great serpent of death. They may flee95 to any of the worlds, but nowhere can they find freedom from U fear. O Original One, only when through some great fortune they attain Your lotus feet, can they finally rest in peace and happiness, for Death himself flees in fear of You. (SB 10.3.27)6 लोकान् प्राप्य निर्भयं भयाभावम् । त्वत्पादाब्जं तु प्राप्येत्युभयत्राप्यन्वयः । t The word präpya (they attain) should be applied to both the phrases, lokān sarvān (all the worlds) and tvat-padābjaṁ (Your The term kaimutya-nyaya is best rendered in Western logic by the term argumentum a fortiori, or “an argument from a yet stronger reason.” It simply means that if x is more than y, then “it should go without saying” that 1000x is also more than y. Here, if Krsna is the source of time and is feared even by Death, then it goes without saying that He or anyone under His protection should have no fear of a mere mortal like Kamsa. For another example, see Section 10.2. martyo mṛtyu-vyala-bhitaḥ palayan lokan sarvän nirbhayaṁ nadhyagacchat tvat-pādābjam präpya yadṛcchayadya svasthaḥ śete mṛtyur asmãd apaiti 261 Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbhav lotus feet). Nirbhayam means freedom from fear. In other words, by attaining all the worlds, one does not obtain freedom from fear, but one does so simply by attaining Your lotus feet.usato अत्र त्वत्पादाब्जमिति श्रीविग्रहमेव तथा विस्पष्टं साधितवती । अत एव “अमृतवपुः” इति सहस्रनामस्तोत्रे “मृतं मरणं तद्रहितं वपुरस्येत्यमृतवपुः” इति शङ्करभाष्येऽपि । Here, by saying “Your lotus feet,” Devaki clearly establishes that the Lord’s form is such that death fears it. Therefore, the Lord has been named amṛta-vapu, or one who has an immortal body, in Sahasra-nama-stotra. While commenting on this name, Sankarācārya says, “Mṛta means death. Since Bhagavan’s body is free from death, He is called amṛta-vapu.”? $10 30 आद्येति जन्माभावोऽपि दर्शितः । सजन्मनि सर्वत्र सादित्वस्यैव सिद्धेः । तदुक्तम् “प्रादु- रासीद् यथा प्राच्यां दिशीन्दुरिव पुष्कलः” (भा० १०।३।८) इति । श्रुतिश्चात्र “स ब्रह्मणा सृजति स रुद्रेण विलापयति सोऽनुत्पत्तिरलय एव हरिः परः परमानन्दः” इति महोपनि- षदि । श्रीदेवकीदेवी श्रीभगवन्तम् ॥ Unmanife By addressing the Lord as adya (O Original One), it is also shown that His body is birthless, because only those things that take birth have a beginning. Therefore, it was said, “The Lord appeared just as the full moon rises in the East” (SB 10.3.8) Maha Upanisad also states, “The supremely blissful Śrī Hari creates through Brahma and destroys through Rudra, and yet is free from birth and death. He is supremely blissful.”” niche yon! सबै Commentary IN THIS AND THE NEXT SECTION, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmī establishes that Bhagavan’s body is not material, nor is it acquired at a certain time for a specific purpose. His appearance in the material world is thus called avataraṇa, which means “descent,” the implication being that 7mṛtam maranam tad-rahitam vapur asyety amṛta-vapuḥ 8 präduräsid yatha pracyām diśindur iva puskalah sa brahmana sṛjati sa rudreņa vilapayati so’nutpattir alaya eva harih parah paramanandah This line could not be found in any printed edition of Maha Upaniṣad. 262 29 Bhagavan’s Body Is Part of His Essential Nature He existed before descending. In the strict sense, “incarnation,” which means to become embodied, is not the proper translation for avatara because the Lord has an eternal body that is not made of flesh (lat. caro). Neither does His body undergo any form of trans- formation, as does material nature, which is also said to be eter- nal. Although His body gives the impression of growth when He appears as a human being, He does not become old and decrepit as an ordinary mortal. emilera to bas ar In Anuccheda 10, it was shown that Vaikuntha is eternal, tran- scendental to the gunas of nature and free from the influence of time, pravartate yatra rajas tamas tayoḥ sattvam ca miśram na ca kala- vikramaḥ (SB 2.9.10). The Lord presides over Vaikuntha; therefore, His body must be free from the material gunas and the influence of time. It was shown that everything in Vaikuntha is constituted of viśuddha-sattva (unadulterated being, free of the gunas). This natu- rally includes the Lord’s body. 100 lil Some may accept that His body is transcendental when He is sit- uated in the transcendental abode, but that, when He comes into the material world, He must accept a material body. After all, every- thing in the material world is material, just as everything in the spir- itual world is made of spirit. Thus, it is not surprising to hear that Śrī Kṛṣṇa took birth from Mother Devaki and grew up like any other baby. duild of poles lamiad of leups 5 10 To dispel such doubts, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi quotes three verses that Mother Devaki spoke to Śrī Kṛṣṇa when He appeared to her in His four-handed form in Kamsa’s prison. These three verses explain that when Śrī Kṛṣṇa appears on the earth, He does so in a transcendental body. Mother Devaki says that the Lord’s body is beyond the influ- ence of time, which has sway only over matter. This means that His body is not material but spiritual. It further implies that He is non- different from His body, as both are spiritual. The phrase “His body” is used figuratively; it does not mean that He is different from it, as is the case with mortal beings whose bodies are material. Śrīla Vyasa’s trance, which was analyzed in Tattva Sandarbha, also reveals that māyā is apart from Bhagavan. This means that His body is 10 māyāṁ ca tad-apāśrayām→ 263 Malin Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha completely transcendental. Each cycle of material creation endures for the life-span of Brahma, which is called para or dvi-parardha. Vişņu Purana states:bb -2080 10 ybod att The life span of Śrī Brahma is called para and is equal to one hundred years according to his own time scale. One half of this duration is called parardha. (VP 1.3.5)11 995 At the end of Brahma’s life, the cosmos is dissolved in the way that a telescope is infolded progressively into itself. All the material elements, beginning with earth, dissolve into their immediate cause, ultimately leaving only unmanifest Nature. The Supreme Lord, how- ever, remains even after the total annihilation of the cosmos, and thus, He is called śeşa (lit., “remainder”). This means that His body is not material and time has no influence on Him.wore wond Time exercises its influence on the gunas of nature, but in fact is not independent. This is implied in the second of the three verses by Mother Devaki (SB 10.3.26). She said that time is the Lord’s bodily movement. This indicates that time is under His control, because movement of the bodily limbs is under a person’s control and not vice versa. The Lord’s bodily movement refers to His glance. Nimeșa literally means the twinkling of an eye, but the word is also used as a unit of time equal to the time it takes to blink - akṣi-pakṣam aparikṣepo nimeşa parikirtitah. When the Lord is inspired to create, He glances at material nature (sa aikṣata, Aitareya Upanisad 1.1). His glance marks the inception of time, which immediately begins to act on nature. When He closes His eyes, it indicates that it is time for the complete annihilation. In the period after annihilation and before the next creation, time is inactive. Creation and destruction happen under the influence of time. Bhagavan’s body is eternal because it is neither created nor destroyed. Kāla means time, but it also means death, because it destroys everything. Therefore, everyone in the material world instinctively 11 SB 1.7.4, see Tattva Sandarbha, Anucchedas 30.1 and 31.2. nijena tasya manena ayur varṣa-satam smṛtam tat-parakhyam tad-ardham ca parardham abhidhiyate 264 29 Bhagavan’s Body Is Part of His Essential Nature fears time. When Kṛṣṇa showed Arjuna His feature of time in the cosmic form, He said: banan i god i sjulle to nobinstal Time I am, the destroyer of all beings. (GĪTĀ 11.32)12 601 Death prevails from the highest planet to the lowest, and no one can avoid it. This lesson was taught in the story of Durvāsā Muni and Ambarīṣa Mahārāja, which is described in the Ninth Canto of Srimad Bhagavatam. Due to Durvasa Muni’s offense at the lotus feet of a great devotee, Ambarīṣa Mahārāja, the Lord’s Sudarśana Cakra chased Durvāsā all over the cosmos. Fleeing in fear, Durvāsā Muni sought shelter everywhere, but nowhere could he find relief. He found peace only after apologizing to Ambarīṣa Mahārāja and was thus able to take shelter of the Lord. In Mahabharata, Bhismadeva instructed Yudhisthira Mahārāja about the influence of time: eTime brings an end to all living beings, who are all within its jurisdic-2 zation. No one knows that person by whom time itself is terminated. (MB, Santi-parva 239.25)13 -Im 2 asmit distr Death, which causes fear in everyone, is afraid of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, “Fear personified fears Him” (yad bibheti svayam bhayam, SB 1.10.14). ni Kṣema-dhāma (in SB 10.3.26) means “the abode of auspicious- ness.” Kṣema also signifies protection. Because time has no influ- ence on Bhagavan, His opulence is always free from any danger. By using this word, Devaki Devi announced her freedom from fear of her brother Kamsa, who was under the influence of time. One who takes shelter of Śrī Kṛṣṇa is free from the influence of time, so nat- urally Devaki had no fear of Kamsa. This is called kaimutya-nyaya, or arguing a fortiori. If a person has no fear of a lion, then what fear will he have of a gnat? Another example of this rhetorical device is found in the Sixth Canto: 12 kalo’smi loka-kṣaya-krt-pravṛddhaḥ 13 kālaḥ pacati bhūtāni sarvāny evātmanātmani yasmin tu pacyate kalas tam vedeha na kaścana 265 Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbhan Ajamila cried out the name of Bhagavan while dying, with these for intention of calling his son. If he attained the Lord’s abode by such von Vis utterance, then what of a person who chants with faith?14 8.11 Azfo).agnind lie to segonash sir,ms I smil The phrase “Your lotus feet” (tvat-pädäbja) clearly indicates Bha- gavan’s body and not His unqualified feature. Devaki’s prayers clearly show that His body is transcendental, eternal, and free from the influence of time. Time, or death, is sometimes symbolized by a snake, and Krsna in His Nārāyaṇa form rests on a snake bed. This signifies that He is beyond the influence of both features of kala, decay and death. While commenting on the epithet amṛta-vapu, one of the thou- sand names of Śrī Viṣņu, Sankaracarya also accepts that the Lord’s body is deathless (cf. Sahasranama-bhāṣya 100).re sa o alde curs An objection may be raised here: Anyone who takes birth must die. This natural law is asserted by Kṛṣṇa in Bhagavad Gita, “One who has taken birth is sure to die, and after death, birth is certain.“15 Since Kṛṣṇa took birth, how can He be spared death? The answer is found in SB 10.3.8, where it is explained that the Lord appeared as the full moon appears in the East. Though the moon is always in the sky, it is visible only to certain people at certain times. Simi- larly, Śrī Kṛṣṇa is eternally present, but He is visible only during the Dvaparayuga of the twenty-eighth cycle of the seventh Manu. The Lord is unborn, yet He performs the pastime of birth. Elsewhere in Bhagavad Gită He says:98 197HTED VITE Although I am never born and My body never deteriorates, and even Brythough I am the Lord of all living beings, I am situated in My own Shahnature when I appear by My internal potency. (GĪTĀ 4.6)16 Kṛṣṇa’s birth is not like that of an ordinary living being, who is ruled by the laws of karma. He is the Isvara of all living beings. sigmexs 190 BonA Steng is ruled 14 mriyamano harer nama grṇan putropacāritam ajāmilo’py agad dhama kim uta śraddhaya gṛṇan ОПА jätasya hi dhruvo mṛtyur dhruvam janma mṛtasya ca GĪTĀ 2.27 16 ajo’pi sann avyayaṭmā bhūtānām īśvaro’pi san prakṛtim svām adhiṣṭhāya sambhavamy ātma-māyayāized Is piny 266 29 Bhagavan’s Body Is Part of His Essential Nature A living entity’s birth is under the control of karma and time, but Bhagavan is their master. One may counter that the living being does not take birth either. His accepting a body is designated as birth, but there is in fact no birth for the self. What then is so special about Kṛṣṇa’s birth? To this the Lord says that He is avayayātmā: His body is transcendental and never deteriorates; thus, He never changes bodies. Moreover, He takes birth by His own energy, atma-māyā, and not through the agency of the material energy or under the influence of karma. Even when He appears to take birth, He remains in His original svarupa and does not accept a material body. Hence, there is considerable difference between Bhagavan’s birth and that of the living being. As a result, Kṛṣṇa calls His birth divya, or transcendental (janma karma ca me divyam, GĪTĀ 4.9). His birth, which resembles that of ordinary human beings, is His līlā, or pastime, enacted for the pleasure of devotees like Devaki. ai sa ons bus (par mylase bond Salt and gninniged for a ti darin bas has on apolavadi to asitlab gribisng di to quero ad to moltokrosh fidos abusato mbizanale si ho sqivhodmet to anolevib no l So wegung ill blow lebatam do salya dauodil H31) guionals air gaivorianh box gainietaisas gaits ide to test fails out of tows to ai (polising to ha at tahmu stergo Jadi (dirt-ml) batin to snobain suit si of Thin 267 Judom her simul Golostos adhu aid avims salvil A Anuccheda 30 jd as hatengiasbak Reda e nods fer la ad vol drid 1 Bhagavan’s Body Is Transcendental oumova Ismigizo ei ni aniams sind sole idrisbane at it sous bod leis gs H narw ль ३० । तथा“उत्पत्तिस्थितिलय” इत्यादिपद्ये “यद्रूपं ध्रुवमकृतम्” (भा० ५।२५।९) इति । यस्य श्रीसङ्कर्षणस्य रूपं ध्रुवमनन्तं अकृतं चानादि । अत एव वर्षाधिपोपासनावर्णने भवेनापि तद्रूपमधिकृत्योक्तम् (भा० ५।१७।१९) - ATI nemail SO ALSO, IN THE FIFTH CANTO, Śrī Suka says: “His form is perma- nent (dhruva) and uncreated (akṛta).” The “His” of this verse is Lord Sankarṣaṇa. The word dhruva indicates that His form has no end, and akṛta, that it is without beginning. Therefore, in the description of the worship of the presiding deities of the various divisions of Jambudvipa, Lord Siva also said, in reference to this form: 2 न यस्य मायागुणचित्तवृत्तिभिर्निरीक्षतो ह्यण्वपि दृष्टिरज्यते । १२९ ।। इति । Although He glances over the material world for the purpose of creating, maintaining and destroying it, His glancing (i.e., His act of perception) is not, even to the slightest extent, subject to the fluctuations of mind (citta-vṛttis) that operate under the control of the material gunas. (SB 5.17.19)2 यत् तु तत्र तदेव रूपमधिकृत्य श्रीशुकेन “या वै कला भगवतस्तामसी” (भा० ५।२५।१) इति । तथा “भवानीनाथैः” ( भा० ५।१७।१६ ) इत्यादि गद्ये “तामसीं मूर्तिम्” इत्युक्तम् yad-rupaṁ dhruvam akṛtam SB 5.25.9 na yasya māyā-guna-citta-vṛttibhir niriksato hy anv api drştir ajyate 268 30 Bhagavān’s Body Is Transcendental तन्निजांशशिवद्वारा तमोगुणोपकारकत्वेन ज्ञेयम् । “उत्पत्तिस्थितिलय” इत्यादिपद्यानन्तरं श्रीशुकेनैव श्रीनारदवाक्यमनूक्तम् (भा० ५।२५।१०) - ob lord on ple bas braleim don? It should be noted, however, that Sukadeva Gosvāmī elsewhere refers to this form of Sri Sankarṣaṇa in these words, “This expansion of the Lord is the predominating deity of tamo-guna” (SB 5.25.1), and then in SB 5.17.16 he uses the expression, “the embodiment of tamas” (tāmasim mürtim). This is in reference to Lord Śiva, Bhagavan’s expansion for the welfare of those in tamo- guna. [This is to be concluded because] in the verse immediately following the one referred to at the beginning of this section, Śrī Śuka continues citing Närada, who says: dihw gnilesh मूर्तिं नः पुरुकृपया बभार सत्त्वं संशुद्धं सदसदिदं विभाति यत्र । १३० ।। इति । The Lord, being greatly merciful upon us, manifests His form, which is of the nature of unalloyed being, śuddha-sattva. This bmanifestation of cause and effect exists in Him. (SB 5.25.10)* तस्मान्नित्यमेव सर्वं भगवद्रूपम् । तथा च पाद्मोत्तरखण्डे तत्स्तुतिः“अनादिनिधनानन्तवपुषे विश्वरूपिणे” इति । Thus, all forms of Bhagavan are eternal. A prayer in Uttara- khanda of Padma Purāņa states, “Unto the Lord, whose form has no beginning or end, who is unlimited, and who manifests the cosmic form […].”5 anglo-nannt bns manji mebly aria moi यदत्र स्कान्दादौ क्वचिद्धामकमस्ति तत्तु तत्तत्पुराणानां तामसकल्पकथामयत्वात्तत्तत्क- ल्पेषु च श्रीभगवता स्वमहिमावरणाद्युक्तमेव । तदितिन भगवत्तत्त्वप्रतिपादनपरम् । शुष्क- वैराग्यशिवमहिमादितात्पर्यकत्वात् । ततस्तत्परत्वाभावान्न तत्र याथार्थ्यं च । तथाविधं शिवादिप्रतिपादकं शास्त्रं च वैष्णवैर्न ग्राह्यमिति स्कान्द एव षण्मुखं प्रति श्रीशिवेनो- क्तम् “शिवशास्त्रेऽपि तद्ग्राह्यं विष्णुशास्त्रोपयोगि यत्” इति । अत एव पाद्मोत्तरखण्डादौ तथाविधपुराणानामपि तामसत्वमेवोक्तम् । Some misleading statements about Bhagavan’s form are found in Purāņas, such as Skanda Purana. This is appropriate because yā vai kalā bhagavatas tāmasi mürtim nah puru-kṛpaya babhāra sattvam samśuddham sad-asad idam vibhāti yatra anādi-nidhanānanta-vapuse viśva-rūpine PP 6.239.15 269 labeŚri Bhagavat Sandarbha of they refer to descriptions from kalpas dominated by darkness and ignorance, and in these kalpas the Lord conceals His glories. Such misleading statements do not truly describe the reality of Bhagavan; their purpose, rather, is to propagate dry renunci- ation, to glorify Śri Śiva, and so forth. Since their real import doesn’t concern itself directly with Bhagavan, their primary sense does not hold true when commenting on that Supreme Reality. Śrī Śiva instructs his son, Skanda, in Skanda Purāṇa that Vaiṣṇavas should not accept scriptural statements that estab- lish Śiva and others as Supreme: “In these scriptures describing the glory of Lord Siva, only those statements that support the scriptures dealing with Visņu should be accepted.” न चैवं तेषां पुराणानामप्रामाण्यमापतितम् । परमात्मसन्दर्भे दर्शयिष्यमाणेन मत्स्यपुराण- वचनानुसारेण तामसराजसकल्पकथामयत्वं तेषाम् । सात्त्विककल्पकथामयत्वं तु विष्णु- प्रतिपादकानां तत्तद्गुणमयत्वमिति तत्तत्कल्पं प्राप्य श्रीविष्णुरेव तथात्मानं प्रत्यायत इति । तथा तथैव च तत्तत्पुराणं प्रस्तौति । तस्माद्यथादृष्टमेव तत्तद्वचनं नान्यथात्वं वहति । किन्तु “सत्त्वात्सञ्जायते ज्ञानम्” (गीता १४ । १७ ) इति ब्रह्मकाण्डस्येव सात्त्विकपुराणानां सर्वो- र्ध्वज्ञानमित्येव लभ्यते । तच्च सात्त्विकपुराण एव दृश्यते च । तदपि परमात्मसन्दर्भे लेख्यम् । This does not mean, however, that such Purānas are inauthen- tic. As will be shown in Paramātma Sandarbha, according to statements from Matsya Purana, such Purānas have descriptions from the rājasa and tamasa-kalpas. The Purāṇas that establish Śrī Visņu as Supreme relate stories from the sättvika-kalpas. When we say the Purāņas are in a particular guna, it means that it is Śrī Viṣṇu who appears in these various kalpas in various gunas and expresses His personality in that way. The particular Purāņa then glorifies Him accordingly. Hence, the Purāņas are not imag- inary; they relate events as they occurred. But, as indicated in Brahma-kända, “Knowledge arises from sattva-guna” (sattvät sañjāyate jñānam, GĪTĀ 14.17), the sattvic Purāņas offer the most ⚫ siva-sastre’pi tad grähyam vişnu-śāstropayogi yat Padma Purana, Uttara-khanda, chapter 236 concludes, therefore, that those narrations that glorify Lord Siva as Supreme are in tamo-guna. 7 Paramatma Sandarbha, Anuccheda 16 27030 Bhagavan’s Body Is Transcendental complete and authentic knowledge. This indeed is found only in the sattvic Purāņas. This will also be described in Paramatma Sandarbha पाद्मपातालखण्डवैशाखमाहात्म्ये च “व्यामोहाय चराचरस्य जगतस्ते ते पुराणागमाः” (पाद्मे ५।९७।२७) इत्युक्तम् । This is confirmed in Vaiśākha-māhātmya of Pātāla-khaṇḍa of Padma Purana, “The Purānas and Agamas [in the gunas of tamas and rajas] are for the bewilderment of the movable and immov- able living beings of the cosmos.’ 19 श्रीभागवतेनापि “एवं वदन्ति राजर्षे” (भा० १० । ७७ । ३०) इत्यादिना तादृशं मतं न मतम् । तदिदं तु श्रीकृष्णसन्दर्भे विशिष्य स्थापयिष्यामः । Srimad Bhagavatam also does not accept such opinions, found in other Purāņas, as shown in verses like SB 10.77.30: “Such is the account some sages put forth, O wise king, but those who speak in this illogical manner contradict themselves, having forgotten their previous statements.“10 This will be specifically established in Kṛṣṇa Sandarbha.” di mo al nofazuo dz to nongho स्वमतं तु “सत्यं शौचं दया क्षान्तिः” (भा० १।१६।२७) इत्यादिना श्रीपृथिवीवाक्येन कान्ति- सहओजोबलानामपि स्वाभाविकत्वमव्यभिचारित्वं दर्शयता दर्शितम् । “नष्टे लोके” (भा० १० । ३ । २५) इत्यादिना श्रीदेवकीवाक्येन च । 61050/ Our conclusion has been substantiated by demonstrating that even qualities, such as splendor, mental power, cognitive power and sense power, are innate and exist eternally in Bhagavan. This was shown [in Anuccheda 26] by referring to Mother Earth’s state- ment, which lists the qualities of the Lord, such as truthfulness, Ibid. d-bro ? vyamohāya caracarasya jagatas te te purāṇāgamaḥ 11 PP 5.59.26 or PP 5.97.27 evam vadanti rajarse rṣayah ke ca nänvitāḥ yat sva-vaco virudhyeta nunam te na smaranty uta Kṛṣṇa Sandarbha, Anuccheda 29. This is a long section; the discussion is found toward the conclusion. 271 lesbyŚrī Bhagavat Sandarbhara cleanliness, mercy and fortitude, and also through the state- ments of Śri Devaki Devi, beginning with naşte loke (SB 10.3.25).12 Such mi ading stat तस्मात् साधूक्तम् “यद्रूपं ध्रुवमकृतम्” (भा० ५।२५।९) इति ॥ श्रीशुकः ॥ do not truly ordinoz Therefore, it was appropriately said in SB 5.25.9, “Bhagavan’s form is permanent (dhruva) and uncreated (akṛta).” somet to Commentary the glory of emmapo at dr IN THIS SECTION, Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī continues with the theme that the Lord’s body, even when manifest in this world, is part of His essential nature and is thus not material. Devaki Devi’s prayers in the previous anuccheda likened Bhagavan’s factor of time to an all- devouring snake of death. The primary verse of this section refers to Śrī Ananta, who has the form of a snake and is also the cause of cos- mic dissolution. This is a further indication that Bhagavan is beyond death. apitiboga od lliw aint The verse under discussion is from the Fifth Canto, where it is found in the context of the description of the cosmos. There, after explaining the structure of the seven lower planetary systems, Śukadeva Gosvāmi describes the region below the lowest planet, Pātālaloka. Śrī Ananta, who has a thousand heads, is said to be 30,000 yojanās below Patalaloka, where he bears the planetary sys- tems comprising the bhu-mandala, compared therein to a mustard seed, on one of His hoods. After describing Lord Ananta, Śrī Suka recites five verses sung in His praise by Narada Muni before Śrī Brahma. Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi quotes only part of the first verse in this series; the complete verse is given here: How can one possibly know in reality the ways of the Lord, by whose glance the gunas of material nature, sattva, rajas and tamas, which are responsible for the creation, continuation and dissolution of this cosmos, are made to function? Though His form is permanent 12 See the previous anuccheda. 272 30 Bhagavan’s Body Is Transcendental (dhruva) and uncreated (akṛta), and one in Himself, it has become at this multiform cosmos. (SB 5.25.9) 13 In this verse, the word dhruva (permanent) is interpreted by Śrīdhara Svāmī as meaning ananta (unending), and akṛta (uncre- ated) is defined as anadi (without beginning). Never was there a time when Bhagavan’s form was created, nor will it ever be destroyed. In Vedic philosophy an object is called eternal if it is beginningless, anadi, and endless, ananta. 211 bom All objects or entities can be classified into four groups: ibenta
- Those which have no beginning but have an end. For example, d brs before an object, say a sweetball, is created, it does not exist. The non-existence of the sweetball has no beginning. But this non- ni kexistence comes to an end when the ball is produced. This is called Zaprāg-abhāva, or pre-non-existence; it is anadi, or beginningless, but has an end. Бле
- Those which have a beginning but no end. If a sweetball is con- sumed, it will then become non-existent. This is called post-non- existence, or pradhvaṁsa-abhava; the non-existence has a begin- ning but no end, so it is ananta. Liberation, or mukti, is another example of this. ham
- Those which have no beginning and no end. Such objects are 292 orfw scalled nitya, or eternal. They neither have pre-non-existence nordw elmoipost-non-existence. Bhagavan, the jiva and Vaikuntha are such ombe nitya objects.mod-ums) anden do villecoutmob of sub top 24. Those which have both a beginning and an end. Such objects are called anitya, or temporary. Material bodies and all other visible objects around us fall into this category. This verse explains that Bhagavan’s body has no end and no beginning. He is nitya. Although He is called ananta, He is also anādi - anadir ādir govindah. In this regard, a doubt may be raised. Even if His body has no beginning or end, it can still undergo transformation, like material utpatti-sthiti-laya-hetavo’sya kalpãḥam sattvadyaḥ prakrti-guna yad-ikṣayasan yad-rupaṁ dhruvam akrtam yad ekam ātman nānādhāt katham u ha veda tasya vartma 273 LatŚri Bhagavat Sandarbhaa nature, which is also eternal. This verse indirectly denies this, how- ever, by stating that the mutation of the gunas occurs due to the glance of the Lord. This means two things: of the Lord is ming Tow
- The Lord existed before the gunas mutated. P2. The Lord does not undergo any change. The principle is that the agent is always different from the action. That Sri Ananta’s body is transcendental is confirmed in Lord Siva’s prayers, given in the course of a description of Jambudvipa and its nine divisions, found in chapters 16-17 of the Fifth Canto. It is related there that Lord Śiva is the only male on Ilavṛtavarṣa, and that he med- itates on Sankarṣaṇa. His prayers are comprised of eight verses, and in SB 5.17.19 he says that although the Lord glances at Māyā, He is not influenced by her, which means that His body is transcendental. Another doubt may be raised: In SB 5.17.16 Śrī Sankarṣaṇa’s form is called tāmasī mūrti (lit., “whose form is in tamo-guna”) and SB 5.25.1 states, yā vai kala bhagavatas tāmasi (lit., “the form of the Lord that is in tamo-guna”). These phrases clearly state that Sankar- sana’s body is in tamo-guna. Additionally, the object of Śiva’s med- itation (i.e., Sankarṣaṇa) is also worshiped by the daughters of the serpent king (SB 3.8.5). This is appropriate, as Sūta Gosvāmī else- where states that Śiva and serpents are in tamo-guna, and those who are in rajo-guna and tamo-guna worship deities in those particular gunas, due to commonality of nature (rajas-tamaḥ-prakrtayaḥ sama- śīlā bhajanti vai, SB 1.2.27). Hence, Sankarṣaṇa’s form definitely has some connection to tamo-guna. In response to this, Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī cites the subsequent verse spoken by Śrī Nārada (SB 5.25.10), in which he says that out of great mercy upon us, the Lord has manifested this form, which is in pure sattva, sattvam saṁśuddham, and this material world, with its cause and effect, abides in Him. This Lord of all beings is most liberal and powerful, and He manifests His flawless pastimes just to attract the hearts of His devotees. The words sattvam samśuddham clearly assert that Bhagavan’s form is in transcendental sattva, or unadulterated 14 1a mūrtiṁ naḥ puru-kṛpayā babhāra sattvaṁ saṁśuddhaṁ sad-asad idaṁ vibhāti tatra yal-lilām mṛga-patir ādade’navadyām ādātuṁ svajana-manaṁsy udara-viryaḥ 274 30 Bhagavan’s Body Is Transcendental being. SB 5.17.21 states that although Sri Ananta is the cause of cre- ation, maintenance and dissolution, He is free from these three (trib- hir vihinam). SB 5.17.16 refers to His form as tāmasi mūrtih, but also as turiya (lit., “the fourth”). Turiya means beyond the three gunas. This contradicts the literal meaning of the word tämasi murtiḥ. In com- menting on this verse, Śrīla Viśvanatha Cakravarti Thakura writes: Tāmasi means that Sri Ananta’s body is the source of annihilation, which is in tamo-guna. But factually His body is turiya, or in the fourth dimension, beyond the three gunas of material nature. It is suddha-cinmaya, purely of the nature of consciousness.15 This is also confirmed by Śri Maitreya: The original Lord Sankarṣaṇa, who has perfect knowledge, is situ- Mated at the bottom of the universe. (SB 3.8.3) 16 ar bus A further objection may be raised about Śrī Vişnu’s being eternal, free from birth and death. In Skanda Purana and Śiva Purana there are some stories that clearly indicate that Śrī Viṣṇu is not the sup- reme controller. They profess the supremacy of Śiva, Brahma and so on. One such example is found in Siva Purana: dl validig -dipash The sages said, “Even Śrī Brahma and Visnu bow down to him (Śiva) ant ra out of fear. He is the destroyer of the world and their controller. ChaPreviously he created Brahma and Visņu from the limbs of his Vis body, and he is their eternal well-wisher and master.” (Vayaviya- for samhita 7.1.13-14)17 es o Similarly, Devi-bhāgavata Purana 1.2.22 states that Devi creates Brahmā, Visnu and Siva18 Skanda Purana describes that when Śrī 15 tāmasim tamaḥ-karya-bhūtasya saṁhārasya pravarttayitrim vastutas tu turiyām tamo-rajah-sattvebhyo’pi parāṁ śuddham cinmayim ity arthaḥ 16 asinam urvyām bhagavantam adyam 17 sankarṣaṇam devam akuntha-sattvamag yasya brahma ca vişnuś ca pranamam kuruto bhayat loka-sankocakasyasya yasya tau vasa-vartinau yo’yam devaḥ svakad angåd brahma-vişņu purāsṛjatl sa eva hi tayor nityam yoga-kṣema-karam prabhuḥ hari-druhina-rudrānāṁ samutpattistataḥ smṛtā 275 Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha Kṛṣṇa was shot by the hunter, Jara, He left His body and went to His abode: “He gave up His body and departed from the face of the earth.“19 Furthermore, it states that His body was “cut to pieces by the hunter’s arrows,” and, “He gave up His body.“20 Brahma Purāṇa also describes that after Śrī Kṛṣṇa was killed by the hunter Jarā, Arjuna performed the funeral rites for His dead body: no gaitnom At that time, Arjuna searched for the bodies of Śrī Kṛṣṇa and Balarama and cremated them. Then he also burned the bodies of other Yadavas. (Brahma Purana 212.1)21 In light of such verses, how can Śrī Visņu’s body be considered eternal? Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmī says that these stories in the Purāņas are meant to propagate dry renunciation and the glorification of Lord Śiva and others; in other words, they are meant to conceal reality and not to reveal the Absolute Truth. Sections 17 and 18 of Tattva Sandarbha explained that the Purāņas are divided according to the gunas of sattva, rajas and tamas. This arrangement was made to attract those in all three gunas to the Vedic scriptures, and thus offer them suitable guidance in correspondence with their respective eli- gibility. In the Purāņas of the lower gunas, the glories of Śrī Vişnu are concealed. Yet they also contain implicit statements describ- ing Visnu’s supremacy, because, ultimately, all scriptures glorify Śrī Visņu. This is elegantly stated in Skanda Purāṇa: filo In the beginning, middle and end of the Vedas, Rāmāyaṇa, Mahab- hārata and Purānas, Śri Hari alone is glorified. (Käsi-khanda 95.12)22 297 Śrimad Bhāgavatam also states, “All the Vedas explain Śrī Kṛṣṇa” (vasudeva-parā vedäḥ, SB 1.2.28). Śrī Kṛṣṇa also asserts, “By all the 19 gatram santyajya cütraive gate’nante dharatatat Prabhasa-khanda 4.1.13 20 vyadha-prahāra-bhinnange parityakto kalevare 21 Prabhasa-khanda 4.1.14 has arjuno’pi tadānviṣya kṛṣṇa-rama-kalevare samskäraṁ lambhayāmāsa tathanyeṣām anukramāt 22 vede rāmāyaṇe caiva purane bhārate tatha adav ante ca madhye ca hariḥ sarvatra giyate 276 30 Bhagavan’s Body Is Transcendental Vedas I alone am to be known” (GITA 15.15)23 The indeclinable word eva (only) in this verse of Bhagavad Gitä is significant, because its use excludes all other deities. Since the Purānas and Itihāsas are supple- ments to the Vedas, the Lord’s categorical statement implies that He is also the goal of these texts. People in the lower gunas have a natural affinity for, or faith in, the worship of lesser deities. This is called svabhāvajā śraddhā, or faith born of nature. In the seventh chapter of Bhagavad Gītā, Kṛṣṇa says that He strengthens the faith of such people. Why? Because He does not oppose the will of the living being. To deny their will would mean they would be deprived of the possibility of loving and serving Him voluntarily, and it is only freely-given love that pleases Him. So, as Paramātmā, He guides them internally, while externally offering them scriptural support, and thus they develop firm faith in the deity of their choice. Ultimately, such persons are never satis- fied, because the devas do not have the power to liberate them from the entanglement of karmic reactions, good or bad, or from material desires. Only Mukunda (Śrī Kṛṣṇa) can free living beings from the bondage of karma. Sooner or later they will realize this fact and take to devotion of Viṣṇu. That Skanda Purana and other lesser Purānas explain the glories of Śrī Kṛṣṇa is evident from the verse cited above. It is also illus- trated by the story of Ghaṇṭakarna narrated in Hari-vaṁśa Purāṇa. Ghaṇṭākarna was a great devotee of Lord Siva who was so averse to Visnu that he could not tolerate even hearing His name. He there- fore hung bells on his ears and whenever a sound carrying the glo- ries of Visņu entered within hearing range, he would shake his head to drown out the sound. Thus, he earned his name, which means, “one who has bells hanging from the ears.” Ghanṭakarṇa performed severe austerities to please Śrī Śiva. After a long time, when Śiva finally appeared before him and offered him a boon, Ghaṇṭākarṇa prayed to be granted liberation. To his great dismay, Śiva informed him that only Visņu could grant him liberation and advised taking shelter of Him. So, Ghaṇṭakarna worshiped Śrī Kṛṣṇa and eventu- ally met Him at Badarikāśrama, where he spoke the following verse: 23 vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ 277 JernshŚrī Bhagavat Sandarbha When I begged for liberation, the three-eyed Lord Siva told me that Han only Śri Viṣṇu can grant a person liberation, and that of this, there a can be no doubt. (Hari-vamsa Purāna 3.30.30)24 When faced with such contradictory statements, we should take those that seem to minimize the supremacy of Śrī Visņu as invalid, because the elucidation of nirguna truth is not their specific concern. For perfect knowledge of the Absolute, one should consult sättvic Puranas, of which Srimad Bhagavatam is topmost, because it has no topic other than the Absolute Truth, Śrī Kṛṣṇa. According to Varaha Purāṇa, Śrī Viṣṇu ordered Lord Siva to create misleading scriptures: bluow you bas 298 O Śiva, propagate misleading scriptures and establish that one can be attain great results by only a little effort. (Varaha Purana 70.36) 25 The reason for this is that many persons of demoniac nature took birth in Kali as brāhmaṇas to destroy the Vedic religion. This is also stated in Caitanya-bhāgavata: In Kali, asuras will take birth as brahmanas. Born in brāhmaṇa fam- ilies, they will harass the weakened Vedic brahmanas. (Caitanya- bhāgavata 1.11.298) 26 To allure such people away from the Vedas, Lord Siva created many Agamas and Tantras in the lower gunas. In the same chapter of Varaha Purana referred to above, Śiva revealed his purpose to the sages: Haman 2111 gainean nava -olyTo bewilder those who do not follow Vedic injunctions, I have cre-rol bseated new scriptures, called naya-siddhanta. (Varaha Purana 70.42)27 On the same theme, Sukadeva Gosvāmī mentions in Bhagavatam that even great sages sometimes become bewildered and forget what 24 muktim prarthyamanam mam punar aha trilocanaḥ 25 mukti-pradātā sarveṣām viṣṇur eva na samsayaḥ tvam ca rudra maha-baho moha-śāstrāṇi kāraya alpāyāsaṁ darśayitva phalam dirgham pradarśaya 26 räkṣasāḥ kalim āśritya jayante brahma-yonişu utpapannā brāhmaṇa-kule bädhante śrotriyan kṛśanbul Sanvil 27 ye veda-marga-nirmuktās teṣāṁ mohārtham eva ca naya-siddhanta-sañjñābhir mayā sastram tu darsitam 278 30 Bhagavan’s Body Is Transcendental they have previously said. This point was made while Sukadeva was narrating the story of the battle waged between Śrī Kṛṣṇa and Salva. During the fight, Śrī Kṛṣṇa struck Śälva on the neck with His club, injuring him severely and causing him to vomit blood. The wounded enemy, who possessed great magical ability, suddenly disappeared into the sky. Then, after some time had elapsed, a strange person appeared before Śrī Kṛṣṇa, announcing that he had been sent by Mother Devaki to deliver a message, “Salva has captured Your father and carried him away like an animal.“nimeombu Ish Hearing this, the Lord became morose and said, “Oh, how sur- prising that Śālva captured my father in the presence of Balarama, who cannot be defeated by anyone. Indeed, Fate is most powerful!” Then Sälva himself appeared before Kṛṣṇa with a false Vasudeva, created by his illusory powers, and beheaded him in front of the Lord. Seeing this, Śrī Kṛṣṇa was bereaved just like an ordinary man, until He realized that it had all been an illusion created by Salva.og After this narration, Sukadeva Gosvāmī said that some people speak incoherent words and contradict themselves.28 How is it possi- ble that the Supreme Lord can fall into illusion? The point is, rather, that sometimes even sages forget that Śrī Kṛṣṇa is transcendental and thus cannot become bewildered. Therefore, when such descrip- tions are found in the Purāņas or Itihāsas, they should be consid- ered as misleading and hence not accepted as literal, or as descrip- tive of higher-order truth, by the Vaisnavas. Thus, in Skanda Purāņa Lord Siva instructs his son that in scriptures dealing with his glory, only those statements that are consistent with the conclusions of the Vaiṣṇava scriptures should be accepted as authoritative. All other statements should be taken as the indirect glories of Śrī Viṣṇu, for since the gods are compared to the limbs of the cosmic form of the Lord, praise directed to them is considered indirect praise of Śrī Viṣṇu. Another explanation as to why such glorification of the devas exists is because all names originally belong to Śrī Viṣṇu. In the evam vadanti rajarse rṣayah ke ca nănvitāḥ yat sva-vaco virudhyeta nunam te na smaranty uta SB 10.77.30 279 LansbuŚrī Bhagavat Sandarbha de op fourth chapter of Kurma Purana it is demonstrated that all the deriva- tive meanings of these names revert to Him. For example, it is said: dubrad bsh Because Visnu is supreme among the gods, He is called Mahadeva. Because He is the greatest, He is called Brahma. He is called Parames- vara because He is transcendental. (Kürma Purana 1.4.6)29 bears лог xo Therefore, scriptures sometimes describe Kṛṣṇa directly and sometimes indirectly. Verses implying that Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s body is mate- rial carry a secondary meaning. Such secondary statements require correct interpretation to bring them into coherence with the pri- mary statements that explain how Bhagavan’s body is eternal. Peo- ple in general are very much attached to their bodies; therefore, to teach them renunciation, the Lord sometimes creates an illusory body before He departs from the world. This is to encourage ordi- nary people to think as follows: Even a person like Kṛṣṇa, who was most powerful and beautiful, who had 16,000 queens and unlim- ited opulence and relatives, had to leave everything at the time of death. So why should we remain attached to our bodies and their by-products? 20161 siqua sid Lo Bhagavan, who creates millions of universes, can easily create an illusory body that resembles His real body. Sometimes such descrip- tions of Krsna’s death are to be interpreted as indirect statements, or parokṣa-vāda. According to Srimad Bhagavatam, the topmost author- ity for the Vaisnavas, Śrī Kṛṣṇa left the world in the self-same body: Without burning up His all-attractive body by the yogic process of concentration on the fire element, which is the most auspicious object of contemplation and meditation, Śrī Kṛṣṇa entered His own abode. (SB 11.31.6)30 ibni ad es bluode GV arit to molimo sit to adrill Sili od Byr Vedic literature sometimes speaks indirectly, as sage Avirhotra says: These Vedic scriptures speak indirectly in order to teach those of unformed intelligence. They prescribe certain actions in order to 29 deveșu ca măhă-devo maha-deva iti smrtaḥ 30 bṛhattvac ca smṛto brahma paratvät parameśvaraḥ lokābhirāmām sva-tanum dharana-dhyana-mangalam yoga-dharanayagneyya’dagdhvä dhāmāvisat svakam 28030 Bhagavan’s Body Is Transcendental rly liberate from other actions, just as a father promises his child candy to make him take his medicine. (SB 11.3.44)31ogs snto vo/SME Furthermore, Śrī Kṛṣṇa says that He has a liking for this paroksa- vāda. He told Uddhava: The primary subject of the Vedas, which are divided into three parts [namely the Karma-kāṇḍa, Upāsanā-kāṇḍa and Jñāna-kāṇḍa],” is knowledge of the self and Brahman. The Vedic seers, however, convey their meaning indirectly, and I am pleased by such indirect explanations. (SB 11.21.35)32 The purpose of Vedic literature is to educate humanity, bālānām anusāsanam. The teachings are given according to people’s receptiv- ity. But the scriptural statements are not false. They are authentic, yet their purpose, lying beyond the grasp of mind and intellect, must be understood from a genuine wisdom-teacher. Otherwise, their importance is minimized, śruti-śästra-nindana, by failing to honor the method of reception they themselves prescribe, and thus the truth they disclose remains concealed. The word kalpa is another example of parokṣa-vada. The word kalpa has various meanings. One prominent meaning is a period of time, equal to a day of Brahma. Thus, the word tāmasa-kalpa would mean a day of Brahma that is in tamo-guna. But this seems quite improper. Śrī Kṛṣṇa says that He appears in every millennium to propagate religion (GĪTĀ 4.7-8). Moreover, He says that He appears whenever there is decline in religion. His purpose in coming into the material world is to give Vedic knowledge. According to Laghu- bhāgavatamṛta, there are 41 major avataras in each day of Brahma: gribrod A oal Adding the kalpāvatāras (25), manvantarāvatāras (12), and yuga- avataras (4), there are a total of 41 avataras in a day of Brahma. (LBH 1.4.27)33 31 parokṣa-vado vedo’yam bālānām anusāsanam karma-mokṣaya karmani vidhatte hy agadam yatha 32 veda brahmatma viṣayās tri-kāṇḍa-viṣaya ime parokṣa-vādā rṣayah parokṣam mama ca priyam kalpa-manvantara-yuga-pradurbhava-vidhāyinaḥ avatārā ime tv eka-catvärimśad udiritāḥ 281 Los Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha Later on, Rūpa Gosvāmī says that generally in all kalpas the same avatāras appear, and ordinarily they have the same names and perform similar activities.34 Sometimes there is minor varia- tion. Besides this, Śrī Caitanya appears in the 28th Kaliyuga of the 7th Manu in each day of Brahma to propagate harinama-saṁkīrtana. Moreover, Śrī Sūta Gosvāmi says that the Lord makes unlimited appearances: O brahmanas, the avataras of the Lord, who is an ocean of sattva (sattva-nidhi), are without number, just like the rivulets that flow from inexhaustible bodies of water. (SB 1.3.26)35 monMbd vah In commenting on the phrase sattva-nidheḥ, Śrila Sanatana Gosvāmī writes in his Dig-darśini-tikā to Bṛhad-bhāgavatamṛta 1.5.8, “Sattva here means the supreme mercy of Bhagavan, and that is why He has unlimited appearances in the material world.“36 Supreme mercy here means to bestow transcendental knowledge so that the living beings can become free from ignorance, the root cause of all their miseries. It is for this reason that the Lord appears in the material world again and again. In light of this, it would be highly illogical to think that some kalpas are tāmasic and others rājasic. Furthermore, Brahmā has thirty days in a month, and the names of each day, beginning with śveta-varaha-kalpa, are mentioned in Skanda Purana. There is no mention of a tamasa-kalpa or rājasa-kalpa in this list. The same names are repeated in each month, like the days of the week or the dates of a month. (abstwoint sibov avis oral blow ichitem ad We are therefore forced to seek out a different meaning for kalpa. According to Medini 1.12.2, a Sanskrit glossary, one of the popular meanings of kalpa is sastra, or scriptural statement. This was also established in Tattva Sandarbha.37 This matches with the statements 34 35 prayaḥ svayambhuvädyäkhyāḥ kalpe kalpe bhavanty ami manavas te vatārās ca tatha yajñādi-namakāḥ LBH 1.4.30 avatārā hy asankhyeya hareḥ sattva-nidher dvijāḥ yathavidäsinaḥ kulyäḥ sarasah syuḥ sahasraśaḥ 36 sattvam atra parama-karunyam. ata evāsarkhyeyā avatārāḥ. 37 See Anuccheda 17.3. 282 30 Bhagavan’s Body Is Transcendental from Padma Purāņa and Matsya Purana that divide the Purāņas into three gunas according to their subject matter. Therefore, the mean- ing of the phrase tamasa-kalpa-katha-maya should be taken as, “hav- ing descriptions that are in the gunas of tamas.” This topic will be discussed in greater detail in Paramatma Sandarbha, Anuccheda 16. Therefore, it is concluded that all scriptures ultimately glorify Śrī Viṣṇu. The Śruti states, “All the Vedas lead to that one place” (sarve veda yat padam amananti, KU 1.2.15). Śrī Visnu has an eternal body and His attributes never undergo any transformations. TESTATULIS 02128 tharbourineine berwawasu gristite theo viations solo sosit fired odwoloudno worse abianoson sbiadition ad ob binkna nidae steder peded bas komand to one malas dgunda edwong 2012 Units Sogba wadud sas brasogge flera bad coilgooq sanse bad bus jasting po Thembring F30 श्री श्री 283 oma abivih jednosobanu umling med zista ongabr veranserad bloode wom h-alennerdgarte ad lliw olgu ald Spint og de er nogtease gro Anuccheda 31 900 Bhagavan’s Body Is All-pervading many tow dun ३१ | विभुत्वमाह (भा० १० ।९।१३-१४) - ŚRI SUKA DELINEATES the Lord’s all-pervading aspect as follows: न चान्तर्न बहिर्यस्य न पूर्वं नापि चापरम् । पूर्वापरं बहिश्चान्तर्जगतो यो जगच् च यः ॥ १३१ ॥ तं मत्वात्मजमव्यक्तं मर्त्यलिङ्गमधोक्षजम् । गोपिकोलूखले दाम्ना बबन्ध प्राकृतं यथा ॥ १३२ ॥ Thinking Kṛṣṇa to be her own son, the cowherd woman, Yasoda, bound Him to a mortar with a rope like an ordinary child - He who has neither inside nor outside, neither front nor back, who exists in front of the cosmos and behind it, who is both within and without it, who, indeed, is Himself the cosmos, and who, though Jaunmanifest and beyond sense perception, had still appeared as a human being. (SB 10.9.13-14)1 टीका च – बन्धनं हि बहिः परिवृतेन दाम्नान्तरावृतस्य भवति । तथात्र पूर्वापरविभागवतो वस्तुनः पूर्वतो दाम धृत्वा परितः परिवेष्टनेन भवति । न त्वेतदस्तीत्याह न चान्तरिति । किं च व्यापकेन व्याप्यस्य बन्धो भवति । तच् चात्र विपरीतमित्याह पूर्वापरमिति । किं च तद्व्यतिरिक्तस्य चाभावान् न बन्ध इत्याह जगच् च य इति । तं मर्त्यलिङ्गमधोक्षजमात्मजं मत्वा बबन्धेति । इत्येषा । 1 na cantar na bahir yasya na purvaṁ napi căparam purvāparam bahis cantar jagato yo jagac ca yaḥ tam matvātmajam avyaktaṁ martya-lingam adhokṣajam gopikolukhale damnă babandha prākṛtam yatha 284 31 Bhagavan’s Body Is All-pervading Śridhara Svāmi comments here: “Tying an object requires encir- cling it completely with a rope. This can be done only with objects that have a beginning and an end, by holding the rope at one end and bringing it around the object to be bound, and then binding it to the other end. To show that this is not possible in the case of the Lord, śukadeva says, ‘He who has neither inside nor outside; nei- ther front nor back. Moreover, only a tie that extends (vyāpaka) beyond the length of another object (vyapya) can bind it. To show that in Kṛṣṇa’s case it is just the opposite, Sukadeva says, ‘He who exists in front of the cosmos and behind it, who is both within and without it.’ Furthermore, to show that Kṛṣṇa cannot be bound, since nothing exists without Him, Suka says, ‘He who, indeed, is Himself the cosmos.’ Yet Yasoda bound Him, who, though appear- ing human, is beyond the reach of the senses, thinking Him to be her son.” जगच् च यः इत्यत्र यस्य कारणस्य व्यतिरेकेण कार्यस्य जगतो व्यतिरेकः स्यादिति । तदनन्यस्य जगतस्तच्छक्त्यैव शक्तेस्तदंशांशरूपया रज्ज्वा कथं तस्य बन्धः स्यात् ? न हि वह्निमर्चिषो दहेयुरिति भावः । 99 lis airl The statement, jagac ca yah (He who is Himself the cosmos) means that Krsna is the cause of the cosmos. Without Him, the effect, in the form of the cosmos, could not exist. The cosmos is nondiffer- ent from Him, being His energy. How then could it be possible to bind Him with a rope, which is nothing more than a portion of a portion of His energies? The flame can never burn its source, fire. “तं मर्त्यलिङ्गम्” इत्यादौ टीकाकृतामयमभिप्रायः । ननु सर्वव्यापकं कथं बबन्ध । न हि ब्रह्माण्डगोलकादिकमपि कश्चिद् बध्नाति ? तत्राह - मर्त्यलिङ्गं मनुष्यविग्रहम् । The import of Sridhara Svämi’s commentary on the statement, “He who had appeared as a human being” (martya-linga), is as fol- lows: How could Yaśoda bind Him, who is all-pervading ? After all, no one can bind even the shell of the universe. To quell such a doubt, Suka answers that He has a human form, martya-linga. तर्हि कथं व्यापकत्वम् ? तत्राह - अधोक्षजम् अधःकृतमिन्द्रियजं ज्ञानं येन तं सर्वेन्द्रियज्ञा- नागोचरं प्रत्यक्षादिप्रमाणैरचिन्त्यस्वरूपमित्यर्थः । तस्मात् तदाकारत्वेऽपि तस्मिन् विभु- त्वमस्त्येवेति भावः । अधोक्षजत्वादेवाव्यक्तत्वमपि व्याख्यातमिति तन् नोद्धृतम् । 285 gatheŚrī Bhagavat Sandarbha One may then wonder: If He does have human form, how can He be all-pervading? In answer, Suka says, He is “beyond sense perception” (adhokṣaja). In other words, He is that Being, in regard to whom, knowledge derived from sense-perception is rendered useless; which is to say, He is imperceptible to all sensory knowledge. His form is inconceivable by direct percep- tion and other such means. Therefore, despite His human form, He is certainly all-pervading. By understanding His adhokṣaja attribute, His imperceptibility to the material senses, the word “unmanifest” (avyakta) is automatically explained and is, there- fore, not referred to separately in Sridhara Svāmi’s commentary. zi basbati odw Havs lue miH juodiw atalxs gridson aute ननु मनुष्यविग्रहत्वेऽप्यपरित्यक्तविभुत्वं कथं मातुर्नास्फुरत् ? तत्राह - आत्मजं मत्वा इति । वत्सलाद्यभिधप्रेमरसविशेषस्य स्वभावोऽयम् । यदसौ स्वानन्दपूरेण तस्य तादृ- शत्वं प्रत्यनुभवपद्धतिमावृणोतीत्यर्थः । इत्थं चातद्द्वीर्यकोविदत्वं तस्या माहात्म्यमेव तं रज्जुभिर्बद्धमपि कर्तुस्तस्य प्रेमरसस्यानुभावरूपत्वात् । तदुक्तम् “नेमं विरिञ्चो न भवः” ( भा० १०।९।२० ) इत्यादि । But how is it that this all-pervading aspect, belonging even to His human form, was not perceived by His mother? Suka answers, “Thinking Kṛṣṇa to be her own son” (atmajam matva). This is the nature of the transcendental love-ecstasy (prema-rasa) that goes by names such as parental love or nurturing (vätsalya), which covers the knowledge faculty with its own inherent all- encompassing bliss, so that features like His all-pervasiveness cannot be perceived. Yasoda’s inability to detect Kṛṣṇa’s majes- tic opulence is indeed glorious, because it was an anubhava, or an external manifestation of inner ecstasy, arising out of her permanent loving rasa for Kṛṣṇa, the very love that made it pos- sible for her to bind Him with rope. As a result, Śrī Suka later glorifies her love in the following words, “Not Brahma, not Śiva, nor even Laksmi, whose abode is on the Lord’s chest, obtained from Kṛṣṇa, the bestower of liberation, mercy such as that which Mother Yasoda received” (SB 10.9.20)? 2 nemam viriñco na bhavo na śrir apy anga-saṁśrayā prasādam lebhire gopi yat tat prapa vimuktidät CRIMESTE 286 31 Bhagavan’s Body Is All-pervading प्राकृतं यथा इत्यनेन अधोक्षजम् इत्यनेन च वस्तुनो व्यापकत्वं मायया तु मर्त्यलिङ्गत्व- मित्यपि परिहृतम् । यद्वि तर्कगोचरो भवति तत्रैव कदाचिदसम्भवरीतिदर्शनेन साभ्युप- गम्यते । यत्तु स्वत एव तदतीतं तत्र तत्स्वीकृतिरतीवमूर्खता । यथा बाडवनाम्नो वह्नेर्जल- निधिमध्य एव देदीप्यमानतायामैन्द्रजालिकतास्वीकरणम् । श्रुतिश्च “अर्वाग् देवा अस्य विसर्जनेनाथ को वेद यत आबभूव” इत्याद्या The phrases, “like an ordinary mortal” (prākrtar yathā), and, “beyond sense perception” (adhoksaja), refute any possibility that in spite of being all-pervading in reality, He may have appeared as a human being by the agency of māyā, or illusion. Sometimes in the realm of material logic a paradox occurs that appears to defy the laws of nature or conventional experience; such instances are generally taken as the play of māyā. But to reduce phenomena that are naturally beyond logic to mere products of māyā is gross foolishness, just as it is foolish to consider as illusion (aindraja- lika), the brilliance of the fire, emanating from the undersea vol- cano (bādava), which is displayed within the ocean water. The Vedas also declare, “The gods emanated from Him, but who knows His origin?”” Toranobalm to fonainoo disdasdiis to Sim किं च यद्गतं बन्धनम् तस्य श्रीविग्रहस्यैव व्यापकत्वं विवक्षितं यत्तदोः सामानाधिकर- ण्यात् तस्यास्तत्राकोविदत्वोपपादनत्वाच् च । तत्र विग्रहत्वं परिच्छिन्नतायामेव सम्भ- वति करचरणाद्याकारसन्निवेशात् । तस्मादस्त्येव तस्मिन् परिच्छिन्नत्वं विभुत्वं च युगप- देव । मूलसिद्धान्त एव परस्परविरोधिशक्तिशतनिधानत्वं तस्य दर्शितम् । दृश्यतेऽपि लोके त्रिदोषघ्नमहौषधीनां तादृशत्वम् । 9812 10.2018 Moreover, Suka’s intention is to assert that the very same body that was bound is all-pervading, since the relative pronouns yasya (whose) and ya (who) denote the same object as their co- relatives, tasya, tat, in the verses, as they all refer to this form of Kṛṣṇa. This is also evidenced from the fact that Suka points out Mother Yasoda’s lack of capacity to recognize His all-pervading aspect in the very same body. Only a limited object can have a form, because a form is a patterned arrangement of limbs, such as hands and legs. Therefore, the feature of being limited, and 3 arvãg deva asya visarjanenatha ko veda yata ababhuva _RV 10.129.6 287 Katha Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbhaar that of being all-pervasive, both exist in Him simultaneously. It has already been demonstrated, as an axiomatic truth, that Bhagavan is the seat of hundreds of mutually conflicting poten- cies. Indeed, this is experienced even in the material world in the realm of Ayurvedic herbs that have the power to subdue opposing dosas [the three basic causes for all disease] simultaneously. तथैव विभुत्वमुक्तं ब्रह्मसंहितायाम् (५।३४) -ha) YEH SH аравт Bhagavan’s all-pervasiveness is similarly expressed in Brahma- samhita: 916 lov पन्थास्तु कोटिशतवत्सरसम्प्रगम्यो वायोरथापि मनसो मुनिपुङ्गवानाम् । सोऽप्यस्ति यत्प्रपदसीम्न्यविचिन्त्यतत्त्वे गोविन्दमादिपुरुषं तमहं भजामि ॥ १३३ ॥ इति । I worship Govinda, the Original Person, the tip of whose lotus feet is an inconceivable truth that can be approached by the best 169 ew of sages only after millions and millions of years on the paths V of either breath-control or mind-control practice. (Brahma- samhită 5.34)* श्रुतिश्च माध्वभाष्यप्रमाणिता “ अस्थूलोऽनणुरमध्यमो मध्यमोsव्यापको व्यापको हरिरा- दिरनादिरविश्वो विश्वः सगुणो निर्गुणः” इति । A Śruti cited by Śrī Madhvācārya in his Vedanta-sutra-bhāṣya also states: “Śri Hari is neither gross, nor atomic; He is medium in size, but not medium in size; all-pervading, but not all-pervading. He is the beginning, but without beginning; He is the cosmos, but beyond the cosmos; He has attributes, yet has no attributes.“5 तथा नृसिंहतापनी च“तुरीयमतुरीयमात्मानमनात्मानमुग्रमनुग्रं वीरमवीरं महान्तममहान्तं विष्णुमविष्णुं ज्वलन्तमज्वलन्तं सर्वतोमुखमसर्वतोमुखम्” (नृ० ता० ६।१) इत्यादिका । panthās tu koti-sata-vatsara-sampragamyo vayor athāpi manaso muni-pungavānām so’py asti yat-prapada-simny avicintya-tattve govindam ādi-puruşam tam aham bhajami 5 asthulo’naṇur amadhyamo madhyamo’vyapako vyapako harir adir anadir aviśvo viśvaḥ saguno nirguṇaḥ 288 31 Bhagavan’s Body Is All-pervading Nrsimha-tapani Upanisad similarly states: “Unto Him, who is the fourth state of existence but not the fourth state of exis- tence, the self but not the self, ferocious but not ferocious, heroic but not heroic, great but not great, all-pervading but not all- pervading, brightly blazing but not brightly blazing, whose mouth is everywhere and yet nowhere” (NTU 6.1). 328 browng aigoy ym blodos i bossinia fun as salad Is ब्रह्मपुराणे च- Brahma Purana also states: on अस्थूलोऽनुरूपोऽसावविश्वो विश्व एव च । Arto) holdt nadw ★ विरुद्धधर्मरूपोऽसावैश्वर्यात् पुरुषोत्तमः ॥ १३४ ॥ इति । 12900vn lo da od broved al pada me The Lord is neither gross nor atomic. He is the cosmos and yet not the cosmos. He is called Purusottama because He possesses the opulence of opposing characteristics? तथैव दृष्टं श्रीविष्णुधर्मे Similarly, Vişnu-dharma Purana states: aPalit Jewel D 4.परमाण्वन्तपर्यन्तसहस्रांशाणुमूर्तये । जठरान्तायुतांशान्तस्थितब्रह्माण्डधारिणे । १३५ ।।। इति । Ribon howlan Satimil ton el vhod fitolant to smo Unto Him who has multifarious forms, from the atom down to a one-thousandth sub-atomic part of the atom, and yet holds thousands of universes in one ten-thousandth part of His belly. अतः श्रीगीतोपनिषदश्च (गीता ९।४-५ ) - he sashaxs Isconesvio And therefore, Gita Upanisad also states:cont rar bovswod vitu stuload dr lehatem ad min at tedd sbulowos 7 turiyam aturiyam ātmānam anātmānam ugram anugram vīram avīram mahāntami amahāntam viṣṇum avisnum jvalantam ajvalantam sarvato-mukham asarvato-mukham asthulo’nurupo’sāv aviśvo viśva eva ca viruddha-dharma-rupo’sav aiśvaryat purusottamaḥ paramanv-anta-paryanta-sahasraṁśānu-murtaye jaṭharäntäyutāṁśānta-sthita-brahmaṇḍa-dhāriņe 289 gab Śri Bhagavat Sandarbha मया ततमिदं सर्वं जगदव्यक्तमूर्तिना । || lemnot sur मत्स्थानि सर्वभूतानि न चाहं तेष्ववस्थितः ॥ १३६ ॥ Bio न च मत्स्थानि भूतानि पश्य मे योगमैश्वरम् ॥ १३७ ॥ इति I pervade this entire cosmos in My unmanifest form. All beings are situated in Me, but I am not in them. At the same time, all beings are not situated in Me. Behold my yogic power! ade(GĪTĀ 9.4-5) अव्यक्तमूर्तिना इति एतादृशरूपत्वाद् बुद्धिवैभवागोचरस्वभावविग्रहेणेत्यर्थः ॥ श्रीशुकः ॥ When the Lord says in Bhagavad Gita that He pervades the cosmos in His unmanifest form (avyakta-murti), it means He does so in a form that is beyond the reach of anyone’s intelligence. Commentary IN THE LAST TWO SECTIONS, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi has shown that the Lord’s body (śrī-vigraha) is part of His essential nature. It is eter- nal and nondifferent from Him. Now he begins to establish that this body is not limited to, or bound by, spatial or temporal laws. This is one of the Lord’s inconceivable attributes. Our unfailing experience is that a person’s body exists in a particular three-dimensional space at a particular point in time; it is limited by space and, therefore, can neither exist in two places simultaneously nor pervade everything. Since the Absolute is by definition nondual being-awareness, existing everywhere at all times, certain philosophers attempt to establish that the Absolute cannot be other than unqualified all- pervading Brahman. Imposing conventional experience on God, they fail to grasp the inconceivable character of the Lord’s body and conclude that it must be material. The Absolute Truth, however, is never subject to our mundane sensory experience. Śrī Jiva has already established this in an earlier section. The Absolute Truth is maya tatam idam sarvam jagad avyakta-mūrtinā mat-sthani sarva-bhūtāni na caham teşv avasthitaḥ na ca mat-sthani bhūtāni paśya me yogam aiśvaram bhūta-bhṛn na ca bhūta-stho mamatma bhūta-bhāvanaḥ 29031 Bhagavan’s Body Is All-pervading inconceivable, and our conventional experience, scientific laws and logical extrapolations are inadequate to comprehend or define the transcendental realm.tr ai ter qu hodilo bad sHisdi Any proposition that runs contrary to this premise is specula- tive theory, because its validity claims have no application in the realm of nondual being. Such theories are woven in the brain and are bound to collapse no matter how well spun. If a seeker simply admits his limitations in this regard and humbly hears about the Absolute Truth in the parampara system of authority, he saves himself much wasted effort. Ut ne mult griss? 921 gniddot bas gnifdenver Because the concept of a person existing beyond time and space is a very difficult one to grasp, on account of our deep-seated material conditioning, Śrila Jīva Gosvāmi spends considerable time explain- ing it from various angles. This section is just an introduction to the topic, which will continue up to Anuccheda 42. Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi uses the word vibhutva for all-pervasiveness. This word literally means “greatness,” or “prowess,” but in phi- losophy it conveys the meaning of sarva-gatatva, or “going every- where.“10 The author wants to show that the Lord exists everywhere in His personal form, and not simply through His energy. This is accompanied by an example from the Tenth Canto of Śrīmad Bhāga- vatam, where Śrī Suka narrates the story of Krsna’s being bound by Mother Yasoda. One day Mother Yasoda was churning yogurt in a clay pot to make butter, baby Kṛṣṇa’s favorite food. As she worked, she recalled and recited her divine son’s enchanting pastimes, so her mind, body and speech were all engaged in serving Him. While she was busy with her work, Śrī Kṛṣṇa came to her to drink her breast milk. Mother Yasoda began nursing Him, but the milk she had been boiling on the stove began to overflow. She stopped feeding Kṛṣṇa and quickly ran to save the milk. Krsna thought His mother was showing more regard for the milk than for Him, and so He angrily broke the clay yogurt pot, and then went to another room where He started eating the previous day’s butter. 10 Cf. Gautama-sutra-vṛtti 4.2.20. 291 galbeŚri Bhagavat Sandarbha da by When Yasoda returned, she saw the broken pot and recognized it as Kṛṣṇa’s mischief-making. She went looking for Him and found that He had climbed up onto a mortar in order to reach a butter pot hanging from a rafter, and was sharing the contents with the mon- keys. Indignant and determined to punish Him for His misbehavior, she picked up a stick. When Kṛṣṇa saw how angry His mother was, He became frightened and ran away. Mother Yasoda gave chase and was able to catch Him only with great difficulty. She caught hold of His hand and began chastising Him. Śrī Kṛṣṇa sobbed piteously, trembling and rubbing His eyes. Seeing Him so full of fear, Yasoda threw the stick away and decided to tie Him to the mortar to prevent Him from doing any more mischief. The above narration from Bhāgavatam precedes the two princi- pal verses that form the basis of this anuccheda. The first explains why Mother Yasoda was unable to bind Kṛṣṇa, the second how she succeeded. 190 1900 add ovlundly brow ad Tying an object requires encircling it completely with a rope. The object must be contained within the rope, and the rope must be out- side the object. Sukadeva Gosvāmī says, however, that Śrī Kṛṣṇa has neither inside nor outside (na cantar na bahir yasya). This means that nothing exists outside of Him. His body is formed of pure, con- densed bliss and has neither flesh or bones inside, nor skin outside. This is substantiated by Rukmini Devi, who speaks the following to Kṛṣṇa: aftig valo al rugby animus sow shoe yab mo bollA woman who has not smelled the fragrance of the nectar of Your lotus feet is so foolish that she gives her love to a man who is noth- varing more than a living corpse, covered by skin, whiskers, body-hair, nails and head-hair and filled with flesh, bones, blood, worms, feces, phlegm, bile and wind. (SB 10.60.45)11 dana neyed abolay stom This description applies to all ordinary material bodies, but the Lord’s transcendental form is purely spiritual. Although it appears “tvak-śmaśru-roma-nakha-kesa-pinaddham antar mämsästhi-rakta-kṛmi-vit-kapha-pitta-vātam jivac-chavam bhajati kāntam ativimūḍhā ya te padãbja-makarandam ajighrati stri See Anuccheda 49 for a more complete explanation of this verse. galwor 292 31 Bhagavan’s Body Is All-pervading to be localized, it is simultaneously all-pervading, like ether. As such, it has no divisions, no beginning or ending point - na pūrvaṁ napi căparam. His body is not limited by space. of autodrom all as HoŚukadeva next says that the Lord’s form is purvāpara - it existed before the creation and will exist after annihilation. This implies that it is not limited by time. There was never a time when He did not exist, nor will there ever be a time when He ceases to exist. The Lord related this to Brahma: I alone existed before all this, when there was nothing else, neither cause nor effect. After creation, this too is I. And in the end, I alone will remain. (SB 2.9.32)12 Here “I” refers to Bhagavan’s personal form and not to His inde- terminate feature, which, being devoid of attributes, is formless. The verse goes on to say that Krsna is the universe (jagac ca yaḥ), and thus not limited by any object. How can a rope, which is an insignif- icant part of the universe, bind the Lord, who is the source of mil- lions of such universes? He is not only within the universe but also outside it. Anything not limited by time, space, or other objects is all-pervading and not pervaded by anything else. In other words, the Lord’s form is unlimited and, therefore, cannot be bound. The obvious question arises, “How then was He bound?” He was certainly bound even though He has all the above attributes. He is called Damodara, or one who was bound around the waist. This is confirmed in Hari-vaṁśa Purana 2.7.14: “She (Yaśodā) tied ropes around His belly (udara), and then tied the rope to a mortar” (damnă caivodare baddhva pratyabandhad ulukhale. How can an insignificant rope bind the One who is the source of unlimited universes?hild The Bhagavatam verse explains that Śrī Kṛṣṇa is martya-linga, He appeared as a human child. Otherwise, Mother Yasoda could not even have considered trying to tie Him up. She did not realize that her son is all-pervading, and this is because He is adhokṣaja - beyond sense perception. 12 aham evāsam evägre nanyad yat sad-asat param paścãd aham yad etac ca yo’vasişyeta so’smy ahami 293 gabe Śri Bhagavat Sandarbha 2 ZA Ordinary persons cannot perceive the transcendental Lord, but Mother Yasoda is not an ordinary person, for the Lord accepted her as His mother due to her love for Him. Why then was she unable to recognize that Krsna could not be bound? The verse says that out of love she thought of Him as her own son (tam matvātmajam). As a result, Kṛṣṇa reciprocated appropriately and, in order to do so, con- cealed His divine opulences. This is in keeping with Krsna’s own statement in GĪTĀ 4.11: Embed or all balen brod I reveal Myself to all who surrender unto Me, exactly in accordance with the essential nature of their surrender13 When Bhagavan exhibits His enchanting human-like pastimes, He conceals His divine opulence (aiśvarya) and thus the devotee does not recognize Him as God. Of all the characteristics of the Abso- lute Truth, this feature of Bhagavan is perhaps the most difficult to understand for those still affected by material consciousness, and yet it is the most wonderful of all. The extraordinary characteristic of the pure love found in the res- idents of Vraja is that it covers Kṛṣṇa’s aiśvarya, or the majesty of His Godhood. Śrī Caitanya explains this to Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī: der The pure love of the unalloyed devotee has no awareness of Kṛṣṇa’s 26 divine nature. Even though such a devotee may see Kṛṣṇa’s Godly characteristics, He considers only his relationship with Him to be aid important. (cc 2.19.203) od 25w ofw sho bom60 balle 21 14 The deeper the devotee’s love, the thicker the covering of formal knowledge. For instance, in this world also, a mother and father, blinded by parental love, will think that their child needs their care and guidance, even if that child has become prime minister and has millions of other people dependent on her or him. In the material world, however, it is not possible for someone to remain a child and continually nourish such vatsalya feelings in his or her parents. The Lord, on the other hand, being omnipotent, performs this feat by His 13 ye yatha mam prapadyante täms tathaiva bhajamy aham 14 kevalara śuddha-prema aiśvarya na jane aiśvarya dekhile-o nija-sambandha se mane ber 294 31 Bhagavan’s Body Is All-pervading inconceivable power called yoga-maya. He is able to satisfy His devo- tee perfectly. This is the import of the all-important Gită verse cited above.yenes hosanoriranduol babesq Such absence of awareness of (or simply absence of concern for) the Lord’s Godhood should not be considered a defect in the devo- tee, but rather a glory. The more love one has for the Lord, the blinder one is to His majesty, knowledge of which leads to reverence but not intimacy. As knowledge of majesty (aiśvarya) increases, the intensity of intimacy (madhurya) decreases, and vice versa. show In conditional existence such ignorance of God’s majesty would be considered the root defect, but on the transcendental plane it is a glorious attribute. This secret is known only to rare souls like Suka- deva, and thus he makes Mother Yasoda’s glories known to the world. It is significant that after narrating this pastime, he did not glorify Kṛṣṇa’s quality of being both limited and unlimited simultaneously, nor His yogic power, but yearned, rather, in a rapturous mood for the mercy Śrī Kṛṣṇa had awarded to Yasoda, a mercy unattainable by Brahma, Śiva, or even Lakṣmi Devi herself. siery SHER In actuality, devotees like Mother Yasoda are not really in igno- rance of the Lord’s Godhood; it is just that due to their intense love, they pay very little attention to Bhagavan’s majestic aspect, or, in other words, to His formal station as God. They have no personal needs to satisfy by that opulence or mystic power. Their only desire is to love and serve Him in accordance with the permanent and dom- inant emotion that defines their love, so aiśvarya (or formal God- hood) is not very important to them. As a matter of fact, the desire to serve diminishes as the awareness of aiśvarya increases, for such an omnipotent and complete God has no need of anything, what to speak of the service of an infinitesimal spark of consciousness. So, even when Bhagavan reveals His formal opulence in the course of His lilā, His devotee interprets it in a way that does not disrupt the flow of devotion, like thinking that such miracles must be the result of some sage or god’s blessing upon Him. Brahma is born from the lotus navel of the Lord without any par- ticipation from Lakṣmi Devi. One of man’s strongest desires is called putraiṣaṇā, to have a son whom he considers to be his very self (ātmā 295 yle Śri Bhagavat Sandarbha vā jāyate putra). A father feels especially pleased with a son who is well-behaved and highly qualified. Brahma was certainly such a son, as he performed austerities for one thousand celestial years and pleased the Lord to the extent that the Lord shook hands with him15 15 Brahma is considered the ādi-guru, as stated by Śrī Śuka, “He [Brahma] is the original god and the supreme preceptor in the uni- verse” (sa ādi-devo jagatām paro guruḥ, SB 2.9.5). Nevertheless, not even Brahma could obtain the kind of blessings that Mother Yaśodā received from the Lord. He thus prayed to take birth as an insignifi- cant creeper in the land of Vraja so that he could be bathed in the dust of the lotus feet of its residents, whose life and soul is Śrī Mukunda.” Similarly, Lord Siva is the ideal devotee - vaiṣṇavānāṁ yathā sambhuḥ (SB 12.13.16) - yet he could not engage in loving sports with Śrī Kṛṣṇa. The Goddess of Fortune, Lakṣmi, always resides on the chest of Śrī Visņu and is, therefore, called anapayinī, one who is never separated from the Lord. Though She has such direct personal association, she still cannot relish the enchanting sports of Bhaga- vān’s Vraja līlā. She performed austerities in an attempt to enter therein, but was not rewarded favorably: 002 Jauj ai si thondboa adi lo sonet evol ni We do not know, O Lord, by whose mercy Kaliya has attained the ri Ism right to touch the dust of Your feet. For when Laksmi, who is so dear to You, desired to obtain this mercy, She performed austerities, giv- ing up all other desires, and remained fixed in Her vows for so very long, [but was still not successful]. (SB 10.16.36)” art panish ted sval Thus, through Sukadeva’s enthusiastic glorification, we receive a glimpse of Mother Yasoda’s exalted position, for by her love, the all-pervading Supreme Lord was bound.qmos bus fastogiamo na To leage 15 priyah priyam prita-manāḥ kare spṛśan SB 2.9.18, see Section 10.7. 16 tad bhūri bhagyam iha janma kim apy aṭavyāṁ yad gokule’pi katamanghri-rajo’bhisekam yaj jivitam tu nikhilam bhagavan mukundas tv adyapi yat-pada-rajaḥ śruti-mrgyam eva SB 10.14.34 Ravagedams satovsh a bill R hoitoush to wal 17 kasyanugraho’sya na deva vidmahe tavänghri-renu-sparśadhikaraḥ byad-väñchayā śrir lalanācarat tapo vihāya kaman suciram dhṛta-vrataḥ 296 31 Bhagavan’s Body Is All-pervading Sankarācārya’s school of Radical Nondualism interprets these verses as indicating that the Absolute Truth, the all-pervading Brah- man, accepts a human form under the influence of māyā. This is not a sound proposal, as it defies both scriptures and logic. These two verses state that both He who has neither inside nor outside (näntar bahiḥ) and He who was bound are one and the same person. A rela- tive pronoun must always have an antecedent with which it is con- nected. In Sanskrit, this rule is stated as yat-tador nitya-sambandhaḥ. In the first of the above two verses, a series of subordinate clauses using relative pronouns is given; their antecedent, the boy Kṛṣṇa who was bound by Mother Yasoda, is named in the second verse. ad The conclusion is that the all-pervading Absolute Truth must be the very child who was bound by Mother Yasoda. If this was not Sukadeva’s intention, what would have been the need for the first of the two verses? Nothing specific would have been conveyed; on the contrary, it would merely create confusion in the reader. Even though an ordinary human body is limited, the Lord’s body is all-pervasive, in spite of its apparent conformance to human proportions.is most allid seque-hanbad souborgagning old Furthermore, Śrī Jīva Prabhu warns that one should not think that Krsna’s being tied up was an illusion or a magic trick. Were it so, Śrī Suka would have no reason to glorify Mother Yasoda and estab- lish her superiority to Lord Siva and Śrī Brahma, who can accom- plish plenty of amazing magical feats. If the Lord were devoid of inconceivable potencies, it could then be taken as magic. In Sec- tions 15 to 19, however, it was established that the Lord has nat- ural inconceivable potencies, some of which oppose one another, ätmeśvaro’tarkya-sahasra-saktih (SB 3.33.3). To subject these incon- ceivable potencies to the parameters of mundane logic is sheer fool- ishness. They should be accepted on the authority of sabda-pramāṇa, or revealed sound. quod lit asumbos aids bus absqxs J Even the mundane world exhibits inconceivable occurrences. According to Ayurveda, diseases are caused by an imbalance in the tri-dosas in the body - mucus, bile and wind, as stated in Aṣṭānga- hṛdaya, an important Ayurveda textbook’s These three dosas have sarveṣām eva rogānāṁ nidanam kupitā malāḥ 297 the Sri Bhagavat Sandarbhad characteristics that oppose one another. For example, mucus is sweet and fatty; bile, sour and bitter; and wind, dry. This means that sweet foods increase the mucus in the body, while bitter and sour foods increase bile, and so on. When there is an imbalance in one of these dosas, it creates disease in the body. Ayurveda recom- mends medicinal herbs that re-balance the dosas. based The point to note, however, is that herbs that reduce mucus will increase bile, or vice versa, because mucus is cold and bile hot. In some cases, a person may have a disturbance in all three dosas and is administered herbs that will re-balance them. From a logical point of view, it should be impossible for any single herb to possess prop- erties that are self-contradictory, but Ayurveda recommends herbs like haritaki, which has the power to quell all three dosas simultane- ously. Though this is inconceivable and contrary to logic, it must be accepted on the authority of sabda-pramāna, in this case, the autho- rized knowledge of Ayurveda, and experience shows that it works. Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi defines illusion as something impossible that is still within the range of reason. For example, a magician may seemingly produce hundred-rupee bills from thin air. It seems like an impossible act and contrary to reason, but if he were actually able to produce money out of nothing, he would most likely not be per- forming a magic act to earn a living! Moreover, he would probably be arrested by the police, as only an agency like the Reserve Bank of India has the authority to issue currency. In such a case, we have to accept that the magician’s act can be explained as nothing more than sleight of hand. jadi badaildetes as t 21 anolt On the other hand, phenomena inconceivable to the rational mind may not always be illusory. For instance, objects generally expand when heated and contract when cooled. But water displays anomalous behavior when cooled below 4 °C. Instead of contracting, it expands, and this continues till o°C. Though this is outside the normal bounds of logic, to consider it illusion would be foolish. vswod Jiva Prabhu gives the example of the undersea volcanic fire, called bāḍava. It cannot be considered illusory because it is described in scriptures, in particular, in chapter 179 of Caitraratha- parva of Mahabharata. Aurva Rṣi wanted to destroy the kṣatriya 298 31 Bhagavan’s Body Is All-pervading kings, but his forefathers intervened. On their request, he threw his anger into the ocean and it there manifested as the baḍava or aurva fire. Since this event actually occurred, the fire should not be con- sidered illusory, though it may appear to be somewhat inconsistent with the realm of reason. When we discover that the things of this world sometimes have inconceivable or self-contradictory characteristics, it is easy to understand that Bhagavan, who is the source of the entire material and spiritual worlds, must also possess such inconceivable poten- cies. There is thus no need to consider His body material, or this pas- time of His being bound as illusory. Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi concludes, therefore, that the very same body that was bound with ropes is all-pervading. In this lila, Śrī Kṛṣṇa demonstrated that His body can be inconceivably, yet simultaneously, limited and all-pervading. Acceptance of this inconceivable nature of the Supreme Person is the fundamental and essential premise required for understanding the Supreme Lord’s personhood.us bamisel to Je In the following anucchedas, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi further explains the all-pervading feature of the Lord’s body, citing Brahma as authority. ybed wgnivad sind engine Ibrisques at sw as well induny) bolivial pimpeo to shaved as a bab sodw Hot nude bdew or is adm.ogs (avitst bobonoq nits diy units sang alexsy inn hue was intros felt 16019.00 (cator 2) wobniw dads of Bodywor aaolai gringsmart 299 ald westdrad pesupenda bostota tud agrill outdor en harestissit be 0 od bintusgua too ad ton blubilasaftsd be visus dili 2 totapostentos of que vema quod propulli bersbie se dosus dosus, ic roads london bid dat Anuccheda 32 na aldeviestobal Bhagavan’s Form Is Unlimited and boneshau 32.1 ash inch how Isurtint ນ guled all to smit ob imevano svilene vault as bruod quid alld ३२ । तदेवं परिच्छिन्नस्यैव तदाकारस्य विभुत्वं पुनर्विद्वदनुभवेनोक्तपोषन्यायेन दर्शयितुं प्रकरणमारभ्यते । तत्रैकादशपद्यान्याह (भा० १० | १४|११ ) ile Bos bairr ustiunile day NOW WE BEGIN A NEW SECTION to further establish that the Lord’s form is simultaneously limited and all-pervading, by referring to the experience of learned authorities, using the ukta-poșa- nyaya, or the principle of fortifying previous experience. First, Śrī Brahmā spoke the following eleven verses’ confirming what we have seen in the previous anuccheda: क्वाहं तमोमहदहं खचराग्निवार्भूसंवेष्टिताण्डघटसप्तवितस्तिकायः । क्वेदृग्विधाविगणिताण्डपराणुचर्यावाताध्वरोमविवरस्य च ते महित्वम् ॥ १३८ ॥ How can we be compared - I, an ignorant being, having a body just seven spans tall, consisting of this pot-like universe, sur- rounded by the seven coverings of cosmic intellect (mahat- tattva), ego, ether, air, fire, water and earth; and You, who are so great that countless such universes pass through the pores of Your body, like atoms through a window? (SB 10.14.11)2 स्पष्टम् । The meaning is clear. In reality there are twelve verses cited. 2 kvāham tamo-mahad-aham kha-caragni-var-bhū- samveṣṭitanda-ghata-sapta-vitasti-kayaḥ kvedrg-vidhäviganitāṇḍa-parānu-carya- vātādhva-roma-vivarasya ca te mahitvam 30032 Bhagavan’s Form Is Unlimited Commentary quros.ogaard.bosbliwed vllaze saw Andesid to haduerte, gnised along at gigged loud ads of bayang nas AFTER DEMONSTRATING IN THE PREVIOUS SECTION, that Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s body is unlimited, though apparently limited, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi now cites the experience of Śrī Brahma to bolster his argument. Śrī Brahma is known as veda-garbha, the repository and teacher of the four Vedas, and thus he is in complete knowledge of the essence of the Vedic scriptures. Moreover, though his four heads imply that he is all-seeing, he could still be confounded by Kṛṣṇa, so what to speak of ordinary human beings. By showing that Brahma is in agree- ment with his own conclusions, Jiva Gosvāmī seeks to firmly estab- lish his point about the Lord’s personal form. So, in this section, he quotes a series of eleven verses from Śrī Brahma’s prayers to Kṛṣṇa in chapter 14 of the Tenth Canto. Śrī Brahmā spoke these verses after trying to test Śrī Kṛṣṇa. When Śrī Kṛṣṇa entered the snake body of Aghasura, the personi- fication of sin, the demon’s soul left his body and hung in the air, waiting for the Lord to come out. This created a dazzling light that illuminated the entire universe. While the other gods celebrated the demise of the demon, Śrī Brahma’s attention was captured by this effulgence. Searching for the source of the radiant light, he descended and was astounded to witness the liberation of Agha- sura. He had previously heard that a sinful person may sometimes be awarded liberation, but he never imagined that sin personified could be so fortunate. Moreover, this feat (of awarding liberation) had not been accomplished by a person of extraordinary appearance, with four arms or a thousand heads, but by a mere boy. Adsiä Brahma’s curiosity was aroused and so he decided to test Kṛṣṇa in order to witness further pastimes. He stole Kṛṣṇa’s calves and friends and then returned after just a moment in the reckoning of his own time dimension to see how Śrī Kṛṣṇa was handling the sit- uation. By the earth’s time scale, however, it was a year later. Just imagine his surprise when he saw that all the calves and cowherd boyfriends were still sporting with Kṛṣṇa as before. Yet that was nothing compared to what ensued: as he watched, they all turned into four-armed Visņu forms. 301 Śri Bhagavat Sandarbha Brahma was totally bewildered, his ego completely smashed. He then prayed to the Lord, begging His pardon for having disturbed His play. These twelve verses are taken from his prayers. Their sig- nificance is that in them Brahma testifies from his own experience that the apparently limited form of Bhagavan is actually unlimited. In the first verse selected (SB 10.14.11), Śrī Brahma expresses how insignificant he is in comparison to the Lord. He explains that his body is within this universe, which is covered with seven layers — mahat, aham, sky, air, fire, water and earth. The width of the inner- most layer is ten times the diameter of the universe, and each sub- sequent layer is ten times thicker than the previous one. Maitreya Muni states: dal 2 an -mo The egg-shaped universe, constituted as it is of the eight causal prin- ciples and the sixteen evolutes, has a breadth of five million yojanas (40 million miles) and is covered outside by seven sheaths, each of which is ten times thicker than the one it surrounds, and is clustered together with other universes in their millions. (SB 3.11.40-41)3otish Brahma is just one tiny fragment within this universal egg along with all its coverings, and there are unlimited such eggs clustered in space. As he explains here, as well as in Brahma-samhita, these unlimited gigantic universes emanate from the pores of Mahāviṣṇu, just like atomic dust particles seen in the sunlight shining through a window. From this, one can just imagine the immense size of Śrī Mahāviṣṇu’s body. If an unlimited number of universes exist in His body, then His body must certainly be unlimited. If even Brahma cannot fathom this with his four heads, how can an ordi- nary person with just a single head gauge the size of the Lord’s body? And yet some bewildered people consider themselves, or others like themselves, to be God. moms jau banoro bar has shirts! Brahma says that, according to his own hand, his body mea- sures only seven spans, or vitastis, which is the distance between 3 vikaraih sahito yuktair viśeşădibhir avṛtaḥ anda-kośo bahir ayam pañcāśat-koți-vistṛtaḥ dasottaradhikair yatra pravisṭaḥ paramāņuvat lakṣyate’ntar-gatas canye koțiśo hy anḍa-rāśayaḥ 302 32 Bhagavan’s Form Is Unlimited the extended thumb and little finger. This distance is also equal to the width of the four fingers multiplied by three, or twelve fingers. According to Samudrika-śästra, the science of physiognomy, a nor- mal person measures seven vitastis, or 84 fingers, according to the size of his own hand. The Lord’s body, however, is nine vitastis, or 108 fingers in height, and such a body is called nyagrodha-parimandala, a mark of greatness and beauty. In this verse, the use of the word kva (where?) twice is a rhetor- ical device (on the one hand […] yet, on the other […]) that Brahma uses to emphasize the vast difference between himself and the Supreme Lord. 32.2 भा० १०।१४ । १२- उत्क्षेपणं गर्भगतस्य पादयोः किं कल्पते मातुरधोक्षजागसे । किमस्तिनास्तिव्यपदेशभूषितं तवास्ति कुक्षेः कियदप्यनन्तः ॥ १३९ ॥ 10 по Igni O Śrī Adhokṣaja, does a mother take offense when the baby in 10 her womb kicks up its feet? And is there anything whatsoever-18 whether designated as existing or not - that is not within Your belly? (SB 10.14.12)* अतः सर्वस्य तव कुक्षिगतत्वेन ममापि तथात्वान् मातृवदपराधः सोढव्य इति भावः । Brahma is saying, “Since everything is within Your belly, so too am I. Therefore, You should forgive my offences, just as a mother does those of the child in her womb.” Commentary Jocon In the second verse of the series, Brahma begs the Lord’s pardon because he created a disturbance while the Lord was enjoying His utkṣepanaṁ garbha-gatasya padayoh kim kalpate matur adhokṣajāgase kim-asti-nāsti-vyapadeśa-bhūṣitaṁ tavāsti kukṣeḥ kiyad apy anantaḥ 303 banŚri Bhagavat Sandarbha lunch. He likens Bhagavan to a pregnant woman because the cre- ation is held within Him. The child in the womb sometimes kicks, but this does not offend the mother; rather, she feels delighted that her baby is alive and kicking. Brahma entreats the Lord to regard his act of stealing the calves and cowherd boys as an innocent kick on the part of His son.della hade bara beadgir Brahma addresses Bhagavan as Adhokṣaja, or one who is beyond sense perception. This implies that he committed offenses because he was not able to recognize the Lord with his imperfect senses. To confirm their relation, Brahma expresses that the Lord’s abdomen is unlimited and that nothing exists outside it. Both existence (asti) and non-existence (năsti) are within Him. Asti can also refer to con- scious objects and nästi to inert objects, which are in permanent flux within the Lord’s body. There is no other existence to be found outside of Bhagavan. Kṛṣṇa confirms this in Bhagavad Gita: Understand that as the mighty wind, blowing everywhere, rests always in the sky, all created beings rest in Me. (GITA 9.6)5 The clear implication of Śrī Brahma’s verse is that all existence is within the body of the Lord, yet that same Lord is standing before et that same Lord is standing ber Brahma as a small child. 32.3 don no garrabes en botengian d किं च विशेषतस्तु त्वत्तो मज्जन्म प्रसिद्धमित्याह (भा० १० | १४ |१३) – Through the next verse, Brahma conveys the idea, “It is particu- larly well-known that I am born from You”: do 501 to sort sol जगत्त्रयान्तोदधिसम्प्लवोदे नारायणस्योदरनाभिनालात् । विनिर्गतोऽजस्त्विति वाङ् न वै मृषा किन्त्वीश्वर त्वन् न विनिर्गतोऽस्मि || १४० || My dear Lord, the revealed scriptures say that the unborn Brahma comes out of the lotus flower growing from the navelo yathākāśa-sthito nityam vayuḥ sarvatra-go mahān tathā sarvāņi bhūtāni mat-sthānity upadhāraya 304 32 Bhagavan’s Form Is Unlimited of Nārāyaṇa, who lies in the waters of dissolution into which the three worlds have merged. These words are surely not false, so was I not born from You? (SB 10.14.13) तथापि त्वत् त्वत्तः किं तु नोत्पन्नोऽस्मि ? अपि तु त्वत्त एवोत्पन्नोऽस्मीत्यर्थः । The question, “Was I not born from You?” is a rhetorical question. Brahma is confirming that he was born from Nārāyaṇa. dow Joe Ford od udsate most huid Hool moy int Commentary DISTSTE After comparing Kṛṣṇa to a pregnant woman, however, Brahma fears that Kṛṣṇa may object because He is male. In the subsequent verse, therefore, he refers to Krsna as his father. Or, if Kṛṣṇa were to respond that a mother delivers her baby, but when did He deliver Brahma? Then Brahma counters that he has also been delivered, “I was born from You” (vinirgato’smi).mol behong Then the Lord questions Brahma, “But you are called aja (unborn), so how can you have taken birth?” Brahma’s response is that the scriptures say so, and they can- not be wrong, vāṁ na vai mṛṣā. Nārāyaṇa Upaniṣad states, “Brahma takes birth from Nārāyaṇa” (nārāyaṇād brahmā jāyate, Nārāyaṇa Upanisad 1). Kṛṣṇa declares in GITA 9.17: эпо I am the father of this cosmos, its mother, provider and grandfather. I am that which is to be known, the purifier and the syllable Om. I am also Ṛg, Sama, and Yajur Veda?) darlle ud at all redis 60ay dabad day Brod In Brahma’s case this is especially true, for Śrī Nārāyaṇa is both his mother as well as his father. Because Brahma takes birth from the lotus growing from the Lord’s navel, Bhagavan is also his grand- father. He addresses the Lord as Iśvara, which means that He has inconceivable power and can thus be both mother and father at the same time. jagat-trayantodadhi-samplavode nārāyaṇasyodara-nābhi-nālāt vinirgato’jas tv iti vān na vai mṛṣā kintv isvara tvan na vinirgato’smi pitäham asya jagato mātā dhātā pitämahaḥ vedyam pavitram onkära ṛk sama yajur eva ca 305 Be Śri Bhagavat Sandarbha 32.4 moisgloth bodisild.sto bogrom and blow ननु यद्यहं प्रलयोदधिशायी नारायणः स्यां तर्हि मत्तस्त्वमुत्पन्नोऽसीत्यपि घटते । तत् त्वन्य- थैवेत्याशङ्क्याह (भा० १० | १४ । १४ ) - Then, with the expectation that Kṛṣṇa might object, saying, “If I were the Nārāyaṇa who lies in the waters of dissolution, then it could be said that you took birth from Me, but the fact is, I am not Nārāyaṇa,” Brahmā says: नारायणस्त्वं न हि सर्वदेहिनामात्मास्यधीशाखिललोकसाक्षी । नारायणोऽङ्गं नरभूजलायनात् तच् चापि सत्यं न तवैव माया ॥ १४१ ॥ moo O Supreme Controller! You are certainly not Näräyana, the self of 19 all embodied creatures and the witness of all creation. Nārāyaṇa is Your limb, so-called because His resting place is in the elements and waters produced from nara. Yet, this too is true, and is not a product of Your maya. (SB 10.14.14) up brod orient हे अधीश । ईशस्य सर्वान्तर्यामिणो नारायणस्याप्युपरि वर्तमान । हे भगवन्नित्यर्थः । हि निश्चितम् । स नारायणस्त्वं नासि किन्तु नारायणोऽसौ तवैवाङ्गमंशः । यद्यप्येवमथापि मम तदङ्गोत्पन्नत्वादङ्गिनस्त्वत्त एवोत्पत्तिरिति भावः । “sneven moit did 29/01 Brahma is saying: “O Supreme Controller (Adhiśa)! You are supe- rior even to Nārāyaṇa, the controller and Immanent Self of every- one. In other words, O Bhagavan! You are certainly (hi) not Nārā- yana, rather He is but a limb (anga), i.e., a part or aspect of You. Though it is true that I am born from Nārāyaṇa, yet because He nārāyaṇas tvaṁ na hi sarva-dehinām ātmāsy adhīśākhila-loka-sākṣī nārāyaṇo’ṁgaṁ nara-bhū-jalāyanāt tac căpi satyaṁ na tavaiva māyām This verse is often translated as a rhetorical question, following in the footsteps of Śridhara Svāmi. Śrīdhara Svāmi also reads the last line as tac capi satyam na, tavaiva māyā whereas Jiva reads tac capi satyam, na tavaiva maya. Thus, the Gita Press edition reads as follows, “Are You not actually Nārāyaṇa, since You are the life and soul of all living beings? Nay, You are their prompter as well as the witness of all creatures. The celebrated Śrī Nārāyaṇa, so-called because He has His abode in things produced out of nara, as well as in the waters evolved out of Him, constitutes a form of Yours. Your appearing in a finite form, however, is not true; it is a merely Your play.” Jiva Gosvāmi’s understanding is clearly different here. 306 32 Bhagavān’s Form Is Unlimited is but a part, of which You are the whole, I am in fact born from You.“qua singhamsteris कथमसौ नारायण उच्यते । कथं वा मम तस्माद् वैलक्षण्यम् ? (anora) amolina ST । Kṛṣṇa asks, “Why is He called Nārāyaṇa, and how do I differ from Him?” mem-79 ayop तत्राह - योऽसौ देहिनामात्मा अन्तर्यामिपुरुषः । अत एव नारस्य जीवसमूहस्य अयनमा- श्रयो यत्रेति तस्य नारायणत्वम् । साक्षाद् भगवतस्तव तु तदन्तर्यामितायामप्यौदासीन्य- मिति भावः । Brahma answers, “He is the indwelling Supreme Self of all embod- ied creatures; therefore, He is called Nārāyaṇa, which means the shelter (āyana) of the totality of all living beings ( nāra). But You, being the original Supreme Lord, are unconcerned even with being the indweller of Nārāyaṇa. किं च अखिललोकसाक्षी यस्मादखिलं लोकं साक्षात् पश्यति तस्मान् नारमयते जानातीति नारायणोऽसौ त्वं पुनस्तेनांशेनैव तद्द्रष्टा न तु साक्षादिति तस्माद् विलक्षण इत्यर्थः । : “Furthermore, Nārāyana is akhila-loka-sāksī (the witness of cre- ation), or one who sees all entities directly. Therefore, He is called Nārāyaṇa, ’the One who knows (ayate) the totality of all beings ( nāra).’ But You, Krsna, witness the living beings only indirectly through Him, who is Your part; You do not witness them directly, and this is what distinguishes You from Him.” तर्हि स नारायणस्त्वं न भवसीति ममाप्यन्यथा नारायणत्वमस्तीति भवताभिप्रेतम् । तत् कथम् ? if most bahasnagalew Hor bne abode zil asdear sin balles Kṛṣṇa responds, “So it seems that your intention is to say that Nārāyaṇa is not Me, but that I am Nārāyaṇa in some other kind of way. How is that?” o 1958 इत्यस्योत्तरं तेनैव सम्बोधनेन व्यञ्जयति - अधीशेति । ईशः प्रवर्तकः । ततश्च नारस्य अयनं प्रवृत्तिर्यस्मात् स नारायणः । ततोऽप्यधिकैश्वर्यादधीशस्त्वमपिनारायणः । यथा मण्डलेश्वरोऽपि नृपतिस्तेषामधिपोऽपि नृपतिरिति । श्रीकृष्णस्यैव साक्षात् स्वयम्भगव- त्त्वेन तस्मादपि परत्वं कृष्णसन्दर्भे प्रबन्धेन दर्शयिष्यते । 307 Śri Bhagavat Sandarbha Brahma’s answer to this can be understood from the same epi- thets already used to address Kṛṣṇa, namely Adhiśa, i.e., Supreme Controller. Isa means the inspirer. “He is Nārāyaṇa, because all actions (ayana) of the living beings proceed from Him. But since Your controlling potency is superior to His, You are the Supreme Controller, adhiśa, and thus You are also called Nārāyaṇa, in the same way that governors and the emperor who rules over them are both called ‘king.”” It will be shown in an extensive discus- sion in Kṛṣṇa Sandarbha that Śrī Kṛṣṇa is directly the original Supreme Lord, superior even to Nārāyaṇa. ननु - T naguillswbnisdi arowane anderä Now, different etymological definitions for the name Nārāyaṇa have been extensively given, such as: (antivo) 46alada que Janigira sda gaind नराज् जातानि तत्त्वानि नाराणीति विदुर्बुधाः । तस्य तान्ययनं पूर्वं तेन नारायणः स्मृतः ॥ १४२ ॥ इति । افرادی ghind The elements that emanate from the Lord (nara) are called nära F by the learned. In the beginning of creation the Lord enters them; therefore, He is called Nārāyaṇa. al soovi blo s bolles alatt ferroisted webalbeshitas leassa oriw sito so (nobe तथा (वि० पु० १।४।६) – or ads (stin) awonloilwanc Similarly, in Viṣṇu Purāṇa: one это та (потв an Jon of Wo www.mi giords आपो नारा इति प्रोक्ता आपो वै नरसूनवः । tires Jadwal ait bir अयनं तस्य ताः पूर्वं तेन नारायणः स्मृतः ॥ १४३ ॥ इति । 區 The water generated from the Lord in the beginning of creation is called nära. He makes it His abode, and so He is called Nārāyaṇa. 10(VP1.4.6) 10 Hasil Toy sa mga bai nadto amoa ni ansv abrogest day तस्यापि नारायणत्वमन्यथाप्रसिद्धमित्याशङ्क्याह - नरभूजलायनात् तच् चापीति । नरादुद्भूता येऽर्थास्तथा नराज् जातं यज्जलं तदयनाद् यत्तच् चापि नारायणत्वं भवति । narāj jātāni tattvāni nārāṇīti vidur budhah tasya tany ayanaṁ purvam tena nārāyaṇaḥ smrtaḥ 10 apo nārā iti proktā āpo vai nara-sunavaḥ ayanam tasya tāḥ pārvaṁ tena nārāyaṇaḥ smṛtaḥ 308 32 Bhagavan’s Form Is Unlimited Thus, Nārāyaṇa is so-called for different reasons. Expecting to hear such a challenge, Brahmä states nara-bhū-jalayanāt, “Nārā- yana is named as such because His resting place is in the elements and waters produced from nara.” तर्हि कथं प्रसिद्धिपरित्यागेनान्यथा निर्वक्षि | So Kṛṣṇa asks, “Why have you given up the celebrated definition of Nārāyaṇa and explained it differently?” Muto with sang इत्यत आह—सत्यं नेति । तत्प्रलयोदधिजलाद्याश्रयत्वं सत्यं न किन्तु तथाज्ञानं तवैव माययेत्यर्थः । मायात्र प्रतारणशक्तिः । “माया दम्भे कृपायां च” इति विश्वप्रकाशात् । दुर्वि- तर्क्यस्वरूपशक्त्यैव परिच्छिन्नापरिच्छिन्नायास्त्वन्मूर्तेर्जलादिभिरपरिच्छेदादिति भावः । Brahma answers, “This is not true (satyam na). In other words, the water of dissolution is not really Your support, but only appears to be so because of illusion, created by You (tavaiva māyā). The word māyā here means deceiving potency, as stated in Viśva-prakāśa dictionary, ‘māyā means deceit and mercy.”” Your form appears limited by Your inconceivable internal potency, although it is unlimited; therefore, it cannot be contained in the waters of dissolution.” SAYEM bulan al bou ni li aas of 1993 25w ad vllstu श्लोकचतुष्टयेऽस्मिन् यस्य नारायणस्यान्तर्भूतं महदादिकं सर्वमेव जगत् सोऽपि तवान्त- र्भूत इति तात्पर्यम् । नारायणस्य तादृशत्वे मन्त्रवर्णः (महाना० ९।५ ) - The import of the above four verses [spoken by Brahma] is that the Nārāyaṇa expansion who comprises the whole cosmos, begin- ning with the mahat element, is Himself within Kṛṣṇa. This immanent or pervasive quality of Nārāyaṇa is described in the que ads to mol Ismisio ad following mantra: quod to sol यच् च किञ्चिज् जगत् सर्वं दृश्यते श्रूयतेऽपि वा । अन्तर्बहिश्च तत्सर्वं व्याप्य नारायणः स्थितः ॥ १४४ ॥ इति । Whatever can be seen or heard in the cosmos, everything inside and outside of it, is pervaded by Śrī Nārāyaṇa. (MNU 9.5)12 māyā dambhe kṛpäyäṁ ca 12 yac ca kiñcij jagat sarvam drśyate śruyate’pi vä antar bahis ca tat sarvam vyāpya nārāyaṇaḥ sthitaḥ 309 BoŚri Bhagavat Sandarbha Commentaryolas Taken aback to hear Brahma address Him as “Mother” and “Father,” Kṛṣṇa counters that He is just a young boy, the son of Nanda Maha- rāja, and asks how He could be the father of anyone, especially Brahmā. He tells Brahma that his claim would be true if He were Nārāyaṇa, but since that cannot be so, He asks, “Why are you trying to impose this on Me?” БТВИ ТО Brahma then speaks the next verse in the series (SB 10.14.14), in which he attributes the characteristics of Nārāyaṇa to Kṛṣṇa. He asserts that Kṛṣṇa is certainly Nārāyaṇa, and not that Nārāyaṇa is Kṛṣṇa. Here the indeclinable, hi, is used to establish certainty. Amara-koşa dictionary says that hi is used to indicate certainty or cause (hi hetāv avadhārane, Amara-koşa 3.3.257). In this verse Brahma uses various definitions of the name Nārāyaṇa and proves that they are all applicable to Śrī Kṛṣṇa. He uses the logic of the emperor and the ruler of a province, who are both called king. Sim- ilarly, because the Nārāyaṇa form is an expansion of Krsna, Krsna may also be called Nārāyaṇa, as He has all Nārāyaṇa’s characteris- tics, and, in fact, includes Nārāyaṇa. Brahmā had just had a direct personal experience of this, so naturally he was keen to express it in his prayers. Super APDIF Pay Filagrassy 151 In chapter 3 of the First Canto, Sūta Gosvāmī supplies a list of twenty-two avataras, but declares that in fact Bhagavan’s avatāras are unlimited, like the rivulets flowing from an inexhaustible lake. Then he explains that all these avatāras are either plenary por- tions or portions of plenary portions of the Purusa (Garbhodakaśāyi Visņu), but that the original form of the Supreme Lord, Bhagavan, is Śrī Kṛṣṇa-kṛṣṇas tu bhagavan svayam. Brahma’s prayers here confirm this statement, as does Brahma-samhita: spy ॥ ४४१ ॥ काशी I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who though He partially man- ifests within these worlds as different avataras, assuming forms like that of Rama, He also appeared in His own full-fledged form as Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Person. (Brahma-samhita 5.39)13 13 rāmādi-mūrtiṣu kala-niyamena tiṣṭhan nānāvatāram akarod bhuvaneşu kintu 31032 Bhagavan’s Form Is Unlimited This subject will be discussed in much greater detail in Śrī Kṛṣṇa Sandarbha. Another important point to be noted here is that Śrī Kṛṣṇa Him- self is not the direct witness of the living entities’ actions. He is the Supreme Enjoyer and thus keeps Himself completely aloof from the material creation. He conducts the material affairs through His Nārāyaṇa expansions. Therefore, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmī says that Nārāyaṇa is the direct witness (lokam sākṣāt paśyati), but that Kṛṣṇa knows everything through Nārāyaṇa (tenāṁśenaiva tad-draṣṭā na tu sākṣāt). This is confirmed in GITA 9.5, where He says to Arjuna, “And yet everything that is created does not rest in Me. Behold my yogic opulence!“14 Nārāyaṇa, who is the source of the cosmos, of Śrī Brahmā, and of various avatāras, is but a portion of Kṛṣṇa. Anga means a bodily limb; so just as a limb is a part of the whole body, Nārāyaṇa is a part of Kṛṣṇa. What exists in one part of the body can be said to exist in the whole, so Brahma concludes that whatever exists in Nārāyaṇa also exists in Kṛṣṇa. And yet Kṛṣṇa was standing in front of Brahma in one little part of Vṛndāvana. This is the inconceivable potency of the Lord, without accepting which it is impossible to understand Him. veniriw sw parsinis goinistuos boda su ral Of 5th and vew Tapis yrayed to Top 1 bloos yw branded is tied yonidaiw sm oh dansvara to rolu teri surt al 1:15] www air as raw and no bataile es viu ant in tonghe Raw Vriw nsils estonato aldevin ang brodym 0 bas mate anzol ach to dang ada beratus Indiase or aldri kṛṣṇaḥ svayam samabhavat paramaḥ puman yo govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami 14 na ca mat-sthani bhūtāni paśya me yogam aiśvaram 311 Bonet dies star ou ni bozauraibad wide and unophe Ticketlist botón e dishing inside od A quevi mod tools yhesigmod samiel egokil aunt bus fegon Smisique ant Anuccheda 33 an Bhagavan’s Form Is Not Limited by Material Elements is Kris Here ३३ । तन्मूर्तेर्जलादिभिरपरिच्छेदे स्वानुभवं प्रमाणयति (भा० १०।१४।१५) – go ŚRĪ BRAHMA RELATES HIS OWN EXPERIENCE to prove that the Lord’s body cannot be limited by water or other elements: Wai ara esbuls तच् चेज् जलस्थं तव सज्जगद्वपुः किं मे न दृष्टं भगवंस्तदैव । किं वा सुदृष्टं हृदि मे तदैव किं नो सपद्येव पुनर्व्यदर्शि ॥ १४५ ॥ If it is true that Your body, containing the universe, was within the water, then why, O Lord, was it not [externally] visible to me at that very time? Why then did it become clearly perceptible to teme within my heart at that precise moment? And why could I not see it again immediately thereafter? (SB 10.14.15)1 जगदाश्रयभूतं नारायणाभिधं तव तद्वपुः जलस्थमेवेत्येवं यदि सत् सत्यं स्यात् तर्हि तदैव कमलनालमार्गेणान्तः प्रविश्य संवत्सरशतं विचिन्वतापि मया हे भगवन्नचिन्त्यैश्वर्य । तत् किमिति न दृष्टम् ? [Brahma is saying,] “If it is true that Your form of Nārāyaṇa, the support of the universe, was situated on the water in this way, my Lord, O possessor of inconceivable potencies, then why was I unable to see it when I entered the path of the lotus stem and searched for it for a full hundred years? 1 tac cej jala-stham tava saj jagad-vapuḥ kim me na dṛṣṭaṁ bhagavams tadaiva kim va sudṛṣṭam hṛdi me tadaiva kim no sapady eva punar vyadarsi 312 33 Bhagavan’s Form Is Not Limited by Material Elements यदि च तद्वपुर्मायामात्रं “माया स्याच् छाम्बरीबुद्ध्योः” इति त्रिकाण्डशेषरीत्या मिथ्याभि- व्यञ्जककलाविशेषदर्शितमात्रं स्यात् तर्हि किं वा रूढसमाधियोगविरूढबोधेन मया हृदि तदैव सुष्ठु सच्चिदानन्दघनत्वेन दृष्टं समाध्यनन्तरं किं वा पुनः सपद्येव नो व्यदर्शि न दृष्टम् । अतस्त्वन्मूर्तेर्मायामयत्वं देशविशेषकृतपरिच्छेदश्च सत्यो न भवतीत्यर्थः । “And if Your Nārāyaṇa form were a manifestation of māyā, or delusion, a mere act of illusory energy, as Trikānṇḍa-seṣa lexicon defines it, ‘Māyā can mean either delusion or intelligence,’ then how is it that after my search, while in pure transcendental con- sciousness due to perfect trance, I was able to see Your beautiful sac-cid-ananda form? And if that form was material, then why was I not able to see it again instantly after my trance ended? Therefore, my conclusion is that Your Nārāyaṇa form is neither illusory nor limited by space.” Commentary 089 TO 290 IN THE PREVIOUS SECTION, Śrī Brahma’s prayers established that Śrī Kṛṣṇa, though appearing in the form of a small boy, is all-pervading and the source of everything, including Nārāyaṇa. In the next verse, he recalled his own experience of how the Lord’s body is all-pervading, though it appears limited. In the beginning of creation, Brahma was born out of the lotus flower that sprouted from the navel of Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. Brahma could see nothing but the lotus from which he had taken birth. He entered the lotus stem in search of its source, but could not find the root. Unsuccessful, he returned to the whorl of the flower and heard the divine command to perform austerities. Very obediently he followed the order, which pleased the Lord, who thus appeared to him (as described in Section 10). Brahma then offered prayers to Bhagavan and received His blessings, but the Lord disappeared again soon afterward. Recollecting this experi- ence, Śrī Brahma prays to Śrī Kṛṣṇa whom he recognizes as that same Supreme Person. From this, Brahma concluded that the Lord’s form is not like that of an ordinary person who is limited to a particular place. Had the 313 aismelisho Śri Bhagavat Sandarbha sp Lord existed solely on the water, Brahma would have found Him when looking for Him, but He was unable to, though he searched for many years. This shows that Bhagavan’s form cannot be achieved by one’s own endeavor; it is only by Bhagavan’s mercy that one can see His form. This same principle is also explained in Mahabharata by Bhiṣma to King Yudhisthira, while relating the history of King Uparicara, who performed a sacrifice for the pleasure of the Lord. Bhagavān appeared at the sacrifice in order to accept the oblations, but only the king could see Him. Bṛhaspati, who was the chief priest, became enraged at this and threw the sacrificial ladle into the air in frustra- tion. He shouted, “Why can’t I see Him?” The assembled devotees then tried to pacify Bṛhaspati with the following words: O Bṛhaspati, neither you nor we can see the Lord at our will. Only those He favors can see Him. (MB 12.336.20)2 If the Lord is not visible to our mundane vision, it does not mean that He does not exist. Furthermore, when one is able to see Him by His grace, it does not mean that He is limited, as He appears to be. Thus, Śri Brahmä implies that Bhagavan’s form is transcendental. This is the significance of Brahma’s having seen the Lord in perfect trance. If Bhagavan’s body were material, Brahma would have seen it during his search; seeing Him in perfect trance means that He is beyond the material gunas. Patanjali’s Yoga-sutra states: Jud gnidion 992 blo In the perfect stage of trance, called dharma-megha-samādhi, the yogi is free from the gunas and their transformations. (Yoga-sūtra 4.32)3 wolt In the verse under discussion, saj-jagad-vapuh means that the form of the Lord that Brahma saw both contained universes and yet was within the universe. This should not be considered magical or an illusion, because Bhagavan in this very form blessed Brahma and instructed him in the work of creation. But the Supreme Lord is com- pletely free from the five types of ignorance — avidyā, asmitā, rāga, 2 na sakyaḥ sa tvya drṣṭum asmābhirvā bṛhaspate yasya prasādam kurute sa vai tam drstum arhati d 3 tatah kṛtārthānāṁ pariņāmakrama-samaptir-guṇānām og yay 314 33 Bhagavan’s Form Is Not Limited by Material Elements dveşa and abhiniveśa; thus, Brahmaji says, “I clearly saw it” (sudṛṣṭa), meaning that he was not in illusion or a dream state. In Vaiṣṇava-tosani, Śrīla Sanatana Gosvāmi comments on the words sudṛṣṭa and vyadarsi. He explains that after the Lord disap- peared from Brahma’s vision, Brahma felt intense separation from Him. He again engaged in penances, but failed to regain the vision of Him. Later, however, the Lord did appear again by His sweet will. Next, Brahma gives further reasons to substantiate that Bhaga- vän’s form is all-pervading. 987ovinu odi mus ba ni habol ko at no bad i won oalie allion bas, las 2001938 HT my meine q ans szendy od otaco bildt sdt do bronksm -Ibri e 10 aa ni mudi ploj 12 oral sumano aut salil roz утов risqad bulan uni hadi serviau diseli swoitolozath lo an Bora (१ obrani dider brot sit to vhod sili yaw sidi ol Jalisten ginti & doldwaving us actos haq yd d boomstrupsocle ew 16 to 10 bewod sedam dosys tadtallende 8 asilom si 315 amom terward betool shengent (otabua) wesens dobna ogren when looking foster to noizolim tomar ert up smitsond aid no menos have el mant-ovomin quith bred rails site tidrantaimals Anuccheda 34 have hos debat almow dudeganes ni begrams Bhagavan Is Both within and without the Universe gor ३४ । एतद्व्याख्याननिदानं तृतीयस्कन्धेतिहासो द्रष्टव्यः । अत्र तच् चापि सत्यम् (भा० १० ।१४।१४) इत्यत्र तच् चापि अङ्गं सत्यमेव न तु विराड्वन्मायेति । तच् चेज् जलस्थम् ( भा० १० | १४ | १५) इत्यत्र च तज् जलस्थं सद्रूपं तव वपुर्यदि जगत् स्यात् प्रपञ्चान्तःपाति स्यादिति व्याकुर्वन्ति । THE PREVIOUS EXPLANATION is based on the narrations found in the Third Canto. The phrase tac căpi satyam’ from SB 10.14.14 also means that the Lord’s expansion of Nārāyaṇa is real, and not illu- sory like the cosmic form. Tac cej jala-stham in SB 10.14.15 indi- cates that if this real form of Bhagavan, situated on the waters of dissolution, was itself the universe, then it too would be part of material nature, which it is not. तस्मादेवं नारायणाङ्गकस्य भगवद्विग्रहस्य विश्वोऽपि प्रपञ्चोऽन्तर्भूत इति स्वयं भगवता दर्शितम् । श्रीमत्या जनन्यैवानुभूतमित्याह (भा० १० । १४ ।१६) - In this way, the body of the Lord, which includes Nārāyaṇa as its part, contains even the universe, which is within material nature. Śrī Kṛṣṇa showed this form that was also experienced by His mother. Brahmā next recalls that event: अत्रैव मायाधमनावतारे ह्यस्य प्रपञ्चस्य बहिःस्फुटस्य । कृत्स्रस्य चान्तर्जठरे जनन्या मायात्वमेव प्रकटीकृतं ते ॥ १४६ ॥ 1In Section 32.4 this phrase was explained as a negative, tac capi satyam na. 316 34 Bhagavan Is Both within and without the Universe cor Here too, in this avatara that subdues māyā, You showed that the fir entire externally-manifested material cosmos is the creation of Homāyā, when You revealed it to Your mother as being within Your wown belly. (SB 10.14.16)2 dis bertmil son 20 mal sdi अत्रैव तावत् श्रीकृष्णाख्ये मायोपशमनेऽवतारे प्रादुर्भावे बहिश्चान्तर्जठरे च स्फुटस्य दृष्टस्य कृत्स्रस्य जगतः सम्बन्धे पूर्वोक्तं यन् मायात्वं प्रपञ्चकृतत्वत्परिच्छेद्यत्वस्य मिथ्यात्वम् । तज्जनन्या जनन्यै ते त्वया प्रकटीकृतं दर्शितम् । तस्माद् भवान् जगदन्तःस्थ एव जगत् तु भवद्बहिर्भूतमित्येवं मायाधर्मः । वस्तुतस्तु दुर्वितर्क्यस्वरूपशक्त्या मध्यमत्वेऽपि व्याप- कोऽसीति भावः । [Brahma’s intent is:] “In this avatara called Kṛṣṇa, which subdues māyā, You showed Your mother that the material world is both within Your belly and external to it, and thus any limitations it might impose on You are illusory. Māyā generates the illusion that you are within the universe, and that the universe is outside You. Actually, by Your inconceivable internal power, though You have a medium-sized body, You pervade everything.” 03 the Commentary diw gninniged admill viibod alt bonialqxe ei mol biod ad IN THE THIRD CANTO, Brahma prays: Histoole palmhath Hoe me Analisibam My Lord, even though You are not affected by ignorance, which sid has five characteristics, You demonstrate the humanlike pleasure of sleeping on the comfortable cushioned bed of the snake in the waters of devastation, where there are violent waves. At that time, all the 220 universal planets are held within Your belly. (SB 3.9.20) Evalu Arjuna had a similar experience when he saw the viśva-rupa. Śrī Bhagavan said: 2 atraiva māyā-dhamanavatare hy asya prapañcasya bahiḥ-sphutasya krtsnasya cantar jathare jananya māyātvam eva prakatikṛtam te Avidya, asmitā, raga, dveṣa and abhiniveșa. E yo’vidyayanupahato’pi daśärdha-vṛttyä nidrām uvaha jathari-kṛta-loka-yatraḥ antar-jale ‘hi-kasipu-sparśānukulāṁ bhimormi-malini janasya sukham vivṛnvan 317 Śri Bhagavat Sandarbha d O Guḍākeśa, behold today the entire cosmos here at once in My body, with all the moving and unmoving forms of life and whatever else you may wish to see. (GITA 11.7)5 of 1 balvas to dw.com This means that the Lord’s form is not limited either by time or space. Earlier, Brahma cited his own experience to establish that the Lord’s form is all-pervading and transcendental. Now he offers more evidence by referring to the experience of Krsna’s mother, Yasoda. He specifically states that Bhagavan’s appearance in this avatara is māyā-dhamana, to subdue māyā. The material world is a manifes- tation of māyā, but the Lord’s form is not. The phrases tac căpi satyam and tac cej jalastham, which appeared in the earlier verses, refer to Kṛṣṇa’s Nārāyaṇa form, indicating there is no possibility that the Lord’s form is a product of māyā. His personal form should not be compared to His cosmic form (virāḍ-rupa), which is material. The Second Canto describes the cos- mic form of the Lord and compares the various planetary systems to His bodily limbs, beginning with Pātāla, which is compared to the soles of His feet. The Lord’s form is explained in this way for the ben- efit of neophyte yogis, so that they can purify their minds by such meditation. As Śrī Suka recommends: Having mastered postural alignment and breath, remaining aloof from the company of others, and regulating the senses, one should use the intelligence to fix the mind on the Lord’s gross form, which is called the viraḍ-rupa. (SB 2.1.23)205 elde wob to Sukadeva Gosvāmi clearly describes the viraḍ-rupa as the gross form of Bhagavan. The cosmic form is called the first avatara because it came into being before any of the Lord’s lilāvatāras. Maitreya Muni 5 ihaika-stham jagat kṛtsnam paśyadya sa-caracaram mama dehe guḍākeśa yac canyad draṣṭum icchasi “Māyā-dhamana can be read either as a vocative (O Subduer of maya!) or as a part of a compound with avatara (avatara that subdues māyā). Jiva treats it here as a compound and below as a vocative. So here the referent should be the avatāra. “jitäsano jita-śvāso jita-sango jitendriyaḥ sthule bhagavato rupe manaḥ sandhārayed dhiyama Devapraday 318 34 Bhagavan Is Both within and without the Universe confirmed this when he said, “The gigantic form, virat-purusa, is the first manifestation of the Lord, and all material elements exist in Him” (SB 3.6.8). The form Śrī Brahma saw at the dawn of creation as well as the Lord’s form in Vṛndāvana existed before the viraḍ-rupa and are therefore distinct from it. That the viraḍ-rupa is the first avatara implies that prior to that, the Lord existed in His original form, because avatāra means descent. Bewona Vhe According to Sridhara Svāmi, the cosmic virat form is an upadhi, or a kind of substitute for bhagavän: linam è 855 iw bym to 2bVirat, hiranyagarbha and karana are the three limiting adjuncts b(upadhis) of God in His capacity as the Supreme Immanent, but SH He who is free from these is called Turiya, the fourth dimen- sion, or in other words, the Supreme Transcendence. (Bhāvārtha- anscendence. dipikā 11.15.16)10 Although Śrī Nārāyaṇa lies down on the water, and Śrī Kṛṣṇa exists within the universe, They are not supported by these, because, as already shown in Section 31, näntar na bahir yasya (SB 10.9.13), there is no distinction of internal or external in the Lord’s body. Brahma confirms his realization by referring to the experience of Mother Yasoda. One day, while she was breastfeeding baby Kṛṣṇa, the Lord yawned and Mother Yasoda saw the whole universe within His mouth. She trembled in surprise. According to Brahma, the uni- verse Yasoda saw within Krsna is the same universe that exists out- side Kṛṣṇa’s body, as a manifestation of the Lord’s māyā. This māyā cannot control the Lord, and thus Brahma refers to Him as māyā- dhamana - the subduer of māyā. Here the word māyā does not mean illusion or magic; it refers to the energy of the Lord, which always adheres to His will. Maitreya adyo’vatāro yatrasau bhūta-grāmo vibhāvyate The word upadhi means some form of limiting condition, but can also be taken to mean anything along the lines of substitution, deception, disguise, etc. Monier-Williams has, “anything which may be taken for or has the mere name or appearance of another thing” (A Sanskrit English Dictionary, p. 213). virad hiranyagarbhaś ca karanam cety upadhayaḥarter isasya yat tribhir hinam turiyam tat padam vidhuḥ 319 on win Śri Bhagavat Sandarbhave Muni told Vidura that the Lord uses this energy to manifest the cosmos:mals/isisam lacbne brod odst O fortunate one, maya, containing both cause and effect, is the energy of the Lord, the Seer, by which He has created all this mate- rial manifestation. (SB 3.5.25)11 Śrī Kṛṣṇa showed Yasoda the universe within Himself and showed Himself within the universe, in order to teach that His body is not pervaded or limited by the universe. Brahma realized this fact and thus said that the universe is a manifestation of māyā, whereas the Lord’s body is not. This is a refutation of the theory that the Lord’s form is a product of maya or vidya (i.e., sattva-guna). One should not misconstrue the universe as being on a par with Bhagavan’s body, because it exists within Him, as stated clearly in SB 10.14.16, māyātvam eva, the universe is a product of māyā. Although He appears medium-sized, the Lord simultaneously contains the uni- verse within His body, by His inconceivable potency. He pervades the whole universe in the same medium-sized body, and yet the universe is not part of His internal energy. tonijaib or a 99503 In the next verse, Śrī Brahma will again refer to his recent expe- rience to further show that Bhagavan’s body is all-pervading. niddiw sarovinu sforw art was by adioM brs bonway briod wil duo alkadeda serving sma sift at sunithiw was choseY 92199 Avamaid võis a brod oil to polletaslinkman whed espleni -DVANT ER MIFF of ensten Emnerid and busted on outras funnes mill 11 320 and al om to touhdue să vă etasya sandrastuḥ śaktiḥ sad-asad-ātmikā māyā nāma mahā-bhāga yayedam nirmame vibhuḥ promen 15HAnuccheda 35 The Universe Is within the Lord’s Belly A basea Do shieno as Ibw Trei 0 ms ३५ । मायाधमन इति यद्भवता कृपया दृष्टप्रमाणेऽपि श्रीविग्रहे सर्वोऽपि प्रपञ्चोऽन्तर्भूत इति दर्शितं तत्सत्यमेवेति द्योतनार्थम् । भगवत्यप्यन्यथाप्रतीतिनिरसनार्थं च पूर्वमेवार्थमु- पपादयति (भा० १० | १४|१७ ) - E by using the term māyā-dhamana, IN THE PREVIOUS VERSE, by using the Brahma indicated, “Out of Your mercy, You showed this whole material creation within Your divine form in order to demon- strate that it is real.” Now, in order to clarify this still further, and to erase any misunderstanding about the reality of the Lord, Brahma again establishes the earlier meaning: gated varrosus) gathe यस्य कुक्षाविदं सर्वं सात्मं भाति यथा तथा । 1970 [bstimil yline Wh तत् त्वय्यपीह तत्सर्वं किमिदं मायया विना ॥ १४७ ॥ R Just as this entire universe, along with You Yourself, appeared Bouwithin Your belly, so too all that appears here is in You. How is am this possible except through Your maya? (SB 10.14.17)1 यस्य तव कुक्षौ सर्वमिदं सात्मं त्वत्सहितं यथा भाति तत्सर्वमिह बहिरपि तथैव त्वयि भाती- त्यन्वयः । [Brahma is saying:] “Just as this entire material world, along with You Yourself, exists in Your belly, so too all that is mani- fest here, [apparently] outside of You, is inside You in exactly the same manner.” yasya kukṣāv idam sarvam satmaṁ bhati yathā tathā tat tvayy apiha tat sarvam kim idam mayayā vinā 321 Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha अयमर्थः - स्वस्य व्रजेऽन्तर्भूततादर्शनेनैव समं व्रजस्य स्वस्मिन्नन्तर्भूततां दर्शयन् तच् चान्तर्बहिर्दर्शनम् “किं स्वप्न एतदुत देवमाया” (भा० १०।८।४०) इत्यादौ श्रीजनन्या एव विचारे स्वाप्निकत्वमायिकत्वबिम्बप्रतिबिम्बत्वानामयोग्यत्वादेकमेवेत्यभिज्ञापयन् किं स्वप्न इत्यादावेव “यः कश्चन औत्पत्तिक आत्मयोगः” इत्यनेन चरमपक्षावसितया दुर्वि - तर्क्यस्वरूपशक्त्यैव मध्यमपरिमाणविशेष एव सर्वव्यापकोऽस्मीति स्वयमेव भगवान् जननीं प्रति युगपदुभयात्मकं निजधर्मविशेषं दर्शितवान् । This is understood as follows: The Lord showed that Vraja was inside Him, while He was standing inside Vraja. Seeing Vraja both inside as well as outside of Kṛṣṇa, Mother Yasoda asked her- self, “Is this a dream, or is it an illusory creation of the gods? Or is it my own intelligence that has been bewildered somehow” (SB 10.8.40)?± In this way, the Lord made Yaśoda recognize that out of her many speculations, as to whether her vision was the result of dreams, illusion or reflection, none were valid. She then came to the only conclusion left to her, “It is a manifestation of my own son’s natural yogic power of the self.” So, Svayam Bhagavan revealed to His mother the simultaneous twofold nature of His own being, showing her that, through His inconceivable internal potency, He is endowed with a specific medium-sized [and appar- ently limited] body, while simultaneously being all-pervading. 119H TISTS FINE अत एव द्वितीये “गृह्णीत यद्यदुपबन्धममुष्य माता” (भा० २।७।३०) इत्यादौ “प्रतिबोधिता- सीत्” इत्युक्तम् । तस्मात् तव कुक्षौ सर्वमिदं यथा भाति । इह बहिरपि तथा तदन्तर्भूतोऽपि तद्व्यापकोऽसीति प्रकारेणैव त्वयि तत्सर्वं भातीति elled buoy Buoy niliw (..12) form sa) façam tot dgodi qox aldizzog sida As such, it is said in the Second Canto (SB 2.7.30) that Yaśodā became aware of Kṛṣṇa’s opulence only after her attempt to bind Him was frustrated. Thus, Śrī Brahma concludes, “Just as this material world exists inside Your belly, it is also present out- side. You are within the universe, yet You are all-pervading; everything exists in You. " uoytosbheruo vie e 2 The full verse is given in the commentary. 322 35 The Universe Is within the Lord’s Belly dmers ac Commentary best as good, boy if hershamishadi HiH sloeg ylane blow fokay bash IN THE PREVIOUS VERSE, Brahma said that the universe Yasoda saw in Kṛṣṇa’s mouth and the one seen outside are both manifestations of māyā. A doubt may be raised: Why not consider that the uni- verse seen outside is a product of maya, and that the one inside is just its reflection, so that Kṛṣṇa is nothing more than the reflecting medium? Or, why not consider that both these universes are tran- scendental, and there would be thus no need to accept māyā? To dispel both these doubts, Brahma continues the next verse. He says bhāti yatha tatha - it exists outside exactly as it exists inside. There is no difference between the two. If the universe seen inside Kṛṣṇa was a reflection, it could not be the same as the external universe for the following reasons:
- A reflection is a mirror image, appearing in reverse.
- The reflection of a three-dimensional object is two-dimensional. 3. Only visible objects can have a reflected image. Thus, anything Thus that lacks form, such as scent, taste, touch and sound, would be pro absent in the reflection. aulli as to amosibalds al added argilla ad to swoy algey therudm 2002 yio do Moreover, an image never contains its own reflecting medium. When gazing at one’s reflected image in a mirror, the mirror itself doesn’t appear as part of the image. In the verse, however, Brahma says, sa-atman (along with Yourself), which means that the Lord could be seen within the universe that is inside Him. This is most amazing. It is like a pot inside a room that contains the room within itself, while the pot is again contained in that second room, and so on. to dju bels To further prove his point, Brahma recounts Mother Yasoda’s experience of looking into Kṛṣṇa’s mouth to see if He had eaten dirt. In that pastime Balarama and the other boys informed Yasoda that Kṛṣṇa had been eating mud. Mother Yasoda was worried that He may fall sick, so she caught Him by the hand and sternly asked, “O naughty boy, why have You been eating clay? If You are hungry, why don’t You come home and eat? I will feed You.” urganoorte 323 Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha Urod ar Kṛṣṇa, trembling in fear, thought that if He admitted to the mis- deed, Yasoda would surely spank Him. He therefore denied it vocif- erously, explaining that His friends were jealous because He always defeated them at their games, and so they had devised this plan to get Him in trouble. Not only that, He complained too that even Balarama had joined them today in their plot to have Him punished. Kṛṣṇa further pleaded, “Why do you listen to them, Mother? I am right here. You can look in my mouth and see for yourself.” He then opened His mouth, and as Yasoda looked inside, she saw the whole universe with all its planets and luminaries. She even saw herself holding Kṛṣṇa’s hand and looking into His mouth. It was as if Kṛṣṇa were saying, “If I have eaten mud, it means the whole universe has eaten it, and thus you should chastise everyone.” Or, “Eating means to take an externally-situated piece of food and to ingest it, but if the whole universe is already within My mouth, then how can you ask Me whether I have picked up a minute portion of that same universe to put in My mouth?” mu Mother Yasoda was baffled by this and deliberated as follows: Is this a dream, or an illusion created by the gods? Or is it my own intelligence that has been bewildered somehow? It seems, rather, that this is a manifestation of my son’s inherent yogic power of the self. (SB 10.8.40)3 Head Torim 2 o E nogami boston 2900 je gnissg Here Śridhara Svāmi comments: slo 169 26 765 bro 971 18d ancam Yasoda wondered, “Is this a dream?” She then looked around and saw everything was normal, and concluded that she was not dream- being. She then asked herself, “Is this mayă created by the gods, i.e., by Śri Hari?” If it were, then others would also have seen it. So, she then becam wondered if she had seen a reflection of the universe in the mouth of her son, owing to her own bewildered intelligence. If she had, then how was it that she saw Krsna there as well? In a reflection, the mir- ror itself is not seen. Moreover, the worlds within and without His Hmouth appeared to be exactly the same, whereas an object and its “reflection in a mirror ordinarily appear in reverse. Therefore, she 3 kim svapna etad uta devamāyā kim va madiyo bata buddhi-mohaḥ atho amusyaiva mamarbhakasya yaḥ kaścanautpattika atma-yogaḥ me 324 35 The Universe Is within the Lord’s Belly finally concluded, “Oh, even though He is my son, it must be some inherent yogic power of His.“4 Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmī himself comments that the Lord revealed to Yasoda that her final deliberation was the right one. This display is possible by the Lord’s inconceivable energy. In Brahma’s descrip- tion of Krsna’s pastimes to Nārada Muni (SB 2.7.30), he used the term pratibodhitāsīta, meaning that Yasoda was illuminated with the intu- ition of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s yogic opulence. Śrī Sukadeva confirms this: When the cowherdess had realized the truth in this way, the Sup- reme Lord and Controller spread His internal maya potency in the form of maternal affection for Him. (SB 10.8.43)5 In this way, Śrī Brahma proved that Kṛṣṇa’s body is all-pervading, and that he is within Krsna’s belly like a child within the womb of his mother, and thus he prays for the Lord’s pardon. vd batimil guled In Section 32.4, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi quoted a mantra from Mahā- nārāyaṇa Upanisad, stating that Nārāyaṇa is all-pervading (MNU 9.5). Thus, Brahma has established that Kṛṣṇa is Nārāyaṇa, and, as was proposed in SB 10.14.14, Krsna is his father. In the next verse, Brahma continues to relate his own experience about Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s body. Jan woy hin boy na hins sols snow wo jaz Baxalbut soy Pramathy for this won ba tām eväha kim svapnah? iti parito vilokyaha nayaṁ svapnaḥ. tarhi kim devasya harer māyā iti. tatha ced anye kim na pasyanti? tarhi kim va madiya eva kaścid buddhi-moho dhi-viparyaso darpane mukhavat? evam tarhy ayam kṛṣṇo’pi katham antaḥ pratiyate? nahi darpane darpana-pratitiḥ. antar bahis caika-rupena ca katham jagat pratiyate? tatha sati bimba-pratibimbayor iva parasparam vaiparityena pratitiḥ syad ity āśankyanyatha vitarkayati atho iti. athava mamaivāmuṣyarbhakasyāpi sato yaḥ kaścanacintya atma-yogaḥ sviyam aiśvaryam. autpattikaḥ svābhāvikaḥ. ittham vidita-tattvāyāṁ gopikāyāṁ sa iśvaraḥ vaiṣṇavim vyatanon māyāṁ putra-sneha-mayim vibhuḥ 325 vise od wpidus V gunsod eum aldundi nava 0 bebiturco Manut Joel Natals would surely spam Tosowog sigor usanalus Ding that in of balsaver brod sit tent an Jeaneremos leemid imavano svilaine pres noberadish leaf til jult ABGLY Anuccheda 36 (oc M Kṛṣṇa’s Body Is Advaya-brahma ३६ । तदेवं तदिदं प्रपञ्चेन परिच्छेद्यत्वप्रत्ययनं तव मायया स्वयाथार्थ्यावरणशक्त्या विना किं सम्भवति ? नैव सम्भवतीत्यर्थः । मयाप्येवमेवानुभूतमित्याह (भा० १० | १४ । १८ ) - BRAHMA CONTINUES, “Could the appearance of Your form as being limited by this material world occur except through Your māyā, i.e., the potency by which You are able to completely cover Yourself? In other words, it would not be possible.” Brahma says that he has perceived things in exactly the same way: 1 अद्यैव त्वदृतेऽस्य किं मम न ते मायात्वमादर्शितम् एकोऽसि प्रथमं ततो व्रजसुहृद्वत्साः समस्ता अपि । तावन्तोऽसि चतुर्भुजास्तदखिलैः साकं मयोपासितास् तावन्त्येव जगन्त्यभूस्तदमितं ब्रह्माद्वयं शिष्यते ॥ १४८ ॥ Flere Sridha quaq matuod Did you not show me on this very day that other than You, all this is just the work of maya? At first You were alone, and then You became Your friends and the calves too. Then all of them became four-armed forms, worshiped by everyone including me. And then You became all the universes. And now, all that remains is the one immeasurable nondual Brahman. (SB 10.14.18)1 अद्यैव ते त्वया किमस्य विश्वस्य त्वदृते त्वत्तो बहिर्मायात्वं माययैव स्फुरणं भवतीति मम मां प्रति न दर्शितम् ? अपि तु दर्शितमेव । एतन्नराकाररूपात् त्वत्तो बहिरेवेदं जगदिति यन् तु adyaiva tvad rte’sya kim mama na te māyātvam ādarsitam eko’si prathamam tato vraja-suhrd-vatsāḥ samastā api tavanto’si caturbhujās tad akhilaiḥ sākaṁ mayopāsitās tavanty eva jaganty abhūs tad amitam brahmadvayaṁ siṣyate 326 36 Kṛṣṇa’s Body Is Advaya-brahma मुग्धानां भाति तन्माययैवेत्यर्थः । low bad male andla en [Brahma is saying:] “Did You not show me today that everything in this universe, excluding Yourself, i.e., everything outside of You, is of the nature of māyā, meaning that it is perceived only through the potency of maya? Of course You did. In other words, due to māyā, the universe appears to bewildered people to exist only outside of You, as You appear in this human form. कथमेतदाकाररूपस्य मम तादृशत्वम् ? dod вл bettad [Kṛṣṇa asks:] “How did I show you all this, when I am in a human form?” daldwesnind olanigh तत्राह – एकोऽसि इति । व्रजसुहृदादिरूपं यद् यस्मादाविर्भूतं तत्तदखिलमधुनातिरोधा- नसमये येन पुनरनेन श्रीविग्रहरूपेणावशिष्यते तदद्वयं ब्रह्मैवेत्यर्थः । lecules add anoisigmes avad [Brahma answers:] “At first, You were one (eko’si). Then the various forms of cowherd friends and calves appeared from this one form; then again they disappeared into that very same form, which is all that remains. This means that this form is advaya- brahma, or the nondual Absolute Reality.” Brabine driw bebeb saw you 90012 au अशेषप्रापञ्चिकाप्रापञ्चिकवस्तूनां प्रादुर्भावस्थितितिरोभावदर्शनेन तल्लक्षणाक्रान्त- त्वादितिभावः । ततश्चास्य ब्रह्मत्वे सिद्धे व्यापकत्वमपि सिद्ध्यतीति तात्पर्यम् । odi vd Jashpude to sends The idea expressed here is that since Brahma witnessed the appearance, existence and disappearance of all material and spir- itual substances occurring within this form, it meets the criteria of nondual Brahman. And since this form has the characteristics of Brahman, it is thus all-pervasive. Commentary AFTER EXPLAINING that this universe is a manifestation of māyā, and that it does not limit the Lord, Brahma recalls the incident he had just experienced a few minutes before, which inspired all these reflections. After Brahma stole the cows, calves and cowherd boys, 327 Śri Bhagavat Sandarbha Kṛṣṇa was alone (eko’si). He then expanded Himself into as many cowherd boys and calves as Brahmā had stolen. In fact, His expan- sions included their respective dresses, sticks, turbans, ornaments and even their lunch boxes. When Brahma returned a year later, he expected to see Kṛṣṇa dejected and miserable without all His com- panions. Instead, he was surprised to witness exactly the same scene he had been watching before - Kṛṣṇa with His cowherd boyfriends woy to shiatuo vino grazing their calves. Brahma carefully observed both sets of boys and calves - those he had hidden in the cave and those playing with Kṛṣṇa- and could find no difference between them. In fact, he could not even deter- mine which was the original set. Then to his utter bewilderment, he saw all the boys and calves turn into four-handed Vişņu forms: BThen, while Śrī Brahma looked on, all the calves and the boys tend- ing them were suddenly observed to have complexions the color of dense, dark rain clouds and to be wearing yellow silken garments. Each had four arms, holding a conch-shell, disc, mace and lotus, qreach adorned with diadems, earrings, pearl necklaces and sylvan no wreaths. On the upper portion of the right side of their chests was the emblem of the Goddess of Fortune, and about their wrists, pairs of bracelets made of precious stones. They were decked with anklets hand bangles made of conch-shell, girdles and rings, and covered from head to foot with fresh soft garlands of tulasi leaves, offered by those of abundant merit. (SB 10.13.46-49)2 od bezashilw Emdsia sonia fadt al 9ted b92297qxs sahi sdr Brahma also saw these visņu-murtis being worshiped by many Brahmas, by the 24 material elements personified, by the yogic per- fections, Time, and so on. The scene became so intense that Brahma had to close his eyes. The Lord then dismissed His yoga-māyā and Brahma again viewed everything as normal. He saw Kṛṣṇa in Vraja tāvat sarve vatsa-pālāḥ paśyato’jasya tat-kṣaṇāt vyadṛśyanta ghana-syämäḥ pita-kauśeya-vāsasaḥ catur-bhujāḥ śankha-cakra-gadā-rājīva-pāṇayaḥ kiritinaḥ kundalino harino vana-malinaḥ and 160 śrivatsangada-do-ratna-kambu-kankaṇa-pāṇayaḥ nupuraiḥ kaṭakair bhātāḥ kaṭi-sūtränguliyakaiḥ anghri-mastakam āpūrṇās tulasi-nava-damabhiḥ komalaiḥ sarva-gatreşu bhuri-punyavad-arpitaiḥ Vstrommo A 328 36 Kṛṣṇa’s Body Is Advaya-brahma holding yogurt and rice in His hand, searching for the calves and cowherd boys, just as he had been doing a year before. At that moment, Brahma jumped down from his swan carrier and fell at Krsna’s lotus feet, only to stand up and fall at his feet again. He con- tinued this performance repeatedly, his eyes flowing with an inun- dation of ecstatic love. He now recalled this incident as he tried to verbalize his realizations about Bhagavan’s form and His potencies. The words tvad ṛte (other than You) are important here, as they signify that everything except for Bhagavan is māyā. The pronoun You (tvat), however, in the phrase, “other than You,” includes all the cows, the cowherd boys, and Vraja, which are part of His internal energy and thus an extension of the One Entity that stands beyond māyā. This was Brahma’s experience. Another significant phrase is sākam maya (including myself). When Brahma saw the visņu-murtis being worshiped, he saw him- self included among the worshipers. This meant that the brahmāṇḍa in which Brahma exists is also within the Lord, implying that every- thing is pervaded by Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s body and that nothing exists outside of Him. Therefore, those who consider this creation to be outside of the Lord are in illusion. This was a highly profound experience for Brahmā. Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmī opened Bhagavat Sandarbha with the cele- brated vadanti tat tattva-vidaḥ verse, one of the key verses of the entire Srimad Bhāgavatam, which defines the Absolute Truth as advaya-jñāna (nondual being-awareness). Jīva Gosvāmi’s entire analysis of the Absolute Truth proceeds from this vital perspective. In Anuccheda 6, he said that he would discuss this verse through to the end of the third Sandarbha (Paramatma Sandarbha). These prayers of Śri Brahma are an integral part of this commentary, since the verse under discussion also states that Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the nondual Absolute, advaya-brahma, hein belmilaired godt box ammol The Brahman described in Upanisad verses, such as ekam evād- vitiyam brahma (CHU 6.2.1) and satyam jñānam anantam brahma (TU 2.1.1), is identified in Bhagavatam as Kṛṣṇa. There is no Brah- man other than Him. There is no entity equal to Him, nor can any entity exist without Him. Therefore, He is advaya, or nondual. He 329 andeŚrī Bhagavat Sandarbha can become many and remain one at the same time; thus, He is advaya-brahma. Brahma is the highest authority on the Vedas and Vedanta, and thus he is called veda-garbha, the womb of the Vedas, or one who contains the Vedic knowledge within his being. He per- sonally witnessed all the attributes of Brahman in the body of Krsna. While relating Brahma’s experience of Krsna as Brahman, Sukadeva Gosvāmi says that the vişnu-murtis: unde […] were embodiments of the one absolute essence, consisting of being, awareness, and infinite bliss alone. Their infinite glory was untouched even by those who see with vision refined by study of the Upanisads. Thus, for a moment, the unborn Brahma beheld all these bricaspects of the Supreme Brahman and self of all, by whose effulgence this entire universe of moving and non-moving beings is revealed.com (SB 10.13.54-55)3) bym mhz el serudg denow grist unziv and wa Marveling at the great fortune of the residents of Vraja, Brahmā exclaimed near the end of these prayers: aladders dad of How fortunate! How fortunate are the residents of Nanda’s cowherd community, for their friend is the supreme bliss, the eternal, and the 10 complete Brahman. (SB 10.14.32)46 zoals me bars Bride78 Because Kṛṣṇa is Brahman, and Brahman is all-pervading, Kṛṣṇa pervades everything in His personal form. This is con- firmed by Vedanta-sutra, “The form of the Lord, although separated by space, does not undergo change, because He simultaneously exists everywhere” (na sthānato’pi parasyobhaya-lingam sarvatra hi, vs 3.2.11). hisz ed This pastime of Kṛṣṇa also proves that He is the source and cause of everything, spiritual as well as material. He demonstrated this by expanding sequentially into the cowherd boys and calves, Nārāyaṇa forms, and then the unlimited universes. Thus, it is no exaggeration 3 satya-jñānānantānanda-mätraika-rasa-murtayaḥ nasprsta-bhüri-mähätmyä api hy upanisad-dṛśam evam sakṛd dadarśajaḥ para-brahmātmano’khilān yasya bhāsā sarvam idam vibhāti sa-caracaram aho bhagyaṁ aho bhagyam nanda-gopa-vrajaukasām yan-mitram paramanandam pūrṇam brahma sanatanam 33036 Kṛṣṇa’s Body Is Advaya-brahma when Kṛṣṇa affirms in GITA 10.8 that He is the source of everything, aham sarvasya prabhavaḥ. bom atiq Andand yesteryea solidunderar dheni nu pad) baye-sensing feteria) bosatt juod ab or vi a 175 and deads to toidud bed de voyunong of 331 amandave had Code or guidrygve to sono stretla Arto of ann adviya Hoppitu. Brahma is sheshwarlding agente ihailu Anuccheda 37 the Śrī Kṛṣṇa Is the Ultimate Cause being, Upan ३७ । ननु सृष्ट्यादौ ब्रह्मविष्णुमहेश्वरा भिन्ना एव कारणभूतास्तथा स्थितौ केचिदन्येऽवता- राश्च तत् कथं ममैवं सर्वकारणत्वमुच्यते ? तत्राह (भा० १० | १४ | १९ ) - KṛṣṇA THEN ASKS, “Brahma, Visnu and Maheśvara are said to be the cause behind creation, maintenance and dissolution, respec- tively, and other avataras appear during the maintenance period as well. Why do you say that I am the only cause behind these three states?” Brahmā replies: 1 अजानतां त्वत्पदवीमनात्मन्यात्मात्मना भासि वितत्य मायाम् । सृष्टाविवाहं जगतो विधान इव त्वमेषोऽन्त इव त्रिनेत्रः ॥ १४९ ॥ You are the Supreme Self. To those unaware of Your true position, You Yourself expand Your māyā and appear within the non-self [i.e., within inert matter]: as me [ Brahmā], for the creation of the universe; as this [Visnu], for its maintenance; and as three-eyed Śiva, to bring about its end. (SB 10.14.19)1 त्वमित्यस्य भासीत्यनेनान्वयः कर्तृक्रिययोरन्वयस्यैव प्राथमिकत्वात् । कर्त्रा चात्र त्वमि- त्येव मध्यमपुरुषेण युज्यते । तस्मादत्र नेवशब्दः सम्बध्यते किन्त्वेष इत्यत्रैव । ततश्च श्रीविग्रहोऽयं वाच्यः । स्वयं भगवत्त्वेनास्य गुणावतारत्वाभावात् । “अद्यैव त्वदृतेऽस्य” (भा० १० । १४ ।१८) इत्यनेनाव्य्ववहितवचनेन विरुद्धत्वाच् च । The pronoun “You” should be read as the subject of the verb bhäsi (appear), since to understand a sentence, one should first identify ajānatāṁ tvat-padavim anātmany ātmātmanā bhāsi vitatya māyām sṛṣṭāv ivaham jagato vidhana iva tvam eşo’nta iva trinetraḥ 332 37 Śrī Kṛṣṇa Is the Ultimate Cause the subject and its related verb. On the strength of the verb [which is conjugated in the second person], the subject has to be “You.” Therefore, the word iva (as), is not related to “You,” but to the pronoun esa (“this,” i.e., Visņu). As such, the pronoun “You” refers to Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s personal form, since He is directly the original Supreme Lord, and not to one of the avatāras presiding over the gunas of nature, nor would any other understanding be in conformity to the assertions made in the previous verse (SB 10.14.18). तस्मादयमर्थः – त्वत्पदवीं तव तथाभूतं स्वरूपमजानतामजानतः प्रति । आत्मा तत्तदंशि- स्वरूपस्त्वमेव । आत्मना तत्तदंशेन । मायां सृष्ट्यादिनिमित्तशक्तिम् । अनात्मनि जडरूपे महदाद्युपादाने प्रधाने । वितत्य प्रवर्त्य तत्तत्कार्यभेदेन भिन्न इव भासीत्यर्थः । I Therefore, the meaning is this: To “those unaware” (ajānatām) of “Your true position,” (tvat-padavi, i.e., Kṛṣṇa’s ontological iden- tity) as we have been describing it [You appear differently accord- ing to different functions]. The word ātmā here means the origi- nal complete form of God, who is the source (amsi) of all partial manifestations. You alone are that Supreme Self. You Yourself (ātmanā) means through Your different partial manifestations. Māyā means the energy that is employed for the creation, main- tenance and dissolution of the universe. “Within the non-self” (anātmani) means within inert pradhana, which acts as material cause in the form of mahat and so on. The word vitatya (expand) means “set into motion,” i.e., according to these different func- tions [of creation, maintenance and dissolution], You appear differently. कथम् ? जगतः सृष्टावहं ब्रह्मेव विधाने पालने एष इव एतत्कार्यपरिच्छिन्न इव पालनमात्र- कार्य इवेत्यर्थः । अन्ते त्रिनेत्र इवेति । वस्तुतस्त्वमेव तत्तद्रूपेण वर्तसे मूढास्तु त्वत्तस्तान् पृथक् पश्यन्तीति भावः । यतो द्वितीये ब्रह्मवाक्यम् (भा० २।६।३१) - How do You appear? In the creation of the universe, as me, Brahma; during its maintenance, as this one [Visnu], since as Viṣņu You appear to be limited by Your work, as if Your only func- tion were the work of protection; and at its end, as Śiva. Actually, it is you who exist in all these three forms, but ignorant people 333 Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha see them as different from You. Thus, it was stated by Brahma in the Second Canto: [more broos broosa ads at betegnino ai faid] [w] “Y” of betales ton at (as) vi brow adi anols T Toy ad सृजामि तन्नियुक्तोऽहं हरो हरति तद्वशः । ald1”) nes nuoto sd1 of ind erly विश्वं पुरुषरूपेण परिपाति त्रिशक्तिधृक् ॥ १५० ॥ इति । Stovn adt to Tamonque lunisho Jongho I create, being engaged by Him. Lord Siva destroys under His influence, and He Himself, the possessor of these three potencies, maintains everything in His puruşa forms. (SB 2.6.31)2 अतो भगवत्स्वरूपैकत्वेन न ब्रह्मादिवद् विष्णुरिवेति निर्दिष्टम् । Because Śrī Viṣṇu is an expansion of, and nondifferent from, the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa, Brahma did not mention Him by name, say- ing “as Visnu,” as he had done in his own case and in the case of Śiva.” Instead, he simply said, “as this.” Commentary IN SB 10.14.18, Brahma established that Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the nondual Abso- lute Truth, the cause of all causes (advaya-brahma). Hearing this, Krsna raises an objection. He says that the work of creation, main- tenance and dissolution is performed by Brahma, Viṣṇu and Śiva, respectively, and during Brahma’s day various avataras appear. So why is Brahma saying that He alone is the cause of everything? The answer is found in this verse, where Brahma says that only ignorant people do not know that the Lord appears in various forms to conduct the functions of creation, maintenance and dissolution. Amara-koşa dictionary states that the word padavi (position) also means “a path” (Amara-kosa 2.1.15). Therefore, tvat-padavi (your path) means the path of devotion, for the Lord says He can be known only by bhakti: sm as oesvinu adt to noisy adi al Fruegge wool wh I, who am the Supreme Immanent Self (Paramātmā) and the most beloved of all (priya), am attainable for those established in truth 2 srjämi tan-niyukto ham haro harati tad-vaśaḥ viśvam puruṣa-rupeņa paripati tri-sakti-dhrk 334 37 Śrī Kṛṣṇa Is the Ultimate Cause 3lse(satam) only through unalloyed devotion undertaken with full faith.d af Moreover, bhakti performed with exclusive fixity upon Me purifies 1927 even the outcaste dog-eaters. (SB 11.14.21)3 -its Hasth oqms me ton al a) Non-devotees cannot understand how the Lord exists every- where and in everything. His energy, called māyā, gives rise to duality, and therefore, ignorant people cannot see that He is the ultimate cause behind everything. The Śruti says that only the Lord exists - sarvam nārāyaṇa eva bhavati, “All this is Nārāyaṇa” (Nārāyaṇa-uttara-tapani Upanisad 3.1). This means that one who does not recognize everything to be Bhagavan’s energy will have an independent ego and desires for enjoyment, and will thus become bound by the gunas of nature. Brahma thus concludes that every- thing is the Lord’s energy, and that He is the cause of everything. Anything that appears independent of Him is due to the influence of māyā. In Śrī Brahma’s verse, Śrī Jiva seeks to explain why in the second half of the verse, where the three guṇāvatāras are named, the sub- ject “You” should not be taken to mean the preserver, Visṣṇu. Indeed, the word iva, meaning “as,” immediately precedes tvam (You), so why should it not be translated as, “appearing as You, in order to maintain the universe?” This is indeed the way that Sridhara Svāmi explains the verse. But Śrī Jiva says that the subject “You” has to be read with the verb bhāsi, with which it agrees. As a result, even though the two words are far apart in the verse, the word iva should be read with the word eșa (this one), referring to the Visnu form that has been mentioned several times in these verses. This Visnu is clearly dis- tinct from Svayam Bhagavan Śrī Kṛṣṇa, to whom Brahmā is speak- ing. If iva was in connection with “You,” that would convey the inap- propriate idea that Kṛṣṇa personally maintains the universe. At the same time, because Visnu is nondifferent from Kṛṣṇa, it was not nec- essary to mention His name in the verse. The demonstrative pro- noun eşa (this) refers to an object or person that is in proximity to bhaktyāham ekaya grahyaḥ śraddhayātmā priyaḥ satām bhaktiḥ punāti man-niṣṭhā śvapäkän api sambhavät 335 Śri Bhagavat Sandarbha the speaker. By using it, Brahma distinguishes Visnu from himself and Rudra. Although Visnu is counted among the gunavatāras, He is not an empowered living entity. Therefore, the Bhāgavatam verse (SB 2.6.31) quoted at the end of this section uses the adjective tri-sakti- dhrk (the possessor of all three types of energies) for Visņu alone. Purușa-rupena in this verse means Krsna’s expansion as Visnu. In this verse, Brahma has spoken about the guṇāvatāras as being manifestations of Kṛṣṇa. He next explains the position of the various lilāvatāras. as even lliw visits andvegard aurened duds iw baastas Sprays and burious and Bodenden beam si v brood -due and benar se non sollystod easy as a lot hoshal surely as a geam of polad to blueria uox be (wor), mon abbesar Vintbsmas gaines bobro i love gritesqge vi blow d 15 aysa svil 12 owl ada riguori revs Angel out driw friw beaded blugde by brow bill sa si mi age in head zen trip to the ent of garrister (no sint) pes and 100 Ad crow how sit Menge et chiera mod of ente og avantanomab nd serey ads ni man not of imag H 336 ado ad od atomo doldianoquial gathering-la at not boun Anuccheda 38 do listamentbed red at blow alds al Various Avatāras of Bhagavan pad or shines ३८ । एवं यथा गुणावतारास्तथान्येऽप्यवतारा इत्याह (भा० १०।१४।२० ) - vistsiguros STS TISTE JUST AS THERE ARE GUNAVATARAS, there are also other avataras. Brahmã describes them: дог bab bey это सुरेष्वृषिष्वीश तथैव नृष्वपि तिर्यक्षु यादः स्वपि तेऽजनस्य । जन्मासतां दुर्मदनिग्रहाय प्रभो विधातः सदनुग्रहाय च ॥ १५१ ॥ 500 Controller of our Destiny! Though You are unborn, You take birth amongst the gods and sages, as well as humans, animals and even among aquatics, in order to chastise the falsely proud and to show mercy to the world. (SB 10.14.20)1 and अजनस्य जन्म इत्यनेन प्रादुर्भावमात्रं जन्मेति बोधयति । By the words ajanasya and janma (birth of the unborn), Brahmā informs us that Bhagavan’s birth is, rather, simply an instance of His self-manifestation (prädhurbhava) [unlike the birth of an ordinary jiva]. ननु ब्रह्मन् किमत्र विचारितं भवता । यदेकस्या एव मम मूर्तेर्व्यापकत्वे सत्यन्यासां दर्शन- स्थानं न सम्भवतीति । 1 [Śrī Kṛṣṇa asks,] “My dear Brahma, what conclusions have you reached? Do you think that because this one form of Mine is suresv rṣiṣv isa tathaiva nrṣv api tiryakṣu yadaḥsv api te’janasya janmäsatām durmada-nigrahāya prabho vidhataḥ sad-anugrahaya ca and 337 Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha all-pervading, it is impossible for My other forms to be seen. anywhere? तथा जडवस्तूनां घटादीनामेव प्राकट्यप्रकारो लोके दृष्टः कथं तदितरस्वभावानां चिद्वस्तू- नां मम श्रीमूर्त्यादीनामिति ? “In this world, it is seen that ordinary material objects, like clay pots, come into being. Do you think that this same process of coming into being applies to My forms and such, which are of a completely different and spiritual nature? यथा यावत्यो विभूतयो मम भवता दृष्टास्तावतीभिरेव भवान् विस्मितो नापराः सन्तीति सम्भावयन्निव तत्परिमिततामधिगतवानस्तीति तथा ये ममांशाः पूर्वं बालवत्सादिरूपास्त एव चतुर्भुजा अभवन्निति कस्यापि रूपस्य कदाचिदुद्भवः कस्यापि कदाचिन्नेति । “You have just been astonished by seeing all My opulences, but only by the ones you saw. Have you come to the conclusion that there are no others, and that My opulence is therefore lim- ited? Moreover, do you think that because My expansions in the form of boys and calves were later transformed into four-handed Visņu forms that, therefore, some of these forms are sometimes manifest and others not?” Magnoms ind [onsinine) how us you wors Commentary IN THE PREVIOUS VERSE, SB 10.14.19, Śrī Brahma said that ignorant people do not understand that Kṛṣṇa is the supreme cause of every- thing. An obvious question arises, “How can the Lord, who is beyond sense perception, be known?” So, Brahma speaks the next verse, which explains that just as the Lord appears as the gunāvataras, He appears as other avataras to dispel atheistic teachings and establish religious principles. He appears in different species of life according to necessity and kills the asuras who propagate atheism. How can Bhagavan take birth, since He is ajana, or birthless? Brahma replies, “You are Prabhu,” meaning that the Lord has incon- ceivable power and can accomplish what is ordinarily impossible. It has already been shown, however, that the Lord is all-pervading, so 338 38 Various Avatāras of Bhagavan where is the question of His birth? Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmī answers that His “birth” means, rather, “making Himself visible;” the word used is pradurbhāva, which means self-manifestation. Kṛṣṇa is not bound by material laws, prior to, or after, His “birth,” nor is He forced to take “birth.” He is addressed in this verse as vidhāta, which means that He makes the rules, but is not subject to them.abdum Kṛṣṇa raised further doubts: “Brahma, you say that My forms are eternal and full of bliss, so why are they not always visible? Fur- thermore, how can all these forms exist simultaneously in one form? Material objects come into existence and vanish, so how can you compare My transcendental body to them?” In this anuccheda, Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī explains that it is very dif- ficult to understand the Lord’s form, including its all-pervasive fea- ture. The pastimes that He performs through His form are a mani- festation of His yoga-maya and supersede logic and experience. Bha- gavan is independent (svarat) and potent; therefore, He is free to engage His energy, and His activities are unpredictable. Sometimes His pastimes seem to conform to the laws of material nature as if gov- erned by them, and at other times they display their quality of being beyond the influence of material nature. In both cases they are tran- scendental. Although He appears in various forms, such as a fish or boar, He is not limited by them. He is naturally endowed with form, and yet His form is all-pervading. He showed Śrī Brahma that all forms are contained within His form, and that ultimately this is just a fraction of His opulence.f In his Bṛhat-krama-sandarbha, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi writes that Bhagavan appears as Yajña among the devas, Nara-Nārāyaṇa among the sages, King Pṛthu among humans, Varaha among animals and Matsya and Kurma among aquatics. 339 persevoozid it to notesuport dw hownbow bift “oldiziv samiH gnolsa az ansom “drid” ell bound on a goatantiam petem ibid.vnd big as or be anesi bidw sex Anuccheda 39 Bhagavan’s Form Is Unlimited Doy 5 wo Curadi o vbod all frild” b किं च सत्यज्ञानानन्तानन्दैकरसमूर्तित्वाद् युगपदेव सर्वमपि तत्तद्रूपं वर्तत एव किन्तु यूयं सर्वदा सर्वं न पश्यथेति तत्र च यौगपद्यं कथमिति । “FURTHERMORE, because these forms are exclusively of the tran- scendental nature of eternality, awareness and unlimited pure bliss, all of them indeed exist simultaneously. But you are unable to see all of them all of the time. So on what basis can you maintain their simultaneous co-existence?” तत्राह (भा० १० ।१४ ।२१) — To this, Śrī Brahmā replies: wen letistem lo sons d he bowoda 9H galbev को वेत्ति भूमन् भगवन् परात्मन् योगेश्वरोतीर्भवतस्त्रिलोक्याम् । on क्व वा कथं वा कति वा कदेति विस्तारयन् क्रीडसि योगमायाम् ॥ १५२ ॥ O Greatest One! O Supreme Person! O Self of all selves! O Mas- brter of all yogic power! Who knows where, or how, or to what extent, or when, You expand Your yoga-māyā potency and enact Your activities within these three worlds? (SB 10.14.21)1 क्व वा कथं वा कति वा कदा वा योगमायां दुस्तर्त्यां चिच्छक्तिं विस्तारयन् तथा तथा प्रवर्तयन् क्रीडसीति भवत ऊतीर्लीलास्त्रिलोक्यां को वेत्ति ? न कोऽपीत्यर्थः । “यस्यामतं तस्य मतं मतं यस्य न वेद सः” (केन० २।३) इति भावः । 1 ko vetti bhuman bhagavan paratman yogeśvarotir bhavatas trilokyām kva vā kathaṁ vā kati vā kadeti vistārayan krīḍasi yoga-māyām 34039 Bhagavan’s Form Is Unlimited [Brahma is saying:] “Who in the three worlds knows where, or how, or to what extent, or when, You expand, or put into action, Your inconceivable internal potency, yoga-māyā, in all these ways and enjoy Your activities (ūti), or pastimes, within these three worlds?” The question is rhetorical - no one knows. The same idea is conveyed in KU 2.3, “One who claims not to know Brahman, knows; but one who claims to know Brahman, does not know.“3 अत्र दुर्ज्ञेयतापुरस्कृतेनैव सम्बोधनचतुष्टयेन चतुर्षु युक्तिमाह – हे भूमन् । क्रोडीकृतानन्त- मूर्त्यात्मकश्रीमूर्ते । अयं भावः – एकमपि मुख्यं भगवद्रूपं युगपदनन्तरूपात्मकं भवति । In view of the difficulty in comprehending Kṛṣṇa’s divine pas- times, Brahma here addresses the Lord with four different epi- thets, each embodying a solution to one of the four questions posed. The term he bhuman [“O Bhuman!” lit., “abundant,” “great,” or “the Earth,” i.e., the aggregate of all existing things], here means, “O You, who include unlimited forms in Your own divine form!” The sense is that the one primary form of the Lord simultaneously contains unlimited forms within it. Commentary THE QUESTIONS POSED BY ŚRĪ KRSNA serve as an introduction to the verse and subsequent commentary. If His form, as Kṛṣṇa, is all- pervading, as established by Brahma, then where do other forms, like Rama, exist? Brahma said (Anuccheda 38) that the Lord is ajana, or birthless, which also means that all forms of the Lord are eternal. Moreover, if the forms are eternal, how is it that they are seen to take birth? Brahma witnessed Kṛṣṇa’s opulence. If what he saw was the complete opulence of Bhagavan, no matter how great, then the Lord is limited. So why did Brahma state that He is unlimited? Fur- thermore, Kṛṣṇa expanded Himself into cowherd boys, calves and so on. Where do they exist now, while Brahma is seeing only Kṛṣṇa? Brahma responds with the verse given here SB 10.14.21. 3 See SB 8.5.44. yasyamatam tasya mataṁ matam yasya na veda saḥ 341 be Śri Bhagavat Sandarbha Śrīdhara Svāmī introduces this verse in a similar way, as follows: a otal log to basqas woy as the Kṛṣṇa asked, “Brahma, you say that I am supremely powerful and independent, so, why do I accept abominable forms, like a fish and boar?” Śrī Brahmā answered with this verse. Jou sob naderd word of modwanadud faword med ang anivib aanz guthadiginoo ni gluaitib air to w los hot lw biol adi asabha émiera amis anodesup suoi ach to one of notulos garehoder das amids “parbaudel ja 91 onde tamed T broad to mod comery snu di uital sensasi intivib avatar the bidwal quandos vienonnalumie emsol barlo ob enter a 342 10 THT reppe d simmeryd berfalleres an otheION mojo bind sit tedy (8 nha) bisa den staben basha dado most sign outs o gaihnega olendish Inis ambig ni ama nedio yaum anisno od camp larando leitariajon bowali sa daid song 92 200 1900 adi hre dolu stolquos art of bonsill UsamiH Anuccheda 40 ed with Unlimited Forms of Bhagavan Exist within One Form ४० । तथैवाक्रूरेण स्तुतम् “बहुमूर्त्येकमूर्तिकम्” (भा० १० । ४० । ७) इति । तथा श्रुतिः “एकं सन्तं बहुधा दृश्यमानम्” इति । ततो यदा यादृशं येषामुपासनाफलोदयभूमिकावस्थानं तदा तथैव ते पश्यन्ति । तथा च “प्रज्ञान्तरपृथक्त्ववद् दृष्टिश्च तदुक्तम्” (ब्र० सू० ३ | ३ |५०) इत्यत्र ब्रह्मसूत्रे मध्वभाष्यम् “उपासनाभेदाद् दर्शनभेदः” इति । barrier mog adr AKRŪRA ALSO PRAYED WITH THE SAME VIEW, “Although You have various forms, You are situated in this one form” (SB 10.40.7). The Śruti also states, “Although He is one, He is seen as many.” Hence, the devotee sees the Lord in accordance with his own disposi- tion, developed through the maturation of worship. Vedānta- sūtra states, “Because worshipers have differences in knowledge, their perception of the Lord differs accordingly” (vs 3.3.52)? Śrī Madhvācārya comments on this, “There is difference in how the Lord is viewed due to difference in worship.” 113 दृष्टान्तश्च यथैकमेव पट्टवस्त्रविशेषपिच्छावयवविशेषादिद्रव्यं नानावर्णमयप्रधानैकवर्ण- मपि कुतश्चित् स्थानविशेषाद् दत्तचक्षुषो जनस्य केनापि वर्णविशेषेण प्रतिभातीति । अत्राखण्डपट्टवस्त्रविशेषादिस्थानीयं निजप्रधानभासान्तर्भाविततत्तद्रूपान्तरं श्रीकृष्णरूपं तत्तद्वर्णच्छविस्थानीयानि रूपान्तराणीति ज्ञेयम् । यथा श्रीनारदपञ्चरात्रे - Salyth gantididxs onasi An example in this regard is that of a multi-colored cloth or a pea- cock feather; though one color predominates, it appears to be of a 1 bahu-murty-eka-mūrtikam prajñāntara-pṛthaktvavad drstiś ca tad-uktim 2 3 upasana-bhedad darśana-bhedaḥ 343 Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha different color depending on the angle from which it is viewed. Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who contains many other forms in His prime efful- gence, which are likened to the multiple colors in the cloth, is Himself likened to the complete cloth, and the other colors seen from different angles exemplify the other forms of Kṛṣṇa. As Śrī Nārada-pañcarātra states:
- मणिर्यथा विभागेन नीलपीतादिभिर्युतः idao artuns battendin रूपभेदमवाप्नोति ध्यानभेदात् तथा विभुः ॥ १५३ ॥ इति । што? Just as a gem endowed with many colors, such as blue and yellow, appears differently when viewed from different angles, so does the Lord appear in different forms, according to the meditation 5 of the devotee.* मणिरत्र वैदूर्यं नीलपीतादयस्तद्गुणाः । तदेवं क्वेत्यस्य युक्तिरुक्ता । The gem referred to here is cat’s eye; the colors, such as blue and yellow, represent its characteristics. In this way, the rea- soning behind the interrogative particle kva (where), has been explained.mas 1992 af 5H 500 as duodilla valitun Hano at 9H brod 5/1 2558 99tovsh ad w broo एवमेव श्रीवामनावतारमुपलक्ष्य श्रीशुकवाक्यम् (भा० ८११८११२) —sgolovab nan Śrī Śuka makes a similar statement in reference to the Vamana- avatara: od wod is Rib ai ssd aid no ammo ba यत्तद्वपुर्भाति विभूषणायुधैरव्यक्तचिद् व्यक्तमधारयद्धरिः । uh howsival biol - बभूव तेनैव स वामनो वटुः सम्पश्यतोर्दिव्यगतिर्यथा नटः ॥ १५४ ॥ इति । श The Lord assumed His unmanifest spiritual form, which be- came manifest with ornaments and weapons. Then, His parents watched as in that very same body, like an actor exhibiting divine movement, He became Vamana, the boy brahmana. (SB 8.18.12)5 mobery zolon and repor deportistabo manir yatha vibhāgena nila-pitādibhir yutah rupa-bhedam avapnoti dhyana-bhedāt tathā vibhuḥ 5 yat tad vapur bhāti vibhuṣaṇāyudhair avyakta-cid vyaktam adharayad dhariḥ babhuva tenaiva sa vamano batuḥ sampaśyator divya-gatir yatha naṭaḥ 344
40 Unlimited Forms of Bhagavan Exist within One Form The tent to som अर्थश्चायम् – यद्वपुः शरीरं न केनापि व्यज्यते या चित्पूर्णानन्दस्तत्स्वरूपमेव यद्विभूषणा- युधैर्भाति तद् वपुस्तदा प्रपञ्चेऽपि व्यक्तं यथा स्यात् तथा अधारयत् स्थापितवान् । पुनश्च तेनैव वपुषा वामनो वटुर्बभूव हरिः । एवकारेण परिणामवेषान्तरयोगादिकं निषिद्धम् । sils 19riro sno off of alg The meaning is as follows: The Lord assumed that form or body which is not manifested by anything else, which is conscious- ness and bliss personified, and which appeared as decorated with beautiful ornaments, meaning that He then manifested it in such a way that it became visible in the material world. Then again, Śrī Hari became the boy brāhmaṇa, Vamana, in that very same body. The indeclinable eva (very) [syntactically connected to the word “form”] prohibits us from interpreting that He changed His form or dress. a) of meta ant no mhiga sai to sigmars Ho कदा ? पित्रोः सम्पश्यतोः । तेनैव वपुषा । तद्भावे हेतुः – दिव्याः परमाचिन्त्याः “यद्गतं भवच् च भविष्यच् च” इत्यादि श्रुतेः । स्वस्मिन्नेव नित्यस्थितानां नानासंस्थानानां प्रकाशनाप्रका- शनरूपा गतयश्चेष्टा यस्य सः । sano ads ni duon! When did He do all this? While His parents watched. The sig- nificance of the phrase “in that very same body” is further eluci- dated with the words, “of divine movement” (divya-gatih). Divya (divine) means supremely inconceivable, such as stated in the Śruti, “All forms of the present and future are eternally present in His form” (yad gatam bhavac ca bhavisyac ca, BAU 3.9.3); “divine movement” thus means that He can manifest or unmanifest any one of the forms that eternally exist in Him. तत्रालक्षितस्वधर्ममात्रोल्लासांशे दृष्टान्तलेशः “यथा नट” इति । नटोऽपि कश्चिदाश्चर्यतमा दिव्या परमविस्मापिका गतिर्हस्तकररूपा चेष्टा यस्य तथाभूतः सन् तेनैव रूपेण वैषम्यादि- कमनुरीकृत्यापि नानाकारतां यथा दर्शयति । स्वर्ग्यो नटो वा दिव्यगतिः । ततश्च तत्तदनु- करणं तस्यात्यन्ततदाकारमेव भवति । अत्र परमेश्वरं विना अन्यस्य सर्वांशे तादृशत्वाभा- वात् । as sd no uoy daidw vd DOY benholy glissng 978 od Erol O esatovsh quoy biowol The partial analogy, “like an actor,” is meant to illustrate just a single aspect of the Lord’s nature, namely, that He manifests His concealed qualities. Just as an actor demonstrates “divine,” i.e., wonderful or astonishing, “movements” of the hands and arms in the very same form without any change in it, similarly the Lord 345 mid Śri Bhagavat Sandarbha blend Se also manifests various forms in the same body. Another possi- ble meaning for divya-gatir yatha naṭaḥ is “like a heavenly actor.” Therefore, the Lord’s portrayal of a particular form means com- plete acceptance of that particular form, for no one other than Bhagavan can be total in all respects when taking on a role. la gaidiyns y bajaslinam Jon al न च दृष्टान्ते खण्डत्वदोषः प्रसञ्जनीयः । यथा भक्षितकीटपरिणामलालाजाततन्तुसा- धनोऽप्यूर्णनाभः परमेश्वरस्य जगत्सृष्टावनन्यसाधकत्वे दृष्टान्तः “यथोर्णनाभिर्हृदयात्” ( भा० ११।९।२१) इत्यादि तद्वत् । One should not disregard this example due to its being only par- tially applicable. It should be regarded in the same way as the example of the spider from the Eleventh Canto (SB 11.9.21) [as being both material and efficient cause of the web]. This exam- ple is used to illustrate that the Lord is the sole cause behind the creation of the universe, and it is relevant in that sense, even though in the case of the spider, the saliva (i.e., the matter) that goes into the production of the web is generated by eating insects (i.e., from an external source). तदेवं श्रीब्रह्मणापि सर्वरूपसद्भावाभिप्रायेणैवोक्तम् (भा० ३।९।११) smsique anem anivib) Similarly, with the intention of showing that all the Lord’s forms exist eternally, Śrī Brahma said elsewhere: top horiot 21 ni त्वं भक्तियोगपरिभावितहृत्सरोज आस्से श्रुतेक्षितपथो ननु नाथ पुंसाम् । यद्यद्धिया त उरुगाय विभावयन्ति तत्तद्वपुः प्रणयसे सदनुग्रहाय ॥ १५५ ॥ इति । Simp chy Sh O Master! You take Your seat in the lotus heart that has been made worthy of You through love, prema. Even so, the path by which You can be seen is through hearing. Out of kindness toward Your devotees, O Lord, who are greatly glorified, You Jaub ⚫ yathorṇanābhir hṛdayad urnāṁ santatya vaktrataḥ taya vihṛtya bhūyas tam grasaty evaṁ maheśvaraḥ “Just as a spider produces a web from within its body, then projects it out of its mouth and sports with it before swallowing it up again, so it is with the Supreme Lord [and the universe].” edo vna tuonti di pads 15 346 40 Unlimited Forms of Bhagavan Exist within One Form manifest the very form that they meditate on, appearing to them in that form. (SB 3.9.11)” प्रणयसे प्रकर्षेण नयसि प्रकटयसि । श्रुतेक्षितपथ इत्यनेन कल्पनाया निरस्तत्वात् । The word pranayase (lit., “You bring out in all-surpassing man- ner,” prakarṣena nayasi) here means “You manifest” [i.e., forms that are already pre-existing], since the words śrutekṣita-patha (the path by which You can be seen is through hearing) prohibit us from thinking that these forms are imaginary. सर्वरूपत्वेऽपि भक्तानभिरुचितरूपत्वेऽपवादः श्रीकर्दमवाक्येन (भा० ३ । २४ । ३१) Elsewhere, Kardama Muni also states that though the Supreme Lord contains all forms, He does not manifest forms that are not appealing to His devotee: ib alb ad: of gairt slden तान्येव तेऽभिरूपाणि रूपाणि भगवंस्तव । यानि यानि च रोचन्ते स्वजनानामरूपिणः । १५६ ॥ । इति । । । go nu gai My dear Lord, although You have no material form, Your most suitable forms are those that are pleasing to Your devotees. (SB 3.24.31)8 यानि यानि च त्वदीयस्वभक्तेभ्यो रोचन्ते तानि कान्येव तव रूपाणि ते तव अभिरूपाणि योग्यानि नान्यानीत्यर्थः । अन्यानि च यादृशं रन्तिदेवाय कुत्सितरूपं प्रपञ्चितं तादृशानि ज्ञेयानि । तादृशस्य च मायिकत्वमेव हि तत्रोक्तम ( भा० ९।२१।१५) - This means that only those forms that please the minds of the devotees are Your suitable forms, not others. By other forms is meant forms such as the ungraceful ones shown to Rantideva. The illusory nature of such forms is described in the Ninth Canto: br ovopard an तस्य त्रिभुवनाधीशाः फलदाः फलमिच्छताम् । woq आत्मानं दर्शयां चक्रुर्माया विष्णुविनिर्मिताः ॥ १५७ ॥ इति tvam bhakti-yoga-paribhāvita-hṛt-sarojāsse śruteksita-patho nanu natha pumsām yad-yad-dhiya ta urugaya vibhāvayanti tat-tad-vapuḥ pranayase sad-anugrahāya tany eva te’bhirupāņi rūpāņi bhagavaṁs tava yani yani ca rocante sva-janānām arūpiṇaḥ 347 msonii Śri Bhagavat Sandarbha mile The controllers of the three spheres, who reward those seeking benedictions, revealed their identities after having displayed the illusory powers created by Visņu. (SB 9.21.15) टीका च–त्रिभुवनाधीशाः ब्रह्मादयः मायास्तदीयधैर्यपरीक्षार्थं प्रथमं मायया वृषलादिरू- पेण प्रतीताः सन्त इत्यर्थः । इत्येषा । Śrīdhara Svāmi comments: “Tribhuvanadhiśaḥ (the controllers of the three spheres) means Brahma, Viṣņu and Maheśa. The word māyāḥ signifies that to test Rantideva’s fortitude, these three had first manifested illusory forms, such as that of an outcaste.” अनभिरूपत्वे हेतुः– अरूपिण इति । “प्राकृतरूपरहितस्य” इति टीका च अप्राकृतत्वेन कुत्सितत्वासम्भवादिति भावः । ggs [Returning to the discussion of SB 3.24.31,] The cause of such forms being unsuitable is expressed in the word arūpinaḥ (form- less). Śrīdhara Svami also comments on this, “without any material form.” The import is that because the Lord’s forms are transcendental, they cannot be repulsive.oblebad 18h M vab Toy of anlessly a tad seod: 1 mol oldstive अथ प्रकृतपद्यस्य कथं वेत्यादित्रययुक्तयेऽवशिष्टं सम्बोधनत्रयं व्याख्यायते - हे भगवन् अचिन्त्यशक्ते । अचिन्त्यस्य भगवन्मूर्त्याद्याविर्भावस्यान्यथानुपपत्तेरचिन्त्या स्वरूपशक्ति- रेव कारणमिति भावः । इयं कथं वेत्यस्य युक्तिः । Returning now to the verse under discussion [SB 10.14.21], we shall continue with our explanation of the remaining three epithets in Śrī Brahma’s prayer [Bhagavan, Parātmā and Yogeśvara], and how these epithets embody respectively the response to the three interrogatives - how, how many and when (katham, kati, kadā). The term he bhagavan (Hey Bhagavan!) means, “O Lord, posses- sor of inconceivable power.” The sense is that the inconceivable appearance of the Lord’s form and so on is not possible by any means other than His inconceivable internal potency. This is the answer to the question, “how” (katham vä)? 9 tasya tribhuvanadhiśaḥ phaladaḥ phalam icchatam ātmānam darśayam cakrur māyā viṣṇu-vinirmitäḥda 348 40 Unlimited Forms of Bhagavan Exist within One Form तथा हे परात्मन् । परेषां प्रत्येकमप्यनन्तशक्तीनां पुरुषाद्यवताराणामात्मन्नवतारिन् । त्वयि तु तासां सुतरामनन्तत्वात् तदाविर्भावविभूतयः कति वा वाङ्मनसोऽगोचरत्वमापद्येरन्निति भावः । इयं कति वेत्यस्य युक्तिः । Next, the term he paratman (Hey Paratman!) means, “You who are the Self (ātmā), or the Source, of all other (para) avatāras,” like the puruşăvatāras, each possessing unlimited power. Since they have unlimited opulence, it stands to reason that You do also. The import is that it is impossible for the mind or speech to ascer- tain the extent of the Lord’s opulences as they manifest. This is the logic behind the question, “how many” (kati vä)? तथा हे योगेश्वर । एकस्मिन्नेव रूपे नानारूपयोजनालक्षणाया योगनाम्न्याः स्वरूपशक्ते- स्तया वा ईशनशील । अयं भावः - यथा तव प्रधानं रूपमन्तर्भूतानन्तरूपं तथा तवांशरूपं च ततश्च यदा तव यत्रांशे तत्तदुपासनाफलस्य यस्य रूपस्य प्रकाशनेच्छा तदैव तत्र तद्रूपं प्रकाशसे इति । इयं कदेत्यस्य युक्तिः ॥ Next, the term he yogeśvara (Hey Yogeśvara!) means, “You are the controller of the internal energy, called yoga-māyā, which is responsible for accommodating the various forms in the one orig- inal form,” or, “You control through that energy.” The import is this: Just as uncountable forms exist within Your original form, various plenary portions also exist in You. Whenever You desire to manifest a particular form, owing to the maturity of the devo- tee’s worship, You manifest that particular form. This is the logic behind the question, “when” (kadā)? Commentary hdw sword 900 of baA BRAHMA SAYS that no one can understand Bhagavan’s mind. In SB 10.14.21, he posed four rhetorical questions, and the answer to each is that no one can know the Lord. Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmī com- ments that the four reasons why no one can know Bhagavan are con- cealed in the four ways He is questioned - kva vā kathaṁ vā kati vā kadeti. The four questions are: kva (where?), katham (how?), kati (how many? or how much?) and kada (when?). The four names Brahmā used to address the Lord are: 349 most all Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha Sh1. Bhuman, which means all-pervading, or one who contains hay unlimited forms within Himself. Bisht pre 2. Bhagavan, which means the Lord who is replete with inconceivable opulences. 1975 3. Paratma, which means one who has unlimited qualities and performs unlimited acts. 102 silt to (a) 152 91 92 acts.10.02 (in) 994. Yogeśvara, which means the Lord who is the master of His internal power, and one who is not limited by time. H 5 foll The first question is answered by the first address, and so on. No one can understand where (kva) the Lord will manifest a particular pastime because He is all-pervading (Bhuman) and can manifest any form anywhere. THE DE PESTE No one knows how (katham) the Lord will perform His līlā because He has all opulences (Bhagavan). He can lift Govardhana Hill on His little finger. To lift a hill one has to get underneath it and uproot it like a mushroom, while keeping it intact. Even if one could accomplish this, how would he be able to sustain it on a single point? No civil engineer could conceive of how to do it, because such a heavy weight cannot be concentrated on a single pillar, what to speak of the tip of the finger. Yet the Lord did this and the mountain did not collapse. No one knows how many (kati) actions the Lord can perform because He has unlimited qualities and performs unlimited acts simultaneously (Parātmā). Even Śrī Ananta cannot enumerate them with His thousand tongues. And no one knows when (kada) the Lord will perform a partic- ular act, because He is not limited by time (Yogeśvara). Kṛṣṇa told Arjuna that he could see whatever he wished within the viśva-rupa. He said that all the soldiers on the battlefield had already been killed by Him, and, indeed, Arjuna saw this. Nonetheless, Kṛṣṇa asked Arjuna to fight. The viśva-rupa which Arjuna saw was not magical but real. Śrī Brahma concludes by stating that it is most difficult to under- stand how and when Śrī Kṛṣṇa acts. Anyone who claims that he knows exactly how the Lord will function is grossly ignorant. One who understands that Bhagavan has unlimited, inconceivable 35040 Unlimited Forms of Bhagavan Exist within One Form potencies never makes such vain claims, for he has understood the Absolute. This is the significance of the mantra cited from KENA 2.3. Śankarācārya, in commenting upon this mantra, writes, “A knower of the Absolute says that He does not know the Absolute. But one who asserts that he has understood the Absolute does not know.” This does not mean that we should not try to understand the Lord, or that it is impossible to know Him at all. We should endeavor to know Him, but must accept that we can never know Him fully. A bird flies in the sky according to its capacity and need, but it can never fathom the length and breadth of the sky. The Lord can be understood to the extent that He reveals Himself to His devo- tees; thus, only a humble and surrendered soul can know Bhagavan. Those who are proud remain shackled by māyā: qlutussd gubicon shulani Foolish people, who are actually drowning in ignorance, but con- sider themselves intelligent and scholarly, get battered by the kicks of maya. They wander in this material world just like blind people being led by other blind people. (MUU 1.2.8) 10 ce Quite often it is seen that foolish people out of haughtiness con- sider themselves omniscient. But those who actually know the Lord consider themselves insignificant. Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmī now says that there are four intentions behind these four rhetorical questions and addresses. The word bhuman literally means “abundant,” or “great.” In the present context it refers to the Lord, who contains unlimited forms within His one form. Akrūra, Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s uncle, also addressed Him as bahu-mūrty-eka-mürtika, or one whose singular form contains multiple forms. Akrura was ordered by Kamsa to bring Krsna and Balarama to Mathura to participate in the dhanur-yajña, which was really a plot to kill Kṛṣṇa. While Akrura was escorting Krsna and Balarama to Mathura by chariot, he stopped at the Yamuna to perform his noon- time ablutions and worship. After bathing, he dipped his head into the water to chant the gayatri-mantra and was surprised to see Kṛṣṇa avidyāyām antare vartamānāḥ svayan-dhīrāḥ paṇḍitaṁ manyamānāḥ janghanyamānāḥ pariyanti mūḍhã andhenaiva niyamānā yathāndhāḥ 351 Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha simila and Balarama in the water. He wondered how this was possible, as he had left Them on the chariot. Out of curiosity, he came out of the river and saw that Kṛṣṇa and Balarama were, indeed, still sitting on the chariot, just as he had left Them. He concluded that what he had seen in the water must have been an illusion and again peered within the waters of Yamuna Devi. This time he saw an even more amazing sight. Kṛṣṇa was relaxing on the body of the thousand- hooded Ananta while being eulogized by divine beings, like the Sid- dhas, Caranas, Gandharvas and even the asuras. He was also sur- rounded by associates like Nanda and Sunanda and being served by the various personified opulences. Seeing this, Akrūra’s heart over- flowed with ecstasy and tears of joy gushed from his eyes. He began reciting beautiful prayers in praise of Śrī Kṛṣṇa. One of the verses includes the phrase bahu-mürty-eka-mūrtika: Others also, whose minds have been purified according to regula- tions established by You, become absorbed in You and worship You as the One Form containing a multiplicity of forms. (SB 10.40.7) Although the Lord has various forms, such as Vasudeva, Sankar- ṣaṇa, Pradyumna, Aniruddha, Matsya, Kurma and so on, He is but giani asylsamalt sbianco one. Gopala-tapani Upanisad states: on fare vac bairlad bec Śrī Kṛṣṇa is all-pervading, the supreme controller, and the sup- ariereme object of worship. Although He is one, He appears as many. (GTU 1.19) 12 ril 109 w brol Akrūra also mentions that the Lord manifests various forms on this earth and gives a partial list of such forms. According to the desire of His devotees, Bhagavan manifests a corresponding form: I reveal Myself to all who surrender unto Me, exactly in accordance ot with the essential nature of their surrender. (GITA 4.11)13 11anye ca samskṛtātmāno vidhinäbhihitena te yajanti tvan-mayas tvām vai bahu-mürty-eka-mürtikam 12 eko vaši sarvagah kṛṣṇa idyaw has oitnum-movie eko’pi san bahudha yo’vabhāti ye yatha mam prapadyante tāms tathaiva bhajamy aham 352 40 Unlimited Forms of Bhagavan Exist within One Form Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmī cites vs 3.3.52, “Because worshipers have dif- ferences in knowledge, their perception of the Lord differs accord- ingly,” to substantiate this point. In Govinda-bhāṣya, Śrīla Baladeva Vidyabhūṣaṇa gives the following explanation of this sutra: Bu Prior to this, the question was raised, “Do all worshipers realized Brahman in the same way, or do they experience it differently?” Some people argue that the various grades of liberated devotees all realize Brahman in the same way. Although they may have followed different sädhanās (involving differing theory and praxis), their per- ception of Brahman will be uniform, just as different travelers enter- ing a town see the same city, though they approached it by different roads. Śruti confirms this uniformity. Mundaka Upanisad, for exam- ple, states (MUU 3.1.3) that upon gaining liberation, all living beings Feattain similarity (samya): “When a wise person beholds that golden- colored Original Person, the supreme actor and controller, who is the source of Brahman, he is enabled to shake off piety and sin. He then becomes free from material bondage and attains supreme sim- ilarity.“14 The conclusion of the purva-pakṣa (the contending viewpoint) is that bethe liberated state involves absolute uniformity in terms of how the Absolute is realized. In response to this, Śrīla Vyasa writes this sutra, “Because worshipers have differences in knowledge, their percep- tion of the Lord differs accordingly.” This states that different devo-ad tees have different realizations according to their bhava (“the pre-d dominant disposition of awareness” or “the predominant flavor of Бо existential being”), and according to the corresponding practices Opthey undertake. 14 This is also supported by the Śruti (CHU 3.14.2): “Because human beings are creatures of faith, after death they each obtain a result o according to their faith and sentiments. So let them have full faith in the Lord.” 15 This is popularly called tat-kratu-nyaya, or the principle of faith. The similarity referred to in MUU 3.1.3 means that all see the same Lord, sti по yada pasyaḥ pasyate rukma-varnaṁ kartāram iśam puruşaṁ brahma-yonim tada vidvan punya-pape vidhūya nirañjanaḥ paramam samyam upaitinte 15 atha khalu kratu-mayaḥ puruṣaḥ yatha kratur asmiml-loke puruso bhavati tathetaḥ pretya bhavati sa kratum kurvita 353 but saltŚrī Bhagavat Sandarbha bo Ail yet their vision differs according to their bhava, or inner disposition. (Govinda-bhāṣya 3.3.52) vabele Although different travelers entering a city from different paths see the same city, they see it from different angles of vision, and, therefore, they do not have the exact same picture of the town. Sim- ilarly, different devotees see the same Lord, but their realizations differ. To explain further, Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmi gives the example of a multi-colored cloth that reflects different colors when seen from dif- ferent angles. Another example is that of certain gems. Cat’s-eye, for example, appears to have different colors when seen from various angles. This quality is known to gemologists as chatoyancy. A more modern example would be the hologram, which exhibits different images when viewed from different angles. This explains the purpose behind the question kva, where does the Lord manifest a particular form? Depending on the specific mood of devotion, He manifests a corresponding form to the devotee. To further explain how various forms exist in one form of Bha- gavān, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmī recalls the Bhāgavatam’s description of Vamana Deva’s appearance. Aditi, the wife of Kasyapa, performed the payo-vrata ceremony for twelve days to please Śrī Viṣņu. At the end of the ceremony, the Lord appeared and agreed to bless her by becoming her son. In due course, Śrī Visņu appeared in His four- handed form and then, in front of Aditi and Kasyapa, transformed Himself into Vamana, the dwarf brahmacārī. The Lord is compared to an expert theatrical actor, who puts on various costumes and plays different roles. An actor’s expertise lies in concealing his iden- tity and in perfectly imitating a particular character. As an actor is one person, but plays various roles and thus appears differently; so too Bhagavan is one, but appears in different forms. The actor is lim- ited, because he can only change his costume, not his body, but the Lord actually has different forms, yet He is one person. This analogy is inadequate because the Lord does not need to put on costumes to look different, but this is not a defect in the example since the purpose is to help us better grasp His position by alluding to some features common to both Him and an actor. Nyāya-sūtra says: 354 40 Unlimited Forms of Bhagavan Exist within One Form An example is that about which a common man and a man of highly refined discrimination share the same understanding (buddhi- samya). (Nyaya-sutra 1.1.25)16 To show how certain examples can be used despite their limita- tions, Śrī Jiva cites the example of a spider, given in Śrimad Bhaga- vatam, to illustrate that Bhagavan is both the efficient and material cause of the cosmos. The spider weaves the web and thus is the effi- cient cause of the web. He is also the material cause because he uses his own saliva to manufacture thread for the web, and does not use any external ingredients. A spider, however, needs to eat insects to survive and to produce the saliva he uses to generate the web, whereas the Lord does not require anything external, either to produce something or to ensure His survival. The spider builds a web to trap insects for its suste- nance, but the Lord has no such purpose in creating the cosmos. So the example has some dissimilarities, but overall it serves its pur- pose. In the same way, the example of an actor, used to explain how multiple forms of Bhagavan are contained within Kṛṣṇa’s singular all-encompassing form, is perfectly suitable. Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi then cites a verse spoken by Śrī Brahmā (SB 3.9.11)” to show that while Kṛṣṇa contains multiple forms within His one form, He reveals the particular form upon which the devo- tee incessantly meditated in the course of practice. Alternatively, Brahma’s statement indicates that Kṛṣṇa has only one form, but appears differently to different devotees. This does not mean, how- ever, that one can meditate on any concocted form. This is the signif- icance of the words śrutekṣita-patha. Śruta means heard about the Lord, and specifically about His forms, from an authorized source, the Vedas. The significance of the word ikṣita (seen) is that one should see the form of the Lord through the ears. This will purify the heart and bestow qualification to see the Lord’s form. As stated by Sūta Gosvāmī: 16 yatra laukika-parikṣakānāṁ yasminn arthe buddhi-samyaḥ sa dṛṣṭāntaḥ 17 This verse was previously quoted in Anuccheda 9. 355 nosni Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha Hearing about Kṛṣṇa and glorifying Him is a most holy activity, for when one listens to such topics, the Lord, residing in the devo- tees’ hearts, destroys whatever inauspiciousness remains there still. (SB 1.2.17) 18 Shilmil zieds stiges! Kathā, or pastimes, are always related to form. Hearing makes the devotee qualified and attracts the Lord to take His seat on the pure lotus-like heart of His devotee. Bhagavan appears in what- ever form the devotees meditate upon (vibhavayanti). This verse (SB 3.9.11) should not be mistakenly understood to promote anthro- pomorphism, which means to attribute a human form, such as one’s own, to the Lord. Neither does it promote zoomorphism, the attri- bution of animal forms to God. Because some forms of the Lord have animal shape, like Varāhāvatāra, while others, like Rāma and Kṛṣṇa, are humans, appearing Indian in their dress and behavior, some modern scholars propose the above two isms. In other words, they say that one projects certain qualities from one’s own mind on God. Brahma’s verse, however, directs one to meditate on particu- lar forms authorized by the Vedas, which, by their own admission, are without human origin (apauruşeya), and hence, the forms they depict cannot be the product of human projection.!9 19 But if Bhagavan is independent, why does He appear in such forms? The verse says sad-anugrahaya - to bless His devotees. The Lord is controlled by the love of His devotees. The word nätha (“mas- ter” or “husband”) is important in this verse. The devotees control Him just as a chaste wife controls her husband: 18 orn69m Jon 890 abrow, adi to sṛṇvatām sva-katha kṛṣṇaḥ punya-śravana-kirtanaḥ hrdy antah-stho hy abhadrani vidhunoti suhrt satăm 19 Though the idea of projection entered modern philosophical discourse with Feuerbach (1804-1872), it is as ancient as Xenophanes (570-480 BC). The Advaita Vedantic position is that all external phenomena ultimately have their primary existence in the desires and saṁskāras of the individual. Something similar applies where the Divine Truth is concerned, but the forms manifested by the Lord are a result of the pure desire of the jiva in his constitutional position as an eternal servant of God. This desire is not the outcome of any material samskära but results from hearing Vedic literature. The hierarchy of forms of God reflect a hierarchy of purity of this identity, with Krsna as Svayam Bhagavan representing the purest forms of love relationship between the Supreme Truth and the individual self. 356 40 Unlimited Forms of Bhagavan Exist within One Form et A faithful wife wins her husband’s love by her loyalty. I am similarlybu miwon over by My devotees whose hearts are completely bound to Me, while showing equanimity to all beings. (SB 9.4.66) 20 usdman s Kardama Muni says that only those forms that are pleasing to the devotees are suitable forms of the Lord. Other forms have no rel- evance, as the Lord is never alone. This means He manifests only those forms that are pleasing to His devotees. In fact, the relative importance of a particular avatara is determined by the greatness of His associates - parikara-vaiśistyäd ävirbhāva-vaisistyam. One of the super-excellent characteristics of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, which distinguishes Him from all other forms of God, is that He has unsurpassed loving relationships with His devotees, prema-mādhuri?1 This implies that Bhagavan’s form is not material, because no devotee aspires to worship a material form. Thus, He is called arūpiņa, meaning, He who has no material form. In commenting on SB 3.24.31, Śrīla Viśvanatha Cakravartīpāda makes this important point. He says that although neophytes on the spiritual path medi- tate on the universal form, virāḍ-rupa, it is not the Lord’s own form, because it is material and not the ultimate goal of attainment – not even for those who meditate upon it. This type of meditation is rec- ommended just for beginners to help purify the mind of material contamination. Some forms of Bhagavan are not His real forms, such as the ones shown to King Rantideva. Rantideva was exceedingly generous by nature and had given away all his worldly goods in charity, leaving him and his family utterly destitute. As a result, he and his family were without food or water for forty-eight days, leaving them all on the verge of starvation. By divine will, they received a gift of food on the forty-ninth day, but just as they sat down to eat, a brāhmaṇa guest arrived. Rantideva saw Śrī Hari in everyone; thus, he treated the guest as if he were a god. He fed him and then divided the remnants among his fam- ily members. But again, as they were about to eat, a śūdra guest 20 mayi nirbaddha-hṛdayaḥ sadhavaḥ sama-darśanaḥ vase kurvanti mam bhaktyä sat-striyaḥ sat-patim yatha 21 See BRS 2.1.43. 357 and sunid Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha m suddenly appeared, asking for food, and Rantideva gave him some. A few moments later, yet another guest came, bringing with him a number of dogs. They were given all that remained. The little water that was left, Rantideva divided among his family members. Before they could drink it, however, an outcaste approached them begging for water. Seeing the outcaste suffering from thirst, the compassionate King gave him the last remaining water. In reality, all these guests were created by the Lord’s māyā to test Rantideva’s fortitude. They were, in a sense, forms of the Lord, but these forms, the śūdra, caṇḍāla, dogs and so on, were not His personal forms and thus cannot, strictly speaking, be considered worshipable. Here again is the answer to the question kva: Where does the Lord manifest a particular form? The answer is that it depends on His devotees. Bhagavan means the Lord who has inconceivable pow- ers, by which He manifests certain forms. This is the answer to katham: How does He manifest these forms? Paratman means that the Lord has unlimited forms and thus unlimited avataras. This is the answer to kati: How many forms and avatāras does He have? Finally, Yogeśvara means the master of the internal potency, called yoga-mäyä. By this potency all forms of the Lord exist in His one prin- cipal form, known as Kṛṣṇa. As such, Kṛṣṇa can manifest any form whatsoever, whenever it is appropriate to do so, in accordance with the maturation of a devotee’s sadhana. This is the answer to kadā: When does the Lord manifest a particular form? In this way, though rhetorically asking four questions, Śrī Brahmā himself supplied the answers through the use of these four epithets. The essence is that all of Bhagavan’s forms exist simultane- ously within His one form. Śrī Jiva will now conclude this anuccheda and the discussion of Sri Brahma’s prayers with the next verse. Now so en Jasur silt betwest and me all more he pig inhi & das or 358 aggrech bus ynivasage Jhujenga sign hochu) plan an Anuccheda 41 The Lord’s Body Contains Everything idr ४१ । तस्मात् तत्तत्सर्वमपि तस्मिन् श्रीकृष्णरूपेऽन्तर्भूतमित्येवमत्रापि तात्पर्यमुपसंहरति ( भा० १०।१४।२२ ) - THEREFORE, all these various forms and universes are contained within the form of Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Śrī Brahma now concludes this topic by saying: ETTO तस्मादिदं जगदशेषमसत्स्वरूपं स्वप्नाभमस्तधिषणं पुरुदुःखदुःखम् । त्वय्येव नित्यसुखबोधतनावनन्ते मायात उद्यदपि यत् सदिवावभाति ॥ १५८ ॥ Therefore, this entire universe, which is insubstantial, like a dream, which covers consciousness, which is full of abundant and endless misery, and which arises out of Your maya potency, still appears as real because it is situated in You, who are limitless and possess a body that is eternal, full of bliss and consciousness. (SB 10.14.22) 10 यस्मादेवं प्रपञ्चाप्रपञ्चवस्तूनां सर्वेषामपि तत्त्वविग्रहोऽसि तस्मादेव नित्यसुखबोधनल- क्षणा या तनुस्तत्स्वरूपेऽनन्ते त्वय्येवाशेषमिदं जगदवभातीत्यन्वयः । १० The basic prose syntax of this verse yields the following: “Since Your form is thus [as shown in the previous verses] the original cause of all ephemeral and transcendental objects, this entire universe consequently appears within You, who are limitless and whose Self is identical with a body that is characterized by eternity, bliss and consciousness.” 359 Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha कथतस्मिन्नेवावभाति भुवि तद्विकार इवेतिभवच् च । यद् यस्मिन् मुहुर्जायते लीयते च तत् तस्मिन्नेवावभाति भुवि तद्विकार इवेति भावः । How does the universe appear? It appears as real (sat), and also as arising (udyad api), i.e., repeatedly appearing and disappear- ing. Though arising, it appears and disappears again and again. It exists in Him alone, from whom it appears and into whom it dissolves, just as earthen products arise from and dissolve into the earth. तर्हि किं मम विकारित्वम् ? Krsna asks: “Does this mean I undergo transformation?” नेत्याह मायया त्वदीयाचिन्त्यशक्तिविशेषेण विकारादिरहितस्यैव श्रुतेस्तु “शब्दमूलत्वात्” (ब्र० सू० २।१।२७) इत्यादौ परिणामस्वीकारात् । Brahma answers, “No. That is why I say [that the universe arises] ‘out of Your māyā,’ or, in other words, through Your special incon- ceivable potency. I am assured of this because the Brahma-sutra states, ‘But [God or Brahman is established as being free from all such modifications], because scripture declares this to be the case, and it is only through the scriptural revelation that we can learn about Him’ (vs 2.1.27). This clearly indicates that in the act of creation Your energies are transformed (pariņāma) without any transformation occurring in You. Ins मुहुरुद्भवतिरोभवत्वादेव स्वप्नाभं तत्तुल्यं न त्वज्ञानमात्रकल्पितत्वादपि " वैधर्म्याच् च न स्वप्नादिवत्” (ब्र० सू० २।२।२९) इति न्यायेन । ough th bris 1,0182) “The universe has been likened to a dream simply because it appears and disappears repeatedly, and not to imply that it is a product of the imagination due to ignorance. As Brahma-sūtra states, ‘Because the universe has different characteristics, it is not like a dream’ (vs 2.2.29)2979 it to xstava song bleed an adsal node an audy al audi al moto तथा अविद्यावृत्तिकमायाकार्यत्वाच् च अस्तधिषणं जीवपरमात्मज्ञानलोपकर्तृ । उभयस्मा- दपि हेतोः पुरुदुःखदुःखं तदीयसुखाभासस्यापि वस्तुनो दुःखरूपत्वात् । विना त्वत्सत्तया 1 śrutes tu śabda-mulatvat od dziw fes 2 vaidharmyac ca na svapnädivat 36041 The Lord’s Body Contains Everything असत्स्वरूपं शशविषाणतुल्यम् । तदेवं भूतमपि सदिवानश्वरमिवाभाति मुग्धानामिति शेषः । alds “And because the universe is a product of the ignorance feature of māyā, it is called asta-dhiṣana, or that which covers the living being’s awareness of the supreme goal. For these two reasons, it is a place of great misery, since any semblance of happiness here is, in reality, simply misery. And without Your (i.e., the Lord’s) existence, it would be completely unreal (asat-svarupa), a phantasmagoria, like the horns of a rabbit. Although it is such, the universe appears real (sat) or imperishable; the words ’to the bewildered’ (mugdha), should be added to complete the sense.” उपलक्षणं चैतद् व्यवहारज्ञानमयमहदाद्यात्मकत्वाज् ज्ञानोद्बोधकमिव स्वर्गाद्यात्मकत्वात् सुखमिव च । The preposition “as” (iva), applied here to the word “real” (sat), should be understood to apply to knowledge and happiness also. In other words, to the bewildered, the universe appears as a source of knowledge, because it is composed of elements, like mahat (the cosmic intellect), which embody empirical knowl- edge. They also view it as a source of happiness because it has ephemeral pleasures, such as those in heaven. तदेवमन्यस्य तत्परिच्छेद्यत्वात् स्वरूपशक्त्यैव परिच्छिन्नमपरिच्छिन्नं च तवेदं वपुरिति प्रकरणार्थः ॥ ब्रह्मा श्रीभगवन्तम् ॥ Therefore, the universe is limited or pervaded by the form of the Lord, but Bhagavan’s form, by virtue of the power of His internal potency, is both limited and unlimited simultaneously. This is the import of the entire topic discussed in this anuccheda. Commentarys gal 865/2 tear 1975 1ey big blow on org mo zad Now ŚRI JIVA CONCLUDES the topic of the simultaneous all-per- vasiveness and apparent limitedness of Krsna’s body, based on this series of verses from Brahma-stava. In the previous section, 361 andy Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha wife Śrila Jiva Gosvāmi explained that Bhagavan’s body has inconceiv- able power and thus His body, although one, contains innumerable forms. Now he explains that because of this inconceivable power, the endlessly mutable material world has the appearance of being eternal. This is the reason for the use of the word tasmat (therefore), at the beginning of the verse. Śrī Brahma here lists three attributes of the material world: asat- svarupa (ephemeral by nature), asta-dhişana (devoid of conscious- ness) and puru-duḥkha-duḥkha (replete with misery). In contrast, the verse lists three attributes of the Lord’s body: nitya (eternality), sukha (bliss) and bodha (consciousness). Thus, the Lord’s form is eternal, full of bliss and consciousness, whereas the material world is temporary, full of misery and ignorance. One may wonder how this is possible, since an effect depends on its cause. It was mentioned in passing in the previous section, that Bhagavan is both the efficient as well as the material cause of the universe. The material cause refers to the raw materials that go into making something, like the clay in a pot. But if the Lord has the nature of sat, cit and ananda, how can the universe be asat, acit and nirānanda? Moreover, when we speak of a material cause, the implication generally is that the raw materials undergo some kind of transfor- mation. Is this the case when the Lord produces this universe out of Himself? Brahma replies that such is not the case, because of the Lord’s inconceivable power (māyā). Although the material world emanates from the Lord, exists in Him, and dissolves into Him, its characteristics are completely different than His. de jud bol vs 2.1.27 referred to by Śri Jiva confirms the truth that the Lord creates the universe from His own Self and yet does not undergo any transformation. He is like a touchstone that can turn iron into gold and yet remain unchanged. Or, He is like a wish-fulfilling tree that can grant anything without undergoing any transformation, or without using anything external to itself. Since Bhagavan possesses inconceivable power, He can perform acts that are otherwise impos- sible. Just because He performs inconceivable or inexplicable acts, there is no reason to dismiss them as impossible. entre el 362 41 The Lord’s Body Contains Everything The Lord’s māyā potency performs another wonderful feat. It makes the temporary material world appear eternal to foolish peo- ple, and so they accept the temporary material body as permanent, despite the constant reminder of the inevitability of death. Accord- ing to Yudhisthira Mahārāja, this is the greatest wonder of life. Śrila Jiva Gosvāmi says that the words sad iva avabhāti (appears real or eternal), also apply, by extension, to the other two attributes, namely bliss and consciousness. Although the material world is full of misery to a person endowed with discrimination even tem- porary so-called happiness is misery - yet by hearing stimulating accounts of heavenly pleasure, or by experiencing mental-egoic sat- isfaction resulting from sense indulgence, people mistake the mate- rial world to be blissful. There is no absolute happiness in this mate- rial world; happiness is just a mental concept that varies from one species to another, from one person to another, from one stage of life to another, from one day to another, and indeed from morning to evening. al A cultured person may feel an irresistible urge to vomit when he sees the food relished by vultures. Even among humans, a rich per- son may find inedible what is a banquet to an impoverished person. One man’s food is another man’s poison. Even in the course of one life, we become disinterested in our former childhood pleasures and diversions. We observe that when a person takes sincerely to spiri- tual life, he or she practically abandons their previous life style. Our moods change from morning to evening. What one relishes at break- fast may appear distasteful at supper. Even that consumed at the beginning of a meal may appear distasteful by the end. The inescapable conclusion is that the so-called happiness of material life, even if real, is temporary. Furthermore, this apparent pleasure does not lie within sense objects. Otherwise, a particular sense object would grant equal happiness to everyone. In reality, the concept of pleasure lies within the mind. Thus, the saying goes, “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” In this regard Niti-śästra says: 3 Quoted in Section 10.1. 363 girŚrī Bhagavat Sandarbha The same object viewed by three different individuals appears in three different ways. When a yogi sees a beautiful young woman, he considers her body to be but a bag of stool, urine, blood, bones, le 5 mucus, pus and so on. A young man, however, sees her as his most desirable object of pleasure. A hungry dog sees her as a delicious piece of meat.* now ani Todt avse 353 It is very difficult, therefore, to discern where happiness lies. The simple fact is that there is no happiness in inert, ignorant, tempo- rary and miserable material objects. The sage Parāśara says: The same object induces misery, happiness, envy and anger in dif- ferent people. How can one categorically determine the nature of an object? One particular object sometimes even invokes love, pain, anger and happiness in the same person. Therefore, material objects do not have the capacity to grant happiness or inflict pain. Feelings of happiness and distress are simply mental states. (VP 2.6.47-49)5 rtoire Patanjali says that for a discriminating person, everything is misery. The technical term for these different mental states is vṛtti. From our bank of experience in this and previous lives, we have developed an internal mechanism that represents a particu- lar state as pleasurable or not. In ignorance, we identify with the mind and its collective body of impressions, and the mental state we are presently experiencing dictates whether we feel ourselves to be happy or miserable.ghi We pursue sense objects in the belief that sense pleasure equals happiness, but in Bhagavad Gita, Śrī Kṛṣṇa refers to sense objects as the source of misery. He says, “Pleasures, or experiences (bhogāḥ), Do/aulonen aldegees T ⚫eka eva padarthas tu tridha bhavati vikṣitaḥ kunapaṁ kāminī māṁsam kamibhiḥ śvabhir yogibhiḥvs atil lanetar 5 vastv ekam eva duḥkhaya sukhayerṣyagamaya cah kopaya ca yatas tasmad astu vastv-atmakam kutaḥ tad eva pritaye bhūtvă punar duḥkhāya jāyate tad eva kopaya yataḥ prasādāya ca jāyate wast tasmad duḥkhātmakaṁ nästi na ca kiñcit sukhātmakam manasaḥ parināmo’yam sukha-duḥkhādi-lakṣaṇaḥ ud fun toob tunded pariņāma-tapa-samskara-duḥkhair guna-vṛtti-virodhac ca duḥkham eva sarvam vivekinah Yoga-sūtra 2.15 364 41 The Lord’s Body Contains Everything arising out of contact with sense objects are simply sources of misery, having both beginning and end. Consequently, a wise person does not delight in them” (ye hi samsparsa-ja bhoga duḥkha-yonaya eva te, GĪTĀ 5.22). Duḥkha-yoni means “the source of misery.” Real joy is a quality of spirit, not of inert matter. Opportunities to experience happiness and distress through con- tact with material objects result from karma. Karma never impels us to suffer or enjoy, however, it simply presents a particular, value- free situation. It is up to us how that event is interpreted. If we become slaves to our senses, then we are bound to suffer or enjoy a particular situation according to the bank of our past impressions. But if we have developed the eye of wisdom (jñāna-cakṣus), we will not be thus affected. Śrī Kṛṣṇa says, “Endowed with the wisdom of yoga, one abandons both good and evil even in this life” (buddhi- yukto jahätiha ubhe sukṛta-duskṛte, GĪTĀ 2.50). He also says:w 916 As a blazing fire reduces firewood to ashes, O Arjuna, so does the fire of knowledge reduce all karma to ashes. (GĪTĀ 4.37)” Therefore, mugdha, or bewildered, means one who has not devel- oped the eye of discrimination, cultured through assimilation of scriptural truth. Devotees awakened to this truth, however, have an entirely different vision of the universe. They see everything in relation to Kṛṣṇa. Owing to this understanding, they neither crave, nor are threatened by, any of nature’s phenomena, regard- ing everything, rather, as the energy of the Lord, to be brought into harmonious relation through service. So, although the Lord admits that sense objects are the sources of misery, duḥkha-yonayaḥ, they become a source of pleasure for devotees, through offering them to the Lord. Jñana-märgis aspire to renounce everything, but devotees have no such threat from material objects. belastet 7 Some philosophers consider the material world to be illusory, having no factual existence, and they compare it to a dream. They say that a dream has no factual existence, since no one experiences yathaidhamsi samiddho’gnir bhasma-sat kurute’rjuna jñānāgniḥ sarva-karmāņi bhasma-sāt kurute tathā 365 Soufry Śri Bhagavat Sandarbhat is it while awake; similarly, this material world is false, mithya, since it is no longer experienced upon the awakening to realization. Śrī Brahma does not accept this view. He does not consider the material world to be imaginary, the mere product of one’s ignorance. In this verse, asat does not mean “falsehood” (mithya), but rather “transient.” The reasoning is that since the material world exists as a potency of the Lord, who exists eternally, it too has existence. Here the word māyā means, “inconceivable power,” and not, “magic.” The Lord is inclusive of such potency and that’s why He is called Māyi, or the Lord of maya. This was discussed in detail in Section 21. Śruti also confirms, “All this shines forth after His brilliance” (yasya bhāsā sarvam idam vibhāti, śu 6.14). The shining is not false, but to mis- take inert, endlessly mutable matter for eternal transcendence is illusion. liva br boog dod znobard and When Brahma compares the material world to a dream, he does not mean that it is false or non-existent, for dreams are a different state of reality. In Govinda-bhāṣya to vs 2.2.29, Śrīla Baladeva Vidya- bhūṣaṇa writes that objects in a dream do not have the same char- acteristics as those in the waking state. Objects seen in a dream are memories of objects previously experienced while awake. Objects in a dream may change instantly, while those seen in the waking state have extended continuity. 190 According to Śrīla Vyasadeva, the Supreme Lord actually gen- erates the objects of the dream state. They are real, but differ, in that the Lord creates them for a temporary purpose, for a particular self. The external world is created for all jivas, for a sustained period. Vyasa states this in the following sutra, “The dream state is also a creation of the Lord, because scripture declares it as such” (sandhye sṛṣṭir āha hi, vs 3.2.1). Here sandhya (junction) means “dreams,” as indicated in Brhad-aranyaka Upanisad - sandhyam tṛtiyaṁ svapna- sthānam (BAU 4.3.9). lainstem ut nabienos Idg smo2 According to Śrila Baladeva Vidyabhūṣaṇa, the scriptures referred to by this sūtra are mantras, such as: abienos 2190 When a sober person realizes that the objects he perceives while awake or asleep are due to the omnipresent, indwelling Self, he 366 41 The Lord’s Body Contains Everything grieves no more. Dreams are real and they are creations of the Lord’s māyā potency. (KU 2.1.4)8 Another reason dreams are considered real is that they some- times indicate pending events in reference to the waking state. Śrī- mad Bhagavatam describes that when Kṛṣṇa and Balarama arrived in Mathura, Kamsa detected bad omens while awake and in his dreams as well. These were indicative of his imminent death: rotada He dreamt that he was being embraced by ghosts, riding a donkey de and drinking poison, and also that a naked man smeared with oil newas passing by, wearing a garland of nalada flowers. (SB 10.42.30) v vlamis If dreams were unreal, they could not indicate a real incident. In the waking state, a person enjoys or suffers the results of his past karma; similarly, his dreams bring him suffering or enjoyment. Pos- itive dreams are the result of good karma, and disturbing dreams, the result of bad karma. The Lord allocates the result of karma during our waking state. He does the same in our dream state. According to Manu-samhita, reactions for actions performed by the body, mind and speech affect their respective sources: bEmbodied beings experience the reactions of positive and negative A mental acts through the mind, the reactions of positive and negative al physical acts through the body, and the result of positive and nega- beative vocal acts through the organ of speech. (MANU 12.8)109lgnings Since every physical action is preceded by a mental action, men- tal karma is more extensive and needs to be worked out in dreams, as a supplement to the waking state. Thus, during sleep, as well as during the waking state, one experiences the reactions of mental karma. Dreams present an admixture of experience, and the arising of events is in no way bound to logical or sequential order. Whatever 9 10 svapnantam jāgaritäntaṁ cobhau yenānupaśyati mahantam vibhum ātmānam matva dhiro na śocati svapne preta-parişvangaḥ khara-yanam visādanam yayan nalada-maly ekas tailābhyakto dig-ambaraḥ mānasaṁ manasaivayam upabhunkte subhāśubham vācā vācākṛtaṁ karma käyena caiva ca käyikam 367 galdi Śri Bhagavat Sandarbhad one witnesses in dreams, however, is a mixture of what has been experienced in this life or a past life. Śrī Narada confirms this to king Prācīnabarhi: bens bizno radion Sometimes we suddenly experience forms or other phenomena that nt we have never known, seen or heard in our present life. O King, know that these constructs arise out of the subtle body, or the psy-M che, for there is no possibility of mental imaging without the prior act of perception. (SB 4.29.64-65)” Or The commentary states that these unfamiliar experiences that have no apparent relation to our present life, occur in the mind, as in dreams. This shows that dreams are not phantasmagoria, but simply a state or field of consciousness defined by different parameters. Similarly, the material world is not mithya, as described in the slogan of the Brahmavāda, brahma satyam jagan mithya. What is mithyā, rather, is to view it independently of Brahman. It is real, yet without substantiality, being a product of the Lord’s inferior potency. By the Lord’s existence, awareness and bliss, however, the world is programmed or designed so as to be viewed as permanent, and as apparent knowledge and delight. Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmī says that without the existence of the Lord, the universe would have no being, just like the horns of a rabbit. A rabbit has no horns, and thus the statement, “horns of a rabbit,” is meaningless. In Sanskrit, a meaningless statement is not considered a true statement. Kavi Karṇapūra gives an example of such a non- statement: ed bne svi This son of a barren woman appears so beautiful, with a chaplet of sky flowers on his head, holding a bow made of rabbit horns, and/ Rofattired in garments made from the hair of a tortoise. (Alankara- kaustubha)12 “nānubhūtaṁ kvacānena dehenādṛṣṭam aśrutam kadacid upalabhyeta yad rupaṁ yadṛg ätmani tenasya tādṛśam rajan lingino deha-sambhavam śraddhatsvānanubhuto’rtho na manaḥ sprastum arhati 12 kurma-loma-pata-cchannaḥ śaśa-śṛnga-dhanurdharaḥ eşa bandhya-suto bhāti kha-puspa-kṛta-sekharaḥ 368 41 The Lord’s Body Contains Everything Just as this verse is meaningless, the world would, similarly, have no meaning without the Lord’s existence. Therefore, Śrī Kṛṣṇa says, “With but a single fragment of Myself, I pervade and support this entire cosmos” (viştabhyaham idam kṛtsnam ekāmsena sthito jagat, GĪTĀ 10.42). spaber In the following anuccheda, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmī will further dis- cuss the all-pervasiveness of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s body. H Sylandsaralumi2 290819 assd anibav ad won w sad the-l aid gaidys to troqque sapirs train and to let att grisidies vd batsuroush (topovna) adw sim did avi al print stence of alus nid ybod signis & al ob or bure poleg laubt How bands No, bababoon wolligismagi adquod she] Jo pring or sids hood and do so far!” Sgnisema be an addW an bsw 369 overlyhalintis blive blowndes uiros e se veldi as aula kup houqua habsbevis I say to Jaumgint igate & ul W Jono odintz amintes maner dial muntenden) “amas aims Anuccheda 42 Kṛṣṇa’s Form Can Manifest in Innumerable Places Simultaneously ४२ । तदित्थं मध्यमाकार एव सर्वाधारत्वाद् विभुत्वं साधितम् । सर्वगतत्वादपि साध्यते ( भा० १० । ६९।२) - IN THIS WAY, it has been established that the Lord’s medium- sized body is all-pervading (vibhutva), by showing that it is the support of everything. This all-pervading feature will now be demonstrated by exhibiting its quality of being present every- where (sarvagata): चित्रं बतैतदेकेन वपुषा युगपत् पृथक् । गृहेषु द्व्यष्टसाहस्रं स्त्रिय एक उदावहत् ॥ १५९ ॥। Narada Muni thought, “It is amazing that Kṛṣṇa has alone, in a single body, been able to separately marry 16,000 wives, each in their individual palaces, and to do so simultaneously.” (SB 10.69.2)1 एतद् बत अहो चित्रम् । [Narada thought,] “It is amazing! How incredible, indeed!” किं तत् ? एक एव श्रीकृष्णो द्व्यष्टसाहस्रं स्त्रीर्यदुदावहत् परिणीतवान् । What, then, was so amazing? “That one Kṛṣṇa has been able to wed 16,000 wives.” citram bataitad ekena vapuşa yugapat pṛthak grhesu dvy-asta-sahasraṁ striya eka udāvahat 37042 Kṛṣṇa’s Form Can Manifest in Innumerable Places Simultaneously ननु किमत्राश्चर्यम् ? तत्राह - गृहेष्विति तत्सङ्ख्येषु सर्वेष्विति शेषः । But what is so amazing about that? “He did so in their individual palaces” (grhesu), that is to say, in every single palace, for as many palaces as there were wives. भवतु ततोऽपि किम् ? तत्राह - पृथक्पृथगेव स्थित्वा पाणिग्रहणादि विवाहविधिं कृतवान् । So, that’s it, then? That’s the best He could do? “No, there’s more. He did so separately” (prthak); Kṛṣṇa underwent the wedding cer- emony while being present separately in each of these houses. ननु क्रमश उद्वाहे नासम्भवमेतत् ? तत्राह - युगपदिति । 500 ynomenon gribhow sdi nowsbu But is it not possible that He underwent all these wedding cere- monies one after the other? [Narada says,] “No. He did so simul- taneously” (yugapat). slls ni bas ननु योगेश्वरोऽपि युगपन्नानावपूंषि विधाय तद् विधातुं शक्नोति । किमत्र योगेश्वराराध्यच- रणानां युष्माकमपि चित्रम् ? तत्राह - एकेन वपुषेति । Furts arguitusta insep pinsse But couldn’t any master of yogic perfection, or paranormal power (yogeśvara), do the same thing by manifesting various forms simultaneously? Why do you, whose lotus feet are worshiped by yogeśvaras, find it so extraordinary? [Narada answers,] “[He did all this] in a single body” (ekena vapuṣā). dimesh or dis བ wimsv? #isine asuale Ils 30 तर्हि कथमनेकबाह्वादिकेन व्यापकेनैकेन वपुषा तत्कृतवान् ? मैवम् । भा० ३।३।८- How did Kṛṣṇa perform this feat? Was it in one form with many hands and legs that was expanded through all the 16,000 houses? “No, no, don’t think like that.” According to Uddhava, it is well known that He accepted a particular suitable form for each of the princesses: आसां मुहूर्त एकस्मिन् नानागारेषु योषिताम् । सविधं जगृहे पाणिननुरूपः स्वमायया || १६० || 371 vlanpsnctlumič aval! Śri Bhagavat Sandarbhaa Having manifested, by His internal potency, an equal number of forms, matching those of the princesses, Kṛṣṇa married them in with the appropriate rituals at one and the same auspicious time, Yn though in different palaces. (SB 3.3.8)2 of ai terit. (d) 290sley 97801 slog इति श्रीमदुद्धववाक्यादौ तत्तदनुरूपताप्रसिद्धेः । इत्यभिप्रेत्य पूर्वेणैकपदोपन्यासेन परिह- रति पृथगिति । एकेन नराकारेण वपुषा पृथक् पृथक्त्वेन दृश्यमानस्तथा विहितवान् । तस्मादेकमेव नरवपुर्यतो युगपत् सर्वदेशं सर्वक्रियां च व्याप्नोति । तस्मान् महदाश्चर्यमिति वाक्यार्थः । With this intent in mind, Narada dispels all possibility of doubt or of antithetical interpretation by a single word placed in the first half of the verse - prthak, i.e., different or separately. Kṛṣṇa underwent the wedding ceremony in just one humanlike form, which was seen differently at different places. Thus, the great- est cause for astonishment was that this one humanlike form was present simultaneously in all these different places [i.e., palaces] and in all actions [i.e., the wedding ceremonies]. This is the literal meaning of the verse. इत्थमेव पञ्चमे लोकाधिष्ठातुः श्रीभगवद्विग्रहस्य “तेषाम् ” ( भा०५।२० । ४०) इत्यादि गद्यो- पदिष्टस्य तादृशत्वं व्याख्यातं श्रीस्वामिचरणैः “महाविभूतेः पारमैश्वर्यस्य पतित्वादेकयैव मूर्त्या समन्तादास्ते” इति । भा० १० । ५९।४२ – amce od boy ob vdW Svies 2014 rol Seoul In the same way, in commenting on a prose passage from the Fifth Canto, describing the form of the Lord, the presiding deity of all planets, Śrīdhara Svāmi writes, “Because He is the mas- ter of all supreme opulence, He pervades everything with just one form” (Bhāvārtha-dipikā 5.20.40). [In another description of these marriages] Śrī Śuka also states: Towers अथो मुहूर्त एकस्मिन् नानागारेषु ताः स्त्रियः । यथोपयेमे भगवान् तावद्रूपधरोऽव्ययः || १६१ || 2 āsāṁ muhūrta ekasmin nānāgāreṣu yoṣitām savidham jagṛhe panin anurupaḥ svamāyaya 3 mahā-vibhūteḥ pāramaiśvaryasya patitväd ekayaiva mürtyä samantad äste 372 42 Kṛṣṇa’s Form Can Manifest in Innumerable Places Simultaneously Then, assuming as many forms as there were brides, Bhaga- havan Śrī Kṛṣṇa married all the princesses at the same auspicious hotmoment, each in her own palace. (SB 10.59.42)* 200 इत्यत्राप्यतस्तावद्रूपत्वं नाम युगपत् तावत्प्रदेशप्रकाशत्वमेवेति व्याख्येयम् । न तु नारा- यणादिवद् भिन्नाकारत्वम् । यथोक्तम् (श्रीसङ्क्षेपभागवतामृतम् १।२१) - Therefore, the phrase “assuming as many forms as there were brides” (tāvad-rupa-dhara) should be understood to mean that He manifested (prakāśa) His one form simultaneously in all those places. It does not mean that He expanded Himself into different looking forms, such as those of Nārāyaṇa and others. The term prakāśa is defined in Laghu-bhāgavatamṛta: अनेक प्रकटता रूपस्यैकस्य यैकदा । सर्वथा तत्स्वरूपैव स प्रकाश इतीर्यते ॥ १६२ ॥ इति । The appearance of a single form in many places at the same time, but which is, in all respects, the same essential form (svarupa) of the Lord, is called prakāśa. (LBH 1.21)5 01 19VS 30amder एष एवान्यत्राकारस्य प्रकाशस्य च भेदो ज्ञेयः ॥ श्रीनारदः ॥ This is the difference between the Lord’s prakāśa and the forms that appear different [such as Nārāyaṇa]. Commentary IN THE PREVIOUS SECTION, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi established that the Lord’s body, although medium-sized, is the support of everything and is thus all-pervading. In the next three anucchedas, he will again demonstrate that the Lord’s medium-sized body is all-pervading because it exists everywhere, and yet remains one. To illustrate this, he refers to Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s pastime of marrying 16,000 wives. atho muhurta ekasmin nänāgāreṣu tāḥ striyaḥ yathopayeme bhagavan tavad-rupa-dharo’vyayaḥ 5 anekatra prakaṭatā rūpasyaikasya yaikada sarvatha tat-svarupaiva sa prakāśa itiryate 373 ValmacŚrī Bhagavat Sandarbha mafanye a The demon Bhaumasura lived in Pragjyotiṣapura, near Kama- rupa in present-day Assam. He was so powerful that he troubled even the devas. So, Indra approached Śrī Kṛṣṇa in Dvārakā and pleaded with Him to kill Bhauma. The Lord, ever-willing to protect the gods, mounted Garuda and went to Pragjyotiṣapura, where He slayed the demon after a fierce battle. Bhauma had kidnapped 16,000 princesses from various kings and had been holding them captive in his palace. Upon being res- cued by the Lord, they all desired to marry Him, and so Kṛṣṇa took them all back to Dvaraka with Him. af dem ton asob 120g In accordance with Vedic customs, the Lord consulted astrologers to determine a suitable auspicious moment (muhurta) for His 16,000 weddings. Since a muhurta lasts just forty-eight minutes, the Lord had to marry all the princesses simultaneously. But even if we did not take this into account and Kṛṣṇa had married a single princess each day, it would have taken forty-three years, ten months and five days to marry them all. He therefore married them simultaneously by His yogic power. This display was a source of astonishment, even to great mas- ters of yoga, like Narada Muni, who went to Dvarakā to observe the Lord’s daily activities and learned that He had performed such a won- der. As a result, he spoke the verse that is under discussion in this section. Jiva Gosvāmi comments on the verse by presenting it in conver- sational form, raising anticipated doubts and using words from the verse to respond to them. one Doubt: Why was Narada astonished? Answer: Because Krsna had married 16,000 wives. Doubt: What’s so surprising about that? Many kings throughout history have had hundreds and even thousands of wives. 2161 Answer: But the queens were in 16,000 different palaces. Doubt: What’s so wonderful about that? He was a king possessing great riches. He was able to afford a palace for each of His queens. Answer: He married them with individual wedding ceremonies in each of these 16,000 palaces. 374 42 Kṛṣṇa’s Form Can Manifest in Innumerable Places Simultaneously Doubt: That could be managed by going from one palace to another, so what is so amazing? quish yili od vrtom n Answer: He did it at precisely the same moment, at the same aus- picious muhurta. Doubt: Kṛṣṇa is called Yogeśvara, the master of yogic power. Accomplished yogis can expand into many bodies, called kaya-vyūha. He could easily have expanded into 16,000 such kaya-vyūhas to participate in these rituals. zid otinam Answer: No, He did not expand into many different bodies. He married them all simultaneously in one body. This is what was so surprising to Narada. Doubt: He could have produced 32,000 hands, etc., like in the virat form, and accepted 16,000 wives in 16,000 houses simultane- ously. Answer: No. He had a suitable form for each woman and yet these were all one and the same form. This is confirmed by the state- ments of Sukadeva Gosvāmī (SB 10.59.42) and Śrī Uddhava (SB 3.3.8), cited in this anuccheda. villators of All these forms of Bhagavan are His original form, which are called prakāśa manifestations. They are not like His Nārāyaṇa or Vasudeva expansions. Sukadeva Gosvāmi accepts them as one: to agbelvion diw In this way, it is said that Devarși Narada saw the same Śrī Kṛṣṇa present in every palace, executing the virtuous religious duties meant for the purification of married couples. (SB 10.69.41) anavegada This was the reason for Śrī Närada’s surprise. Narada Muni was himself a great master of yogic power and could perform many extraordinary and miraculous feats. He had the power to expand into kaya-vyuha forms, which look exactly the same and perform identical movements. If Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s expansions were also kaya- vyuha, then Śrī Narada Muni would not have been amazed. We generally feel surprised when we see something new, some extraor- dinary act or object that has never previously been experienced. ity acarantam sad-dharman pāvanān gṛha-medhinam tam eva sarva-geheşu santam ekam dadarśa ha 10 375 analimikandŚrī Bhagavat Sandarbha Śaubhari Muni expanded himself into fifty kaya-vyuha forms in order to marry the fifty daughters of King Mandhātā. Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s 16,000 forms were not this kind of kaya-vyuha expansion. His prakāśa forms could be seen acting differently in different places, but the kaya-vyuha forms of Saubhari Muni and other powerful yogis have no such independent functioning capacity. od Śrila Rūpa Gosvāmi has made a minute analysis of the various manifestations of the Lord in his Laghu-bhāgavatamṛta. He there says: In His transcendental abodes, the Lord appears in three differ- ent ways, namely, as svayam-rüpa, tad-ekātma-rupa and äveśa. WHY (LBH 1.11) bad boose Svayam-rupa is the original form of Śri Krsna, which does not depend on any other form. In this form the Lord sometimes manifests two hands and sometimes four. For one lo (The form that is nondifferent in nature from the original one, but appears different owing to personality and pastimes, is called tad-ekātma-rupa. It is further divided into viläsa forms, such as Nārāyaṇa, and svāṁśa forms, such as Matsya and Kurma. These are different from the original form of Śrī Kṛṣṇa in appearance. When the Lord empowers a particular entity with knowledge or bhakti, those individuals are called äveśa-rupa. Examples of this are Śeṣa, Nārada, Sanaka and so on. Of these, the prakāśa manifestations are identical to Bhagavan’s svayaṁ-rupa. Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s expansions in the Rasa dance as well as the ones described in the Dvaraka weddings are examples of prakāśa. They are not related like parts to a whole. Although these forms can be seen acting differently at different places, they are all one. Sometimes Śrī Kṛṣṇa manifests a four-handed form, but this should not be considered different from the svayam-rupa. On the other hand, when He manifests the four-handed Nārāyaṇa or Viṣṇu form, that is not His original form. He does not manifest the same 7 svayam-rupas tad-ekātma-rupa āveśa-nāmakaḥ ity asau tri-vidham bhati prapañcätita-dhāmasu 376 42 Kṛṣṇa’s Form Can Manifest in Innumerable Places Simultaneously qualities or pastimes in those forms. This facet of the Lord’s being does not conform to mundane logic, but is certainly a transcenden- tal reality. It is but another example of how nothing is impossible for the Personal Nondual Absolute. Śrila Jiva Gosvāmi will continue to explain the all-pervading fea- ture of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s form in the next anuccheda. ori al snapi me #osmate zalimis sabem Axxe । 2 madawa baavaded by a fi yewitn estich zuolgili Tenala da gaisuse leg mave of seas (rare) siquus babam length automa erojansaza vrcoal silf ton busana the Third ді wee toth chest 12 да Yasa ni jon med ang ni zaw all 20 al 500 gasva cl oop gaisa plate aubov si Anti-agad yd babasqas amu? asvong hollt saw assviesing-lle sferil ssilitou zail only sept serov s ydre altos ni nam se sggs SOTE Enebune) Shinto rou 377 phup malum12s 1 dimanaldi Balina C nied ahod ad total din aiah seori mizend zeitlup korban Vlieto and rigol saber mituro sort an ddlesque ullion worl to algas and one jud anal sites fot stuload A fahrtolanen uns to Anuccheda 43 Śrī Kṛṣṇa Is the Paramātmā - I ४३ | तथैवाह (भा० १० । ६९ ।४१ ) - ŚRI SUKA made a similar statement:1 इत्याचरन्तं सद्धर्मान् पावनान् गृहमेधिनाम् । तमेव सर्वगेहेषु सन्तमेकं ददर्श ह । १६३ ।।। In this way, it is said that Devarși Narada saw the same Śrī Kṛṣṇa present in every palace, executing the eternal religious duties meant for the purification of married couples. (SB 10.69.41)2 सर्वगेहेषु तमेव न तु तस्यांशान् । एकमेव सन्तं न तु कायव्यूहेन बहुरूपम् “एकं सन्तं बहुधा दृश्यमानम्” इति श्रुतेः । “न चान्तर्न बहिर्यस्य” (भा० १०।९।१३) इत्यादिना विभुत्वसिद्धेश्च । Śrī Nārada directly saw Kṛṣṇa, and not His plenary expansions, in every one of the palaces. He was in one form, not in many forms expanded by kaya-vyuha. As the Vedas state, “Being one, He appears as many.” His all-pervasiveness was earlier proven [in Section 31] by the verse, “Kṛṣṇa […] who has neither inside nor outside” (SB 10.9.13). ह स्फुटमेव । ददर्श भगवद्दत्तशक्त्या साक्षादेवानुभूतवान् न तु केवलमनुमितवान् नारद इति शेषः । This statement is included in the description of Narada’s visit to each of Kṛṣṇa’s palaces in Dvārakā, where he observed the Lord’s activities as a married man. 2ity acarantam sad-dharman pāvanān gṛha-medhinām tam eva sarva-geheşu santam ekam dadarśa ha 378 43 Śrī Kṛṣṇa Is the Paramātmā - I The indeclinable ha, in the above-cited verse, means that Narada Muni saw Him clearly. It is not that the form of the Lord was inferred, but rather Narada directly experienced seeing Him with the power bestowed upon him by the Lord. Though Nārada’s name is not directly mentioned in this verse, it should be understood that he is the subject. अत एव (भा० १० । ६९।४२) - Therefore, Śrī Śuka further states: कृष्णस्यानन्तवीर्यस्य योगमायामहोदयम् । मुहुर्दृष्ट्वा ऋषिरभूद् विस्मितो जातकौतुकः ।। १६४ ।। lo To smum alde mort 1 egolun ehnad ho fall as His curiosity aroused, the sage gazed repeatedly and was filled with wonder at this extraordinary display of yoga-mäyä potency, inhering in Śrī Kṛṣṇa, whose prowess is infinite. (SB 10.69.42)3 because तत्र च योगमाया दुर्घटघटनी चिच्छक्तिः । तृतीये ( भा० ३ | १५ | २६) सनकादीनां वैकुण्ठ- गमने योगमायाशब्देन परमेश्वरे तु प्रयुज्यमानेन चिच्छक्तिरुच्यते इति स्वामिभिरपि व्या- ख्यातमस्ति । fon 97 syrpvibeMyd ynw guiwollol sdi ni bani The term yoga-māyā here refers to the cit (conscious) potency, or the potency inhering in God’s own interiority, or in other words, in the interiority of nondual Being. The nature of this conscious potency is that it accomplishes otherwise impossible tasks. In the Third Canto, where the visit of the Kumāras to Vaikuntha is described (SB 3.15.26), Śrīdhara Svāmī also explained that the word yoga-mäyä means cit potency when used in relation to the Lord. जातकौतुको मुनिर्मुहुर्दृष्ट्वा विस्मितोऽभूत् । कायव्यूहस्तावत् तादृशेष्वपि बहुष्वेव सम्भ- वति । तं विनापि मध्यमाकारेऽपि तस्मिन् सर्वव्यापकत्वमपूर्वमिति तस्यापि विस्मये हेतु- र्नान्यथेति स्पष्टमेव यथोक्तं ज्ञेयम् । “His curiosity aroused, the sage gazed repeatedly […] and was filled with wonder.” The yogic ability to expand the body into kṛṣṇasyänanta-viryasya yoga-maya-mahodayam muhur dṛṣṭvā ṛṣir abhūd vismito jäta-kautukaḥ parameśvare tu yoga-mayeti cic-chakti-vilăsa iti draṣṭavyam 379 Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha various forms (kaya-vyuha) is possible for many sages like Närada, but the Lord, without recourse to such expansions, per- vades everything in His medium-sized form. This was unprece- dented; hence, this, and not anything else, was the cause of aston- ishment even for Narada. This should be clearly understood from the verse. Just a od tadi boolersbarsd अनेन “सर्वतः पाणिपादं तत्” (गीता १३ । १३) इति तादृश्यां श्रीमूर्त्यामेव व्याख्यातं भवति । From this frame of reference, the verse, “Everywhere are His hands and legs […]” (GĪTĀ 13.13), should also be understood to mean that the Lord pervades everything in His personal form. अत एव “न स्थानतोऽपि परस्योभयलिङ्गं सर्वत्र हि” (ब्र० सू० ३।२।११) इति सूत्रं तत्त्ववा - दिभिरेवं योजितम्“स्थानापेक्षयापि परमात्मनो न भिन्नं रूपं हि यस्मात् तद्रूपत्वं सर्वत्रैव” । “सर्वभूतेष्वेवमेव ब्रह्म इत्याचक्षते” इति श्रुतेः । Therefore, Brahma-sutra, “Because the Lord simultaneously exists everywhere, His various forms existing in different places are not different from one another” (vs 3.2.11), has been explained in the following way by Madhvācārya: “The innumer- able forms of Paramātmā are not different, despite their existing in different places separately. Hi implies - because His forms abound everywhere. The Vedas confirm this, ‘In this way, the Lord exists in all beings.” Matsya Purāņa states: addis 01 2018m ad to fiziv odi odwodas) budi od एक एव परो विष्णुः सर्वत्रापि न संशयः ।, (95) Bag || || | ऐश्वर्याद् रूपमेकं च सूर्यवद् बहुधेयते ॥ १६५ ॥ इति मात्स्यात् । in boy Exow forms He 5 6 7 Undoubtedly, there is only one Supreme Lord Visņu present everywhere. Although existing as one form, by His yogic opu- lence, He appears as manifold, like the one sun viewed as many sarvataḥ pāni-pādam 6999 bassg age na sthanato’pi parasyobhaya-lingam sarvatra hi how the hell? sarva-bhūteşv evam eva brahma ity acakṣata Madhva does not ascribe a source for this text. seka eva paro vişnuḥ sarvatrapi na samsayaḥ aiśvaryad rūpam ekam ca suryavad bahudheyate 38043 Śrī Kṛṣṇa Is the Paramātmā - I “प्रतिदृशमिव नैकधार्कमेकं समधिगतोऽस्मि विधूतभेदमोहः” (भा० १।९।४२) इति भागव- ताच्चेति । (o) “Srimad Bhagavatam also confirms this, ‘Being free from the delu- sion of duality, I have come to understand that Kṛṣṇa, who is sit- uated before me, is one. Though unborn, He appears in the hearts of all embodied beings, who have been manifested by Him, just as the sun, though a single orb, appears differently to everyone who looks upon it” (SB 1.9.42). Here ends Madhvācārya’s comment. एवं “न भेदादिति चेन् न प्रत्येकमतद्वचनात्” (ब्र० सू० ३ । २ । १२) इत्येतस्य “ अपि चैवमेकम्” (ब्र० सू० ३।२।१३ ) इत्येतस्य च सूत्रस्य व्याख्यानं तद्भाष्ये दृश्यम् ॥ श्रीशुकः ।। 900 31880 One should similarly consult the Tattvavādi (Madhva) explana- tions given to the following two sutras, “If it is objected that these forms cannot be one because of being different, we reply ’no,’ because of the counter statements found in scriptures” (vs 3.2.12), and, “Also, some teach in this way” (vs 3.2.13).10 Commentary in proved an indi gris IN THIS SECTION, Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmi continues to explain Narada Muni’s experience of observing Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s family life in Dvaraka. He saw Śrī Kṛṣṇa in different palaces performing different activities. In one palace Kṛṣṇa was playing dice with Uddhava; in another He was performing a sacrifice; in yet another, He was eating or instruct- ing His sons, and so on. Śrī Sukadeva Gosvāmī summarizes Nārada’s experience in the two verses that form the basis of this anuccheda. In SB 10.69.41, the words eka and santa are very significant. Eka (one) implies that although Narada saw the Lord in numerous palaces performing different activities, he understood Him to be one and the same person. Someone may think that as Narada trav- elled from one palace to another, the Lord arranged to quickly reach there before him. This doubt is dispelled by the word santa (while “pratidṛśam iva naikadhärkam ekaṁ 10 samadhigato’smi vidhūta-bheda-mohaḥ na bhedad iti cen na pratyekam atad-vacanāt api caivam ekam 381 Śri Bhagavat Sandarbha existing), which means that Narada understood that one Kṛṣṇa was existing in all the houses simultaneously. The word eva (only) indi- cates it was Śrī Kṛṣṇa and not any of His plenary expansions. Thus, they were prakāśa manifestations, as described at the end of the previous section. эгор 5701 Furthermore, those forms were not kaya-vyūha forms, like the ones manifested by yogis, which are merely different bodies of the same person. Such expansions do not have the power to act inde- pendently of each other. There is no difference between Kṛṣṇa and His body-deha-dehi-vibhago’yam vidyate nesvare kvacit. He and His body are one, and this is the case with each form He reveals. Hence, all 16,000 forms are one. If these various manifestations of Kṛṣṇa were kāya-vyūha, Narada would not have marveled to see them. As stated above, one эпо feels astonished when witnessing something novel or extraordi- nary, or a performance that is beyond one’s own ability. Nārada Muni, being a topmost transcendentalist in devotion, possesses many yogic powers. His astonishment, therefore, indicates that he had experienced something that was beyond his own powers. There- fore, the next verse reads, “this extraordinary display of yoga-māyā potency” (yoga-maya-mahodaya).il sin morosa on Yoga-māyā is Bhagavan’s internal potency, which is far superior to the intermediary potency. This superior potency functions well beyond the limits that define the material energy and is therefore called aghatana-ghatana-patiyasi, or that which can accomplish acts impossible for the material energy. Different energies function in accordance with different laws. Heat energy, electric energy, light energy, magnetic energy, and so on, all exhibit different behavior and are governed by different sets of laws. But they are all within the realm of the material energy. Similarly, we can expect the inter- nal energy to behave differently from the material energy, being governed by a different grade of internal self-regulating principles. Śrī Kṛṣṇa describes this opulence to Arjuna in Bhagavad Gitā: 382 43 Śrī Kṛṣṇa Is the Paramātmā - I All around are His hands and feet, His eyes, heads, faces and ears. In w any this way, Paramātmā exists, pervading everything. (GĪTĀ 13.13)“og lam beM In this verse, Śrī Kṛṣṇa explains that He exists everywhere in His personal form through His prakāśa expansions. The phrase, “Everywhere are His hands,” implies that His whole body pervades everything, not just His hands. One should not misconstrue this verse to mean that He pervades all things merely as formless undif- ferentiated being, underlying all forms, or that He does so through the living beings who are present everywhere. Rather, the precise understanding is that He pervades everything in a single personal form - sarvam āvṛtya tiṣṭhati. The singular number of the verb tişthati (exists) implies that He is one, though existing everywhere in many forms. To further corroborate this point, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi quotes three sutras from Brahma-sutra and the commentary of Śrīla Madhvācārya (Tattvavādi) on the first of these. Madhvacārya offers a unique expla- nation of these sutras: “The Lord is one though in different places.“12 Logic proposes that objects in different places are different from each other, sthāna-bhedena sthänino’pi bhedat. If this holds true even in regard to the Lord, then He should be different when appearing in different locations. Śrīla Vyasa responds with sūtra vs 3.2.11, which rejects this objection because the Lord is one everywhere. Madhvācārya supports his position with quotes from the Vedas, Matsya Purana and Srimad Bhagavatam. He concludes that just as the one sun appears different to people living in different parts of the globe - some see it as rising, others as setting, yet others as high above at noon- similarly, the one Lord exists everywhere. This example has been given to show how a single object can be viewed as many. In the case of the Lord, He factually exists at all places, though remaining one. This is inconceivable to the mundane mind. In explaining the remaining two sūtras, Madhvācārya quotes more references from the Vedas, such as Bṛhad-aranyaka Upanisad, 12 sarvataḥ pāņi-pādam tat sarvato ‘ksi-siro-mukham sarvataḥ śrutimal loke sarvam avṛtya tisthati sthānāpekṣayāpi paramatmano na bhinnaṁ rūpaṁ 383 Śri Bhagavat Sandarbha which states that the Lord appears everywhere by His own inter- nal potency, and yet is one. In his Anuvyakhyāna on the sutras, Madhvācārya summarizes this point with the following verse: egy air t The Lord, who is the Supreme Controller, is not different, though bexisting in different places simultaneously. Everywhere He is id completely free from defects and possesses all transcendentally auspicious qualities.13 Śrī Baladeva Vidyabhusaṇa, following in the footsteps of Śrī Madhvācārya, quotes Bṛhad-aranyaka Upanisad, indro māyābhiḥ puru-rupa iyate (BAU 2.5.19). He writes that the word indra means the Supreme Lord, and mayă refers to the internal potency, which has three divisions - hladini, sandhini and samvit. These are Bhaga- van’s eternal potencies. Indra, or the Lord, is one, though having many forms. In his explanation of vs 3.2.11, Śrīla Madhvācārya cited Bhis- madeva’s testimony from Srimad Bhagavatam. In the following anu- ccheda, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi presents a detailed analysis of this verse, using it to show how the one Lord exists everywhere. пэу doidw use av ortina diw abrog selv slite shp bisgeno inM eidr gaiyil sl0099 ano sdi helimie as bawal na ido alanis a wod wads of nevis gaud sad algmars boim astoup ever-BribeMenntur own gainianus adi gninialges, al bazinoull normand for an doua cobo ad most assum 13 na sthāna-bhedato’py asya bhedaḥ kaścit paresitaḥ sarvatraseṣa-doṣojjha-pūrṇa-kalyāṇa-cid-gunah 384 syn Bayo’s hos dits salongen ogriqqusoo is galvai ano ad of Hhoolish al silwerial seque sad of an wild ylamarquez und word) adornos motoly wenn anblast Trevs ni atestiram SH gathering is Usati at [sporto] dmzod lut Anuccheda 44mm 201 Taiboga ali do on cul me I won saved, aid: ballet and I semi aldive Śrī Kṛṣṇa Is the Paramātmā — II -mi so od hod and to riot sind 101 sld! 881 (1918) ४४ । तथा च (भा० १।९।४२ ) - IN THE SAME VEIN, Śrī Bhiṣmadeva said: ag तमिममहमजं शरीरभाजां हृदि हृदि धिष्ठितमात्मकल्पितानाम् । प्रतिदृशमिव नैकधार्कमेकं समधिगतोऽस्मि विधूतभेदमोहः || १६६ ।। Being free from the delusion of duality, I have come to under- stand that Kṛṣṇa, who is situated before me, is one. Though He is unborn, He appears in the hearts of all embodied beings, who have been manifested from within Him, just as the sun is one, though appearing differently to everyone. (SB 1.9.42)1 तमिममग्रत एवोपविष्टं श्रीकृष्णं व्यष्ट्यन्तर्यामिरूपेण निजांशेन शरीरभाजां हृदि हृदि धिष्ठितम् “केचित्स्वदेहान्तर्हृदयावकाशे प्रादेशमात्रं पुरुषं वसन्तम्” (भा० २।२।८) इत्यु- क्तदिशा तत्तद्रूपेण भिन्नमूर्तिवद् वसन्तमप्येकमभिन्नमूर्तिमेव समधिगतोऽस्मि । अयं परमानन्दविग्रह एव व्यापकः स्वान्तर्भूतेन निजाकारविशेषेणान्तर्यामितया तत्र तत्र स्फु- रतीति विज्ञातवानस्मि । यतोऽहं विधूतभेदमोहः । अस्यैव कृपया दूरीकृतो भेदमोहो भगवद्विग्रहस्य व्यापकत्वासम्भावनाजनिततन्नानात्वविज्ञानलक्षणो मोहो यस्य तथाभू- तोऽहम् । Jud smo virellimia Istrieq si ai vino nadat sd of ai siqmaxs aid acad [Bhisma is saying:] This Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who is sitting directly in front [of me], is present in the heart of every embodied being by His plenary portion as Paramātmā. As is stated, “Some people medi- tate on the Lord, residing within the space of their own hearts, as 1 tam imam aham ajam śarīra-bhājāṁ hṛdi hrdi dhisthitam atma-kalpitānām pratidṛśam iva naikadhārkam ekaṁ samadhi-gato’smi vidhūta-bheda-mohaḥ 385 Śri Bhagavat Sandarbha occupying one pradeśa, i.e., the span of the thumb and forefinger” (SB 2.2.8)? But now I have understood Him to be one, having a sin- gle form, even though He seems to have separate forms when He resides in everyone’s heart as Paramātmā. This supremely bliss- ful form [of Kṛṣṇa] is itself all-pervading. He manifests in every- one’s heart in His special form as Paramātmā, which is contained within Himself. I have realized this, because now I am free from the delusion of duality (vidhūta-bheda-moha). Under this delu- sion I thought it impossible for one form of the Lord to be simul- taneously all-pervasive, and concluded that it must thus be many. By the mercy of this very form, this delusion has been dispelled. तेषु व्यापकत्वे हेतुः आत्मकल्पितानामात्मन्येव परमाश्रये प्रादुष्कृतानाम् । The reason for His pervading these embodied beings is that the various embodied beings have been manifest from within Him (ätma-kalpitānām), the supreme shelter. तत्र दृष्टान्तः– प्रतिदृशमिति । प्राणिनां नानादेशस्थितानामवलोकनमवलोकनं प्रति यथैक एवार्को वृक्षकुड्याद्युपरिगतत्वेन तत्रापि कुत्रचिदव्यवधानः सम्पूर्णत्वेन सव्यव- धानस्त्वसम्पूर्णत्वेनानेकधा दृश्यते तथेत्यर्थः । दृष्टान्तोऽयमेकस्यैव तत्र तत्रोदय इत्येत- न्मात्रांशे । वस्तुतस्तु श्रीभगवद्विग्रहोऽचिन्त्यशक्त्या तथा भासते । सूर्यस्य दूरस्थविस्ती- र्णात्मतास्वभावेनेति विशेषः । The following example is given: “The sun appears differently to everyone who views it (pratidṛśa).” To the vision of different peo- ple situated in different places, the same sun appears in various ways - such as, how it appears when it is above a tree or a wall, how it appears in its entirety, when vision is unobstructed, and yet again, how it appears partially, when vision is obstructed. The Lord is similarly one, but appears as separate in everyone’s heart. This example is to be taken only in the partial sense that both Kṛṣṇa and the sun are one while appearing in all these differ- ent places. The distinction between them is that Krsna’s divine form appears in this way through His inconceivable potency, whereas the sun does so because it is distant and expansive in nature. 2 kecit sva-dehäntar-hṛdayāvakäse pradeśa-matram puruşam vasantam 386 44Śrī Krsna Is the Paramātmā – II अथवा तं पूर्ववर्णितस्वरूपमिममग्रत एवोपविष्टं शरीरभाजां हृदि हृदि सन्तमपि समधि- गतोऽस्मि । यद्यप्यन्तर्यामिरूपमेतस्माद् रूपादन्याकारं तथाप्येतद् रूपमेवाधुना तत्र तत्र पश्यामि । सर्वतो महाप्रभावस्यैतस्य रूपस्याग्रतोऽन्यस्य रूपस्य स्फुरणाशक्तेरिति भावः । अत्र दृष्टान्तो देशभेदेऽप्यभेदबोधनाय ज्ञेयो न तु पूर्णापूर्णत्वविवक्षायै । G An alternative explanation of the verse is as follows: I now realize that the form I described earlier as sitting in front of me is also in the heart of every living being. Although the form of Paramātmā is different [in appearance] from this form [of Krsna], at present I am seeing this selfsame form present in all those hearts. The import is that because of the supreme influence of this form, no other form can be perceived in its presence. This illustration is given to show that the Lord’s form is one, even though present in different places, and not to show the completeness or incomplete- ness of one form or the other. “अमीलितदृग् व्यधारयत्” (भा० १।९।३०) इति “कृष्ण एवं भगवति मनोवाक्कायवृत्तिभिः” (भा० १।९।४३) इत्युपक्रमोपसंहारादिभिरत्र श्रीविग्रह एव प्रस्तूयते । ततो नेदं पद्यं ब्रह्मपरं व्याख्येयम् । shobour By studying this entire section [dealing with Bhismadeva’s medi- tation], from its introduction (“With unblinking eyes, he beheld the Lord […],” sB 1.9.30), to its conclusion (Absorbing himself in the Self, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, by the functions of his mind, speech and body […],” SB 1.9.43), it is clear that their subject is Bhagavān’s personal form. Therefore, this verse should not be interpreted as referring to the unqualified Brahman aspect of the Absolute Truth. तदेवं परिच्छिन्नत्वापरिच्छिन्नत्वयोर्युगपत् स्थितेः “अचरं चरमेव च ” (गीता १३ । १६ ) इत्ये- तदप्यत्र सुसङ्गच्छते । अतो विभुत्वेऽपि लीलाया याथार्थ्यं सिद्ध्यति ॥ भीष्मः श्रीभगव- न्तम् ॥ dotovi co ameiros Nazmi bred In this way, since Bhagavan’s form is simultaneously limited and unlimited, the verse of Bhagavad Gita, “He is movable and immovable […]” (GITA 13.16), is highly relevant in the present context. So, though the Lord is all-pervading, His pastimes [in a humanlike form] are real. 3 acaram caram eva ca 387 Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha Sind Commentary Simon क THE PERSONAL EXPERIENCE OF BHIŞMA, one of the twelve author- ities on bhāgavata-dharma, also provides an instance of how Bhaga- vän, though one, appears in many places. After fighting in the battle of Kuruksetra for ten days, Bhiṣmadeva suddenly stopped when he saw Śikhaṇḍī in front of him. Sikhandi had been born a female, but was later transformed into a man by the blessings of a Gandharva. Bhisma, however, would not accept him as a genuine male and so refused to do battle when confronted by him. As a he did Satriya, not consider it appropriate to fight a woman. Arjuna took this opportunity to attack and riddled Bhisma’s entire body with sharp arrows. Since Bhisma had received a boon that he could die at the moment of his own choosing, he decided to wait fifty-two days for the auspicious moment of the winter solstice before leaving his body. During this whole time, he lay on the bed of arrows that transpierced his body. After the battle, Kṛṣṇa and the Pandavas went to pay their respects to Bhisma and to hear from him the elaborate instructions on dharma that are found in Mahabharata, Santi-parva. The Bha- gavatam verse quoted in this anuccheda is taken from the prayers Bhiṣmadeva offered to Krsna just before his final departure. Bhisma identifies Paramātmā, seated in the heart of every liv- ing being, with Kṛṣṇa, who is sitting before him. He says that he has now become free from the delusion of duality, under the influ- ence of which, one considers Paramātmā different from Kṛṣṇa, or that Paramātmā in each heart is different. As stated in KU 2.1.12, “The Lord, occupying the dimension of the thumb, sits within each heart.” This Paramātmā is nondifferent from Kṛṣṇa, as the Lord Himself confirms to Arjuna (sarvasya caham hrdi sanniviṣṭaḥ, GĪTĀ 15.15). Those who cling to the formless conception of the Absolute can- not conceive that the Lord’s personal form can be all-pervading. This 11.02
- Bhisma’s instructions on dharma are found in chapter 47 of Mahabharata (critical edition). 5 angusta-matra-puruşa-madhye ätmani tiṣṭhati 388 44 Śrī Kṛṣṇa Is the Paramātmā - II is their māyā, or delusion, because they unwittingly impose conven- tion and limitation on the Absolute through their a priori assump- tions about the nature of form and formlessness. By the mercy of the Lord, however, one is freed from this delusion and can realize that the Lord exists everywhere. Such a person is called a bhāgavata, or a worshiper of the complete personal nondual Whole. Vidhūta-bheda-moha (free from the delusion of duality) means to be free from the mistaken idea that the Lord’s forms are many in number, in other words, to awaken to the vision of unity within all the Lord’s forms. This does not mean, however, that one perceives absolute nondifference between the Lord and the living beings. In Bhismadeva’s verse, the pronoun tam (to Him) is in the singular and refers to Kṛṣṇa. Hrdi hrdi (within each heart) implies a plurality of living beings. Thus, Bhisma is not alluding to Krsna and the jiva as being one, but to the oneness of Kṛṣṇa, sitting directly before him, and Paramātmā, seated within each heart. Bhiṣmadeva illustrates his point with the example of the sun. The sun is one, but it appears differently to different people at different times and in different places. In the morning the sun appears big and red to one viewer, but to another viewer located further east and for whom it is midday, the same sun appears small and white. In the meantime, someone still further east is experiencing it as set- ting. To all three the sun appears differently, even though they may be viewing it at the same precise moment. The sun may even be visible either partially or fully to those in the same vicinity, depending on whether their vision is clear or obstructed by some other object. A person of knowledge, how- ever, knows that the sun is one and unchanging, and only appears different to different people, according to their frame of reference. Similarly, the Supreme Lord is one but appears as many. The example of the sun is given specifically to illustrate the oneness of the Lord’s forms and should not be misunderstood to indicate that the Lord is situated in only one place, like the sun. The Lord exists everywhere in His personal form, yet He is one. This is due to His inconceivable potency. He is not different from His other forms. A material object at a particular place is different from a similar object 389 Śri Bhagavat Sandarbha now in another place. Or more precisely, a material object cannot exist in two locations simultaneously. But this empirically observable fact applies to material objects only and not to the Lord, because space and time cannot limit His body. Śrī Kṛṣṇa is not subordinate to space and time, but rather, He controls them. If He could not, He would not be the Supreme Person. on bios sislomda att fotogidas sho 67 Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi explains Bhisma’s vision in two ways, but since the hermeneutical rule of scriptural interpretation asserts that subsequent explanations are superior to previous ones (pūrvā- parayoḥ para-vidhir balavän), he favors the latter. In the first expla- nation, Jīva says that Bhisma understood that Paramātmā and Śrī Kṛṣṇa are one. According to the second view, Bhisma actually saw Śrī Kṛṣṇa, and not Paramātmā, in the heart of every being. This is indeed amazing. Due to the powerful influence of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s per- sonal feature, Bhiṣmadeva did not see Paramātmā [in His own char- acteristic feature]. He was completely absorbed in seeing Kṛṣṇa’s personal form, and thus saw one Kṛṣṇa everywhere. baraids This verse should not be interpreted as referring to formless, unqualified Brahman. Why? Because Bhisma’s consciousness was fixed on the personal qualified Brahman, not on His indeterminate feature. This is evident from two verses spoken by Sūta Gosvāmī at the beginning and end of Bhismadeva’s prayers: Thereafter, Bhisma, the best among thousands of warriors, inter- rupted his speech and, exclusively fixing his mind, which was abso- lutely free from material attachments, beheld, with unblinking eyes, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Person, who was present before him in His four-armed form, clad in shining yellow robes. (SB 1.9.30)6 que vino has aguigendamtesano aí nua hadi zwol Absorbing himself in the Self, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, through the functions of his mind, speech and body, he gave up his life-force. (SB 1.9.43)” Both these verses clearly indicate that Bhisma’s mind, speech and eyes were completely fixed on Kṛṣṇa’s personal features. The ⚫tadopasamhṛtya giraḥ sahasranir vimukta-sangam mana ādi-pūruṣe 7 kṛṣṇe lasat-pita-pate catur-bhuje puraḥ sthite’milita-drg vyadharayat kṛṣṇa evaṁ bhagavati mano-väg-dṛṣṭi-vṛttibhih 1ātmany ātmānam aveśya so’ntaḥśvāsa upāramat 39044 Śrī Kṛṣṇa Is the Paramātmā - II opening and closing statements of an essay indicate the intention of the author. Therefore, Bhisma’s realization could not have been of the formless or unqualified. Because the Lord’s body is all-pervading and yet one, it is possible for Him to engage in His transconventional pastimes. The followers of Sankarācārya, owing to ignorance, consider Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes to be an empirical reality only, and not absolute. They do not under- stand that Kṛṣṇa’s personal form is all-pervading. Unless one sees through this misconception, he cannot free himself of the limita- tions inherent within the radically unqualified view of the Absolute. Until one overcomes this block, the possibility of devotion, which is necessarily in relation to the personal Absolute, cannot arise. Isolanavered d
- do as his si no Yom id of yow ampe sit Year hos Botas ar chodba ed esdeildates indi tahes ten bib vbod broad usoarated gathering and bns sidled lateks 11 Jud won bezesgga ad has viawolvorg 48 5.8 6th driving) “oldlaiv smood won ylan diwaned novi merry do sing antwolid ads i batch as int 391 do arithmes stapibaigneas an lo sinsmolaluteola bas gainigo 3ensed pad tom blus models demulandolerent moltur ad hison to alto all alding at anewollo’ls Anuccheda 45 highbaya-llal vhod by dracnose velvetuloads lost basing vollen comigo ma ad The Lord’s Body Is Eternal and All-pervading bamid or foeddogs b 45.1 d epal ४५ । एवं तस्य नित्यत्वविभुत्वे साधिते । तथैव व्याख्यातं श्रीस्वामिभिरष्टमस्य षष्ठे (भा० दी० ८१६१८) - THUS, IT HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED that Bhagavan’s form is eternal and all-pervading. Śrīdhara Svāmī has explained this in exactly the same way in his commentary on the sixth chapter of the Eighth Canto, which he summarizes in verse form as follows: अनाविराविरासेयं नाभूताभूदिति ब्रुवन् । ब्रह्माभिप्रैति नित्यत्वविभुत्वे भगवत्तनोः || १६७ || इति । Brahma establishes that the Lord’s body is eternal and all- pervading by saying, “It is not that the Lord’s body did not exist previously and has appeared now, but it existed before and has only now become visible.” (Bhāvārtha-dipikā 8.6.8)1 तथा हि श्लोकद्वयं तट्टीका च (भा० ८।६।८-९)- This is stated in the following pair of verses, given here with Śridhara Svāmi’s commentary: अजातजन्मस्थितिसंयमायागुणाय निर्वाणसुखार्णवाय । अणोरणिम्नेऽपरिगण्यधाम्ने महानुभावाय नमो नमस्ते ॥ १६८ ॥ anāvirāvirāseyaṁ nābhūtābhūd iti bruvan brahmabhipraiti nityatva-vibhutve bhagavat-tanoh 392 45 The Lord’s Body Is Eternal and All-pervading I respectfully bow down to You, who are most exalted, who have never been subject to birth, continuance or dissolution, who tran- scend the material gunas, who are an ocean of bliss in the form of complete cessation of material existence, who are finer than the atom, and whose abodes are beyond counting. (SB 8.6.8)2 防 श्रीमूर्तेरयमाविर्भाव एव न त्वस्मदादिवज् जन्मादि तवास्तीत्याह - न जाता जन्मादयो यस्य । कुतः ? अगुणाय अतो निर्वाणसुखस्यार्णवाय अपारमोक्षसुखरूपायेत्यर्थः । तथापि अणोरणिम्नेऽतिसूक्ष्माय दुर्ज्ञानत्वात् । वस्तुतस्त्वपरिगण्यमियत्तातीतं धाम मूर्तिर्यस्य तस्मै । न चैतदसम्भावितं यतो महानचिन्त्योऽनुभावो यस्य तस्मै । sod yd ids [Śrīdhara Svāmi explains:] “Your divine body becomes visible, but does not undergo birth, and so on, as is the case with us. To convey this, Brahma says, ‘You who have never been subject to birth, continuance or dissolution.’ Why is that? ‘Because You transcend the material gunas (agunaya) and are thus an ocean of bliss in the form of complete cessation of material existence (nirvana).’ In other words, You are the embodiment of the unlim- ited bliss of liberation (mokṣa). Moreover, You are ‘finer than the atom,’ i.e., extremely subtle, due to being difficult to com- prehend. Factually speaking, ‘Your abodes are beyond counting,’ i.e., there is no way to calculate the number of Your forms. It is not to be thought impossible [that such a person exists], because You are ‘most exalted’ (mahanubhava), i.e., Your magnificence is inconceivable. Unto such a being as You, I bow down. d nick the रूपं तवैतत् पुरुषर्षभेज्यं श्रेयोऽर्थिभिर्वैदिकतान्त्रिकेण । daiw gools dard योगेन धातः सह नस्त्रिलोकान् पश्याम्यमुष्मिन्नु ह विश्वमूर्ती ॥ १६९ ॥ इतीदं पद्य- द्वयम् । O Lord! O Supreme Person! This form of Yours is worthy of wor- ship by all seekers of ultimate good, by the means described in the Vedas or the Tantras. O Lord, O Creator, in this universal form ajāta-janma-sthiti-samyamāyā-guṇāya nirvāṇa-sukhārṇavāya anor animne’pariganya-dhamne mahanubhāvāya namo namas te Here the verse reads apariganya-dhamne. The word dhama is glossed as murti by Śridhara Svāmi, even though “form” is only one of its secondary meanings. Dhama is usually taken to mean “abode” or “effulgence.” Here the commentary reads “to Him” though the verse has “to You.” 393 Ralba Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha of Yours I see us [gods] along with the three planetary systems. (SB 8.6.9)5lsall To mot antal salld to respo odwen due तन्मूर्तेः सनातनत्वमपरिमेयत्वं चोपपादयति – रूपमिति । हे पुरुषर्षभ । हे धातः । एतत् तव रूपं वैदिकेन तान्त्रिकेण च योगेनोपायेन श्रेयोऽर्थिभिः सदा इज्यं पूज्यम् । अतो नेदमि- दानीमपूर्वं जातमिति भावः । “Brahma further establishes the eternal and immeasurable nature of the Lord’s body in the subsequent verse. ‘O Supreme Person, O Creator! This form of Yours is always worthy of wor- ship by those who desire ultimate good, by means of the Vedic and Tantric processes.’ Therefore, it is understood that this is not the first time this form has appeared. ननु यूयं देवाः पूज्यत्वेन प्रसिद्धाः ? “[The Lord objects:] ‘But you, devas, are popularly considered wor- shipable, aren’t you?’ mung सत्यम् । सर्वेऽप्यत्रैवान्तर्भूता इत्याह - उ अहो ह स्फुटम् । अमुष्मिंस्त्वयि नोऽस्मांस्त्रि- लोकांश्च सह पश्यामि । तत्र हेतुः – विश्वमूर्तेः विश्वं मूर्तौ यस्य अतस्तवैतद् रूपं परिच्छिन्न- मपि न भवतीत्यर्थः । इत्येषा । I “[Brahma answers,] ‘True, but we are all contained in this form [of Yours].’ To convey this, Brahma uses the expletives u and ha, which are exclamations of astonishment as well as indications that something is self-evident. ‘In Your form I see all of us devas along with the three planetary systems.’ Brahma then gives the reason behind this, ‘Since the whole universe is contained within Your body (viśva-mürteḥ), therefore, Your form is not limited by anything.”” Śrīdhara Svämis’s explanation ends here. अत्र निर्वाणसुखार्णवाय इत्यर्णवत्वरूपकेण निर्वाणसुखमात्रत्वं निरस्य ततोऽप्यधिकम- हासुखत्वं दर्शितम् । तदुक्तं श्रीध्रुवेण (भा० ४।९।१० ) - By using the metaphor of the ocean, in describing the Lord as “an ocean of bliss in the form of complete cessation” (nirvana- sukhārṇavāya, in SB 8.6.8), Brahma refutes the idea that the Lord 5 rupaṁ tavaitat puruşarṣabhejyam śreyo’rthibhir vaidika-tantrikena yogena dhataḥ saha nas tri-lokan paśyamy amuṣminn u ha viśva-murtau 394 45 The Lord’s Body Is Eternal and All-pervading is nothing more than the bliss of liberation, but is in fact a joy far exceeding that. Dhruva Mahārāja also confirms this: या निर्वृतिस्तनुभृतां तव पादपद्म ____ध्यानाद्भवज्जनकथाश्रवणेन वा स्यात् । सा ब्रह्मणि स्वमहिमन्यपि नाथ मा भूत् किं त्वन्तकासिलुलितात् पततां विमानात् ॥ १७० ॥ इत्यादि । amadgals elave aid to ido The bliss relished by embodied beings through meditation on Your lotus feet, or through hearing stories of [or by] Your devo- tees, is not available even in Brahman, which is Your glory. How W then can it be enjoyed by the devas, who fall down from their hairplanes, which are destroyed by the sword of death? (SB 4.9.10) तथा“अणोरणिम्ने” इति प्रोच्य अपरिमेयधाम्ने इत्युक्तेरचिन्त्यशक्तित्वरूपेण महानुभावत्वेन सर्वपरिमाणाधारत्वं तत्र दर्शितमिति विशेषोऽपि ज्ञेयः । After having said that the Lord’s form is “finer than the atom” (anor animne), the statement, “whose forms are immeasur- able,” indicates that by His supreme opulence, or inconceiv- able magnificence (mahanubhavaya), His form is the basis of all measurement. This unique feature of His should also be understood. Commentary brow H IN THE LAST FEW SECTIONS, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi has shown that Bha- gavan’s form is one, eternal and all-pervading. This is the conclusion of the Vedas, Vedānta-sutra, Smṛtis and of the sages as well. To fur- ther strengthen this point, he now refers to Śrīdhara Svāmi, the well known commentator and authority on Śrimad Bhāgavatam, who is accepted even by the followers of Sankarācārya. According to VP 1.9, Durvāsā Muni, who is renowned for losing his temper, was once returning from Vaikuntha when he met King ya nirvṛtis tanu-bhṛtām tava pada-padma- dhyanad bhavaj-jana-katha-śravanena vā syāt să brahmani sva-mahimany api natha mã bhūt kim tv antakäsi-lulität patatām vimānāt 395 lave Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha 400m Indra riding on his elephant, Airavata. Durväsä honored the Lord of the three worlds by offering him Śrī Visnu’s garland. Indra, how- ever, was intoxicated by his elevated position and heavenly opu- lence. Indifferent to the sage’s gift, he threw it onto the head of his elephant, who let it fall to the ground and there trampled it. Durvāsā was enraged at this lack of respect and he cursed Indra to be deprived of his wealth and glamor. Indra was so confounded by the loss of his opulences that he sought the help of Śrī Brahma, who in turn approached Śrī Viṣņu. When Śrī Viṣņu appeared, only Brahma and Śiva could see Him. Beholding that resplendent form of Śrī Vişņu, Brahmā began recit- ing prayers. These prayers are cited in the Eighth Canto of Śrimad Bhāgavatam? In the verse quoted at the beginning of this anuccheda, from his Bhāvārtha-dipikā commentary, Śrīdhara Svāmī summarizes the pur- port of Brahma’s prayers. The verse contains the word abhipraiti (establishes), which implies a definite conclusion. To show how Śrīdhara Svāmi’s summary verse is justified, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi then cites the first two verses of the series along with Sridhara Svāmi’s comments.ona all to saules) supinu zid Jasmanwassin Is Just Here the Lord is described as free from birth, continuance and dissolution. The word sthiti (continuance) refers to the state of an object after it is created. It is understandable that the Lord is free from birth and death, but it seems wrong to say that Bhaga- vän, who is ever-existing, has no continuance. The explanation is as follows: A created object is preceded by its non-existence (prāg-abhāva). When the object is destroyed, its non-existence (pradhvamsa-abhava) again comes into being. Eternal objects, how- ever, have no non-existence, and therefore do not come into exis- tence at any particular time. It is in this sense that the Lord has no “continuance,” not that He does not exist. 7 Brahma addresses the Lord as, “an ocean of bliss of nirvana.” The significance of this is that the joy experienced through ecstatic love in devotion for the Absolute, embodying complete person- hood, replete with infinite transcendental quality, potency and SB 8.6.8-15 396 45 The Lord’s Body Is Eternal and All-pervading characteristics, is like an ocean, in comparison to the bliss of libera- tion as mere extinction in Brahman, which is like a drop. Therefore, Dhruva Mahārāja had no interest in such nirvana bliss. He longed to dive into the ocean of bliss by engaging in hearing about the Lord and His devotees. Anor animne (finer than the atom) means that the Lord is infinitesimally smaller than the living being, which is itself atomic (anu) in size, because He enters within him. As such, it is very dif- ficult to know Him. Kṛṣṇa states this in Bhagavad Gitā: “Because of His subtle nature, He is difficult to know.“s So after declaring the Lord’s minuteness, Brahma, in the next breath, addresses the Lord as apariganya-dhamne, “One whose form is immeasurable.” Śruti confirms this mutually-contradictory nature of the Lord, “He is smaller than the atom and greater than the greatest.” Alternatively, mahat could here mean mahat-tattva, in which case the meaning is that the Lord is greater even than the mahat- tattva, the source of all material elements that make up the forms in this material world. According to Nyaya-sastra, all forms can be categorized into three sizes: atomic, medium and infinite. Medium includes molec- ular and grossly visible forms. This verse describes the Lord as both atomic and infinite in size, and we know that the Lord displayed a medium-sized body while Brahma was offering prayers. Thus, by His acintya-sakti, the Lord manifests all three sizes simultaneously. This is the significance of the word mahanubhava, or one who has great opulence. The Lord is worshiped by various means described in the Vedas and Tantras. In Sections 9-10 of Tattva Sandarbha, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi established that the Vedas are eternal. Since the Vedas are eternal, the Lord, whom the Vedas describe as the entity to be worshiped, must also be eternal. But here a doubt may be raised. According suksmatvät tad avijñeyam GĪTĀ 13.16 anor aṇīyan mahato mahiyān KU 2.20 397 gatha Śri Bhagavat Sandarbhanga to the above logic, the devas must also be eternal, since the Vedas describe how they too should be worshiped. In fact, the names of these gods refer to the posts they hold. The person may change, but the post remains. Even so, one may object that during the total dis- solution, the post vanishes along with the post-holder; how then can the post itself be considered eternal? The answer is that eter- nal, in regard to the gods’ posts, means perpetual; though sometimes manifest and sometimes unmanifest, they recur again and again eternally. boats and wool phala Alternatively, the references to the devas in the Vedas can be understood to apply to the eternal associates of the Lord in Vaikun- tha who have the same names. On the other hand, since there are no worshipers during annihilation, it does not matter whether the devas exist at that time or not. 45.2 Win अथ स्थूलसूक्ष्मातिरिक्ततामाह द्वाभ्याम् (भा० ८।३।२४८।३।३० ) - The following two verses state that the Lord’s form is neither sub- tle nor gross: सवै न देवासुरमर्त्यतिर्यङ् न स्त्री न षण्ढो न पुमान् न जन्तुः । नायं गुणः कर्म न सन् न चासन् निषेधशेषो जयतादशेषः ।। १७१ ।। 215 He is neither a deva, nor an asura; neither a human being, nor a lower creature. He is not female, male, eunuch or an embodied being of any kind. He is not a constituent quality of nature (guna), nor the mechanism of action (karma); neither is He cause or effect. He is unlimited and remains when everything is negated. Yer May He be ever glorious. (SB 8.3.24)10 “यस्य ब्रह्मादयो देवा” (भा० ८।३।२२-२३) इत्यादिप्राक्तनपद्यद्वयेन यस्मात् सर्वकारणका- रणत्वं व्यञ्जितं तस्माद् देवादीनां मध्ये कोऽपि न भवति । वैलक्षण्यं च सात्त्विकत्वभौ- तिकत्वादिहीनतैव । स्त्रीत्वपुरुषत्वहीनता च प्राकृततत्तद्धर्मराहित्यम् । अत एव “न षण्ड” इत्युक्तम् । तस्मान् न कोऽपि जन्तुः । 10 sa vai na devāsura-martya-tiryan na stri na sandho na pumān na jantuḥ nayam guṇaḥ karma na san na casan niṣedha-seṣo jayatad aśeṣaḥ 398 45 The Lord’s Body Is Eternal and All-pervading In the two verses preceding the verse quoted above (i.e., SB 8.3.22- 23), the Supreme Lord was shown to be the cause of everything; therefore, He cannot simply be one among the gods. He is dis- tinct from them in that He is devoid of the gunas, like sattva, or of any of the material elements. Similarly, to say that He is nei- ther male nor female means that He is free from the correspond- ing material attributes. Thus, Gajendra said, “He is not a eunuch.” Consequently, He is not “an embodied being of any kind.” कारणभूतः सत्त्वादिगुणः पुण्यपापलक्षणं कर्म च नेत्याह - नायं गुणः कर्मेति । तयोरपि प्रवर्तकत्वादिति भावः । He is not the cause [of the creation] in the form of the gunas, like sattva, nor as karma, characterized by piety or sin. Thus, it is here said, “He is neither a constituent quality of nature, nor the mech- anism of action” (nayam guṇaḥ karma). The import is that He is their activator. किं बहुना ? यदत्र सत् स्थूलमसत् सूक्ष्मं तदेकमपि न भवति स्वप्रकाशरूपत्वादिति भावः । What more can be said? He is “neither cause (sat) nor effect (asat),” i.e., He is not any one of the subtle or gross entities of this world, the implication being that it is because He is self- luminous. 1507 “किन्तु सर्वस्य निषेधेऽवधित्वेन शिष्यत इति शेषः । मायया तत्तदशेषात्मकश्च जयतात् मद्विमोक्षणायाविर्भवतु” इति टीका च । Śridhara Svāmi also comments, “But when everything is negated, He is left as the ultimate remainder (nişedha-seṣa). Through His energies, He is the complete embodiment of everything, thus He is aśeşa (unlimited). May He appear here (jayatat) for my release.” Here ends Śrīdhara Svämi’s comment. 505 “In the translation, jayatāt was rendered as, “May He be ever glorious.” The verbal root vji (to be victorious) is often used in expressions of praise or blessing, but it can also mean to move or to come. Śrīdhara Svāmī has interpreted it in the latter sense, in keeping with the context of Gajendra praying for the Lord to come and save him from the crocodile. 399 the Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha एवं गजेन्द्रमुपवर्णितनिर्विशेषं ब्रह्मादयो विविधलिङ्गभिदाभिमानाः । owards ot नैते यदोपससृपुर्निखिलात्मकत्वात् तत्राखिलामरमयो हरिराविरासीत् ॥ १७२ ॥ Because Gajendra, the king of the elephants, had described the Absolute in non-specific terms, the gods, headed by Brahmā, who identify themselves with particular names and forms, did not come to his aid. At that moment, Śrī Hari, the embodiment of all the gods, appeared there, since He is the Self of them all. (SB 8.3.30) 12 एवमुपवर्णितं निर्विशेषं देवादिरूपं विना परं तत्त्वं येन तं गजेन्द्रम् । विविधलिङ्गभिदाभि- माना विविधा चासौ लिङ्गभिदा देवादिरूपभेदश्च तस्याभिमानो येषामत एव ते ब्रह्मादयो यदा नोपजग्मुस्तत्र तदा निखिलात्मकत्वात् निखिलानां तेषां परमात्मसुखरूपत्वात् तद्वि- लक्षणो माययाशेषात्मकत्वादखिलामरमयो हरिराविरासीत् इति । Gajendra had “glorified the Absolute in non-specific terms,” i.e., his description of Absolute Reality had not specified any partic- ular form of God. Therefore, the gods, like Brahmā, “who iden- tify themselves with particular names and forms” (vividha-linga- bhidabhimana), i.e., who identify themselves with their various devatā forms, did not approach him. At that time, “since He is the Self of them all” (nikhilätmakatvāt), i.e., since His form is the supreme spiritual bliss of all those gods and is thus different from them, and who by His internal energy is the source of everyone’s self, Śri Hari, “the embodiment of all the gods, appeared there.” एवमाविर्भावं प्रार्थयमाने श्रीगजेन्द्रे यद्रूपेणाविर्भूतं तत् खलु तादृशमेव भवितुमर्हतीति साधूक्तम् “स्थूलसूक्ष्मवस्त्वतिरिक्तस्तव श्रीविग्रह” इति । अन्यथा त्वपाणिपादरूपत्वेनैव तच् चेतस्याविर्भूय तद् विदध्यात् । तदुक्तम् “स्वेच्छामयस्य” (भा० १०।१४।२) इति । Since this manifestation of the Lord appeared in response to the prayers of Gajendra, it follows that He fulfilled the criteria of Gajendra’s description. Thus, it was appropriately stated, “Your form is different from everything subtle or gross.” Were it not so, the Lord could have protected him by appearing in his mind, with- out any hands or legs. Thus, Brahma said that Kṛṣṇa is one who appears by His independent will (sveccha-mayasya, SB 10.14.2). 12 evam gajendram upavarnita-nirvisesam brahmadayo vividha-linga-bhidabhimānāḥ naite yadopasasṛpur nikhilātmakatvāt taträkhilamara-mayo harir āvirāsīt 40045 The Lord’s Body Is Eternal and All-pervading श्लोकद्वयमिदं श्लोकान्तरव्यवहितमप्यर्थेनाव्यवहितत्वाद् युगलतयोपदध्रे ॥ प्रथमं पद्यं गजेन्द्रः श्रीहरिं द्वितीयं श्रीशुकः ॥ Though the two verses cited above do not appear consecutively [in Bhāgavatam], their meaning is connected and so they have been quoted together here. Commentary bed dziw abo Although it was said in the previous section that Kṛṣṇa’s form is the basis of all measurement, He is neither atomic nor infinite in size. He is absolutely free from any material limitation. This does not mean, however, that He has no form or personality. To fur- ther clarify this, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi quotes two relevant verses from Gajendra’s prayers in the Eighth Canto. Gajendra was an elephant king who lived on the Trikūța Moun- tains in the milky ocean. One day he went to drink water in a lake when a crocodile came and caught him by the leg. Gajendra tried to release himself, but in vain. At last, bereft of any other recourse, he began to pray to the Lord.did The curious thing about the elephant king’s prayers is that he mentions no names or personal features of the Lord. Indeed, it appears as though he were praying to unqualified Brahman. But when he had completed his prayers, it was Śrī Viṣṇu who appeared and immediately severed the crocodile’s head with His discus. None of the devas came to help, because they all identify themselves with a particular name and form and therefore did not consider Gajen- dra’s plea to be directed toward them. Bhagavan, however, is free from all material qualities, and yet at the same time, is the source of everything, so He came to the elephant king’s rescue. The prayers of Gajendra reveal the real purpose of the via negativa of the Upanisads- of statements like neti neti, “not this, not this,” which deny attribution of the Absolute Truth. They also clarify state- ments found in the Vedas that emphasize the unqualified nature of the Absolute, and elucidate their real meaning. For example: 401 galhering Śri Bhagavat Sandarbha 2 He has no hands, yet He receives. He has no feet, yet He walks swiftly. He sees, though devoid of eyes, and He hears without ears. (śu 3.19)13 That He has no hands, feet, eyes and ears means that He does not have material hands, feet, eyes and ears. Bhagavan has no material body. Identify Brad dragon Basoup Therefore, it is said, “One should supplement the meaning of the Vedas with the Itihasa and Purana.” Prabhasa-khaṇḍa of Skanda Purāņa states: O best of the twice born, I consider the meaning and importance of the Puranas to be as firm as that of the Vedas. Without doubt, theat entire subject matter of the Vedas exists in them. The Vedas fear per-sta sons of petty knowledge, thinking they will pervert their meaning; on motherefore, in the past the meaning of the Vedas was confirmed by means of the Itihāsas and Purānas. What is not found in the Vedas is found in Smrti, but what is not found in either of these is found in the Purāņas. A person is not considered learned if he does not know the Purānas, even if he has studied the four Vedas along with the Vedangas and Upanisads. (Skanda Purana 5.3.121) 155 Some scholars do not consider the Itihāsas and Pūrāṇas authentic and say that their philosophical conclusions are defective. It would be very difficult to understand Absolute Reality without the help of the Purānas, among which Śrimad Bhagavatam is supreme. Har bayThe prayers recited by Gajendra are apparently directed toward the Absolute as unqualified. Yet, immediately following these 13 apāņi-pãdo javano grhitä pasyaty acakşuḥ sa sṛnoty akaṣṇaḥ 14 itihasa-puranabhyam vedam samupabṛmhayet MB 1.1.267 15 vedavan niścalamṁ manye purăṇārtham dvijottamaḥ vedäḥ pratiṣṭhitaḥ sarve purane natra samsayaḥ bibhety alpa-śrutad vedi mam ayam călayiṣyati itihasa-puranais tu niścalo’yam kutaḥ pură yan na dṛṣṭam hi vedeșu tad dṛṣṭam smrtiṣu dvijāḥ ubhayor yan na dṛṣṭam hi tat puranaiḥ pragiyate yo veda caturo vedän sängopanisado dvijäḥ purāṇaṁ naiva jānāti na ca sa syād vicakṣaṇaḥ See Tattva Sandarbha, Anuccheda 17.1. 402 45 The Lord’s Body Is Eternal and All-pervading prayers, the qualified Absolute (i.e., Bhagavan) came to his rescue, appearing directly before him. This apparent incongruity com- pletely decries the radically unqualified interpretation of the Vedic statements. If the import of his non-descript prayers were that the Absolute is formless and unqualified, there would have been no need for the personal Lord to come to his aid. He should have manifested as unqualified Brahman in Gajendra’s heart and made him under- stand that He is Brahman, just as the crocodile was Brahman, and that there was thus no death for him. Śrī Kṛṣṇa says that He reveals Himself to all who surrender unto Him, exactly in accordance with the essential nature of their sur- render (GĪTĀ 4.11). This means that although Gajendra used non- descript words (i.e., without reference to form or quality), He had a person in mind. The words nisedha-seșa and aśeșa in the first of the two verses under discussion are significant. Nişedha-seșa means that when everything is denied by the process of elimination (i.e., neti neti), Bhagavan is all that remains (sesa). Alternatively, it could mean that after everything is annihilated, Bhagavan alone remains16 Aśeşa means that the Lord is the embodiment of everything. He is non- dual consciousness, advaya-jñāna. Nothing can exist without Him. The idea is that God is both distinct from everything and yet the embodiment of everything. He thus cannot be said to be gross or subtle, masculine or feminine, nor even cause or effect. According to modern bio-medical science, a baby’s gender depends on the chromosome structure in the sperm cells. An xx combination of the 23rd chromosome from the father and mother produces a child of female gender, and an xy combination, of male gender. Since the Lord is not material and, moreover, not born through the combination of a male and female, He is said to be neither male nor female. By the same logic, He is also not a hermaphrodite. He is neither human, nor animal. All action in the material world is caused by the gunas of material nature - prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāņi sarvaśaḥ (GĪTĀ 3.27). Both sinful and pious acts are conducted under the influence of the 16 See SB 10.3.25 discussed in Section 29. 403 gbang Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbhad sill gunas. The Lord is neither the gunas nor their effect, in the form of action. Although the Lord is none of these, He is still a person. This is the significance of niṣedha-seṣa. The denial is of all material quali- ties, not of the transcendental qualities and potency inherent in the personal nondual Absolute.pro brebeslamotel subdi Therefore, Śrī Brahma says that Bhagavan is supremely inde- pendent and appears according to His own sweet will, svecchamaya (SB 10.14.2). The verses Gajendra spoke should not be misinterpreted to indi- cate unqualified Brahman, because this would openly contradict Gajendra’s vision of the Lord as a person: non bazu gibre been 252 on ता berThough in great pain due to being in the grip of the mighty crocodile within the water, Gajendra, upon seeing Śrī Hari in the sky, mounted Garuda with His disc raised, held up a lotus in his trunk and with great difficulty uttered the words, “O Śrī Nārāyaṇa, teacher of the universe, my obeisances unto You.” (SB 8.3.32) In the next anuccheda, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi will explain that though the Lord’s form is not material, it can be seen by devotees. poa zi sH gaidiyevs to taemibody or ai 10 to 22019 ad of iod ar ho du ebay syded’s sansie Tealbam-old bom of tho tom has odia ad mit amamosos aut 30 mostenidor To obsidion Ye Bubong wasal de bills 200 govorom the short for a tradicone, aobing sim of hiss al si slams be slams to nam con del talorgol smme silt va jalust for slit pulsa Telaviem to angup 17 so’ntah-sarasy urubalena grhita ārto dṛṣṭvā garutmati harim kha upatta-cakram utkṣipya sambuja-karam giram äha kṛcchrān nārāyaṇakhila guro bhagavan namas te 404 adway theatre og gaid in any sold Am sve and galbene-Ma Anuccheda 46 guards crush wang oy noqu atsaibamm BOY dari si ensam douz qobs yadi vw not basinaqu Though Invisible, the Lord’s Body Can Be Seen by His Mercy -Israbym vbod vidgid kom Baitis aghalwal sda noyad badaudia ४६ । अथ प्रत्यग्रूपतत्वमप्याह (भा० १० । ६४ । २६ ) - and garwo poY Shahrild and sad tol KING NṚGA ALSO DESCRIBES the Lord’s imperceptible nature as Paramātmā: iniqsa sidaly arroded स त्वं कथं मम विभोऽक्षपथः परात्मा योगेश्वरैः श्रुतिदृशामलहृद्विभाव्यः । साक्षादधोक्षज उरुव्यवसनान्धबुद्धेः स्यान् मेऽनुदृश्य इह यस्य भवापवर्गः ॥ १७३ ॥ edw O all-pervading Lord! You are the Transcendent Self, contem- plated through the eye of the Upanisads by the masters of yoga in their pure hearts. How is it that You, who are beyond sense perception, have become visible to my eyes when my intellect is so blinded by deep attachment? You should be seen here only by one who is liberated from material bondage. (SB 10.64.26)1
टीका च - हे विभो । स त्वं ममाक्षपथः लोचनगोचरः सन् कथं साक्षात् प्रत्यक्षोऽसी- त्यर्थः । किमत्राश्चर्यम् ? तदाह पर आत्मा अत एव योगेश्वरैरपि श्रुतिदृशा उपनिषच्च- क्षुषा अमलहृदि विभाव्यश्चिन्त्यः । यतोऽधोक्षजः - अक्षजमैन्द्रियकं ज्ञानं तदधः अर्वागेव यस्मात् सः । यस्य हि भवापवर्गो भवेत् तस्य भवाननुदृश्यः स्यात् । उरुव्यसनेन कृकला- सभवदुःखेन अन्धबुद्धेस्तु मम एतच्चित्रमित्यर्थः । इत्येषा । sa tvam katham mama vibho’kṣa-pathaḥ parātmā yogeśvaraiḥ śruti-dṛśamala-hṛd-vibhavyaḥ säkṣad adhokṣaja uru-vyavasanandha-buddheḥ syan me’nudṛśya iha yasya bhavapavargaḥ 405 Śri Bhagavat Sandarbha Śrīdhara Svāmi comments: “[King Nrga said,] ‘O Lord! You who are all-pervading have become visible to my eyes and are being directly perceived by me. This is most astonishing!’ What is so surprising about that? ‘You are the Transcendent Self (Parātmā); therefore, even the masters of yoga (yogeśvaras) contemplate, i.e., meditate, upon You in their pure hearts, through the eye of the Upanisads. The reason why they adopt such means is that You are Adhokṣaja, unapproachable by sense perception, i.e., You are situated beyond the knowledge gained through the senses. Only those who are free from material bondage should be able to see You. Owing to the material misery of this lizard body, my intel- lect has been blinded; thus, Your appearance before me is highly surprising.” दर्शनकारणं तूक्तं नारायणाध्यात्मे- What enables Bhagavan to become visible is explained in Nārāya- ṇādhyātma: नित्याव्यक्तोऽपि भगवानीक्ष्यते निजशक्तितः । तामृते परमात्मानं कः पश्येतामृतं प्रभुम् ॥ १७४ ॥ इति । Although the Lord is always invisible, He can be seen by His own power. Without that power, who could ever see the immortal Sup- reme Lord, who is the Supreme Self of all beings?2uq tod bluode voy Story ob verbobrild ne तादृशशक्तेरप्युल्लासे तत्कृपैव कारणम् । तदुक्तं श्रुतौ “न चक्षुषा पश्यति रूपमस्य” (कठ २।३।९) “यमेवैष वृणुते तेन लभ्यस्तस्यैष आत्मा विवृणुते तनुं स्वाम्” (मु०३।२।३) इति “न सन्दृशे तिष्ठति रूपमस्य” (कठ २ । ३ । ९ श्वे० ४।२०) इत्यादिकं च कुत्रचित् । एवमेव नारा- यणीये मोक्षधर्मे नारदं प्रति श्रीश्वेतद्वीपपतिनोक्तम् (म० भा० शान्ति० १२ । ३३९।४५-४६ ) - Bhagavan’s mercy is the only reason that this power is activated, as stated in the Śrutis: “His form cannot be seen with the eyes” (KU 2.3.9);3 “Whoever is blessed by Him can attain Him. To such datan 2 nityavyakto’pi bhagavan ikṣyate nija-saktitaḥ tām ṛte paramātmānam kaḥ paśyetāmṛtam prabhum 3 na cakṣuṣā paśyati rūpam asya 406 46 Though Invisible, the Lord’s Body Can Be Seen by His Mercy a person the Lord reveals His own form” (MUU 3.2.3); and, “His form is not visible” (KU 2.3.9, SU 4.20). Similarly, in the Mokşa- dharma section of Nārāyaṇiya, the Lord of Svetadvipa explains to Nārada: 723 Ban Midt way 1 एतत् त्वया न विज्ञेयं रूपवानिति दृश्यते । इच्छन् मुहूर्तान् नश्येयमीशोऽहं जगतो गुरुः ।। १७५ ।। माया ह्येषा मया सृष्टा यन् मां पश्यसि नारद । सर्वभूतगुणैर्युक्तं नैवं त्वं ज्ञातुमर्हसि ॥ १७६ ॥ इति । O Narada! Do no ज्ञातुमर्हसि That you are able to see Me because I have a form like other objects. I could disappear in a moment if I so willed it. I am the Supreme Controller and the Spiritual Teacher of the entire universe. I have created this illusion, and therefore, you think that you can see Me because the qualities I have are all eto material. But this conception is incorrect. (MB 12.339.45-46)6 यथाऽन्यो रूपवानिति हेतोर्दृश्यते तथायमपीत्येतत् त्वया न ज्ञेयम् । The Lord is here saying, “You should not think that just as other objects have forms and are thus visible, this body [of Mine] is similarly visible just because it has form.” STEF ततश्च स्वस्य रूपित्वेऽप्यदृश्यत्वमुक्त्वा निजरूपस्याप्राकृतत्वमेव दर्शितम् । तद्दर्शने च परमकृपामय्यकुण्ठा ममेच्छैव कारणमित्याह – इच्छन्निति । Annot all Then, after saying that He has a form and is yet invisible, He showed that His form is not material. The only reason behind His becoming visible is His most merciful, irrepressible will. This is why the Lord says, “I could disappear in a moment if I willed it.” नश्येयमदृश्यतामापद्येयम् । तत्र स्वातन्त्र्यं जगद्विलक्षणत्वं च हेतुमाह – ईश इत्यादि । तथापि मां सर्वभूतगुणैर्युक्तं यत् पश्यसि तद्युक्तत्वेन यत् प्रत्येषि एषा माया मयैव सृष्टा मम माययैव तथा भानमित्यर्थः । तस्मात् नैवमित्यादि । yam evaişa vṛnute tena labhyas tasyaiṣa ātmā vivṛṇute tanum svām na sandṛśe tişṭhati rūpam asya etat tvaya na vijñeyam rūpavan iti dṛśyate icchan muhürtän naśyeyam iśo’ham jagato guruh māyā hy eṣā maya sṛṣṭā yan māṁ paśyasi nārada sarva-bhūta-gunair yuktam naivam tvaṁ jñātum arhasi 407 M Śri Bhagavat Sandarbha ap Naśyeya (I could be destroyed) here means, “I could become invisible.” To show the reason behind His independence and distinction from the material world, Bhagavan then says, “I am the Supreme Controller and the Spiritual Teacher of the entire universe. Still, if you think Me to possess material qualities, or if you believe Me to be connected to these qualities, then this is an illusion of My creation.” In other words, “This is appearance only, due to My illusion or mayä.” Therefore, the Lord says, “This conception is incorrect.” मायात्र प्रतारणशक्तिः । “स्यात् कृपादम्भयोर्माया” इति विश्वप्रकाशः । TAM The word māyā here means deceptive power. Viśva-prakāśa dic- tionary states, “Māyā can mean both mercy and deception.’ IIs eved Tashlaup eft तथा हि तत्रैव श्रीभीष्मवचनम् (म० भा० शान्ति० १२ । ३३६ । १२ ) - It ריי In the same section of Mahabharata there is a similar statement by Śri Bhismadeva: aids ton blooda voy । niyse snsd i brody!! ere has envio sad do प्रीतस्ततोऽस्य भगवान् देवदेवः सनातनः । साक्षात् तं दर्शयामास दृश्यो नान्येन केनचित् ।। १७७ ॥ इति । Flyan | BEST ESTE STYSVASTIC BE BOL After that, being pleased with him, the eternal Supreme Lord, who is worshiped by all the gods, directly showed him His form. SH This form was certainly not visible to the others present there. BiH (MB 12.336.12) vino sdr Intrata on ai noteiH tad) bowodz Idiazanosti Inima zi aldialy ni i ei good तमुपरिचरं वसुं प्रति स्वात्मानमिति शेषः । तदग्रे च वस्वादिवाक्यम् (म० भा० शान्ति० १२।३३६।२०) The “him” referred to here is King Uparicara Vasu. [In response to this vision,] Vasu and others subsequently say:FF IN SOPIS Bhagavan न शक्यः स त्वया द्रष्टुमस्माभिर्वा बृहस्पते । यस्य प्रसादं कुरुते स वै तं द्रष्टुमर्हति ॥ १७८ ॥ इति । “syät kṛpä-dambhayor māyā pritas tato’sya bhagavan deva-devaḥ sanātanaḥ sākṣāt tam darśayāmāsa dṛśyo nanyena kenacit 408 46 Though Invisible, the Lord’s Body Can Be Seen by His Mercy JAMO Bṛhaspati, neither you nor we can see the Lord at our will. Only Gd those whom He favors can see Him. (MB 12.336.20) तदेवं श्रुतावप्यदृश्यत्वादयो धर्माः श्रीविग्रहस्यैवोक्ताः । श्रुत्यन्तरं च “न चक्षुषा पश्यति रूपमस्य” (कठ २।३।९) इति ॥ नृगः श्रीभगवन्तम् ॥ Therefore, the qualities of Bhagavan, such as invisibility, men- tioned in the Vedic texts, belong to His body and not to anything else. One such Vedic statement is, “The eye cannot see His form” (KU 2.3.9).10 Commentary ŚRILA JIVA GOSVĀMĪ HAS ESTABLISHED that the Lord’s form is one, eternal, transcendental, and all-pervading. In the last anuccheda he discussed Gajendra’s prayers, which describe the Absolute appar- ently as formless and without attributes. In reality, these prayers demonstrate that the Absolute is not devoid of qualities as such, but of material qualities. The proof is that the Absolute Truth appeared to Gajendra as a transcendental person, Śrī Nārāyaṇa. A doubt may be raised here: The eyes and other senses of all material beings are material and can only perceive material objects. Indeed, Brahmă designed the senses in that way, as stated in Katha Upanisad: The self-born Śrī Brahma created the senses to perceive external gobjects, and therefore, one sees them, but not the indwelling self. (KU 2.1.1)” raftoolsdi moda mild and According to this rationale, if Gajendra saw Śrī Viṣṇu, then His body must be material. Moreover, if He is all-pervading, He cannot be visible, and vice versa. According to logic and experience, objects that are either all-pervading or atomic in size cannot be seen. na sakyaḥ sa tvaya drṣṭum asmābhir va bṛhaspate yasya prasādam kurute sa vai tam drastum arhati 10 na cakṣuşă pasyati rūpam asya 11 parañci khani vyatṛṇat svayambhus tasmat paran pasyati nāntarātman sidiz 409 My me Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha dyanto 62 Na In response to these doubts, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi explains that although the form of the Lord is within (pratyag-ātmā), it can be made visible by His mercy. To this end, he cites a verse by King Nrga, the son of King Iksvaku of the Sun Dynasty. Nrga was a very munificent person. He was especially fond of donating cows to the brahmanas. Once, a cow he had donated to a brāhmaṇa escaped from its recipient and came back to the king’s fold. Unwittingly considering it to be his own, King Nrga gave it again to another brāhmaṇa in charity. When the second brāhmaṇa was taking the cow away, the first brāhmaṇa claimed it. A quarrel ensued and they approached the king to settle the matter. King Nrga humbly admitted his mistake and offered to give more cows to the brahmana if he would relinquish his claim on the dis- puted one. Both were adamant, however, and each considered it improper to disown the cow. To pacify them, King Nrga offered each of them a hundred thousand cows, but they both declined and went away in anger, leaving the cow with him. Owing to this mistake, though unintentional, King Nrga was obliged to take birth as a lizard in his next life. One day, while they were playing in the forest near Dvārakā, Kṛṣṇa’s sons felt thirsty and went to a well for water. Upon looking inside, they saw that it was dry and that a gigantic lizard was trapped there. Out of compassion, they tried to pull it out. Being unsuc- cessful, they appealed to Kṛṣṇa, who came to the well and immedi- ately lifted the lizard out with His left hand. Upon being touched by Kṛṣṇa’s sacred fingers, the lizard turned into a heavenly being, and Śrī Kṛṣṇa inquired from him about the details regarding his curi- ous condition. King Nrga then told his story and afterwards offered prayers to Kṛṣṇa. In this verse, Nrga expresses surprise that he is able to see the Supreme Lord at all. He addresses the Lord as vibhu, all-pervading, and Parātmā, or Supreme Self. Both of these epithets imply that the Lord is imperceptible by the material senses. Parātmā signifies that He is beyond the self, and, since the self cannot be seen, how is it pos- sible to see the Supreme Immanent Self? Great yogis, like the Kuma- ras, meditate on Him within the heart (hṛdi vibhavyah), which means 41046 Though Invisible, the Lord’s Body Can Be Seen by His Mercy that even they do not actually see Him externally. In the same verse, Nrga specifically addresses Kṛṣṇa as adhokṣaja, one who cannot be perceived by the senses. King Nrga’s prayers not only establish the Lord as imperceptible, but are an admission of his own disqualifica- tion-blindness, owing to ignorance (uru-vyavasanandha-buddheḥ). Thus, it is not possible to see the Lord, whether due to the incapac- ity of the seer or to the transcendence of the Seen. The conclusion is that the Lord is neither material nor subject to material perception. And yet Nrga saw Him. How was this possible? The answer is that one is able to see Bhagavan only by His mercy, which is to say by His own self-willed power of self-manifestation. This will be discussed in great detail in Bhakti Sandarbha. The gist is that a living being in material life is like a drowning person. He can shout for help, but his cries cannot oblige a passerby, no matter how expert a swimmer, to come to his rescue. The mercy of the rescuer is the sole impetus for the rescue. Similarly, no process can force the Lord to manifest Himself before the devotee. He appears only by His will, being impelled by His mercy. vino bo Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi quotes from the Upanisads and Mahābhārata to confirm this. Once Narada went to Svetadvipa to meet the Lord and offered prayers by reciting two hundred different names. The Lord appeared before Narada Muni and spoke about the twenty-four material elements, the living entity, and Himself. By instructing Narada in this way, He warned that just because His body is mani- fest, one should not think it is material (MB 12.339.45-46). The tendency in the conditioned state is to take things for granted. We take our environment, the sunlight, the air we breathe, the water we drink, the earth we use to grow food, and so on, without ever stopping to think who created them. This is due to ignorance. Similarly, if one thinks of Bhagavan’s body as material, he is under the influence of maya, or illusion. Māyā has various meanings, including “illusion” and “cheating.” Although the Lord is beyond sense perception, He can be seen and understood by His grace. The Lord made a similar statement to Nārada: 411 Yale Śri Bhagavat Sandarbha Sp They [the sages Ekata, Dvita and Trita] could not see Me. No one ari but My pure devotees can see Me, and as you are the best among My ada unalloyed devotees, you are able to see Me. (MB 12.339.13) 12 Śrī Kṛṣṇa confirms this in Uddhava-gītā: ROCI, who am the Supreme Immanent Self (Paramātmā) and the most Riebeloved of all (priya), am attainable for those established in truth (satam) only through unalloyed devotion undertaken with full faith. Moreover, bhakti performed with exclusive fixity upon Me purifies even the outcaste dog-eaters. (SB 11.14.21)13 Therefore, although the Lord’s form is pratyak-rupa, transcen- dental to the mundane senses, by His mercy He can be seen. For this reason, it is possible that He may become visible even just to a single person in an assembly, as happened in the sacrificial arena of King Vasu. Once King Uparicara Vasu was performing a horse sacrifice for the pleasure of Śrī Vişņu, and his priests were the sage Bṛhaspati and his three sons named Ekata, Dvita and Trita. The Lord was pleased with the king and appeared to him in the sacrificial area, but only he was able to see Him. Even the chief priest Bṛhaspati was unable to see the Lord and felt very frustrated. The king and other assem- bly members had to pacify Bṛhaspati by explaining that the Lord can be seen only by His supreme will. Therefore, imperceptibility is a characteristic of His body. Similarly, His body also possesses other attributes, described by Gajendra in the prayers cited in the previous anuccheda. In the following anuccheda Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi will explain that Bhagavan is without birth, action, name, form, qualities and so on, specifically in the manner that all of these are generally conceived through conventional experience, rooted in dualism. 28 12 na ca mam te dadṛśire na ca drakṣyati kaścana ṛte hy aikantika-śresthat tvaṁ caivaikantikottamah 13 bhaktyäham ekaya grahyaḥ śraddhayātmā priyaḥ satām bhaktiḥ punāti man-niṣṭhā śva-pākān api sambhavat 412 Sd by sidingsing dojdo stanglash in beau lodmye Ledov sit after sido 3 goyang 507 (aman) men & hallas pi haim die bi do via osas e do gal vilaup & bello Anuccheda 47 dt el sheilige A most agahiga str(anup) oren Iniretam His Name, Form, Actions and Attributes Are Transcendental 47.1 Ray B ४७ । अत एव तत्र प्राकृतानि रूपादीनि निषिध्य अन्यानि सम्प्रतिपाद्यन्ते ( भा० ८।३।८) - HAVING ESTABLISHED that Bhagavan’s forms are not material, we will now discuss how other features related to Him are similarly not material: TH न विद्यते यस्य च जन्म कर्म वा न नामरूपे गुणदोष एव वा । तथापि लोकाप्ययसम्भवाय यः स्वमायया तान्यनुकालमृच्छति ॥। १७९ ।। Bhagavan has no birth, action, name, form, virtues or vices. However, for the purpose of creating and destroying this mate- rial world, He accepts these perpetually by His internal potency. (SB 8.3.8)1 अयमर्थः– अवस्थान्तरप्राप्तिर्विकारः । तत्र प्रथमविकारो जन्म इति । अपूर्णस्य निजपूर्त्य- र्था चेष्टा कर्म इति । मनोग्राह्यस्य वस्तुनो व्यवहारार्थं केनापि सङ्केतितः शब्दः नाम इति । चक्षुषा ग्राह्यो गुणः रूपम् इति । सत्त्वादिप्राकृतगुणनिदानो द्रव्यस्योत्कर्षहेतुर्धर्मविशेषो गुण इति प्रकृतिजे लोके दृश्यते । The meaning of the verse is as follows: A change of state is called a transformation (vikära). In the body, the first such transfor- mation is called birth (janma). The effort an incomplete person makes to compensate for what is lacking is called action (karma). na vidyate yasya ca janma karma va na nama-rüpe guna-dosa eva vā tathāpi lokāpyaya-sambhavaya yaḥ sva-mayaya täny anukalam ṛcchati 413 Śri Bhagavat Sandarbha The verbal symbol used to designate objects perceptible to the mind is called a name (nama). The property of an object that is perceived by the eyes is called form or color (rupa). The specify- ing characteristic that grants eminence to any object and which springs from the material gunas, like sattva, is called a quality (guna). These definitions are applicable in the world born of material nature. यस्य च सर्वदा स्वरूपस्थत्वात् पूर्णत्वान् मनसोऽप्यगोचरत्वात् स्वप्रकाशत्वात् प्रकृत्यती- त्वात् तानि न विद्यन्ते तथापि यस्तानि ऋच्छति प्राप्नोति “ तस्मै नमः” (भा० ८।३।९) इत्यु- त्तरश्लोकेनान्वयः । These [birth, name, etc.] do not exist in one [i.e., Bhagavan] who is always situated in His own nature, who is complete, imper- ceptible even by the mind, self-luminous and beyond material nature. Nevertheless, He accepts them (rcchati). This verse is to be read together with the one that follows, “my obeisances are unto Him” (tasmai namaḥ, SB 8.3.9). अत एव श्रुत्यापि " निष्कलं निष्क्रियं शान्तम्” (श्वे० ६।१९) इत्यादौ " अशब्दमस्पर्शमरूप- मव्ययम्” (कठ १।३।१५) इत्यादौ च तन्निषिध्यापि “सर्वकर्मा सर्वकामः सर्वगन्धः सर्वरसः” (छा० ३ ।१४।२) इत्यादौ विधीयते । गुणदोष इत्यपरमार्थत्वाद् गुण एव दोष इत्यर्थः । ततो रूढदोषस्तु सर्वथा न सम्भवत्येवेति व्यज्यते । поз dr Therefore, although these qualities are denied in Vedic state- ments such as, “He is undivided, inert and peaceful” (su 6.19), and, “He is imperishable; He cannot be perceived by the eyes, ears, or sense of touch” (KU 1.3.15), they are accepted in other mantras such as, “He performs all acts, possesses all desires, and has all fragrance and taste” (CHU 3.14.2). The compound word guna-dosa (lit., “virtue and defect”) [in the verse under discus- sion] means that material virtues (guna), are considered defects (dosa) in the transcendental Lord. This implies that conventional defects certainly do not exist in Him. (hinolaryolard 2 The verse is a relative or subordinate clause; the next verse contains the principal clause.) 195 balles af gr) balles al gibbox! 3 niskalam nişkriyam santam
- aśabdam asparśam arupam avyayam 5 sarva-karmā sarva-kāmaḥ sarva-gandhaḥ sarva-rasah 414 47 His Name, Form, Actions and Attributes Are Transcendental तथा च कौर्मे— This is confirmed in the following verse from Kürma Purana: ऐश्वर्ययोगाद् भगवान् विरुद्धार्थोऽभिधीयते । तथापि दोषाः परमे नैवाहार्यः कथञ्चन । गुणा विरुद्धा अपि तु समाहार्याश्च सर्वतः ॥ १८० ॥ इति । Because the Lord is endowed with His supreme magnificence, He is called viruddhartha, or one who has contradictory qualities. But although all opposing qualities exist in Him, one should never assume Him to have defects. All the virtues, even contradictory bones, exist in Him.” “अयमात्मापहतपाप्मा” ( छा० ८।७।१) इत्याद्याः श्रुतयश्च । छा० ४।१५। २-४- The Upanisads also state, “He is free from all sin” (CHU 8.7.1), and also: एतं संयद् वाम इत्याचक्षते । एतं सर्वाणि वामान्यभिसंयन्ति ॥ १८१ ॥ एष उ एव वामनीः । лог एष हि सर्वाणि वामानि नयति ॥ १८२ ॥ ПЕ एष उ एव भामनीः । एष सर्वेषु वेदेषु भाति ॥ १८३ ॥ इत्याद्या च । ho bobod This One is said to be the goal of all attractive things (samyad vāma), because all attractive objects proceed towards Him. He is certainly the most attractive. This One is the bestower of the ge fruit of all virtuous acts. This One alone is called the bestower of T vllall luster. This One shines in all the Vedas. (CHU 4.15.2-4)ga do ⚫ aiśvarya-yogad bhagavan viruddhartho’bhidhiyate tathapi doṣaḥ parame naivähäryaḥ kathañcana on has Anoitosuke guna viruddha api tu samähäryäś ca sarvataḥ ayam-atmapahata-papmā etam samyad vama ity acakṣate etam sarvāņi vāmāny abhisamyanti eşa u eva vămaniḥ eşa hi sarvāņi vāmāni nayati eşa u eva bhamaniḥ eşa sarveşu vedeșu bhāti 415 Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha अत एव सर्वगन्धः इत्यादौ गन्धादिशब्देन सौगन्धादिकमेवोच्यते । Therefore, words such as gandha (smell) in phrases like, “He has all fragrance” [sarva-gandha in the Chandogya passage quoted above], should be taken to mean only pleasant fragrances, and so on. यदा तु ऋच्छतिनान्वयस्तु गुणस्य दोषत्वेन रूपकमविवक्षितं श्रुतिविरुद्धत्वात् परमार्थत्वे- नैव प्रतिपादयिष्यमाणत्वाच् च । adorfw.an absol When the verb rcchati (acquires ) [ in the original verse, sB 8.3.8], is linked to its subject, the Lord, then the word guna (attributes ) cannot refer to defects [as was done above], because that would contradict the Vedic statements, and because it will be established that any such attributes are transcendental. नन्वेकत्र तेषां जन्मादीनां भावाभावयोर्विरोध इत्याशङ्क्य तदविरोधे हेतुमाह - स्वमाय- येति । अन्यथानुपपत्तिप्रमिता दुस्तर्क्या स्वरूपशक्तिरेव तत्र हेतुः । Intuiting that the simultaneous existence and non-existence of the Lord’s qualities, birth and action would be thought contradic- tory, Gajendra provides the reason for their congruency in the phrase, “by His internal potency” ( sva-māyayā). The only cause for this is His internal potency, which surpasses all logic and can be understood only by means of presumption. अत एव स्वरूपभूतत्वेन तेभ्यः प्राकृतेभ्यो विलक्षणत्वात् तान्यपि न विद्यन्त इति च वक्तुं न शक्यत इति भावः । The import is that because Bhagavan’s actions of birth, and so on, spring from His essential nature and are thus diametrically opposed to their material counterparts, one cannot say that these names, actions and so on, do not exist in Him. यथा शङ्करशारीरके “समाकर्षात्” (ब्र० सू० १।४।१६) इत्यत्र “नामरूपव्याकृतवस्तुविषयः स्वच्छन्दः प्रायेण प्रसिद्ध इति तद्व्यकरणाभावापेक्षया प्रागुत्पत्तेः सदेव ब्रह्म श्रुतावसदित्यु- च्यते” इत्युक्तं तथैव ज्ञेयम् । In his bhāsya to vs 1.4.16 (samākarsāt, “because of its relevance”), Sankarācārya writes: “Because in common parlance sat (exist- 416 47 His Name, Form, Actions and Attributes Are Transcendental ing) is used to indicate objects that have names and forms, Brah- man, which certainly existed before creation, is said to be asat (non-existent) in the Śruti, due to not having manifest names and forms.“9 FF अत एव श्रीविष्णुपुराणे “गुणांश्च दोषांश्च मुने व्यतीत” (वि० पु० ६।५।८३) इत्युक्त्वा पुनराह “समस्तकल्याणगुणात्मको हि” (वि० पु०६।५।८४) इति । dogues ar adjo gaudiya nam of malet ad son bluoda sarov legisatzg The sense of his statement should be understood as explained above [i.e., that the word asat, or non-existent, should not be taken in the absolute sense, but as a denial of popular names and forms]. Therefore, in Visnu Purāṇa, after stating, “O sage, He is beyond qualities and defects” (VP 6.5.83),10 it is said, “He is the embodiment of all auspicious qualities” (VP 6.5.84).” तथा (वि० पु० ६।५।७९) - SECRE And again: ज्ञानशक्तिबलैश्वर्यवीर्यतेजांस्यशेषतः । भगवच्छब्दवाच्यानि विना हेयैर्गुणादिभिः ॥ १८४ ॥ इति । ॥ ॥ le inhoborum The word bhagavan means knowledge, sensory power, bodily or strength, controlling power, inconceivable power and effulgence or beauty, devoid of any repellent qualities. (VP 6.5.79)12 पाद्मोत्तरखण्डे च- aus faites add-wolil edw son adi has aghalwond annup seid: sdr dan Intistem zuen Padma Purana states: योऽसौ निर्गुण इत्युक्तः शास्त्रेषु जगदीश्वरः । प्राकृतैर्हेयसंयुक्तैर्गुणैर्हीनत्वमुच्यते ॥ १८५ ॥ इति । lever 10 11 nama-rupa-vyākṛta-vastu-visayaḥ svacchandaḥ prayeņa prasiddha iti tad-vyakaraṇābhāvāpekṣayā prāg-utpatteḥ sad eva brahma śrutav asad ity ucyate gunamś ca doṣāmś ca mune vyatitaḥ samasta-kalyāṇa-guṇātmako hi 12 jñāna-śakti-balaiśvarya-virya-tejāmsy aseṣataḥ bhagavac-chabda-vacyäni vină heyair gunādibhiḥ 417 TenshinoRANT Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbham Wall When the Lord of the cosmos is said in the scriptures to be devoidani 102 of qualities (nirguna), it means that He has no profane material qualities. (PP 6.227.41)13 sarva न च स्वमायया इत्यन्यथार्थं मन्तव्यम् । The meaning of the phrase “by His māyā” (sva-mayaya) [in the principal verse] should not be taken to mean anything other [than His internal potency (svarupa-śakti)]: za ad ton blooda instabs-non 70 1020 bro स्वरूपभूतया नित्यशक्त्या मायाख्यया युतः । अतो मायामयं विष्णुं प्रवदन्ति सनातनम् ॥ १८६ ॥ इति श्रुतेः । 20 avodi ilaup broved The eternal Śrī Visnu is called maya-maya, or the possessor of māyā, because He is united with His eternal energy, called māyā, as part of His essential nature. (Caturveda-sikha)14 “आत्ममाया तदिच्छा स्यात्” इति महासंहितातः । And Maha-saṁhitā states, “Atma-māyā means His will.“15 Sabda- mahodadhi also says: त्रिगुणात्मिकाथ ज्ञानं च विष्णुशक्तिस्तथैव च । Pillow मायाशब्देन भण्यन्ते शब्दतत्त्वार्थवेदिभिः ॥ १८७ ॥ इति शब्दमहोदधेः । Those who know the essential meaning of words say that māyā STO means material nature, the three gunas, knowledge, and the The energy of Śri Visnu.16 Am Spring “माया वयुनं ज्ञानम्” इति निघण्टोः । “माया स्याच् छाम्बरीबुद्ध्योः” इति त्रिकाण्डशेषाच् च | भा० १० । ३७।२३- 15 yo’sau nirguna ity uktaḥ śăstreṣu jagad-iśvaraḥ prakṛtair heya-samyuktair gunair hinatvam ucyate svarupa-bhūtaya nitya-saktyā māyākhyaya yutaḥ ato maya-mayaṁ vişnum pravadanti sanātanam atma-māyā tad-icchā syāt 16 triguṇātmikatha jñānam ca visņu-śaktis tathaiva ca maya-sabdena bhanyante sabda-tattvärtha-vedibhih 418 47 His Name, Form, Actions and Attributes Are Transcendental According to Nighantu, “Māya means the faculty of perception and knowledge.“1” And the Trikāṇḍa-seṣa lexicon says, māyā is illusion and knowledge. And in Srimad Bhagavatam: or av 916 2751 S विशुद्धविज्ञानघनं स्वसंस्थया समाप्तसर्वार्थममोघवाञ्छितम् । स्वतेजसा नित्यनिवृत्तमायागुणप्रवाहं भगवन्तमीमहि ॥ १८८ ॥ इति श्रीनारदवाक्यात् । mam Jon [Śrī Nārada Muni said:] We approach the Supreme Lord, who is pure consciousness personified, whose goals are automatically accomplished, by virtue of His being situated in His own exis- tence, whose desires are always fulfilled and by whose prowess the flow of the three gunas of māyā is ever dispelled from Him. (SB 10.37.23)19 “स्वसुखनिभृत” (भा० १२ । १२ ।६८) इत्यादिवक्तृहृदयविरोधाच्च । ततः सर्वथा चिच्छक्त्या इत्यर्थः । अतः स्वामिभिरपि योगमायाशब्देन चिच्छक्तिर्व्याख्याता । Any other explanation of the word maya would negate the ear- lier statements and contradict the transcendental experience of the speaker of Srimad Bhagavatam [Sukadeva], who, “had been immersed in transcendental bliss” (SB 12.12.68). So, sva-mayaya always means, “by His cit, or conscious potency.” Therefore, Śrīdhara Svāmi has also explained the word yoga-māyā as cit, or conscious potency [Bhāvārtha-dipikā 3.15.26]. ननु प्राप्नोतीत्युक्तेः कदाचित्कत्वमप्यवगम्यते ? तत्राह - अनुकालं नित्यमेव प्राप्नोति कदाचिदपि न त्यजतीत्यर्थः । स्वरूपशक्तिप्रकाशित्वस्य नित्यत्वस्य च मिथो हेतुहेतुमत्ता ज्ञेया । A doubt is raised: The word rcchati (he attains) implies that the Lord’s qualities are temporary. In answer, the verse says, anukālam, “[He attains them] perpetually,” meaning that He is never bereft of them. It should be understood that there is a rela- tionship of cause and effect between the actions manifested by the internal energy and their eternal nature. 17 māyā vayunam jñānam 18 māyā syāc chambari-buddhyoḥ 19 viśuddha-vijñāna-ghanam sva-samsthaya samapta-sarvārtham amogha-vañchitam sva-tejasă nitya-nivṛtta-māyā-guna-pravaham bhagavantam imahi 419 hansingamTanŚri Bhagavat Sandarbhambre Commentaryishboden M Veghelwom han EVEN THOUGH THE SUPREME LORD’S NAME can be vibrated on the tongue, His form can be seen by His devotees, and though He engages in action, like protecting His devotees, His name, form and action are not material. To establish this principle, Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī refers once again to the prayers of Gajendra from the Eighth Canto. In this verse, Gajendra says that the Lord does not have name, form, good qualities or defects, nor does He take birth or engage in action, though He accepts all these perpetually through His māyā. This seems contradictory and thus requires explanation; Gajendra’s statement means that the Lord does not possess these qualities in the conventional sense. The mortal body undergoes six types of vikara, or transformation, “The body takes birth, subsists for some time, grows, ages, dwindles and finally dies” (jayate’sti vardhate vipariņamate apakṣiyate nasyati ca, Nirukta 1.1.2). Transformation means a change of state or an irre- versible change. Birth is considered to be the first transformation. The body is composed of different material elements, which combine together to form a material body, in accordance with the destiny of a particular self. The definition of birth may vary in regard to differ- ent species of life, but in this anuccheda the reference is to human birth. апоз According to the sage Vatsyayana, the principal commentator on Nyaya-sutra, the appearance of the body, senses and cognitive awareness in a single conglomeration is called birth - (śārīrendriya- buddhīnāṁ nikaya-visiṣṭa prädurbhavaḥ, Vätsyāyana-bhāṣya 1.1.2). This means that the moment of the living being’s emergence from the womb, as a unit, consisting of body, senses and mind, is called birth. In this conglomeration, referred to as the jiva, or the condi- tioned being, the gross body is more temporary than the senses or mind, which are part of the subtle body. The gross body is destroyed at the time of death, but the mind and senses are carried over to the next life. This is confirmed by Śrī Kṛṣṇa: 42047 His Name, Form, Actions and Attributes Are Transcendental When the master of the body [the self] leaves it to take another, heq carries the senses and mind with him to the next body, just as the airl br carries an aroma. (GĪTĀ 15.8)20 bos menn ei rovswan bre The eyes, ears, nose and so on, of a dead body are not actually the senses, but just their respective seats. The senses are subtle; though residing within the gross body, they are beyond sense perception. Since the Lord never leaves His body, there is no possibility for Him to take birth in the conventional sense. el doldw Karma here refers to the endeavor undertaken in order to fulfill one’s desires. The Lord is free from such karma, because He never has any material desire to fulfill. If He did, He could not justifiably be called, “Lord.” Therefore, He is free from karma. According to the Mīmāmsakas, whose classifications are rele- vant in this context, karma is of three types - nitya, naimittika and kamya. Nitya-karma refers to those prescribed duties which must be performed, otherwise one is implicated in sin. An example is the chanting of Gayatri mantra at dawn and dusk by the dvijas, or twice- born. Duties prescribed for special occasions, such as solar eclipses, are called naimittika, or incidental. Such occasions are irregular; hence, naimittika-karmas are also irregular. Activities prescribed in order to fulfill specific desires are called kamya. The Supreme Lord makes the rules, yet He is beyond them. He has no mundane desires to fulfill and thus no karma to perform. Śrī Krsna explains this to Arjuna: be no lo que os no no ons Em O Arjuna, in the three worlds I have no duties (karma) to execute. I have nothing unattained to achieve, yet I am ever-engaged in action. (GĪTĀ 3.22)21 -no ali riguods 99 In the material world, every object or phenomenon has a name that acts as a signifier for it. A name serves two purposes: First, it allows us to differentiate one object from another; and second, it Herbisyob 20 sariram yad avapnoti yac capy utkrāmatiśvaraḥ grhitvaitāni samyati vayur gandhän ivāśayāt 21 na me parthästi kartavyam trişu lokeşu kiñcana nänavaptam avāptavyam varta eva ca karmani 421 Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha rom provides us with a means to refer to and conceptualize that partic- ular object or phenomenon. Those objects or phenomena that have names are perceived, either directly or indirectly, through the mind and senses. The Lord, however, is beyond the scope of the senses and mind. Therefore, Gajendra says that He has no material names. The attribute perceived by the eyes is called form or color (rupa). This definition is applicable only to gross forms, for microscopic objects, like atoms, also have form. Our eyes cannot see the air, which is formless. The Lord too is not visible to us, but that does not mean that He is formless, like the air. The Lord cannot be seen with material eyes because He has a transcendental form. The distinctiveness of an object is manifest by the gunas of mate- rial nature, but since the Lord is transcendental to the gunas, He is without material attributes. In this way, it can be understood that the Lord does not have birth, names, forms, action or any qualities as conventionally conceived. This means that His birth and action are not material, nor are His name, form and qualities. He is always in His svarupa; therefore, He has no birth. He is always complete in Himself, so there is no need to perform action. He cannot be perceived by the mind, and thus, He has no name. He is self-luminous, and therefore, the perception of His form is in no way dependent on material eyes. This is the purport of the first half of the verse spoken by Gajen- dra. The second half states that the Lord accepts name, form and so on, for the purposes of creation and destruction. This is a reference to His guṇāvatāras, Śrī Brahma and Lord Siva, respectively. Gajen- dra does not say, however, that the Lord accepts birth, name and so on, for the purpose of maintenance in His manifestation as Visņu. This is because Visnu is not limited by māyā, even though He con- ducts the function of regulating sattva-guna, and thus maintaining māyā. and other ro Hence, the Supreme Person’s birth as the son of Devaki and Vasudeva, His act of lifting Govardhan Hill, His name Kṛṣṇa, His form as a cowherd boy, His quality of beauty, and even His defects, such as disobedience to His mother when breaking the yogurt pot, are all transcendental. 422 47 His Name, Form, Actions and Attributes Are Transcendental The words sambhava (creation) and apyaya (destruction) can also refer to protecting the devotees and destroying the asuras. Although Bhagavan is free from birth, karma and so on, by His inter- nal potency He accepts them for this purpose. This is confirmed in Bhagavad Gita:top el Although I am never born and My body never perishes, and though I am the controller of all living beings, situated in My own nature, I appear by My own will. (GITA 4.6) 22 I appear in every yuga to protect the sages, to destroy the rogues, and to establish order in society. (GITA 4.8) 23 The Vedas declare that the Lord has no name, form or action, but they also state that He performs all action, and has all names and desires. The Vedas are apauruşeya, without human origin, which is to say, they are infallible and therefore cannot be wrong. The Lord has been shown to be transcendental to material nature, so these negative descriptions must be interpreted to mean that He has no material name, form and so on. BIf an Italian visits Vṛndāvana and upon returning to Italy reports that there was nothing to eat in Vṛndāvana (in other words, no tra- ditional Italian food), a compatriot may wrongly conclude that the people in Vṛndāvana are starving. Or, if a ship in the middle of the ocean runs out of drinking water and the captain declares there is no water, he means drinking water, for otherwise there is water all around. Jadwavelg In the Vedic scriptures, both material and spiritual birth, name, form and so on, are referred to by the same terms, and this can mislead those unacquainted with the esoteric knowledge of tran- scendence. If these statements are studied in the proper light, how- ever, one will understand that there is no contradiction. More- over, Bhagavan is uniquely and inherently endowed with mutually contradictory attributes.q5os val ajo’pi sann avyayātmā bhūtānām īśvaro’pi san prakṛtim sväm adhiṣṭhāya sambhavamy atma-mayaya pariträṇāya sädhūnām vināśāya ca duśkṛtām dharma-samsthapanarthāya sambhavami yuge yuge amitang 423 Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha m The compound word guna-dosa in the principal verse of this sec- tion implies that the Lord has no material attributes, since whatever good qualities may exist on the material plane ultimately reinforce dualism. Hence, they are regarded as defects, or in other words, impositions on spirit, from the spiritual standpoint. The absence of material qualities or defects is confirmed in the verse quoted from Kurma Purana and the mantra from Chandogya Upanisad. The fisd gaivil complete mantra states: He has no sin, no old age, no death, no sorrow, no hunger and no thirst; but His desires are always fulfilled and His will never fails. (CHU 8.7.1)24 tud noi BnThus, when it is said that Bhagavan has all odors, sarva-gandha (CHU 3.14.2), it means He has all fragrances and not foul odors. The same is to be understood about other qualities, such as taste and touch. Б on An objection may be raised here: In the first half of the verse, Gajendra said that the Lord has no attributes or defects, guna-dosa. In the second half, however, he said, anukalam ṛcchati, that the Lord, “accepts them perpetually,” implying that He also accepts defects. In response, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmī says that the Lord is transcendental to the material gunas and thus there is no possibility of Him accept- ing any material quality, good or bad. In His pastimes in the mate- rial world, however, Bhagavan behaves like a human being and dis- plays what appear to be defects from the material viewpoint. But, as already stated, there can be no material defects in Him. Vsi n This is the import of the word sva-mayaya (by His internal potency). This word should not be interpreted here to mean illu- sory energy, because that external māyā cannot influence Him. By dint of His internal potency, however, He performs human-like pas- times, though He is not an ordinary human being. Narada confirms this in his prayers: “Now You have accepted a human form for Your pastimes” (krīḍārtham abhyātta-manuṣya-vigraham, SB 10.37.24). 24 eṣa ātmāpahata-pāpmă vijaro vimṛtyur visoko vijighatso’pipäsaḥ satya-kāmaḥ satya-sankalpaḥ 424 47 His Name, Form, Actions and Attributes Are Transcendental If Bhagavan’s pastimes and attributes were mere manifestations of māyā, a liberated being, like Sukadeva, would not have been attracted to them. He was an ätmäräma, a sage delighting in the self alone, and yet he gave up his absorption in Brahman upon hearing the Lord’s pastimes. He would do so only because Bhagavan’s name, form, qualities and action are without tinge of the mundane: minniped garved do dess I bow down to the son of Vyasa, who, though fully situated in his own bliss and, consequently, completely free of any conception of duality, became attracted in his very essence by the enchanting pas- Ptimes of the invincible Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Then, out of compassion for all, he expanded the Lord’s own Purana, which spreads the light of sup- reme truth and destroys all sins. (SB 12.12.68) 25 枝 Although it is said that the Lord accepts birth and so on, which would imply that they are temporary, the verse counters this by say- ing that He accepts them perpetually (anukalam). According to the rules of Sanskrit grammar, the present tense (rcchati) implies eter- nality. The Supreme Lord is eternal and His pastimes are also eter- nal, because they are manifestations of His svarupa-sakti, or essen- tial nature, which is inseparable from Him. This is the significance of the phrase anukalam ṛcchati. According to modern physics, energy means the capacity to per- form work. There is pleasure in possessing energy, but that pleasure increases considerably when energy is put into action. An energetic person does not feel complete if restricted from application of his power. Bhagavan has natural potencies that eternally reside within Him. There is nothing that can restrict His will, and therefore, He eternally performs pastimes. So, all His actions are eternal and tran- scendental in nature. 25 71515 sva-sukha-nibhṛta-cetas tad-vyudastanya-bhāvo ajita-rucira-lilākṛṣṭa-sāras tadīyam vyatanuta kṛpaya yas tattva-dipaṁ purāṇaṁ reib sad badoured bluoda 11 tam akhila-vrjina-ghnam vyäsa-sunum nato’smirliness Bib Jadwamoe 425 Jessuenyo Sri Bhagavat Sandarbha 47.2tastis ditie hne asmaved all paid bendi ननु कथं जन्मकर्मणोर्नित्यत्वम् ? ते हि क्रिये । क्रियात्वं च प्रति निजांशमप्यारम्भपरिस- माप्तिभ्यामेव सिद्ध्यतीति ते विना स्वस्वरूपहान्यापत्तिः । bin Dedy Another doubt is raised: How can anyone’s birth and actions be eternal? Both are actions, and every action consists of various parts, each having a beginning and an end; otherwise, it cannot be designated as an action. Wod नैष दोषः । श्रीभगवति सदैवाकारानन्त्यात् प्रकाशानन्त्यात् जन्मकर्मलक्षणलीलानन्त्या- दनन्तप्रपञ्चानन्तवैकुण्ठगततत्तल्लीलास्थानतत्तल्लीलापरिकराणां व्यक्तिप्रकाशयोरान- न्त्याच् च । यत एवं सत्योरपि तत्तदाकारप्रकाशगतयोस्तदारम्भसमाप्त्योरेकत्रैव ते ते जन्मकर्मणोरंशा यावत् समाप्यन्ते न समाप्यन्ते वा तावदेवान्यत्राप्यारब्धा भवतीत्येवं श्री- भगवति विच्छेदाभावान् नित्ये एव तत्र ते जन्मकर्मणी वर्तेते । Answer: This is not an issue, since within the Lord there are eter- nally unlimited forms, unlimited prakāśa manifestations, unlim- ited pastimes of birth and other activities. There are also unlim- ited individual manifestations of suitable places for these pas- times to occur, and unlimited associates to participate in these pastimes, both in the unlimited material worlds and unlimited Vaikunthas. This being the case, the beginning and end parts of the birth and actions of one particular form may or may not have ended in one place in a particular prakāśa, while the same parts of those births and actions are just beginning in other places in other prakāśa manifestations. Thus, because Bhagavan’s birth and actions never cease beginning and ending, they exist in Him eternally.sh badrowon 9201 bne lfw all bir तत्र ते क्वचित् किञ्चिद् विलक्षणत्वेनारभ्येते ते क्वचिदैकरूप्येण चेति ज्ञेयम् विशेषणभे- दाद् विशेषणैक्याच् च । एक एवाकारः प्रकाशभेदेन पृथक् क्रियास्पदं भवतीति “चित्रं बतैतदेकेन वपुषा” (भा० १० । ६९।२) इत्यादौ प्रतिपादितम् । ततः क्रियाभेदात् तत्तत्क्रिया- त्मकेषु प्रकाशभेदेष्वभिमानभेदश्च गम्यते । तथा सत्येकत्रैकत्र लीलाक्रमजनितरसोद्बोधश्च जायते । It should be noted here that sometimes [such pastimes] may begin somewhat differently, and at other times in the same way, due to 426 47 His Name, Form, Actions and Attributes Are Transcendental either having the same set of qualifiers or not. One form can per- form different actions in different prakāśa manifestations. This has already been established in the explanation of the verse, “It is amazing that Kṛṣṇa has alone, in a single body, been able to simultaneously marry 16,000 wives, each in their own separate palaces” (SB 10.69.2).26 Because of differences in their activities, there can also be a difference in the sense of identity (abhimana) of the different prakāśa manifestations that perform them. This being the case, a different sense of aesthetic relish (rasa) is awak- ened in each prakāśa as a result of the particular sequence of pastimes in the different places. ननु कथं ते एव जन्मकर्मणी वर्तेते इत्युक्तं पृथगारब्धत्वादन्ये एव ते ? A further doubt is raised: Why was it said that these births and actions are one? Since they begin in different times and places, shouldn’t they be counted as different? उच्यते - कालभेदेनोदितानामपि समानरूपाणां क्रियाणामेकत्वम् । यथा शङ्करशारीरके “द्विर्गोशब्दोऽयमुच्चरितः । न तु द्वौ गोशब्दाविति । तथैव द्विः पाकः कृतोऽनेन न तु द्विधा पाकः कृतोऽनेनेति प्रतीत्या भविष्यति” इति । ततो जन्मकर्मणोरपि नित्यता युक्तैव । अत एवागमादावपि भूतपूर्वलीलोपासनविधानं युक्तम् । M In response, it is said that the actions performed in different time frames are considered as one if they have the same form. As Sankarācārya says in his commentary on Vedanta-sutra, “If the word ‘cow’ is uttered twice (‘cow, cow’), the understanding is that the same word has been uttered twice, not that two differ- ent words have been spoken.“2” Similarly, when we say, “twice- cooked,” we mean that the same item has been cooked twice, not that two different things have been cooked. So it is proper to say that Bhagavan’s birth and actions are eternal, and thus the injunction in the Agamas to worship the Lord’s previous pastimes is appropriate. 26 Discussed at length in Anuccheda 42. 27 dvir-go-śabdobhayam uccaritaḥ na tu dvau go-śabdau VS 1.3.28 427 fatheshins Śri Bhagavat Sandarbha sen My तथा चोक्तं माध्वभाष्ये “परमात्मसम्बन्धित्वेन नित्यत्वात् त्रिविक्रमत्वादिष्वप्युपसंहार्यत्वं युज्यते” इति । अनुमतं चैतत् श्रुत्या “यद्भूतं भवच्च भविष्यच्च” इत्यनयैव । उपसंहार्यत्व- मुपासनायामुपादेयत्वमित्यर्थः । rol and Likewise, in his commentary on Brahma-sutra, Śrī Madhvācārya writes, “Because these activities, such as the taking of three steps, are related to Paramātmā, they are eternal and therefore wor- shipable.“28 This is also approved in the Vedas: “The present and future exist in Him” (BAU 3.8.4). Upasaṁharyatva (worshipable) means suitable to be employed in the context of worship. ni 6909 तत्र तस्य जन्मनः प्राकृतात् तस्माद् विलक्षणत्वं प्राकृतजन्मानुकरणेनाविर्भावमात्रत्वं क्वचित् तदननुकरणेन वा “अजायमाना बहुधा विजायते” ( मुद्गल ३ |१) इति श्रुतेः । तद् यथा ( भा० १०।३।८) - Thus, the Lord’s birth is different from material birth. It is the Lord’s appearance in the world in imitation of material birth, and sometimes not in imitation at all. As is said in the Śruti, “The Unborn takes birth in many ways” (Mudgala Upanisad 3.1).30 For example: देवक्यां देवरूपिण्यां विष्णुः सर्वगुहाशयः । आविरासीद् यथा प्राच्यां दिशीन्दुरिव पुष्कलः । १८९ ।।। इति । the Śrī Viṣṇu, who resides in the core of every living being, appeared u from Devaki, the embodiment of divine qualities, just as the full moon appears on the eastern horizon. (SB 10.3.8) 31 तथा च (भा० ७।८।१८) – w nadwylslimie And: beze zi.woo’ byom good and brow sursa edr tals mologe assd aved abrow inu 700 coiwi baloon mood and masi am ad Jedi ma सत्यं विधातुं निजभृत्यभाषितं व्याप्तित्वं च भूतेष्वखिलेषु चात्मनः ।
- अदृश्यतात्यद्भूतरूपमुद्वहन् स्तम्भे सभायां न मृगं न मानुषम् ॥ १९० ॥ इति । 28 paramatma-sambandhitvena nityatvät trivikramatvādiṣv apy upasaṁharyatvam yujyateMPION VS 3.3.21 29 yad bhutam bhavac ca bhavisyac ca 30 ajāyamānā bahudhā vijāyate devakyaṁ deva-rupinyām vişnuḥ sarva-guhaśayaḥmes ävirasid yatha pracyāṁ disindur iva puşkalaḥ PER 428 47 His Name, Form, Actions and Attributes Are Transcendental To prove the veracity of the words of His servant, Prahlada Mahā- rāja, that He is present in all objects, the Supreme Lord Hari appeared from the pillar of the royal court in a wonderful form, never before seen, that was neither that of a man nor of a lion. (SB 7.8.18)32 “कार्दमं वीर्यमापन्नः” (भा० ३ । २४ । ६) इत्यत्र श्रीकपिलदेवावतारप्रसङ्गेऽपि कर्दमस्य भक्ति- सामर्थ्यवशीभूत इत्येव व्याख्येयम् । वीर्यशब्दन्यासस्तु प्रसिद्धं पुत्रत्वमपि श्लिष्टं भवती- त्येवमर्थः । तथा कर्मणो वैलक्षण्यं स्वरूपानन्दविलासमात्रत्वम् । तद्यथा “लोकवत्तु लीला- कैवल्यम्” (ब्र० सू० २।१।३३) इति । व्याख्यातं च तत्त्ववादिभिः । यथा “लोके मत्तस्य सुखो- द्रेकादेव नृत्यादिलीला न तु प्रयोजनापेक्षया एवमेवेश्वरस्य” इति । In the narration of Sri Kapiladeva’s appearance, the following passage is found: “The Lord took shelter of the semen (virya) of the sage Kardama” (SB 3.24.6).33 This should be explained to mean that the Lord came under the powerful influence (virya) of Kar- dama’s bhakti. The word virya has the well-known secondary meaning of “son,” which is also intended. Similarly, what dis- tinguishes the Lord’s actions from ordinary acts is that they are exclusively manifestations of His natural bliss. As Brahma-sūtra states, “The actions of the Lord, such as creation, are a play, like the pleasurable deeds people enact” (vs 2.1.33).34 The Tattvavādī [Madhvācārya] has explained this sutra, “The Lord creates in the same way that an intoxicated man dances out of bliss, and not to achieve anything.“35 नारायणसंहितायां च- Basicion Nārāyaṇa-samhita also states:36 सृष्ट्यादिकं हरिर्नैव प्रयोजनमपेक्ष्य तु । कुरुते केवलानन्दाद् यथा मत्तस्य नर्तनम् ॥ १९१ ॥ tob glissed to be st 29lantex lt to anot 30 combreng 2ntesgade nataoge 32 satyam vidhätum nija-bhṛtya-bhāṣitaṁ vyaptitvam ca bhüteşv akhileşu cãtmanaḥ adṛśyataty-adbhūta-rupam udvahan stambhe sabhāyām na mrgam na mănuşam 33 kärdamaṁ viryam āpannaḥ The word virya means “semen” as well as “power” or “potency.” 34 lokavat tu lila-kaivalyam sming 35 loke mattasya sukhodrekad eva nṛtyādi-lila na tu prayojanapekṣaya evam eveśvarasya 36 Also quoted in Madhva’s bhasya on the same sutra. 429 Letary Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha A पूर्णानन्दस्य तस्येह प्रयोजनमतिः कुतः । मुक्ता अप्याप्तकामाः स्युः किमुतास्याखिलात्मनः ॥ १९२ ॥ इति । too isyon oda to vallig sa mort bsangge Śri Hari performs actions, such as creation, without any specific purpose. He does so purely out of pleasure, just as an intoxicated man dances. Since He is completely blissful, what purpose has He to achieve from creation? If even liberated beings delight in the Self alone, how much more must this be so for the Lord, the Supreme Self of all?37 HORST 1 न चोन्मत्तदृष्टान्तेनासर्वज्ञत्वं प्रसञ्जयितव्यम् । स्वरूपानन्दोद्रेकेण स्वप्रयोजनमननुसन्धा- यैव लीलायते इत्येतदंशेनैव स्वीकारात् । उच्छ्वासप्रश्वासदृष्टान्तेऽपि सुषुप्त्यादौ तद्दोषापा- तात् । तस्मात्स्वरूपानन्दस्वाभाविक्येन तल्लीला । श्रुतिश्च “देवस्यैव स्वभावोऽयमाप्त- कामस्य का स्पृहा” (माण्डूक्यकारिका १।९) इति । By the example of a dancing madman [implying impairment or absence of awareness], one should not think that the Lord is some- thing other than omniscient. The example is relevant in this sense alone, that, owing to His excessive internal bliss, He per- forms pastimes without having any particular purpose to accom- plish. If to try and circumvent the problem with this example, we posit instead the example of [the Lord’s pastimes occurring nat- urally, like] inhaling and exhaling, the same defect [absence of awareness being attributed to the Lord] still presents itself, in the case of breathing during deep sleep. Therefore, the limita- tions of these examples aside, the real point to be noted is that Bhagavan’s pastimes are characterized exclusively as natural and spontaneous manifestations of the bliss inherent in His essential nature. Śruti also declares, “This [i.e., the act of creation, etc.] is the nature of the Lord. What yearning can there be in one whose desires are naturally and completely fulfilled” (Mandukya- kärikā 1.9)?38 37 38 srsty-ädikaṁ harir naiva prayojanam apeksya tu kurute kevalānandad yatha mattasya nartanam pūrṇānandasya tasyeha prayojana-matiḥ kutaḥ muktā apy apta-kämäḥ syuḥ kim utäsyäkhilätmanaḥ devasyaiva svabhavo’yam apta-kāmasya kā spṛha 43047 His Name, Form, Actions and Attributes Are Transcendental अत्र प्राकृतसृष्ट्यादिगतस्य साक्षाद्भगवच्चेष्टात्मकस्य वीक्षणादिकर्मणो वस्तुतस्तु तथावि- धत्वे वैकुण्ठादिगतस्य कैमुत्यमेवापतितम् । यथोक्तं नागपत्नीभिः “अव्याकृतविहाराय " (भा० १० ।१६ ।४७) इति । अत एव श्रीशुकादीनामपि तल्लीलाश्रवणे रागतः प्रवृत्तिर्युज्यते । Shole 3158 90s madgilab orw If the Lord’s direct engagements, such as the act of glancing at material nature, are accepted as His pastimes, then the deeds He performs in Vaikuntha are surely all the more so. The wives of the Kaliya serpent prayed, “Our obeisances unto You, who always enjoy in Your own nature” (avyākrta-vihārāya, SB 10.16.47). Therefore, even liberated sages, like Śrī Śuka, hear His pastimes with total absorption and delight [as shown in the above-quoted SB12.12.68, ajita-rucira-lilākrsta-sārah]. अतश्च (भा० १।३।२९) - The birth and actions mentioned in the text cited below, from the “Secret of Birth” chapter,39 should thus be explained in the same way: Bo ba एवं च जन्मानि कर्माणि ह्यकर्तुरजनस्य च । वर्णयन्ति स्म कवयो वेदगुह्यानि हृत्पतेः ॥ १९३ ॥ naviga In the same way, the wise describe the births and actions of the unborn and inactive Lord of the Heart, which are hidden to the Vedas. (SB 1.3.35)40 12th of abnam hobbidois yond इत्यत्र जन्मगुह्याध्यायपद्येऽप्येवमेव व्याख्येयम् । “यत्रेमे सदसद्रूपे” (भा० १।३।३३-३४) इत्यादिभ्यामव्यवहितपद्याभ्यां यथा स्वरूपसम्यग् ज्ञानेनैव कृतस्याविद्याकृतात्माध्यास- सदसद्रूपनिषेधस्य हेतोर्ब्रह्मदर्शनं भवति यथा च मायोपरतावेव स्वरूपसम्पत्तिर्भवतीत्यु- क्तम् । एवमेव कवय आत्मारामा हृत्पतेः परमात्मनो जन्मानि कर्माणि च वर्णयन्ति । ans (to) sinuos laista til montedola The word evam (in the same way ), refers back to the two imme- diately preceding verses (SB 1.3.33-34), where it was stated that one attains Brahman realization after becoming free from self- identification with the subtle and gross bodies, caused by igno- rance, through the dawning of genuine awareness of one’s true 39 So-called from the words janma-guhya, which appear in sB 1.3.29. evam ca janmäni karmäni hy akartur ajanasya ca 41 varṇayanti sma kavayo veda-guhyäni hrt-pateh Quoted in full in the commentary below. EMA asdT batang 431 Lashes siment on Śri Bhagavat Sandarbha nature. Additionally, the verses state that one attains the wealth of one’s true nature on being freed from material bondage. Thus, the wise referred to in the above verse are precisely such lib- erated sages, who delight in the Self alone (ātmārāma). It is they who describe the births and actions of the Lord of the Heart, Paramātmā. तत्तत्प्रतिषेधे तदुपरतौ चैव सत्यां तज्जन्मकर्मानुभवसम्पत्ती भवत इत्यर्थः । सम्पत्तिर- त्र साक्षाद् दर्शनम् । तस्मात् स्वरूपानन्दातिशयितभगवदानन्दविलासरूपाण्येव तानीति भावः । अत एव प्राकृतवैलक्षण्यात् “अकर्तुरजनस्य” इत्युक्तम् । अत एव वेदगुह्यान्यपि तानीति । In other words, only when one becomes free from false identifi- cation with the gross and subtle bodies, and from material con- ditioning in general, does one attain the riches in the form of direct experience of the Lord’s birth and acts. The word sampatti (riches) here means direct witnessing (sākṣād-darśana). There- fore, the underlying intent is to say that the births and actions of the Lord are manifestations of His bliss as the complete nondual Whole, Bhagavan (bhagavad-ananda), which exceeds that coming from His state of simple inherence in essential being (svarūpā- nanda). For this reason, it was said of the Lord that He is inactive (akarta) and unborn (ajana), in order to distinguish His birth and actions from their material counterparts. Thus, they are “hidden to the Vedas.” यथा अक्रूरस्तुतौ “त्वयोदितः” ( भा० १० ।४८।२३-२४) इत्यादिद्वयं टीकायामेवेत्थमुत्थापि- तम् “ननु तर्हि ममावतारास्तच्चरितानि च शुक्तिरजतवदविद्याकल्पितान्येव किम् ? नहि नहि इयं तु तव लीलेत्याह द्वयेन त्वयोदित इति” इति । 219197 V6 In his commentary on the prayers of Akrūra, Śrīdhara Svāmi writes the following: “So, do you think that My avataras and their actions are illusory, like the silver perceived in an oys- ter shell?’ Akrūra answers, ‘No, not at all. This is Your lila.’ Then Akrūra speaks the next two verses, beginning with, ‘You originally enunciated”” (tvayodita).42 42 nanu tarhi mamāvatārās tac-caritrāṇi ca śukti-rajata-vad avidya-kalpitäny eva kim? 432 47 His Name, Form, Actions and Attributes Are Transcendental तथैव च भगवत्स्वरूपसाम्येनोक्तं वैष्णवे (वि० पु०५/२/१९)
hippointe Similarly, in Vişņu Purāṇa, the birth and actions of the Lord are equated with His form: नामकर्मस्वरूपाणि न परिच्छेदगोचरे । यस्याखिलप्रमाणानां स विष्णुर्गर्भगस्तव ॥ १९४ ॥ इति । 10 Śri Visnu, whose names, forms and actions are incomprehensi- ble through any of the processes of acquiring material knowledge, has entered Your womb. (VP 5.2.19)43 db atillod se रूपकर्मेति वा पाठान्तरम् । इत्थमेवाभिप्रेतं श्रीगीतोपनिषद्भिः “जन्मकर्म च मे दिव्यमेवं यो वेत्ति तत्त्वतः” (गीता ४।९) इति । In the above verse, “forms and actions” (rupa-karma) is some- times read in place of “names and actions” (nama-karma). Gītā Upanisad conveys the same meaning, “My appearance and actions are transcendental; those who know this in truth […]” (GĪTĀ 4.9).44 sholed boa mrged sken has Commentary Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmī raises a doubt about Bhagavan’s birth and pas- times: How can they be eternal? By definition, an action must have a beginning and an end. Every act has a purpose and concludes when that purpose is fulfilled. Generally, one activity involves other sup- porting actions. For example, if a boy, let’s say, Kṛṣṇa Dāsa, writes, his action of writing involves holding his pen, lifting his hand, look- ing at the paper, thinking, and so on. All these related actions have a beginning and an end. Since the actions even of the Supreme Lord, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, seem to bear the same characteristics, how can it be said that they are eternal? His birth, for example, has a beginning and an 43 44 na hi na hi iyam tu tava lilety aha dvayena tvayodita iti. by posts al Bhävärtha-dipikā 10.48.23 nama-karma-svarupāņi na pariccheda-gocare yasyäkhila-pramāṇānāṁ sa viṣṇur garbhagas tava janma-karma ca me divyam evam yo vetti tattvataḥ 433 Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbharat end, so how can His birth be eternal? If somehow we suppose that it is eternal, then all the pastimes that occur after birth should be impossible. slimi? batsupt erŚrīla Jiva Gosvāmī raises this objection with the goal of strength- ening his thesis that Krsna’s actions are eternal. This is called sthūņa- nikhanana-nyaya, or “the principle of driving in a post.” As a post is driven into the ground by repeated hammering, so a philosophical conclusion (siddhanta) is strengthened by supplying more and more supporting arguments, until no reasonable doubts remain. In response to this objection, Śrī Jīva Prabhu restates that the Lord is not limited by time and space. He is one, yet He manifests an unlimited number of prakāśa’s forms, abodes and associates. These are the three things He needs to conduct His pastimes. Hence, He is fully equipped to continuously manifest His pastimes in count- less material universes, as well as in the unlimited spiritual worlds. When a particular activity, like birth, comes to end in one particu- lar universe, it instantly begins in another. Thus, there is never a moment when His pastime of birth is not occurring somewhere in the creation. In fact, the activity may have begun in one place before it comes to an end in another. nar A practical example is the sun, which appears to rise at a particu- lar time in a particular place, yet at the same time it is always rising in some part of the world. Indeed, at any given moment, the sun manifests its full range of positions in the firmament - it is always rising somewhere, it is always noon somewhere, and it is always set- ting somewhere on the planet. If this is possible for a material heav- enly body, then it is certainly possible for the transcendental Lord, for whom nothing is impossible. A further objection may be raised: The Lord’s actions in different universes are different from each other, being separated by time and space. Why then should these actions be counted as one? Since they are different, it would be incorrect to say that His pastime of birth is eternal. It would be more accurate to say that He keeps repeating 45 Prakāśa manifestations are nondifferent from the original, yet can function independently. See the definition from Laghu-bhāgavatamṛta given at the end of Section 42. 434 47 His Name, Form, Actions and Attributes Are Transcendental His pastime of birth eternally. Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmī responds by point- ing out that when an activity having the same format is performed at different intervals, it is considered to be one activity. He cites Sankarācārya’s example that if someone says the word “cow” twice, it is not considered two separate actions but one. Just as when a yogi repeats a mantra on beads, it does not mean that he is chanting many mantras. Even if he sings or chants for hours, it is counted as one activity - the chanting of the mantra. If the chanter is the same, then the activity is also the same, no matter where he chants. Simi- larly, the Lord’s pastimes, although appearing at difference places, are one, especially when seen from His point of view. They are enacted continuously without any break or interruption. It is only from our point of view that His pastimes appear to begin and end. Beyond our temporary vision, His pastimes are eternal. But this does not mean that the Lord’s pastimes involve monoto- nous repetition, like those on a video recording. There is ever-fresh variety in His pastimes, just as there is such quality even in the sun- rises and sunsets occurring in different seasons and locations. In His different prakāśa manifestations, the Lord is one, yet in each He has an individual sense of Self and can thus act independently. So, He and His associates are able to enjoy differently in different places, while remaining unaware of their other prakāśa manifestations. per To understand transcendental knowledge of the Supreme Lord and His energies, we must first accept the reasonable axiom that the laws governing the spiritual nature are different from those gov- erning the material nature. One example of this was given in Anu- ccheda 42, where it was shown that Kṛṣṇa simultaneously married 16,000 princesses in the same number of ceremonies by expanding Himself 16,000 times, even though all those forms were one. drid There can be no doubt that Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes are eternal. The Vedic literature described His pastimes even before His appear- ance on this planet 5,200 years ago. In Padma Puraṇa, Gautama Rși advised Ambarīṣa Mahārāja to hear Srimad Bhagavatam. That conversation took place in an earlier yuga. In addition, the Agamas prescribe meditations on Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes. The specific reason for this recommendation is that a devotee can enter into Kṛṣṇa’s eternal 435 Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha pastimes simply by meditating on them. Such a recommendation would be futile if the Lord’s pastimes were not eternal. In GĪTĀ 4.10, Kṛṣṇa Himself declares that His birth and actions are transcenden- tal, and that many people in the past have attained Him through knowledge of His pastimes. alas BOAlthough Kṛṣṇa appears to take birth and engage in work, His birth and actions are not like those of ordinary human beings. Some- times His actions appear ordinary, sometimes extraordinary, but in either case there is no tinge of the gunas of material nature in them. When He descended as the son of Devaki, His birth appeared ordi- nary in the sense that she became pregnant and experienced the delivery of her child. When Kṛṣṇa appeared, He also inspired Devaki with the feeling that she had delivered Him, and so she genuinely considered herself to be His mother.gofal qme so baoreet In reality, however, there was nothing ordinary about Kṛṣṇa’s birth pastime. First He appeared in His four-armed Visņu form, clad in yellow garments, and then He turned into a newborn baby. His appearance can be compared to the moon, which is always full, but only appears that way to our vision on the full moon day. At other times, the Lord chooses to appear without conforming to any material laws or conventions. One of His most extraordinary appearances was in the form of Nrsimha, half-man and half-lion. On that occasion, He sprung out of a pillar. Har parter bus When Krsna desires to perform human-like pastimes, He enters the world like an ordinary baby. But one should not think that the Lord enters the womb of His mother via the semen of His father, as in the case of ordinary human beings. At this point someone may object that Srimad Bhagavatam itself clearly describes Śrī Kapila’s birth through the semen of Kardama Muni: heritdugb After many, many years, Lord Madhusudana entered Devahuti through Kardama’s semen and then appeared from her, just as fire Indemerges from wood. (SB 3.24.6)46d saved bozivbo ey sammy & art offibbin opice Willies 46 tasyam bahu-tithe kale bhagavan madhusudanaḥ kardamam viryam apanno jajñe’gnir iva dāruņi 436 47 His Name, Form, Actions and Attributes Are Transcendental Jav In this verse, the word virya, or semen, has been used. So how can it be said that the Lord does not take birth like an ordinary child? Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmī states that in this case the word virya refers to the power of Kardama’s bhakti. Śrī Kapila was captivated by the power of Kardama’s devotion and thus agreed to appear as his son. Semen is only one of the various meanings of the word virya. Accord- ing to the Ayurveda, food turns into blood, flesh, fat and so on. The final item is semen, which is called virya because it gives vitality to the body. Est 16 According to Amara-kośa dictionary, virya means strength and influence (viryam bale prabhave ca, Amara-kośa 3.3.155). Medini- kośa states that virya means influence, semen, prowess and ability (viryam prabhave sukre ca tejaḥ-samarthayor api). Therefore, viryam apannaḥ should be taken to mean, “He appeared by the force of Kardama Muni’s devotional intensity.” Another way of looking at it is that virya is sometimes used as an indirect reference to a son, as it is the source of the son. This is analogous to calling the fruit of a mango tree by the same name. If we take this meaning, then viryam āpannah would simply mean that He “became Kardama’s son.” bathnio bi samood battil rly The Lord’s actions, like His birth, are not ordinary, though they may appear to be so to mundane eyes. The actions of an ordinary person are products of the material gunas. But the Lord acts out of His own will through His internal energy, even while displaying His pastimes in the material world.um of 910m mit vns worl, svitom Vedanta-sutra explains this. In vs 2.1.32, an objection is raised, “The Lord does not create, because He has no purpose to achieve” (na prayojanavattvät). A person performs an action to attain a goal, either for himself or for others. Since the Lord is ātmārāma, or self- fulfilled, He has no reason to act. It defies logic to say that the Lord creates for the sake of the jiva, for He is compassionate by nature and would not condemn the jiva to a place to suffer birth, death, old age and disease. Hoang Siffatali brom vd borated the obli yd In response, Śrīla Vyasa wrote the next sutra-lokavat tu līlā- kaivalyam (vs 2.1.33), “The Lord creates, however, merely out of play.” Śrīla Baladeva Vidyabhuṣaṇa explains in his Govinda-bhāṣya 437 lesbosoundT91AŚrī Bhagavat Sandarbha mi small ya commentary that the word tu (however) is used to indicate removal of doubt. That the Lord creates merely out of play is also confirmed by Gauḍapada in his Mandukya-kärikā: late even evini ия Indeed, the Lord, who is self-fulfilled, creates out of His own nature, not to achieve something He lacks. (Mandukya-kärikā 1.9) 47 Just as Kṛṣṇa creates merely out of play, so too does He engage in other activities -lila-kaivalya. He acts out of exuberance, just as an intoxicated man dances. This example is meant to show only that the Lord acts out of delight. It does not mean that He loses His quality of omniscience, as a drunkard loses awareness of his behavior. More- over, His actions are not motivated by a desire to enjoy; rather, they are a display of His innate joy, His svarupananda. If He were to act in order to experience enjoyment, that would mean He lacks it. In fact, His very form is made up of transcendental being, awareness and bliss, just as ours is made of the material gunas. Some scholars compare Bhagavan’s actions to breathing, which occurs naturally without any motive or conscious effort, even during deep sleep. As with the example of the drunkard, this analogy is also limited, because the omniscient Lord is never ignorant or uncon- scious, like a sleeping man. In deep sleep one breathes even though unconscious. The Lord, however, is omniscient and never unaware of His actions. Ledt 08, 2009 ела погтво all Since Kṛṣṇa’s enactment of the material creation is free from motive, how many times more so must be His internal pastimes with His devotees? They are manifestations of His svarupa-sakti alone (SB 10.16.47). Because the Lord’s pastimes are neither material nor performed for any selfish motive, even ätmärämas like Sukadeva, who have no interest in anything material, hear them with great relish. 16 yea of oigal asieb 11 The transcendental nature of Krsna’s birth and actions can be realized only when one is free from identification with the body- mind-ego self, fostered by māyā. This is the purport of the following verses by Sûta Gosvāmi: ad otorwsze si sannaze n to do vlays ovawod asdesto bral sin 20 47 devasyaiva svabhāvo’yam āpta-kāmasya kā spṛhā 438 47 His Name, Form, Actions and Attributes Are Transcendental When these gross and subtle forms are denied through self- ou knowledge, being recognized as created out of ignorance, at that tu moment one attains realization of Brahman. If the Lord’s māyā should recede and the self become enriched with divine conscious- ness, then, say the wise, he is established in his own glory. And, in the same way, the wise describe the births and actions of the unborn and inactive Lord of the Heart, which are hidden to the Vedas. (SB 1.3.33-35) 48 th This indirectly states that Bhagavan’s birth and actions are not material, and that is why one has to become completely free from identification with the material body-mind to be able to realize them. The phrase brahma-darśana indicates direct realization of Bhagavan and His pastimes. For this reason, liberated beings describe the birth and actions of the unborn Lord, which are confidentially told in the Vedas. This also indicates that the bliss of hearing His pastimes is superior to the bliss of Brahman realization; otherwise, liberated beings, like Sukadeva Gosvāmi, would not have an iota of interest in them. This certainly proves that Bhagavan’s pastimes are not mate- rial, and it is with this intention that Sūta Gosvāmī refers to the Lord as akarta (the non-doer), and ajana (the unborn). Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi also quotes the commentary of Śrīdhara Svāmi on the two verses SB 10.48.23-24, in which he too accepts Bhagavan’s birth and pastimes as līlā, or play. Follons moyo bag thanks 47.3 the bay ainakin ordbogbow तथा नाम्नो वैलक्षण्यं वाङ्मनसागोचरगुणावलम्बित्वेन स्वतः सिद्धत्वम् । तद् यथा वासुदेवा- ध्यात्मे “अप्रसिद्धेस्तद्गुणानामनामासौ प्रकीर्तितः” इति । ब्राह्म्ये-
The distinct nature of Bhagavan’s name is that, while impercep- tible to speech and mind, it is self-manifest. This is stated in 48 yatreme sad-asad-rupe pratiṣiddhe sva-samvidā avidyayatmani kṛte iti tad brahma-darśanam yady eşoparată devi māyā vaiśāradi matiḥ sampanna eveti vidur mahimni sve mahiyate evam ca janmäni karmāņi hy akartur ajanasya ca varnayanti sma kavayo veda-guhyani hṛt-pateḥ 439 IstashnerŚri Bhagavat Sandarbha M Vasudevādhyātma, “Because His qualities are unknown to people, He is said to have no name” (anāmā).49 Brahma Purāṇa states:spl अनामा सोऽप्रसिद्धत्वादरूपो भूतवर्जनात् ॥ १९५ ॥ इति । 100 The Lord is said to be nameless (anāmā), because the transcen- dental nature of His name is unknown. He is said to be formless (arupa), because His form is not made of material elements.50 अत एव “नामकर्मस्वरूपाणि” इति पूर्वोदाहरणानुसारेणास्यापि वैष्णववाक्यस्यायमेवा- र्थः । वि० पु० ५।१८।५३-५४- I Therefore, the following verses from Visnu Purāņa should be understood in the same way as the verse cited above, “Śrī Viṣṇu, whose names, forms and activities are incomprehensible” (VP 5.2.19): bro न यत्र नाथ विद्यन्ते नामजात्यादिकल्पनाः । तद्ब्रह्म परमं नित्यमविकारि भवानजः ॥ १९६ ॥ न कल्पनामृतेऽर्थस्य सर्वस्याधिगमो यतः । 2018 ततः कृष्णाच्युतानन्तविष्णुनामभिरीड्यसे || १९७ ।। इत्यस्य । O Lord! Brahman, the eternal, immutable and unborn Absolute, of his that in which conceptualizations (kalpana) of name, class (jāti) and so on, do not exist. You are that Brahman. But without such conceptualization, nothing can be ascertained, and so You are worshiped by names such as Kṛṣṇa, Acyuta, Ananta and Viṣṇu. (VP 5.18.53-54)51 एक इत्येतद् वैष्णववचनानन्तरमपि न विरुद्धम् । तथा ह्यत्रापाततः प्रतीतार्थतायां कल्पनाशब्दो व्यर्थः स्यात् । नामजात्यादयो न विद्यन्ते इत्यनेनैव विवक्षितार्थसिद्धेः । स्वयमेव ब्रह्माजा- दिशब्दानां परमार्थप्रतिपादकनामतया स्वीकृतेश्च | bolm bok 49 aprasiddhes tad-guṇānām anāmāsau prakirtitaḥ 50 51 anāmā so’prasiddhatvad arupo bhūta-varjanāt na yatra natha vidyante nama-jäty-ādi-kalpanāḥ tad brahma paramam nityam avikari bhavan ajaḥ na kalpanam ṛte’rthasya sarvasyadhigamo yataḥ tataḥ kṛṣṇācyutānanta-viṣṇu-nămabhir idyaseva aldh 44047 His Name, Form, Actions and Attributes Are Transcendental These two verses do not contradict the Visnu Purana verse previ- ously cited. At first glance, the use of the word kalpanā (concep- tualization) in VP 5.18.53 seems futile, since the speaker’s intent would be sufficiently clear simply by stating, “Name, class and so on, do not exist within You.” [On closer inspection, however, this word is highly significant, as will be shown, since it is not that the Lord is devoid of name, class and so on, but rather, His name and class are self-existent and hence prior to conceptual- ization. It is for this reason that His name is imperceptible to mind and speech.] Moreover, words like brahma and aja (unborn) [also mentioned in the verse] are acknowledged as names that establish the subject as transcendental.de dona lis th 021 “अजामेकां लोहितशुक्लकृष्णाम्” (श्वे०४।५) इत्यादिष्वजायमानत्वलक्षणजातिश्च दृश्यत एव । तथा नामादिकल्पना न विद्यन्ते इत्युक्त्या स्वयं कृष्णादिनामकल्पनोक्तिर्विरुद्धा स्यात् । कल्पनया वा कथमीड्यता स्यात् । कल्पनाया अनियतत्वाच् च कथं कृष्णादि- नामनैयत्यमुच्यते ? । In statements such as, “There is a single goat, red, white and black in hue […],”5± that specific class ( jāti ) characterized as pertain- ing to the state of birthlessness is also indicated [since, as already noted, the word aja means both a goat and unborn. Hence, the statement could be rendered, “There is one unborn…”]. Addition- ally, the statement that there is no conceptualization of name, and so on, in the Lord is apparently contradicted by the one that follows it, stating that He has names, such as Kṛṣṇa and Acyuta. If these are kalpanā (lit., “ imaginary”), how can He be worshiped by them? Thought constructs, or kalpanās, are unstable and imper- manent, so how can names like Krsna be said to be eternal? तस्मान् नामकर्मस्वरूपाणीत्यनुसाराच् चायमर्थः यथा - यत्र नामजात्यादीनां नामनि कृष्णादीनि जातयो देवत्वमनुष्यत्वक्षत्रियत्वादिलीलास्तदादीनां कल्पना न विद्यन्ते । किन्तु “स्वसंस्थया समाप्तसर्वार्थम्” (भा० १० । ३७।२३) इत्युक्तदिशा स्वरूपसिद्धनित्यश- क्तिविलासरूपाण्येव तानीत्यर्थः । rwu Jora 21 So, in accordance with the meaning of the verse cited earlier (“Śrī 52 ajām ekārn lohita-śukla-krsnām śu 4.5, verse quoted in full in Section 24. 441 Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbham BT Visņu, whose names, forms and activities are incomprehensible,” VP 5.2.19), the Visnu Purana statement should be understood as fol- lows: [The eternal Absolute is He] in whom (yatra) conceptual- izations of names, forms and so on (nama-jäty-ādi-kalpanah) do not exist. The word nama (names) refers to Krsna and other such names. [That there is no conceptualization (kalpana) in regard to the name Kṛṣṇa indicates that it exists prior to the act of naming or mental assignation.] The word jāti (classes) refers to Kṛṣṇa’s lilă of appearance within the classifications of gods, humans, or warrior-kings. [That there is no kalpana in regard to Kṛṣṇa’s līlā of appearance within these classes indicates that His existence transcends all such categorization.] And the word adi (and so on) means anything else in regard to Him. [So conceptualizations do not exist in regard to His names, the classes within which He appears or anything else in relation to Him]. Rather, it is to be understood that all of these are simply manifestations of the eter- nal potency of His essential nature, as indicated in the following verse discussed earlier [Anuccheda 47.1]: विशुद्धविज्ञानघनं स्वसंस्थया समाप्तसर्वार्थममोघवाञ्छितम् । स्वतेजसा नित्यनिवृत्तमायागुणप्रवाहं भगवन्तमीमहि ।। १९८ ।। -no We app bas 516ta on of go We approach the Supreme Lord, who is pure consciousness per-67 sonified, whose goals are automatically accomplished, by virtue 18of His being situated in His own existence, whose desires are 11 always fulfilled and by whose prowess the flow of the three gunas lo vd of maya is ever dispelled from Him. (SB 10.37.23)53 όπου 109 ततश्च यतो यस्मात् सर्वस्यापि दृष्टस्य वस्तुनः कल्पनां नामादिरचनामृतेऽधिगमो व्यवहा- रिकबोधो न भवति । ततस्तस्मादेव हेतोः कल्पनामयं नाम तन्नामिनं चार्थं सर्वमवज्ञाय निखिलप्रमाणपरिच्छेदागोचरत्वेन वेदात्मतया स्वतः सिद्धैः कृष्णादिनामोपलक्षणैः प्रसिद्धै- रेव नामभिः स्वतःसिद्धस्त्वमेवेड्यसे मुनिभिर्वेदैश्च श्लाघ्यसे । न तु कल्पनामयैरन्यैस्त्वमपि श्लाघ्यसे । तादृशमहिमभिस्तैरेव तव महिमा व्यक्तीभवतीति । श Empirical knowledge of all perceptible objects cannot occur with- out a classification of names, and so on. For this reason, the 53 viśuddha-vijñāna-ghanam sva-samsthayä samapta-sarvärtham amogha-väñchitam sva-tejasă nitya-nivṛtta-maya-guna-pravahaṁ bhagavantam imahi 442 47 His Name, Form, Actions and Attributes Are Transcendental self-existent Lord, fully comprehending the nature of material names and their corresponding objects, is worshiped instead, through self-existent, celebrated names, such as Kṛṣṇa, by the sages and Vedas. These self-existent names constitute the Vedas, transcend all material names and their corresponding objects, and are imperceptible by any means of acquiring knowledge. Thus, the Lord is not glorified by manufactured names, or in other words, by names that are a product of conceptualization. Only transcendental names with the above characteristics can manifest the Lord’s glory. vino bagide To aldays यद् वा तैरेवेड्यसे व्यक्तमाहात्मीक्रियस इति । अत्र यैः शास्त्रेऽतिप्रसिद्धैः श्रीभगवानेव झटिति प्रतीतो भवति येषां च साङ्केत्यादावपि तादृशप्रभावः श्रूयते तेषां स्वतःसिद्धत्वम- न्येषां कल्पनामयत्वं ज्ञेयम् । Alternatively, the verb iḍyase (You are worshiped) [in VP 5.18.54 above] can also mean that the Lord manifests His glory through these names. It should be understood that only those names that are celebrated in scripture, that invoke instant remembrance of the Lord, and that manifest their potency even if chanted inci- dentally, are to be considered self-existent. All other names are a product of thought-construction. अथवा हे नाथ । यत्र नामजात्यादीनां कल्पना न विद्यन्ते तत् केवलं विशेष्यरूपं परमं ब्रह्म भवान् । तत्तत्कल्पनाया अविषयत्वे हेतुः - विशेषेण करोति लीलायत इति विकारि तथा न भवतीत्यविकारीति । तद्रूपेण न जायते न प्रकटीभवतीति हे अजेति च । ततः किमवलम्ब्य तत्र नामजात्यादिकल्पनाः क्रियन्तामिति भावः । An alternative explanation is as follows: O Lord, Your unquali- fied feature, in which there are no conceptualizations of names and classes, is called Parabrahman. The reason for the absence of such conceptualizations is that in Brahman there are no pas- times (avikāri). Vikāri means one who acts in a unique way, i.e., engages in pastimes. Brahman does not manifest form and is thus addressed as aja (unborn). On what basis then can Brahman be conceptualized in terms of name or class? This is the import. तत्तत्कल्पनां विना च सर्वस्याप्यर्थस्य वस्तुमात्रस्याधिगममात्रं न भवेत् किमुत तादृशब्रह्म- स्वरूपस्य भवतः । कल्पनामयनामजात्यादयस्तु न कस्यापि स्वरूपधर्मा भवन्ति । यत एवं 443 Jam Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha y ततः साङ्केत्यादिना भावितैरपि भवद्वत्सर्वपुरुषार्थप्रदैस्तत्तद्विशेषप्रतिपादकैः कृष्णादिनाम- भिरेव त्वमीड्यसे नित्यसिद्धश्रुतिपुराणादिभिः श्लाघ्यसे न तु निर्विशेषताप्रतिपादकैर्नितरां कल्पनामयैरित्यर्थः । dguout Without conceptualization of name and category there is no pos- sibility of understanding anything about any object whatsoever. So what to speak of You, whose form is Brahman, as described above? Conceptualized names and categories cannot convey the natural characteristics of any object. Therefore, You are wor- shiped only through names, such as Kṛṣṇa, that establish some specific quality in You and are capable of granting all human goals, just as You are, even if remembered only incidentally. [And so You] are glorified by the eternally existing Vedas, Purāņas and so on, but You are not worshiped by merely conceptualized names that attempt to depict Your unqualified feature. किन्तु कृष्णादीनां चतुर्णां नाम्नामुपलक्षणत्वमेव ज्ञेयम् । नारायणादिनानामपि साङ्केत्यादौ तथा प्रभावश्रवणात् । These four names, beginning with Krsna [Acyuta, Ananta and Visnu], are indicative of all other names. Other names, like Nārā- yana, even if chanted incidentally, are also seen to have the same effect. “वर्ण एव तु शब्द इति भगवानुपवर्षः” इत्यनेन “तस्य च नित्यत्वात्” (ब्र० सू० २ ।४ । १७) इत्यनेन च न्यायेन वर्णतयैव नित्यत्वमस्य वेदसारवर्णात्मकनाम्नः सिद्ध्यति । According to the rule, “The great sage Upavarṣa says, ‘A letter is a word,””54 and according to vs 2.4.16, “A letter is eternal,” it is con- cluded that the Holy Name, which is the essence of the Vedas, and consists of letters, is eternal in each of its letters. तथैव गोपालतापनीश्रुतौ (गो० ता० १।२६) नाममयाष्टदशाक्षरप्रसङ्गे ब्रह्मवाक्यम् “तेष्वक्ष- रेषु भविष्यज्जगद्रूपं प्रकाशयन्” इति । अत्रावरकालजातशब्दादिमयजगत्कारणत्वेन तद्वै- लक्षण्यात् स्वतःसिद्धत्वं तथा भगवत्स्वरूपाभिन्नत्वं च तद्वैलक्षण्यं नाम्नः । 54 varna eva tu sabda iti bhagavan upavarṣaḥ Jaimini-sutra 1.5.5, Sabara-bhāṣya F 444 47 His Name, Form, Actions and Attributes Are Transcendental Similarly, in the section of Gopala-tapani Upanisad wherein the 18-syllable mantra consisting of the Lord’s names is described, Śrī Brahma says, “While manifesting the future universe in those letters,” (GTU 1.26).55 Thus, the Lord’s names are self-existent because they are distinct from ordinary sound, being the cause of the universe consisting of material elements, such as sound, which come into existence only later on. And because the Lord’s name is nondifferent from His form, it is distinct from material sound. तद् यथा श्रुतौ (ऋग्वेद १।१५६।३) Insta On this point the Vedas state: те ॐ आस्य जानन्तो नाम चिद् विविक्तन महस्ते विष्णो सुमतिं भजामहे । ॐ तत् सत् ॥ १९९ ॥ इत्यादि । ain Om. O Śrī Viṣṇu! By chanting Your Name, which is conscious and ad glorious, we who have little knowledge about the Name attain am true insight. This name is eternal. (RV 1.156.3) 56 brol अयमर्थः - हे विष्णो । ते तव नाम चिच् चित्स्वरूपम् । अत एव महः स्वप्रकाशरूपम् । तस्मादस्य नाम्नः आ ईषदपि जानन्तः । न तु सम्यगुच्चारमाहात्म्यादिपुरस्कारेण । तथापि विवक्तन ब्रुवाणाः केवलं तदक्षराभ्यासमात्रं कुर्वाणाः सुमतिं तद्विषयां विद्यां भजामहे प्रा- प्रुमः । यतस्तदेव प्रणवव्यञ्जितं वस्तु सत् स्वतःसिद्धमिति । uds and ordw odw siro od of vanno bil tot Ysamid The meaning of this mantra is as follows: “O Śrī Viṣṇu, Your name is conscious (cit), or it is consciousness, and is therefore self-effulgent (maha) in nature. So, even though we have but par- tial knowledge of the eternal nature of Your name, meaning that we are not endowed with complete understanding of the glory of proper chanting, yet simply by repeating the syllables, we can attain true insight, or in other words, authentic knowledge of You. Therefore, the entity expressed by Om, which is You, is self-existent (sat).” अत एव भयद्वेषादौ श्रीमूर्तेः स्फूर्तेरिव साङ्केत्यादावप्यस्य मुक्तिदत्वं श्रूयते । 55 teşv akṣareşu bhavisyaj-jagad-rupaṁ prakāśayan 56 om asya jananto nama cid viviktana mahas te visno sumatim bhajamahe om tat sat 445 Instrumenty Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbhama ch all of Thus, it is seen that the Name liberates a person, even if simply alluded to, just as the form of the Lord springs to mind when over- come by fear or envy of Him. griestiem slidWaysa Amdese तथा चोक्तं ब्राह्मे- onlab and word seed via to This is stated in Brahma Purana: to grinds अप्यन्यचित्तः क्रुद्धो वा यः सदा कीर्तयेद् धरिम् । सोऽपि बद्धक्षयान् मुक्तिं लभेच् चेदिपतिर्यथा ॥ २०० ॥ इति । Iped on 2005 alte If one continuously chants Śri Hari’s name, even in a state of mental agitation or anger, he will definitely become free from go bondage and attain liberation, as did Śiśupāla, the king of Cedi.5” तथा श्रीभगवत इव तस्य नाम्नः सकृदपि साक्षात्कारः संसारध्वंसको भवति । यथा स्कान्दे (विष्णुख० मार्गशीर्षमासमाहात्म्ये ५।१५।५२ ) - Similarly, if one directly contacts the Holy Name, even once, his material existence is destroyed, exactly as if he had witnessed the Lord directly. This is stated in Skanda Purana: सकृदुच्चारितं येन हरिरित्यक्षरद्वयम् । बद्धः परिकरस्तेन मोक्षाय गमनं प्रति ॥ २०१ ॥ इति । first One who has chanted the two syllables ha-ri even once readies himself for the journey to liberation. (Visnu-khanda 5.15.52)58 Am ald श्रुतौ च प्रणवमुद्दिश्य “ ॐ इत्येतद् ब्रह्मणो नेदिष्ठं नाम यस्मादुच्चार्यमाण एव संसारभयात् तारयति तस्मादुच्यते तारः” इत्यादि बहुतरम् । Jea Śruti also, in referring to the syllable Om, states: “Om is the most accessible name of the Lord. It is called tāra, because it carries the chanter across the fear of material bondage.””” In this way, the Name has innumerable glories. 57 apy anya-cittaḥ kruddho va yaḥ sada kirtayed dharim so’pi baddha-kṣayan muktim labhec cedi-patir yathā 58 sakṛd uccaritaṁ yena harir ity aksara-dvayamim baddhaḥ parikaras tena mokṣaya gamanam prati 59 om ity etat brahmano nediṣṭham nama […] yasmād uccāryamāṇa eva samsara-bhayāt tarayati tasmad ucyate tāraḥ 446 47 His Name, Form, Actions and Attributes Are Transcendental Commentary After establishing that the birth and actions of Bhagavan are tran- scendental and distinct from those of mortal beings, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmī verifies that Kṛṣṇa’s names are also spiritual. The Lord is called anămă (lit., “nameless”), because He does not have material names. In this material world a child is given a name at birth and naturally belongs to a caste, class, tribe, sect or race. These bodily designations, of name, class and nationality, are material and tem- porary. They last only as long as the body remains, and at times, can change, even within the course of the same life. As proven earlier, however, the Lord’s birth is transcendental and eternal, so it naturally follows that His Name is also eternal. His Names are found in the Vedic mantras, which are eternal. His Form is eternal and the Nyaya school of logic concludes, “The attributes of an eternal substance are also eternal” (nityam gatam nityam, Tarka- sangraha 3.6). Thus, the Lord’s Name and other attributes are eternal manifestations of His internal potency. There is no one who can assign Kṛṣṇa a name, because He existed prior to everyone and thus prior to the act of naming. As a matter of fact, He is the one who has given names to all objects, which are created by Him: Knowledge of the names of various objects and the respective duties of various people was obtained by Śrī Brahma from the words of the Vedas, and thus he propagated the classification of names and duties. (MANU 1.21)60 Śri Krsna is known as Vedantakṛt (GĪTĀ 15.15), and He spoke the Vedas to Śrī Brahma (SB 11.14.3). The names and classes assigned to people are not part of their essential nature; they can be modified or replaced by new ones without causing any change of essence. They serve only to assist in empirical dealings. A fool can be named pandita-siromani (the crown jewel of scholars), and a blind man, padma-locana (lotus-eyed one), but this will not have any bearing on sarveṣām tu sa nāmāni karmani ca prthak prthak veda-sabdebhya evadau pṛthak samsthaś ca nirmame the tightes 447 lensbout AŚrī Bhagavat Sandarbha m their nature. There is no factual relation between a person’s names and his attributes. Such is not the case with the Lord’s names, how- ever, as Kṛṣṇa is nondifferent from His Names, and therefore, His complete potency also exists in His Names. This is confirmed by Śrī Caitanya Mahaprabhu: is 5mg and airy Totsvan fatrate bru O my Lord, You have unlimited names, and You have infused these names with all Your potencies. Furthermore, You have not enforced any rules, as to where or when these names are to be remembered. Such is Your mercy, O Lord, and yet I am so unfortunate that I have no love for them. (Sikṣāṣṭaka 2)61 1st This fact can be realized by chanting the Lord’s name without offense. 1919 ale zi am at Jeawolf) yllewien il of Jemats bas гі эти Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s names may convey an attribute He possesses, such as ghana-syama, “He who is blackish like a fresh monsoon rain cloud,” or they may convey His pastimes, such as giridhari, “He who lifted Govardhana Hill.” Because He is inherently self-endowed with trans-conventional qualities and eternally manifests trans-egoic play (līlā), there is no need for Him to be assigned merely conceptu- alized names that are incapable of reflecting His true nature.org 918 It was a practice in Vedic culture that after the birth of a child, learned brāhmaṇas would be invited to prepare the horoscope and assign an appropriate name corresponding to the child’s prospec- tive future. For example, one can allude to the naming ceremonies of Parīkṣit Mahārāja and Śrī Kṛṣṇa in Śrīmad Bhagavatam. This is the reason why names in the Vedic literature so precisely match the character of those they designate. The correspondence is so close, in fact, that it leads skeptics to interpret the stories as mere fable, rea- soning that apt names must have been chosen by the author.sbby bh According to Vedic authorities, even letters have transcendental potency. Jaimini states in his Mimāṁsä-sutra, “Words are certainly eternal and their pronunciation conveys meaning to others,” (nityas tu syad darśanasya pararthatvāt, Mimāṁsä-sutra 1.1.18). Bhagavān Upavarṣa, a great Mimāṁsaka, says that every letter is a word, and 61 nāmnām akāri bahudhā nija-sarva-saktis taträrpita niyamitaḥ smarane na kalaḥ etādṛśi tava kṛpā bhagavan manāpi durdaivam īdṛśam ihājani nānurāgaḥodak 448 47 His Name, Form, Actions and Attributes Are Transcendental thus letters are eternal. For this reason, letters in Sanskrit are called akṣara (imperishable). Moreover, if words are considered eternal, their constituent parts must also be eternal. Again, logic dictates that it is not possible to have an eternal object with temporal com- ponents, because, “What is not in the cause cannot be in the effect” (kāraṇābhāvāt kāryābhāvaḥ, Vaiśeṣika-sūtra 1.1.13). ( 250According to Śrī Kṛṣṇa, words are a manifestation of Brahman: ylgalworl hained odiadur The Supreme Lord, who supplies life to all, reveals Himself in the chakras of the human body. Having entered the mūlādhāra-cakra Falong with the sonant prāna and assumed subtle forms composed of mind-stuff2 He manifests Himself in a gross form [on the tongue] consisting of vowels, accent and consonants. (SB 11.12.17)6317 Be Inclong ongt noet This is also the opinion of Tantrikas and grammarians like Pāṇini. An objection may be raised here. It is our common experience that words are spoken with the help of vocal chords, the tongue, palate, lips and so on, and are then lost immediately. So how can words be accepted as eternal? The answer is that the tongue and mouth do not create the words, they only pronounce them and con- vey them to others. Words exist eternally, and the action of speech only makes them audible. Speech can be compared to the light that makes objects in a dark room visible; it does not create them. 99 The The Holy Name of the Lord is certainly eternal, being nondif- ferent from Him, self-existent and conscious in nature. Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmi here selects a few texts from the Vedas and Purānas to estab- lish the conscious nature of the Name. Sabda is the only pramāņa (valid means of knowledge) adequate to ascertain knowledge of the T99abrod Ististem ni anismer Ilija 62 The word (vak) has four stages of manifestation: pară, pasyanti, madhyama and vaikhari. Vaikhari is the gross form, manifested in speech. Madhyama is the mental translation of form into name, and pasyanti is the intuitive thought form prior to mental translation. These are associated with viśuddha-cakra (the throat center), anahata-cakra (the heart center) and manipura-cakra (the navel center), respectively. Para is pure sakti, present as the kundalini energy in the ton mūlādhāra-cakra. See Śrīdhara Svāmi’s commentary to this verse. 63 sa eşa jivo vivara-prasütiḥ pränena ghoṣena guham pravistah mano-mayam sukṣmam upetya rūpaṁ matrā svaro varna iti sthavisthah 449 Inversbassenes sŚri Bhagavat Sandarbharma reality that underlies and transcends material nature. Śri Suka has clearly explained the glories of the Holy Name in Srimad Bhagavatam, especially in the account of Ajamila. The Holy Name can liberate a person even if chanted incidentally-since an object’s power does not depend on the knowledge of its user (vastu-saktir na hi buddhim apekṣyate). Fire will burn, whether one touches it knowingly or by accident. Similarly, the name of the Lord burns sins to ashes, whether chanted knowingly or unknowingly, with faith or without faith: As fire burns dry grass to ashes, so the Holy Name of the Lord, whether chanted knowingly or unknowingly, unfailingly burns all reactions of one’s sinful acts to ashes. Just as medicine of the high- est curative potency will surely act even on a person ignorant of its efficacy, even if taken by chance, so too the name of the Lord will act even if uttered as a matter of coincidence. (SB 6.2.18-19)64 Sugno nabroda Lesov to 47.4 न चास्यार्थवादत्वं चिन्त्यम् " तथार्थवादो हरिनाम्नि कल्पनम्” इति पद्मपुराणानुसारेणाप- राधापातात् । । asolsim vino These statements should not be taken as mere eulogies (artha- vāda) because Padma Purana states, “It is an offense to consider the glories of the Holy Name to be eulogy.” यस्य तु गृहीतनाम्नोऽपि पुनः संसारस्तस्य - 1165 However, sometimes even after chanting the Holy Name, a person still remains in material bondage. This is described in Purāņic statements, such as the one cited in Viṣṇu-bhakti-candrodaya: 64 ajñānād atha vā jñānād uttama-sloka-nama yat sankirtitam agham pumso dahed edho yathanalaḥ yathāgadam viryatamam upayuktam yadṛcchaya ajānato’py atma-gunam kuryan mantro’py udahṛtaḥ 65 tathartha-vado hari-namni kalpanam PP, Brahma-khanda 25.16 m 45047His Name, Form, Actions and Attributes Are Transcendental नानुव्रजति यो मोहाद् व्रजन्तं परमेश्वरम् । ज्ञानाग्निदग्धकर्मापि स भवेद् ब्रह्मराक्षसः || २०२ ।। If out of delusion one does not follow the Lord’s procession, while He rides His chariot, such a person will take birth as a brahma- rakṣasa [a type of ghost], even if free from all karma by the culture of knowledge.” vihadi ashaV Tarladwonlod finds it इति श्रीविष्णुभक्तिचन्द्रोदयादिप्रमाणितपुराणवचनवन् महदपराधतदर्थवादकल्पनादिकं प्रतिबन्धकं ज्ञेयम् । From this statement, it is to be understood that some great offense, like imagining the glories of the Holy Name to be exag- geration, is presenting an obstacle. hatede अत एवानन्दरूपत्वमस्य महद्धृदयसाक्षिकं यथा श्रीविग्रहस्य । तदुक्तं श्रीशौनकेन ( भा० २।३।२४ ) - Therefore, on the authority of sages, the name of the Lord is of the nature of bliss, just like His form. As Śrī Śaunaka said: तदश्मसारं हृदयं बतेदं यद्गृह्यमाणैर्हरिनामधेयैः । न विक्रियेताथ यदा विकारो नेत्रे जलं गात्ररुहेषु हर्षः ॥ २०३ ॥ इति । odw Alas, the heart that does not melt while reciting the names of Śrī Hari is surely made of stone. When the heart does melt, tears flow from the eyes and the hairs of the body stand on end in ecstasy. (SB 2.3.24)67 अत एव प्रभासपुराणे कण्ठोक्त्या कथितैर्हेतुभिः सकलवेदफलत्वेन च भगवत्स्वरूपत्वमेव प्रतिपादितम्- Therefore, in Skanda Purāna, Prabhāsa khanda, the above reasons are used to establish explicitly that the Lord’s name is identical to His form, being the fruit of all the Vedas: 66 nänuvrajati yo mohad vrajantam parameśvaram jñänägni-dagdha-karmäpi sa bhaved brahma-räksasaḥ tad aśma-saram hrdayam batedam yad grhyamānair hari-nama-dheyaiḥ na vikriyetätha yadā vikāro netre jalaṁ gatra-ruheṣu harṣaḥm 451 lasbo Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha मधुरमधुरमेतन्मङ्गलं मङ्गलानां सकलनिगमवल्लीसत्फलं चित्स्वरूपम् । सकृदपि परिगीतं श्रद्धया हेलया वा भृगुवर नरमात्रं तारयेत् कृष्णनाम ॥ २०४ ॥ इति । ada wollo Jonesoh sup O best of the Bhrgu dynasty, the Holy Name of Kṛṣṇa is the sweet- est of the sweet and the most auspicious of the auspicious. It is the sacred fruit of the creeper of all the Vedas and is conscious in nature. Whosoever chants it but once, whether faithfully or inadvertently, becomes liberated once, तस्माद् भगवत्स्वरूपमेव नाम । स्पष्टं चोक्तं श्रीनारदपञ्चरात्रेऽष्टाक्षरमन्त्रमुद्दिश्य - 1891 902 Tens bootersbm sd of 21 So, the Name is the very svarupa of the Lord. This is clearly stated in Narada-pañcaratra in the course of explaining the eight- syllable mantra: व्यक्तं हि भगवानेव साक्षान् नारायणः स्वयम् । अष्टाक्षरस्वरूपेन मुखेषु परिवर्तते ॥ २०५ ॥ इति । Śrī Nārāyaṇa Himself is directly present in the mouths of people who chant the eight-syllable mantra.69 उपनिषत्सु च प्रणवमुद्दिश्य “ ॐ कार एवेदं सर्वम्” ( छा० २।२३।३) “ॐ इत्येतदक्षरमिदं सर्वम्” (मा० १) । In the Upanisads, while referring to Om, it is said, “The letter Om is all this” (CHU 2.23.3), and, “Indeed, all this is Om” (Mandukya Upanisad 1).” Mäṇḍukya-kärikā states: प्रणवो ह्यपरं ब्रह्म प्रणवश्च परं स्मृतम् । (5.c.cue) अपूर्वोऽनन्तरोऽबाह्योऽनपरः प्रणवोऽव्ययः ॥ २०६ ॥ सर्वस्य प्रणवो ह्यादिर्मध्यमन्तस्तथैव च । bd2a1,9101929 гло hoar 68 madhura-madhuram etan mangalam mangalānāṁ as daildejas ni boat/ 916 sakala-nigama-valli-sat-phalam cit-svarupam to a galed mol tion sakṛd api parigitam śraddhaya helayā vā bhrgu-vara nara-matram tārayet kṛṣṇa-nāma 69 vyaktam hi bhagavan eva säkṣan nārāyaṇaḥ svayam aṣṭākṣara-svarupena mukheşu parivartate 70 onkära evedam sarvam “om ity etad akṣaram idam sarvam 452 47 His Name, Form, Actions and Attributes Are Transcendental एवं हि प्रणवं ज्ञात्वा व्यश्रुते तदनन्तरम् ॥ २०७ ।। प्रणवं हीश्वरं विद्यात् सर्वस्य हृदये स्थितम् । सर्वव्यापिनमोङ्कारं मत्वा धीरो न शोचति ॥ २०८ ।। अमात्रोऽनन्तमात्रश्च द्वैतस्योपशमः शिवः । ॐ कारो विदितो येन स मुनिर्नेतरो जनः ॥ २०९ ॥ इति । ars to suspod baigusdil vllamists bu maffigy dap To amal VHSff Pranava (Om) is Parabrahman, and is said to be transcenden- tal. Pranava is unprecedented, imperishable, without exterior las or interior, and beyond which, there is nothing. Pranava is the beginning, middle and end of everything. Knowing praṇava in this way, one attains Him. Know pranava to be the Supreme Lord (Iśvara) in everyone’s heart. A sober person who knows the all- pervading Om no longer laments. Om is immeasurable, unlim- Vited, all-auspicious and the end of dualism. Only one who knows d -Om is to be considered a wise sage, and no one else. (Mandukya- ar kärikä 26-29)72 yaw noass пог утолгодын элі mor hibaon ei oms sd न तु परमेश्वरस्यैव तत्तद्योग्यतासम्भवाद् वर्णमात्रस्य तथोक्तिः स्तुतिरूपैवेति मन्तव्यम् । अवतारान्तरवत् परमेश्वरस्यैव वर्णरूपेणावतारोऽयमिति अस्मिन्नर्थे तेनैव श्रुतिबलेनाङ्गी- कृते तदभेदेन तत्सम्भवात् । तस्मान् नामनामिनोरभेद एव । तदुक्तं पाद्मे - do A One should not think that these statements, regarding a mere syl- lable, are just eulogy, and that such characteristics are not possi- ble to be found other than in the personal form of the Supreme Lord. Om is the avatara of the Lord in letter form, and is like any other avatara. By the authority of these statements of the Vedas, it is established that Om is nondifferent from the Lord, and thus such powers are certainly to be found in it. Therefore, there is no difference between the Name (nama) and Kṛṣṇa Himself, the Repository of the Name (nāmī). This is stated in Padma Purāṇa: GRET of 72 mib taom aj nam dsbd 2 stuloadA odio nobel pranavo hy aparaṁ brahma pranavaś ca param smrtam apurvo’nantaro’bahyo’naparaḥ pranavo’vyayaḥ sarvasya pranavo hy adir madhyam antas tathaiva ca evam hi pranavaṁ jñātvä vyaśnute tad-anantaram pranavaṁ hisvaram vidyat sarvasya hṛdaye sthitam sarva-vyäpinam orkaraṁ matvā dhiro na śocati amātro’nanta-mātraś ca dvaitasyopaśamaḥ śivaḥ onkaro vidito yena sa munir netaro janaḥ heard-abdo) INE THE FRITT Abbed by 453 Temas Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha नाम चिन्तामणिः कृष्णश्चैतन्यरसविग्रहः । पूर्णः शुद्धो नित्यमुक्तोऽभिन्नत्वान् नामनामिनोः ॥ २१० ॥ इति । The Holy Name of Kṛṣṇa is a wish-fulfilling gem; indeed, it is Kṛṣṇa Himself as the embodiment of conscious ecstasy. It is complete, pure and eternally liberated because of the non-distinction of the Name and its Repository (nama-nāmi- abhinnatva).73 अस्यार्थः–नामैव चिन्तामणिः सर्वार्थदातृत्वात् । न केवलं तादृशमेव । अपि तु चैतन्ये- त्यादिलक्षणो यः कृष्णः स एव साक्षात् । तत्र हेतु – अभिन्नत्वादितीति । Ils sel This verse indicates that the Name is itself a wish-fulfilling gem because it bestows all that is meaningful or desirable. Moreover, it is directly Śrī Kṛṣṇa Himself, who is replete with characteris- tics, such as consciousness. The reason why this is so is that the Name is nondifferent from its Repository. ननु तथाविधं नामादिकं कथं पुरुषेन्द्रियजन्यं भवति ? An objection may be raised: How can the Holy Name, naturally self-endowed with such divine attributes, be generated by, or arise from, the senses (i.e., the tongue) of a mere human being? न वेदमात्रस्य भगवतैव पुरुषेन्द्रियादिष्वाविर्भावनात् । यथोक्तमेकादशे स्वयं श्रीभगवता “शब्दब्रह्म सुदुर्बोधम्” (भा० ११ । २१ । ३६) इत्यारभ्य- dto In reply, it is said, no, the Name is not generated by the tongue, because the entire Veda was made manifest to the human senses by the Supreme Lord Himself. As the Supreme Lord says in the Eleventh Canto in two verses, beginning with, “The sound reve- lation of the Absolute, Śabdabrahman, is most difficult to grasp” (sabda-brahma sudurbodham, SB 11.21.36): 73 Hey मयोपबृंहितं भूम्ना ब्रह्मणानन्तशक्तिना । भूतेषु घोषरूपेण विसेषूर्णेव लक्ष्यते ॥ २११ ॥ इति । nāma cintamaniḥ kṛṣṇaś caitanya-rasa-vigrahaḥ pūrṇaḥ śuddho nitya-mukto’bhinnatvān nāma-nāminoḥ 454 47 His Name, Form, Actions and Attributes Are Transcendental As the unlimited, unchanging and omnipotent Supreme Lord dwelling within all living beings, I personally establish the Vedic sound vibration, in the form of onkāra, within all living entities. It is thus perceived subtly, like a single strand of fiber on a lotus] stalk. (SB 11.21.37)74 द्वादशस्य षष्ठे वेदव्यसनप्रसङ्गे “क्षीणायुषः” (भा० १२ । ६ । ४७) इत्यादौ । dow And in the Twelfth Canto, in the explanation of how the Vedas were divided: 0 balm sdi lo seantry as she do brodo क्षीणायुषः क्षीणसत्त्वान् दुर्मेधान् वीक्ष्य कालतः । वेदान् ब्रह्मर्षयो व्यस्यन् हृदिस्थाच्युतचोदिताः ॥ २१२ ॥ точнот Recognizing that people in general had become short-lived, and diminished in strength and intelligence, through the influence of time, great sages systematically divided the Vedas, as directed by the immortal Lord, dwelling in their hearts. (SB 12.6.47)75 टीका च - तर्हि पुरुषबुद्धिप्रभवत्वान् नादरणीयं स्यादित्याशङ्क्याह हृदिस्थाच्युतचोदि- तेति । इत्येषा । to go 9/16 Śrīdhara Svāmī here adds: “In the event that someone should doubt the authority of the Vedas, thinking them to be products of human intelligence, this verse proclaims that they were inspired by the Lord, dwelling in the heart.” ind fun stora “कस्मै येन विभासितोऽयम्” (भा० १२ १३ ११९) इत्यादौ तद्रूपेणेत्यादिवत् । eiris no baca эпо Кіт The same idea is expressed in SB 12.13.19,76 where it is stated that each of the individuals who transmitted Srimad Bhagavatam in disciplic succession is a personification of the Lord (tad-rūpeṇa). 74 mayopabṛmhitam bhūmnā brahmaṇānanta-saktina bhūteṣu ghoṣa-rupena viseṣürneva lakṣyatex10 75 kṣinayuṣaḥ kṣina-sattvän durmedhän vikṣya kalataḥ 76 ayra vedan brahmarṣayo vyasyan hṛdi-sthäcyuta-coditaḥntat “I meditate upon that pure and spotless Supreme Absolute Truth, who is free from suffering and death. In the beginning, He revealed this incomparable torchlight of knowledge to Brahma, who then spoke it to the sage Narada.” bun Just as it is said here that the Lord revealed Srimad Bhagavatam to Brahmā, similarly, He also reveals His Name. 455 letushaŚrī Bhagavat Sandarbha एतत्सर्वमभिप्रेत्य गर्भस्तुतावुक्तम् (भा० १० २ १३६ ) bimiliar llamang geld gaivil sniddiw guillowb With the same intended meaning, the gods said in Garbha-stuti [the prayers offered to Kṛṣṇa while He was still in Devaki’s womb]: liberat न नामरूपे गुणजन्मकर्मभिर्निरूपितव्ये तव तस्य साक्षिणः । मनोवचोभ्यामनुमेयवर्त्मनो देव क्रियायां प्रतियन्त्यथापि हि ।। २१३ ।। इति । baA O Lord, You are the witness of the mind. The means of Your real- ization can only be inferred. Your names and forms along with Your attributes, actions and births can neither be conceived by the mind nor extolled through speech. Yet in devotional service be they can be perceived. (SB 10.2.36)77 bru 10: tore om Commentary quod,990sgilisini bas diguse al In Śrutis as well as the Smrtis, there are descriptions of various types of sacrifice, austerity, charity or chanting of mantras for attaining different objectives, either in this life or after death. There are also detailed descriptions of atonements (prayaścitta) for becoming free of one’s sins, some of which are quite difficult to perform. For exam- ple, if a twice-born person, dvija, drinks wine unknowingly, then he should drink hot cow urine until death (MANU 11.90)780 vd It is also common experience that to achieve something in the material world, one has to work very hard. Based on this knowl- edge, it is very hard to believe that one can attain anything, spiri- tual or material, merely by chanting some sounds, even if they are identified as Holy Names. Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi warns against such a mentality. He says that one should not think that these scriptural statements are artha-vada, or exaggerated glorification. 77 78 Holed by mhbemus pitinz-nid na nama-rupe guna-janma-karmabhir nirupitavye tava tasya sākṣinaḥ mano-vacobhyam anumeya-vartmano deva kriyāyāṁ pratiyanty athāpi hi surām pitvā dvijo mohad agni-varnām surām pibet taya sa kaye nirdagdhe mucyate kilbiṣāt tataḥoge go-mütram agni-varnam va pibed udakam eva vā payo ghṛtam va maraṇād go-śakṛd-rasam eva vāma and 456 47 His Name, Form, Actions and Attributes Are Transcendental blu According to Purva-mīmāmsā, the Vedas contain five types of statements: vidhi, mantra, nama-dheya, niṣedha and artha-vāda?” The purpose of artha-vada is to encourage people to perform certain religious acts and discourage their opposite, irreligious acts. Such statements are either eulogistic or critical in nature. For example, there is an injunction in Taittiriya-samhita, “One desirous of wealth should sacrifice a horse to the wind-god.“80 In another part of the same Samhita, Vayu is glorified so that one might be prone to wor- ship him: “Vayu is indeed the swiftest of the gods.” This glorifica- tion of the wind-god implies that he will quickly reward his wor- shipers, and this will in turn incite people to sacrifice a horse for him. Because it has such a motive, this statement of glorification of the wind-god is also included in the category of artha-vada. The scriptural statements glorifying the Holy Name are not in the same category, and should not be considered exaggerations. To do so is to commit one of the ten offenses against the Holy Name, tathartha- vādo hari-nāmni kalpanam (PP, Brahma-khanda 25.15).ad Moreover, if statements eulogizing the chanting of the Holy Names are considered artha-vāda, then naturally the question arises: For which vidhi, or injunction, is such artha-vāda put forth? This is because artha-vada is always subordinate and supplemen- tary to particular injunctions, or vidhi-väkya. This vidhi could be for the chanting itself or for some other imperative. There are no state- ments regarding the Holy Name that its chanting forms part of a separate vidhi. If, on the other hand, the vidhi is chanting itself, then there is no difference between the injunction to chant and eulogy of chanting, as both are direct statements recommending one to chant. Moreover, any injunction that recommends the performance of an activity and directly states its benefits should not be considered as artha-väda. When the direct or primary meaning is applicable, one sa ca vidhi-mantra-nămadheya-niṣedhārthavādā-bhedāt pañca-vidhaḥ Artha-sangraha 1.10 vayavyaṁ svetam alabhet bhūti-kāmaḥ Taittiriya-samhitā 7.1.30 81 vayur vai kṣepiṣṭhā devată Taittiriya-samhita 2.1.1 457 beŚrī Bhagavat Sandarbha se should not search out a secondary meaning 82 Therefore, it should be understood that the names of the Lord are transcendental and nondifferent from Him, as confirmed in the Padma Purana verse cited in this anuccheda. w 901 10 nor Another objection may be raised. If the Lord’s name is transcen- dental, how can it be uttered with one’s material tongue? Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi says that the Name is not vibrated with the tongue. It is self-manifest, just like the Lord, and appears by its own will. This is also the verdict of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmi: di basbni al y unid gide Tow ald Ligai bog To? Because the name, form and other attributes of Śrī Kṛṣṇa are tran- scendental, they are imperceptible to the material senses. But when a devotee offers the self in full devotion, then only do the Name and other attributes manifest themselves, of their own accord, on the Stongue and other senses. (BRS 1.2.234)836ta lage sor 02 ob of anon 1993 abianos ad ion blooda brewrOS A vivid example is Bharata Mahāraja, who took birth as a deer. When faced with death, the deer chanted the name of Hari (SB 5.14.45). Normally, a deer has no ability to produce articulate sound, but in this case the Name manifested on its tongue when the creature desired to chant. This proves that the Holy Name is independent and can manifest by its own sweet will, being nondif- ferent from the Supreme Lord, who is its Repository. Gajendra, the elephant, is another example of an animal to whom the Holy Name became self-manifest (SB 8.3.32). Not only the Holy Name, but the Vedas too are self-manifest. In the Eleventh Canto, Krsna describes this phenomenon to Uddhava: The transcendental sound of the Vedas is very difficult to compre- hend and manifests on different levels within the prana, senses and the mind. This Vedic sound is unlimited, immeasurably deep and arcunfathomable, just like the ocean. to theith ad noWahay-ar As the unlimited, unchanging and omnipotent Supreme Lord dwelling within all living beings, I personally establish the Vedic 82 gauna-mukhyayor mukhye karya-sampratyayaḥ Bhagavan-näma-kaumudi 1 83 ataḥ śri-kṛṣṇa-nämädi na bhaved grähyam indriyaiḥ sevonmukhe hi jihvadau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ 458 47 His Name, Form, Actions and Attributes Are Transcendental sound vibration, in the form of onkära, within all living entities. It ap by is thus perceived subtly, just like a single strand of fiber on a lotuss Ho stalk. (SB 11.21.36-39)84 ed An objection can be raised here. If the Holy Name is so powerful and glorious, then why do people in general not feel its potency, even after daily chanting thousands of times? Excluding the narrations of great devotees in scripture, it is almost impossible to find a person who has experienced the full power of the Holy Name, as described. The reply to this is that chanting must be free from offenses. Just as chanting pleases the Lord, an offense displeases Him. Naturally, a disposition that is displeasing, in the sense of inharmonious with the complete Reality that is Bhagavan, inhibits the Holy Name from manifesting its power. Just as, a servant may serve his king in var- ious ways, but if at the end of the day he were to abuse the king, the latter would certainly be upset. And the displeasure would be greater still if such abuse were leveled at the time of service. The king would no doubt punish such a servant. One must therefore avoid even the slightest offense. Although fire has the power to burn grass, it will not burn grass that is green. The grass must be dry before it will burn. Offenses are so power- ful that even the living liberated (jivan-mukta) can fall from the liberated status. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī writes: Bha en wontmul Even bhāva, the permanent awakening to transcendental being, can disappear altogether if one commits a grievous offense to someone who is very dear to Kṛṣṇa. If the offense is of medium gravity, bhāva can mutate into a mere facsimile of itself (bhāvābhāsa). Offenses of lesser gravity can transform bhava of a higher grade of intensity and completion into bhava of a lesser grade. (BRS 1.3.54)85 84 sabda-brahma sudurbodham pranendriya-mano-mayam ananta-pāram gambhiram durvigāhyam samudra-vat mayopabṛmhitam bhümna brahmanananta-śaktinā bhüteṣu ghosa-rupena viseṣürneva lakṣyate yathorṇanābhir hṛdayad ürṇām udvamate mukhat ākāśad ghoṣa-vän prano manasă sparśa-rūpiņā chando-mayo’mṛta-mayaḥ sahasra-padavim prabhuḥ onkäräd vyañjita-sparśa-svaroșmântastha-bhūṣitam bhavo’py abhavam āyāti kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāparādhataḥ→ 85 753 459 Tates became Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha H sho The monkey Dvivida was a servant of Lord Ramacandra, but he committed an offense towards Lakṣmaṇa. The result was that he became demoniac and finally had to be killed by Lord Balarama. An offense to a devotee is also an offense towards the Holy Name. This offense makes one’s heart as hard as stone and incapable of feel- ing any of the effects of chanting. Therefore, more important than just chanting, is to avoid offenses. If one is not cautious to avoid offenses, the chanting will implicate him more and more in mate- rial life. It is like potent medicine: If taken wrongly, it will have a powerful adverse reaction. Therefore, Śrī Caitanya advised that one should always chant the names of Hari with appropriate respect for all beings, and without desiring any respect for oneself (amānina mānadena kīrtanīyaḥ sada hariḥ). The injunction to be respectful and humble in this verse precedes the order to chant (Sikṣāṣṭaka 3). ad bluow guess Unevase & dove letnu doob on bl तथारूपस्यापि वैलक्षण्यं स्वप्रकाशतालक्षणस्वरूपशक्त्यैवाविर्भावित्वम् । तच् च पूर्वद- र्शितम् । अत एव द्वितीये ( भा० २।९१४ ) - Similarly, the distinctive feature of Bhagavan’s form is that it is manifest only through His internal potency, which is self- luminous in nature. This was demonstrated earlier. So, it is said in the Second Canto: आत्मतत्त्वविशुद्ध्यर्थं यदाह भगवानृतम् । ब्रह्मणे दर्शयन् रूपमव्यलीकव्रतादृतः । २१४ ।। । । Being satisfied with Sri Brahma’s sincere penance, the Lord spoke that truth in order to purify his understanding of the nature of the self, while He revealed His own form. (SB 2.9.4)862 list इत्यत्र टीका च - यच् चोक्तमष्टमाध्यये परमेश्वरस्यापि देहसम्बन्धाविशेषात् कथं तद्भ- क्त्या मोक्षः स्यात् इति । “आसीद् यदुदरात् पद्मम्” ( भा० २।८।८) इत्यादिना । तत्राह आत्मतत्त्वविशुद्ध्यर्थम् इति । आत्मनो जीवस्य तत्त्वविशुद्ध्यर्थं तत्त्वज्ञानार्थं तद् भवेदेव । 86 abhāsatāṁ ca śanakair nyūna-jātiyatām api atma-tattva-viśuddhy-artham yad aha bhagavan ṛtam brahmane darśayan rupam avyalika-vratad ṛtaḥ 46047 His Name, Form, Actions and Attributes Are Transcendental Śrīdhara Svāmi comments: “The question was asked in chap- ter 8 (SB 2.8.8) that since the relation between the Lord and His body [seems to be] no different from that of an ordinary living being, how is it possible for a being to become liberated by offer- ing devotion to Him? The [above] verse is put forth in answer to this question: “To purify his understanding of the nature of the self (atma-tattva-viśuddhy-artham); in other words, this teach- ing is intended for the individual self, the jiva, in order to purify his understanding of the Absolute, i.e., to bestow explicit and unequivocal knowledge of the Absolute. किं तत् ? यत्तपादिना स्वभजनं भगवान् ब्रह्मण आह । किं कुर्वन् ? ऋतं सत्यं चिद्वनं रूपं दर्शयन् । दर्शने हेतुः अव्यलीकेन व्रतेण तपसादृतः सेवितः सन् । “What was that knowledge? That ‘which the Lord spoke’ to Brahma, namely, knowledge regarding His own devotional ser- vice, including such elements as austerity. Was He doing any- thing else at that moment? Yes, He did so while revealing His own true (rta) form, that is, His form of highly condensed aware- ness (cid-ghana). What was the reason for His showing this form? Brahma had served the Lord with his non-pretentious austerity. andid) roqque noyabrow radio n. (amov) solo अयं भावः जीवस्याविद्यया मिथ्याभूतदेहसम्बन्धः । ईश्वरस्य तु योगमायया चिद्वनविग्रहा- विर्भाव इति महान् विशेषः । अतस्तद्भजने मोक्षोपपत्तिरिति । इत्येषा ॥am 1 “The implication is this: The relationship between the jiva and his material body is unreal, caused by ignorance. But in the case of Bhagavan, His transcendental body is manifest by His internal energy, yoga-maya. This difference is immense. Thus, liberation can be attained through devotion to Him.””” Here ends Śrīdhara Svami’s comment. மர் 57 yac coktam aṣṭamadhyaye parameśvarasyäpi deha-sambandhaviśeṣāt katham baA tad-bhaktyä mokṣaḥ syad iti. äsid yad-udarat padmam ity adină. tatrāha atma-tattva-viśuddhy-arthaṁ iti. ātmano jivasya tattva-viśuddhy-arthaṁ tattva-jñānärthaṁ tad bhavet eva. kim tat? yat tapa-adina bhajanaṁ bhagavan brahmana aha. kim kurvan? ṛtam satyam ciddhanam rupam darśayan. darśane hetuḥ avyalikena vratena tapasā ādṛtaḥ ṣevitaḥ san. ayam bhavaḥ jivasya avidyayal mithya-bhūta-deha-sambandhaḥ. iśvarasya tu yogamāyayā cid-dhana-vigrahavirbhāva iti mahān viseṣaḥ, atas tad-bhajane mokṣopapattir iti. 461 Jatobars 81 Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha flyp अत एव “स त्वं त्रिलोकस्थितये” (भा० १० । ३ । २०-२१) इत्यादिपद्यद्वये श्रीमदानकदुन्दुभि- नापि समाहितम् । The same import is conveyed by Vasudeva in the following two verses: स त्वं त्रिलोकस्थितये स्वमायया बिभर्षि शुक्लं खलु वर्णमात्मनः । सर्गाय रक्तं रजसोपबृंहितं कृष्णं च वर्णं तमसा जनात्यये ॥ २१५ ॥ smtaj se zol bebastai al gai Through Your māyā, You assume a pure white color (varna)ss for aid the sake of maintaining the three worlds, a red color, endowed with rajas, for their creation, and a dark color, through tamo- 116 guna, for their destruction. (SB 10.3.20)895) अत्र ह्ययमर्थः - स प्रपञ्चस्य सृष्टिस्थितिप्रलयकर्ता त्वं त्रिलोकस्थितये यदा तस्य स्थिति- मिच्छसि तदा स्वमायया स्वाश्रितया मायाशक्त्या कृत्वा आत्मनः शुक्लं वर्णं स्वेन सृष्टां धर्मपरां विप्रादिजातिं बिभर्षि पालयसि । अत्र सत्त्वमय्येव स्वमाया ज्ञेया निष्कृष्टत्वादुप- SHREW 191206 2 atnemelo done galbubai BiH guilsover solidly oz bib H 5Y Sinsmom 35d 16 sale galda In this context, the meaning is as follows: You are the agent behind the creation, maintenance and dissolution of the cos- mos. When you desire to maintain it, You bear (bibharși) a white color (varna), in other words, You support (bibharși) or protect those classes (varna), such as the brahmanas, that are dedicated to dharma, and which You have created through Your māyā, i.e., the māyā-śakti under Your shelter. Here, the Lord’s māyā refers to the guna of sattva, or illumination, since it is the essence [of the māyā energy] and is appropriate for the work of maintenance. अथ यदा सर्गमिच्छसि तदा रजसा रजोमय्या स्वमायया कृत्वा उपबृंहितं रक्तं कामिनं विप्रादिवर्णं बिभर्षि । यदा च जनात्ययमिच्छसि तदा तमोमय्या कृत्वा कृष्णं मलिनं पापरतं तं बिभर्षि । the And, when you desire to create, You support (bibharși) the bräh- manas and the other classes that are full of desires because of the 88 In this verse, the words bibharşi and varna have multiple meanings. The most immediately accessible meaning is given here in the translation, and alternative glosses are given as they appear in the commentary.al 89 sa tvam tri-loka-sthitaye sva-mayaya bibharṣi suklaṁ khalu varṇam ātmanaḥ sargaya raktam rajasopabṛmhitam kṛṣṇam ca varnam tamasa janatyaye al 462 47 His Name, Form, Actions and Attributes Are Transcendental influence of Your maya in the guna of rajas, or dynamism. And when you desire the destruction of human society, You nourish the sinful, impure class of people who are under the influence of the guna of tamas, or ignorance. P 15555 अथवा यदा स्थितिमिच्छसि तदात्मनः श्रीविष्णुरूपस्य शुक्लं शुद्धं गुणसङ्कररहितमित्य- र्थः – शिवब्रह्मवत् तस्य तत्सङ्गाभावात् । तथैव सिद्धान्तितं श्रीशुकदेवेन “शिवः शक्तियुतः शश्वत् त्रिलिङ्गो गुणसंवृतः” (भा० १० । ८८ । ३) इत्यादौ । “हरिर्हि निर्गुणः साक्षात् पुरुषः प्रकृ- तेः परः " ( भा० १० । ८८।५ ) इत्यादि । Alternatively, the verse could mean that when You desire main- tenance, You manifest the form of Visnu, which is white, indicat- ing purity or freedom from contact with the gunas. Unlike Śiva and Brahma, You remain free from association with the material qualities. Śrī Śuka expressed the same conclusion: “Lord Siva is always united with his personal energy. He is invested with the three gunas. […] Śrī Vişņu, however, is the Supreme Person Himself, beyond material nature. He has no connection with the gunas” (SB 10.88.3 and SB 10.88.5).9° अत एव (भा० १० | १३ |५०)- 105 or al 9190 naibberel Therefore: odw xolos sliride vd bedrysh To 200 992 sdt to not stongi from sdf[avad ni चन्द्रिकाविशदस्मैरैः सारुणापाङ्गवीक्षितैः । स्वकार्थानामिव रजःसत्त्वाभ्यां स्रष्टृपालकाः || २१६ ॥ इति । d baglalaro Would By their oblong glances cast from their reddish eyes, resembling the effulgent moonlight, those Visņu forms awakened and ful- filled the desires of their own devotees, as if with the help of rajas and sattva. (SB 10.13.50)91 अत्र सात्त्विकत्वराजसत्वे उत्प्रेक्षिते एव न तु वस्तुतया निरूपिते eli ya The reference here to the gunas of sattva and rajas is offered for rhetorical effect (utprekṣā), and is not to be taken literally. 90 sivaḥ śakti-yutaḥ śaśvat trilingo guna-samvṛtah harir hi nirgunaḥ sākṣāt puruṣaḥ prakṛteh parah 91 candrika-visada-smeraih sårunäpänga-vikṣitaiḥ
- RH Tes svakarthānām iva rajah-sattvabhyam sraṣtr-pälakāḥ vir to orup-oint 463 Tanlines AŚrī Bhagavat Sandarbhaimaallly वर्णं रूपं न तु कान्तिमात्रम् । गुणमयत्वस्वीकारेऽपि तत्तद्गुणव्यञ्जकाकारस्याप्यपेक्ष्य- त्वात् न तु श्वेतं वर्णमिति व्याख्येयम् । श्रीविष्णुरूपस्य पालनार्थं गुणावतारस्य परमा- त्मसन्दर्भे क्षीरोदशायित्वेन स्थापयिष्यमाणस्य तत्र श्यामत्वेनातिप्रसिद्धेः । जनात्ययहेतो रुद्रस्य श्वेततातिप्रसिद्ध्या तद्वैपरीत्यपातात् । तथैव हि गोभिलोक्तसन्ध्योपासनायाम् । अतोऽत्र ब्रह्मणो न शोणवर्णत्वे तात्पर्यम् । न च तत्तद्गुणानां तत्तद्वर्णनियमः । परमताम- सानां बकादीनां शुक्लत्वदर्शनात् । सात्त्विकगुणोपास्यानां श्रीबादरायणशुकादीनां श्या- मत्वश्रवणात् । The word varna in sB 10.3.20 refers to form and not just to color. Even if we take the verse to mean that the Lord has a guna-maya form, i.e., one that has material attributes, the intention would then be that His form illuminates those particular gunas, i.e., sattva, rajas and tamas. The word śukla (white ) should thus not be taken to mean the color white, because it will be established in Paramātma Sandarbha that Śrī Viṣņu appears in a blackish complexion, as Kṣirodakaśāyī Visņu, the guṇāvatāra who main- tains the universe. Furthermore, Lord Siva, who annihilates the human beings, is white in color, which renders the above explanation contradictory. The same is stated in Sandhyopāsanā, described by Gobhila. Therefore, it is not the intent of this verse to say that Brahma’s complexion is reddish. There is no correla- tion of the three gunas of nature to the three colors [mentioned in the verse]. The most ignorant tāmasic beings, like cranes, are white in color, while sages, like Śrī Bādarāyaṇa and Sri Suka, who are worshiped by those situated in sattva, are described as being black. स्वमायया भक्तेषु कृपया “माया दम्भे कृपायां च” इति विश्वप्रकाशात् बिभर्षि जगति धारय- स् िप्रकटयसीत्यर्थः । रक्तं रजोमयत्वेन सिसृक्षादिरागबहुलम् । कृष्णं तमोमयत्वेन स्वरू- पप्रकाशरहितमित्यर्थः । भा० १।२।२४ - By His mercy (sva-māyayā) upon His devotees, the Supreme Lord manifests these forms within the cosmos. According to Viśva- prakāśa dictionary, “Maya can mean either cheating or mercy.” Bibharşi (to assume, take, support) means that the Lord mani- fests His form within the cosmos. Red implies excessive attach- ment, expressed as the desire to create, due to the influence of rajo-guna, or the active influence. Black implies an absence 464 47 His Name, Form, Actions and Attributes Are Transcendental of knowledge regarding one’s true nature owing to the guna of tamas, or ignorance. As it is said: पार्थिवाद् दारुणो धूमस्तस्मादग्निस्त्रयीमयः । तमसस्तु रजस्तस्मात् सत्त्वं यद्ब्रह्मदर्शनम् ॥ २१७ ॥ इत्युक्तेः । POSTER TIMES Ribs कृ kveSmoke is superior to wood, which is produced from the earth; T -Ha superior to smoke is fire, which is used for sacrifices prescribed sh aw in the three Vedas. Similarly, rajas is superior to tamas, and supe-d Trior to rajas is sattva, by the help of which, one can realize the Absolute. (SB 1.2.24)92 ni ननु कथमन्यार्थेन वाक्येन लोकभ्रामकं वर्णयसि यतः सम्प्रति जनात्ययार्थं कृष्णोऽयं वर्णो मया तमसा गृहीत इत्यर्थोऽप्यायाति । तदेतदाशङ्क्य परिहरन्नाह “त्वमस्य” (भा० १०।३।२१) इति । त Vasudeva then anticipates that Kṛṣṇa may raise the following objection to his preceding statement, “Why do You bewilder peo- ple by giving them such improper explanations? At present, I have accepted a blackish form out of tamas, in order to vanquish the asuras.” This meaning could also be deduced from Vasudeva’s previous statement. Vasudeva responds to this hypothetical argument by speaking the following verse: त्वमस्य लोकस्य विभो रिरक्षिषुर्गृहेऽवतीर्णोऽसि ममाखिलेश्वर । राजन्यसञ्ज्ञासुरकोटियूथपैर्निर्व्यूह्यमाना निहनिष्यसे चमूः ॥ २१८ ॥ ging vas is ealam O Lord of the Universe, You have appeared in my home out of a desire to protect this world. You will destroy the armies arranged by millions of asura chiefs posing as rulers. (SB 10.3.21)93 gunas निर्व्यूह्यमाना इतस्ततश्चाल्यमानाः । The word nirvyūhamānāḥ (arranged) means, “being gathered here and there.” 92 parthivad dāruno dhumas tasmad agnis trayīmayaḥ tamasas tu rajas tasmat sattvam yad brahma-darśanam tvam asya lokasya vibho rirakṣiṣur grhe’vatirno’si mamakhileśvara rajanya-sañjñāsura-koti-yuthapair nirvyūhyamānā nihanisyase camüḥ 465 letsbane Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha
अयं भावः – आस्तां तावद्ब्रह्मघनत्वशुद्धसत्त्वमयत्वबोधकं प्रमाणान्तरं गुणानुरूपरूपाङ्गी- कारेऽपि यथा प्रलयस्य दुःखमात्र हेतुत्वात् सुषुप्तिरूपत्वाच् च तत्र तदर्थावसरो भवति तथास्य तु कालस्य त्वत्कृतरक्षया जगत्सुखहेतुत्वात् तमोमयासुरविनाशयोग्यत्वात् तेषा- मसुराणामपि हननव्याजेन सर्वगुणातीतमोक्षात्मकप्रसादलाभात् तदर्थावसरो न भवति सैन्धवम् आनयेतिवत् । तथैवोक्तम् (भा० ७।१।८) – The import is as follows: Let us disregard for a moment other evi- dence, proclaiming You as concentrated Brahman and as consti- tuted of unalloyed being-awareness (śuddha-sattva). Even if we postulate that you accept suitable forms according to the gunas of nature, an instance where such meaning could be applicable is in the case of dissolution, which is the cause of misery and is similar to deep sleep. In fact, however, this meaning does not apply here, because at this particular time, this form of Kṛṣṇa has appeared to protect the world and is thus the cause of joy. This form is suit- able for vanquishing the asuras, who are in the guna of ignorance, and when you destroy them, even these asuras will attain Your mercy in the form of liberation, which is beyond all the gunas. A text should be interpreted according to the context, just as when one is told to bring saindhava, it can refer either to salt or a horse. Thus, it is said : Yo Shilonar shabarvas tion ee gunas of 9879 जयकाले तु सत्त्वस्य देवर्षीन् रजसोऽसुरान् । तमसो यक्षरक्षांसि तत्कालानुगुणोऽभजत् ॥ २१९ ॥ इति । Fostering the quality of nature that predominates at any partic- ular period, the Lord empowers the devas and rṣis when sattva is prominent, the asuras when rajas dominates, and the Yaksas and Rāksasas when tamas prevails. (SB 7.1.8) to ancillin d तस्मान् न तमःकृतोऽयं वर्ण इति रजः सत्त्वाभ्यां रक्तशुक्लावेव भवत इति पूर्वपक्षिम- तम् । ततश्च पारिशेष्यप्रमाणेन स्वरूपशक्तिव्यञ्जितत्वमेवात्रापि पर्यवस्यति इति भावः । तथैव तमेवार्थं श्रीदेवकीदेव्यपि सम्भ्रमेण प्रागेव विवृतवती “रूपं यत्तत् प्राहुरव्यक्तमाद्यम्” ( भा० १० । ३ । २४ ) इति । 94 jaya-käle tu sattvasya devarṣin rajaso’suran tamaso yaksa-raksāmsi tat kālānuguno bhajat 466 47 His Name, Form, Actions and Attributes Are Transcendental Therefore, Kṛṣṇa’s black color is not due to the guna of ignorance, nor is the Lord red in rajo-guna, or white in sattva, as opined in the objection. The implication is that by the principle of the remainder, Bhagavan’s form is a manifestation of His internal potency alone. Similarly, Devaki Devi has already indicated the same meaning, when she said out of deference for the Lord, “Your form is unmanifest and primeval” (SB 10.3.24).95 Laminos al didwanomab H Commentary wee vd be Śrila Jiva Gosvāmī has proved that the Lord’s name is transcendental and nondifferent from Him. It follows that His body is also spiritual, because a material object cannot have transcendental name. The bodies of the conditioned living beings are products of the material gunas. In reality, the body is not owned by the pure self, but owing to ignorance, consciousness is projected upon the body-mind com- plex, and the self then mistakenly identifies with its own projection. In Kṛṣṇa’s case, however, His body is constituted purely of conscious- ness and is nondifferent from Him. The living entity accepts a mate- rial body under the laws of karma, but the Lord’s body is beyond such laws. His various forms are manifest by yoga-maya. Therefore, it is certainly possible to become liberated by worshiping His form. 31 Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmī cites SB 10.3.20-21 to explain the purposes behind the Lord’s various forms. க Śrī Kṛṣṇa conducts the functions of creation, maintenance and destruction of the cosmos through three guṇāvatāras, namely Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Siva. Although Brahma and Śiva contact the gunas, Śri Visnu is always transcendental to them. This is Śrī Suka’s conclusion to his account of Vṛkasura. The colors mentioned in SB 10.3.20 do not refer to the bodily hue of the particular deities, but indicate the material guņas. Śrī Viṣṇu is blackish, Śiva is white, and Brahma is golden. There is no rule that white represents the guna of sattva, and so on. A crane is white in color, appears strikingly beautiful, and stands peacefully in the water on one leg, like a yogi 95 See Sections 54 and 91 for a full discussion of this verse. 467 feurshŚrī Bhagavat Sandarbha in meditation. But its purpose is to catch fish and devour them alive. This is an activity in the guna of ignorance. bred kon On the other hand, Śrīla Vyasa is black in color and grim of appearance, as he himself says, “Let them tolerate my ugly form, that is austerity enough for them” (MB 1.104.46). But Vyasa is accepted as a transcendental sage and an avatara of the Lord. nisem smea The following objection is then raised. Śrī Kṛṣṇa is black because He came to kill the demons, which is confirmed in SB 10.3.20. There- fore, His color is commensurate with His activities in tamas. This proposal is refuted by Vasudeva in the next verse, SB 10.3.21, where he says that the Lord appeared to offer protection - tvam asya lokasya vibho rirakṣiṣuh. Bhagavan’s killing of demons serves only to protect His devotees, which is the real purpose of His appearance. By slaying the demons, He grants them liberation. Although there is misery in death, Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s killing relieves them of all material misery. Therefore, His killing of demons cannot be put in the same category as Lord Śiva’s work of destruction, which is performed through the guna of ignorance. vhodaid waved serial The meaning of a word must be ascertained according to its con- text. Saindhava means “horse” as well as “salt.” If the master orders, “Bring saindhava,” while eating, the servant should bring him salt. If he gives the same order while standing at the gate, however, the servant should bring him a horse. Similarly, śveta has two mean- ings, “white,” or “maintenance.” One should accept the most suit- able meaning and should not think the Lord’s bodily hue represents His being associated with a particular material guna. Ben Therefore, Śrī Kṛṣṇa should not be considered influenced by the guna of ignorance because of His blackish hue or because He engaged in killing demons. His body is transcendental and His bodily color is also a manifestation of the internal potency. Just as He manifests a variety of forms according to His will, He similarly manifests a vari- ety of colors in His different avataras. All His forms and colors are interchangeable. Nothing is impossible for Bhagavan, the complete personal nondual Whole. 96 virūpatāṁ me sahatam tayor etat param vratam 468 47 His Name, Form, Actions and Attributes Are Transcendental The killing performed by Him is also transcendental. It grants liberation to demons, and thus it cannot be taken as an act influ- enced by the guna of ignorance. As said earlier by Śrī Śuka, Śrī Kṛṣṇa is never touched by the material gunas, puruṣaḥ prakrteḥ paraḥ (SB 10.88.5). F 47.6 अथ प्रकृतमनुसरामः । तथा गुणस्य वैलक्षण्यमात्मारामाणामप्याकर्षणलिङ्गगम्याद्भुतरूप- त्वम् । तद् यथा श्रीसूतोक्तौ “हरेर्गुणाक्षिप्तमतिः” (भा० १।७।११) इत्यादि च । We now resume our original discussion [of SB 8.3.8]. The distinc- tive feature of the Lord’s attributes is that they are extraordinary [adbhūta, literally, transcending (ati) all that has come into being (bhūta)], as understood from the fact that they attract the mind even of liberated sages, who delight in the Self alone (ātmārāma). This is directly stated by Śrī Sūta Gosvāmi, as follows: the आत्मारामाश्च मुनयो निर्ग्रन्था अप्युरुक्रमे । कुर्वन्त्यहैतुकीं भक्तिमित्थम्भूतगुणो हरिः ॥ २२० ॥ हरेर्गुणाक्षिप्तमतिर्भगवान् बादरायणिः । अध्यगान् महदाख्यानं नित्यं विष्णुजनप्रियः ।। २२१ ।। aid al senov Ingianing The sages, though freed from the knot of ego, and though delight- ing in the Self alone, engage in causeless devotion to Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the majestic player. Such are the entrancing qualities of Śri Hari. His mind captivated by Lord Hari’s qualities, Sukadeva, the pow- erful son of Vyasadeva, and ever-beloved of the Lord’s devotees, regularly studied this great book, Srimad Bhagavatam. (SB 1.7. 10-11)9878 doobs voeringastamos Initstem tisd अत एवोक्तं विष्णुधर्मोत्तरे- 97 See Section 47.1. 98 ātmārāmāś ca munayo nirgrantha apy urukrame kurvanty ahaitukim bhaktim ittham-bhūta-guno harih harer gunakṣipta-matir bhagavän bädarāyaṇiḥ adhyagan mahad akhyānam nityaṁ visņu-jana-priyah 469 latasbasoane SAŚri Bhagavat Sandarbha seal to Visnu-dharmottara Purāna therefore states goilliot anilive ad misa and has enomsb of nodradil ive गुणाः सर्वेऽपि युज्यन्ते यैश्वर्यात् पुरुषोत्तमे । song to beup orha and baone दोषाः कथञ्चिन् नैवात्र युज्यन्ते परमो हि सः ॥ २२२ ॥ गुणदोषौ माययैव केचिदाहुरपण्डिताः । न तत्र माया मायी वा तदीयौ तौ कुतो ह्यतः ॥ २२३ ॥ तस्मान् न मायया सर्वं सर्वमैश्वर्यसम्भवम् । अमायो हीश्वरो यस्मात्तस्मात्तं परमं विदुः ॥ २२४ ॥ इति । arot The Supreme Person has all auspicious qualities due to the E majesty inherent in His being. He is completely devoid of any defects, and thus He is the Supreme. Some people, unacquainted with scriptural truth, say that because of maya, the Lord has aboth good qualities and defects. But if neither illusion (māyā)vi nor the wielders of illusion (mayi) are present in Him, how canhoj b He be affected by them? Thus, His qualities, form and so on, dod) not spring from māyā but from His own magnificence. Because the Lord is free from māyā, He is said to be transcendental and supreme.”” अथ “न विद्यते” (भा० ८।३।८) इत्यस्य प्रकृतश्लोकस्य व्याख्यावशेषः । Now let us complete the explanation of the remaining part of the principal verse in this section (i.e., SB 8.3.8). तदेवं स्वरूपशक्तिविलासरूपत्वेन तेषां जन्मादीनाम् प्राकृताद् वैलक्षण्यं साधितम् । तत्र आशङ्कते – ननु भवन्तु स्वस्वरूपभूतान्येव तानि तथापि स्वरूपस्यैव पूर्णत्वात् तत्तत्प्राप्तौ किं प्रयोजनम् ?
a art We have already shown that the Lord’s birth, form and so on, are manifestations of the internal energy, and are thus distinct from their material counterparts. Now a doubt may here be raised: Even if we accept that features, such as the Lord’s birth and form, 99 gunaḥ sarve’pi yujyante hy aiśvaryat purusottame doṣaḥ kathañcin naivätra yujyante paramo hi sah guna-doşau māyayaiva kecid āhur apanditāh na tatra māyā māyī vā tadīyau tau kuto hy atah tasman na mayayā sarvam sarvam aiśvarya-sambhavam amayo hiśvaro yasmät tasmat tam paramam viduḥ emoticon Power 47047 His Name, Form, Actions and Attributes Are Transcendental are manifestations of His essential nature (svarupa), yet, if His svarupa is complete, what need is there of His accepting them?o तत्राह – लोकाप्ययसम्भवाय लोको भक्तजनस्तस्याप्ययः संसारध्वंसस्तत्पूर्वकः सम्भवो भक्तिसुखप्राप्तिः । भू प्राप्तौ तदर्थम् । एतदप्युपलक्षणं नित्यपार्षदानामपि भक्तिसुखोत्क- र्षार्थम् । तदुक्तं श्रीमदर्जुनेन प्रथमे ( भा० १।७।२५ ) – In answer to this, it is said, “He does so for the purpose of creat- ing and destroying this material world” (lokapyaya-sambhavāya). [This is here interpreted to mean, “for the purpose of bestowing the bliss of devotion upon His devotees after bringing their mate- rial existence to an end.” This is explained as follows:] The word loka (lit., “world” or “people”) here refers to the devotees; apyaya (lit., “destruction” or “disappearance”), means the cessation of their material existence. Coinciding with this occurrence, there is sambhava (lit., “creation” or “appearance”), namely, the incep- tion of the bliss of devotion. The verbal root √bhu [in sambhava] here means to attain. The fuller implication, however, is that the Lord is ever-endowed with name and form simply to increase the devotional bliss of His eternally liberated associates. Arjuna stated this in the First Canto: Bis तथायं चावतारस्ते भुवो भारजिहीर्षया । स्वानां चानन्यभावानामनुध्यानाय चासकृत् ॥ २२५ ॥ इति । the wor etc Thus, You descend in order to remove the burden of the world, and to inspire the unbroken meditation of Your associates and A those devotees who exist only for You. (SB 1.7.25)100 अस्यार्थः – यथान्ये पुरुषादयोऽवतारास्तथायं चावतारः साक्षाद्भगवतः श्रीकृष्णाख्यस्य तवैव प्राकट्यं परमभक्ताया भुवो भारजिहीर्षया जातोऽपि अन्येषां स्वानां भक्तानामसकृच् च मुहुरप्यनुध्यानाय निजभजनसौख्याय भवति । Автол The sense here is this: Just as there are other avataras, like the puruṣāvatāras, He too (Kṛṣṇa) is an avatara. In other words, this is an appearance made by You, who are directly the Supreme Per- son, Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Even though You have appeared in order to relieve 100 tathāyaṁ cavatāras te bhuvo bhara-jihirṣayā Svānāṁ cananya-bhāvānām anudhyānāya cāsakṛt 471 Leinshossades 92/ Śrī Bhagavat SandarbhashiH p the burden of the Earth, who is Your great devotee, You also did so in order to grant Your other devotees the bliss of engaging in Your worship (bhajana), through constant meditation. editation. Th ननु तर्हि भक्तसौख्यमेव प्रयोजनं जातमिति “पूर्णानन्दस्य तस्येह प्रयोजनमतिः कुतः” इत्ये- तत् कथमुपपद्येत ? A further doubt is raised: Earlier [in Anuccheda 47.2] it was rhetorically asked, “Since the Lord is completely blissful, what has He to gain by creating the world?“101 How can this state- ment be true if the Lord does have a purpose, namely, to grant devotional bliss to His devotees? Far तत्राह – अनन्यभावानामिति । अन्यथा सर्वज्ञशिरोमणेर्निर्दोषस्य तस्य तन्मात्रापेक्षकाणां तेषामुपेक्षायामकारुण्यदोषः प्रयुज्येत इति भावः । In answer to this, the verse states, “You do so for the sake of those devotees who exist only for You” (ananya-bhavānām). The impli- cation is that the Lord, who is faultless and the crest-jewel of omniscience, would be guilty of the fault of unmercifulness if He neglected His devotees, who are exclusively dependent on Him. आत्मारामेऽपि कारुण्यगुणावकाशो “गुणा विरुद्धा अपि तु समाहार्याश्च सर्वतः” (कौर्मे) इति स्मरणात् विचित्रगुणनिधाने श्रीभगवत्येव सम्भवति । ततोऽन्यत्र तु सञ्चरिततद्गु- णांशे तदीय एव यः प्रतिपदमेव साश्चर्यं श्रुत्यादिभिरुच्चैर्गीयते । यश्चाविरिञ्चिमापामरज- नमाकर्षन्नेव वर्तते । तदुक्तं श्रीदशमे स्वयमेव (भा० १० । ३२ । १९-२० ) - Although the Lord is ātmārāma, delighting in the Self alone, the virtue of compassion is possible only in Him, who is the shelter of extraordinary qualities. For as Kurma Purana says, “Even contra- dictory qualities are accommodated in Him.“102 When this qual- ity of compassion is found in others, it is an infusion of a portion of the Lord’s compassion, which scriptures loudly glorify with wonder at every moment. This quality constantly attracts every- one, from Brahma to the most wretched fool. Bhagavan Himself declares in the Tenth Canto: odw, not vd obem 101 pūrṇānandasya tasyeha prayojana-matiḥ kutaḥ Nārāyaṇa-samhita, also quoted in Madhva’s bhāṣya on the same sūtra. 102 guṇā viruddhā api tu samāhāryaś ca sarvataḥld & 472 47 His Name, Form, Actions and Attributes Are Transcendental भजतोऽपि न वै केचिद् भजन्त्यभजतः कुतः । आत्मारामा ह्याप्तकामा अकृतज्ञा गुरुद्रुहः ॥ २२६ ॥ oilaven नाहं तु सख्यो भजतोऽपि जन्तून् भजाम्यमीषामनुवृत्तिवृत्तये | यथाधनो लब्धधने विनष्टे तच्चिन्तयान्यन् निभृतो न वेद ॥ २२७ ॥ इत्यादि । we There are some who delight in the Self alone, others who have attained fulfillment of all desire, others still who are by nature Bungrateful, and yet others who are simply envious of their supe-A riors. All these kinds of people do not return even the love of those who love them, let alone those who do not love them. But, dear friends, I do not love in a calculated manner, reciprocating merely in exact proportion to the amount of love I receive from My worshipers. (SB 10.32.19-20)103 amb 162 तस्मात् परमसमर्थस्य तस्य कृपालक्षणं भक्तजनसुखप्रयोजनकत्वं नाम कोऽपि स्वरू- पानन्दविलासभूतपरमाश्चर्यस्वभावविशेष इति मूलपद्येऽपि “अनुकालमृच्छति” इत्यनेनैव दर्शितम् । अतः प्रयोजनान्तरमतित्वं तु तस्मिन् नास्त्येव । तत्प्रयोजनत्वं च तस्य परमस- मर्थस्यानन्दविलास एवेति दिक् । यथोक्तम्- Therefore, the Lord, who is the most capable, shows His quality of mercy in order to bestow bliss upon His devotees. This mercy is a special and most extraordinary feature of Bhagavan, and it manifests from the bliss inherent in His svarupa. This has been expressed in the original verse under discussion (SB 8.3.8), with the words anukalam ṛcchati, “He accepts these [birth, actions, etc.] perpetually.” Therefore, He certainly has no other purpose in mind. This purpose is simply a manifestation of the beatitude of He who is unlimitedly capable. This is the intended direction of the verse, as is stated: arts vil ha Sno oe bredd 1955 gablet as nous smitang ni 25969 कृपालोरसमर्थस्य दुःखायैव कृपालुता । anomab is bare drids Don समर्थस्य तु तस्यैव सुखायैव कृपालुता ॥ २२८ ॥ इति ॥ गजेन्द्रः श्रीहरिम् ॥ 1031 03 bhajato’pi na vai kecid bhajanty abhajataḥ kutaḥ ātmārāmā hy āpta-kāmā akṛta-jñā gurudruhaḥ näham tu sakhyo bhajato’pi jantun bhajamy amişăm anuvṛtti-vṛttaye yathadhano labdha-dhane vinaşte tac cintayanyan nibhṛto na veda The last two lines of the verse conclude, “Rather, I wish to see their love increase until, like a poor man, who, after losing a fortune he had gained, can think of nothing else in his distress” [they can think of nothing but Me]. 473 Italiane Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha mch the The mercy of a compassionate, yet incapable, person brings only tomisery to others, whereas the mercy of a compassionate person Bouwho is capable brings forth happiness.104 Commentaryisole 1-2 art wi After establishing that Bhagavan’s birth, name, form and actions are eternal and transcendental, distinct from their material coun- terparts, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmī continues to explain the original verse under discussion (SB 8.3.8) to establish that the Lord’s qualities are of the same transcendental nature. To prove this, he alludes to the history of Sukadeva, the prime speaker of Srimad Bhagavatam. Sukadeva was so deeply absorbed in Brahman realization that he did not at all distinguish between male and female, and so was unconcerned even about covering him- self. Yet, as soon as he heard the verses describing the qualities of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, he was completely captivated. He gave up his fixation with unqualified Brahman and became a worshiper of the complete personal nondual Whole, Bhagavan. This practically demonstrates that Bhagavan’s qualities are transcendental and superior even to the bliss of Brahman; otherwise, Śrī Śuka, who had no interest in anything material, would not have been drawn to them. 9800 After stating that the Lord’s name, form, birth, actions and qual- ities are manifestations of His internal potency, a further doubt is raised. Bhagavan is complete in His own svarupa, so why does He accept birth and so on? Śrī Jiva answers that although Bhagavan delights in the Self alone, He engages in pastimes, such as taking birth and killing demons. This, however, does not make Him incom- plete. If He remained absorbed in His own internal bliss and did not act to protect His devotees, it could then be said that He is without mercy. Mercy, in fact, is one of His most excellent qualities, and it is precisely out of mercy for His devotees that He appears in the material world. 104 krpalor asamarthasya duḥkhayaiva kṛpālutā samarthasya tu tasyaiva sukhāyaiva kṛpälutä 474 47 His Name, Form, Actions and Attributes Are Transcendental Similarly, it is out of mercy that He forgets Himself and becomes a servant of His devotees. His merciful acts captivate the minds even of ātmārāmas. In some cases, a person is merciful, but incapable of helping others. Such mercy is impotent and becomes a cause of fur- ther misery. Therefore, one should not try to be merciful artificially. The Lord, however, is omnipotent, and thus His mercy nourishes His devotees. When He sees this, His bliss increases even beyond what He normally feels in His own svarupa. As was said earlier, energy yields greater pleasure when applied. For this reason, Kṛṣṇa performs these pastimes perpetually, as stated in the main verse of this section: anukalam rcchati. Therefore, Bhagavan’s actions are a manifestation of His bliss and have no other purpose. Shred on низит Indian Lane) notauiston sobivate S banianne ad [bonicupou bus sastrol so ai siuload Aadi to the o the bera sundels mosque was no adhd anal rowog 10am fourst pinphistorieforre 15 one you tundsives nok good omogoyo to sablogu Jasbung lettard mbi joberg mod yn gal yr lidianogen 475 Lansdal emand has Usami degraba jedinimiz to aldagani and Jeho kama illam to yllabante luissa ed of vir jon blugia solid pasimat Anuccheda 48m all sum be dissog bnoyed nova son exild ik aldi 2992 98 Was The Lord’s Senses Are Transcendentalen Hisitw ४८ । तस्मादपाणिपादश्रुतेरपि सदनन्तस्वप्रकाशानन्दविग्रह एव भगवति तात्पर्यं नान्य- त्रेति प्रतिपादयन्ति ( भा० १०।८७।२८) - 1 THEREFORE, the import of the Vedic statement, “He has no hands and legs” (śu 3.19) is that the Supreme Lord is inherently self- endowed with an eternal, unlimited, self-manifest, blissful form. The statement does not intend any other conclusion [such as, that the Absolute is hence formless and unqualified]. The personified Vedas establish this in their prayers to the Lord: त्वमकरणः स्वराडखिलकारकशक्तिधरस् तव बलिमुद्वहन्ति समदन्त्यजयानिमिषाः । वर्षभुजोऽखिलक्षितिपतेरिव विश्वसृजो विदधति यत्र ये त्वधिकृता भवतश्चकिताः ।। २२९ ।। Though You are without any senses, You are the supremely inde- pendent upholder of everyone’s sensory powers. Just as tribu- tary kings pay homage to an emperor, so do the administrators of the universe, accompanied by māyā, bear offerings to You, while gladly consuming the oblations [offered to them by human beings]. They carry out their responsibilities out of awe for You. (SB 10.87.28)1 tvam akaraṇaḥ svarāḍ akhila-karaka-sakti-dharas tava balim udvahanti samadanty ajayānimiṣāḥ varsa-bhujo’khila-kşiti-pater iva viśva-sṛjo vidadhati yatra ye tv adhikṛtä bhavatas cakitäh 476 48 The Lord’s Senses Are Transcendental अयमर्थः – अत्र करणं नाम वास्यादिवत् कर्तृशक्तिप्रेरिततया कार्यकरं कर्तुर्भिन्नतमं केवल- करणत्वापन्नमेव वस्त्वङ्गीकृतं न तु स्वरूपत्वापन्नमपि यत्तदपि । यथा दहनादौ तच्छक्त्या- दिकं गौणार्थत्वात् स्वराट्पदनिरुक्तौ स्वेनेति तृतीयान्तपदस्य स्वरूपशक्तावेव पर्यवसा- नाच्च । The import is this: The word karana (sense)2 is used here to denote an instrument or tool, like a hatchet, which is utilized by the agent in order to accomplish his objectives, yet is entirely dis- tinct from him and functions purely as an extension of the agent. Karana does not include anything that is an integral part of the agent’s nature, as burning potency is to fire. In such cases, the word karana would have a secondary meaning. Furthermore [in this case], in the etymological derivation of the word svarat (“sup- remely independent,” svena rājate), the word svena, which is in the instrumental case, indicates that [such powers are] part of Your essential nature. ततो जीवस्य चिद्रूपत्वात् पाण्यादीनां स्वतो जडत्वात् तदधीनशक्तीनां तेषां भिन्नतमानां करणत्वं मुख्यार्थमेव । ततोऽसौ तदासक्तत्वात् सकरणः । ytings to to juo of greisdress In the case of the living being, who is conscious by nature, the primary meaning of karana (“instrument” or “senses”) applies to the hands and so on, which are by nature inert, dependent on the jiva’s energy, and completely distinct from him. Therefore, because the jiva is connected to these senses (karana), he is called sa-karana, or a possessor of senses. त्वं तु तदन्तर्यामी तदनासक्तत्वात् तदनपेक्षो यतः स्वराट् स्वरूपशक्त्यैव राजसे इति । 2 The literal definition of karana is a means, instrument or tool, or any one of the senses. In this explanation, the terms used are all related to the grammatical case endings, kartā (“subject” or “nominative case”), karya (“object” or “accusative case”), and karana (“instrument” or “instrumental case”). The instrumental case is used in Sanskrit both in the sense of instrumentality (by means of) and accompaniment (with). Igmannsalsa supinu sa doda The derivation is given by Śrīdhara Svami as follows, “You exist, i.e., You are luminous by Yourself” (svena eva rajase dipyase). The dictionary (rūḍhi) definition of svarat is “independent, sovereign ruler,” etc. Sanatana is more clear, “He who is self-existent with, or by means of, His own special saktis” (sva-śakti-viseṣenas svayaṁ rajata iti tatha saḥ). 477 lamb Śri Bhagavat Sandarbha s You, on the other hand, are the Supreme Self dwelling in the inte- riority of each and every individual self. Being unattached to the individual’s senses, You are independent of them. This is because You are svarāt, “Self-luminous by the potency inherent in Your own essential being” (svarūpa-śakti). led bsau ai (sense) nant brow sur tarda si troqmi sil तथा प्रलयकालावसाने ( भा० १० । ८७।२३) - Joot to answicholas soil Similarly, at the end of the period of dissolution, the personified Vedas pray: fergsini ne at sadt guidiye shul hi vonstoy gninaudag निभृतमरुन्मनोऽक्षदृढयोगयुजो हृदि यन् ved blow anonut brow मुनय उपासते तदरयोऽपि ययुः स्मरणात् । sigolanag स्त्रिय उरगेन्द्रभोगभुजदण्डविषक्तधियो 01 DNS V2 वयमपि ते समाः समदृशोऽङ्घिसरोजसुधाः || २३० ॥ इति । gobiniy gobati vismay and ad The very state that silent sages contemplate in their hearts, after Ehaving regulated their vital-force, minds and senses through res- theolute yoga, was attained even by Your enemies, simply through remembering You out of enmity. The cowherd women (gopis) who set their minds on Your stout arms, which resemble the body of the king of snakes, and we who drink the nectar of Your lotus feet, also attain that state, being equal in Your eyes. (SB 10.87.23) 4 I Y विद्वद्गुणगुरुभिरस्माभिरपि निजालम्बनत्वेन वर्ण्यमानपरमदिव्यकरणगणविचित्रोऽप्यसौ अकरण एव । कुतः । स्वराट् स्वेन स्वरूपशक्तिविशेषसिद्धप्रादुर्भावविशेषेण स्वरूपेणैव तत्तत्करणतया राजसे । तेषां स्वरूपभूतत्वेन मुख्यकरणत्वायोगादिति भावः । अन्यथौपा- धिकवस्तुद्वारा तवापि प्रकाशे कथं नाम स्वराट्त्वं सिद्ध्येदिति च । “We, who are the teachers of the wise, glorified You as our shel- ter, stating that You have supreme, transcendental and extraor- dinary senses. Yet, You are without any senses (akarana). How is that possible? You are svarat, fully independent - which is to say that Your senses are a unique self-accomplished manifestation Swallo for Eveill nibhrta-marun-mano ksa drdha-yoga-yujo hrdiyan munaya upasate tad arayo’pi yayuh smaraṇāt striya uragendra-bhoga-bhuja-danda-visakta-dhiyo vayam api te samaḥ samadṛśo’nghri-saroja-sudhah 478 48 The Lord’s Senses Are Transcendental of the potency inherent in Your own essential being, svarupa- sakti. You exist (rajase) with senses that are a unique manifesta- tion of Your own svarupa. The implication is that because Your senses are part of Your own essential being, the term karana (senses) cannot be taken in the primary sense [i.e., as a tool or instrument]. Otherwise, if You manifested Yourself through something extraneous to Yourself (aupadhika), how could you be called ‘supremely independent,’ or svarāt?” “आनन्दमात्रमजरं पुराणमेकं सन्तं बहुधा दृश्यमानम्” । “नेह नानास्ति किञ्चन ” (बृ० ४।४।१९) इत्यादिश्रुतेः । “आनन्दमात्रकरपादमुखोदरादिः” इत्यादिस्मृतेश्च । The Śrutis declare, “He is pure bliss, devoid of old age, and primeval; the One seen as many,” and, “There are no distinc- tions within Brahman” (BAU 4.4.19). This is confirmed in the Smrti, “His hands, feet, mouth and belly are pure bliss.”” ननु मयि तथाभूतस्वरूपशक्तीनामस्तितायां किं प्रमाणम् ? The Lord raises an objection: But what proof is there that such potencies exist in My essential being? तत्राहुः– अखिलकारकशक्तिधरः इति । अखिलेभ्यः प्राणिभ्यः कारकाणि करणानि चक्षुरा- दिगोलकानि तेषु शक्तीश्चेन्द्रियाणि धरसि ददासीति तथा सर्वेषु तेषु तत्तद्धारणात् । तास्तु त्वयि स्वतःसिद्धा अव्ययाः पूर्णा एव सन्तीति भावः । तथा च श्रुतिः “प्राणस्य प्राणमुत चक्षु- षश्चक्षुः” (बृ० ४।४।१८) इत्याद्या “स्वाभाविकी ज्ञानबलक्रिया च” (श्वे० ६।८) इत्याद्या च । The Śrutis answer, “You are the upholder of everyone’s sensory powers” (akhila-karaka-sakti-dharah). This means that You sup- ply all living beings with the physical seats of the senses, such as the eye, as well as with the energies within them, i.e., the sen- sory powers themselves. Since You thus maintain the senses of all living beings in their respective seats, You must naturally be endowed with senses that are self-existent, inexhaustible and complete. There are Vedic statements to this effect, such as, 5 7 ananda-matram ajaram puranam ekam santam bahudha dṛśyamānam 6 neha nänästi kiñcana 39-UP HO ananda-matra-kara-pada-mukhodarādiḥ Närada-pañcarātra 479 JabŚri Bhagavat Sandarbha T B “[Brahman is] the vitality of the vital-force and the vision of the eye,” (BAU 4.4.18)8, and, “He is naturally endowed with cognitive potency, volition, and the power to act” (su 6.8). of toroid तदुक्तमेकादशे (भा० ११ । ४ । ४) по hoy li salwisd10 [smarttent Similarly, in the Eleventh Canto: यत्काय एष भुवनत्रयसन्निवेशो यस्येन्द्रियैस्तनुभृतामुभयेन्द्रियाणि । ueballs ज्ञानं स्वतः श्वसनतो बलमोज ईहा सत्त्वादिभिः स्थितिलयोद्भव आदिकर्ता ॥ २३१ ॥ इति । ba Through His senses arise the twofold senses1o of all beings. HeadT -on Himself is consciousness. His breath is the source of bodily strength, sensory power and the actions of all embodied beings. (SB 11.4.4) 90g91 vlled berjum.19steboxed 21H अत एव “विकरणत्वान् नेति चेत् तदुक्तम्” (ब्र० सू० २ । १ । ३१ ) इत्यत्र सूत्रकारोऽपि तदुक्त- मित्यनेन “ श्रुतेस्तु शब्दमूलत्वात्” (ब्र० सू० २।१।२७) इत्युक्तरीत्यैव श्रुत्येकगम्यं तर्कातीतं तस्य विकरणत्वं सकरणत्वं च साधितवान् । श्रुतिश्च “न तस्य कार्यं करणं च विद्यते " (श्वे० ६।८) इत्याद्या । Therefore, Śrī Vyasa wrote in Brahma-sutra, “If one objects that Brahman cannot be the creator because He is without sense organs, the response is that this argument has already been set- tled by scripture” (vs 2.1.31).12 In this sūtra, the assertion, “This argument has already been settled by scripture,” is a reference to an earlier sutra, “The Vedas say that the Lord is free from such prāṇasya prāṇam uta cakṣusas caksuḥq ad dit againd adi ditw agaied gaivil Ils vi svābhāviki jñāna-bala-kriyā cast 10 The twofold senses refer to the cognitive senses and the working senses. “yat-kaya eşa bhuvana-traya-sanniveśo yasyendriyais tanu-bhṛtām ubhayendriyāņi jñānam svataḥ śvasanato balam oja iha sattvädibhiḥ sthiti-layodbhava ādi-kartā Jiva, in fact, quotes only the second and third lines of the verse. The complete translation is, “The three worlds exist within His body. Through His senses arise the twofold senses of all beings. He Himself is consciousness. His breath is the source of bodily strength, sensory power and the actions of all embodied beings. He is the prime agent for the acts of creation, sustenance and dissolution through the agency of the material gunas.” 12 vikaraṇatvän neti cet tad uktam 48048 The Lord’s Senses Are Transcendental defects and can be understood only by sabda, or revealed sound” (vs 2.1.27).13 Thus, Vyasa establishes that the Lord exists both with and without senses, according to the principle that objects beyond logic can be ascertained only through revelation. As the Śruti states, “He has no material body or senses” (su 6.8).14 अथवा अखिलकारकशक्तिधरोऽपि त्वमसावकरण एवेत्यन्वयः । कुतः । स्वराड् इत्यादि । अतः सर्वतो विलक्षणमहिमत्वादनिमिषा देवा इन्द्रादयस्तत्पूज्या विश्वसृजो ब्रह्मादयोऽपि तव तुभ्यं बलिमुपहारं तदुच्चैः शिरोभिर्वहन्ति । An alternative interpretation of the verse is this: “Although You are the self-effulgent upholder of everyone’s sensory pow- ers (akhila-käraka-śakti-dhara), You are without any senses (akarana).” Why? Because You are supremely independent (svarāt). And because Your magnificence is supremely distin- guished beyond all, the gods (animiṣaḥ), headed by Indra, and even the higher dimensional beings worthy of their worship, such as Brahma, the architect of the universe, also carry their offerings to you upon their heads. The prefix ut here means “aloft” (uccaiḥ), implying that they carry these offering on their heads [out of respect]. अजया तेषामधिकारिण्या माययापि सहिताः । सापि आभासशक्तिरूपा स्वरूपानन्दशक्ति- मयाय तुभ्यमात्मसम्पदुद्भावनार्थं बलिं हरतीत्यर्थः । They are also accompanied by aja or māyā, who is their overseer. This means that in order for her own opulence to become actived, even she, who is Your shadow potency, carries offerings to You, who are endowed with unlimited inherent potencies.
- art 976 aboy sendT .noy of againsttoist yrs,asanga 0110 समदन्ति च मनुष्यैर्दत्तं हव्यकव्यादिलक्षणं बलिं भक्षयन्ति च । अत्र दृष्टान्तः वर्षभुज इति । वर्षं खण्डमण्डलम् । 10 The devas also consume the sacrifices that humans offer them in the form of oblations to the gods and the deceased (havya-kavya).s 13 śrutes tu sabda-mulatvāt par to roqque adi sis mu 14 na tasya karyaṁ karanam ca vidyate 15 DOY dua Havya means oblations to the gods, and kavya means oblations to the deceased forefathers. 481 shaŚrī Bhagavat Sandarbha Here the example of provincial rulers (varṣa-bhujah) is given. The word varsa means “province.” alldas w bas the कथं बलिमुद्वहन्ति ? तदाहुः – विदधतीति । त्वदाज्ञापालनमेव बलिहरणमित्यर्थः । |_ | तै० २१८११- zo vbod Isis lai In what manner do the gods carry their offerings? [In answer, it is said,] “They carry out their prescribed duties,” meaning that following Your orders is the same as carrying an offering. As is said in the Śruti: dgrod MA to noit, dergisini vitaristls DA quanay …भीषास्माद् वातः पवते भीषोदेति सूर्यः । भीषास्मादग्निश्चेन्द्रश्च मृत्युर्धावति पञ्चमः ॥ २३२ ॥ इति श्रुतेः । odealbila) ba 11 11:1 Out of fear of Him the wind blows. Out of fear of Him the sun shines, fire burns, Indra rules and [Death,] the fifth one, flees. (TU 2.8.1)16 ginerow пр How led to drow agnisd Innolensmib isdgid sdi nov अथवा ननु मम पाण्यादिकरणानां स्वरूपभूतत्वे युक्तिं कथयतेति dow “Hold” ansom of abration) noquoy of An alternate explanation is as follows: [The Lord says,] “Explain the reasoning behind the statement that My senses, such as My hands, are part of My essential nature.” अत आहुः - अनिमिषाः करणाधिष्ठातृदेवास्तव बलिमुद्वहन्तीति । अजानजदेवत्वाद् विश्वसृजो विश्वेषां सृष्टिहेतवः । अन्ये तत्तदधिष्ठातृदेवताश्रयादेव करणैर्विषयं प्रकाशयितुं शक्नुवन्ति । त्वं पुनस्तेषामप्याश्रय इति त्वत्करणानां स्वप्रकाशतापत्तेः स्वरूपभूतत्वमे- afa i T Moody him sto estranysaston woba to bi odwads nove The Śrutis reply: “The gods (animiṣaḥ), i.e., the presiding deities of the senses, carry their offerings to You. These gods are the cre- ators of the universe; they are called ajanaja (the presiding deities of the unmixed elements, such as mahat-tattva) and thus are the causes behind everything created. Other living beings are able to perceive sense objects through their individual senses only due to the support of these deities, who preside over the senses. But You in turn are the support of these presiding deities. Thus, 16 bhiṣäsmäd vätaḥ pavate bhiṣodeti süryaḥ bhīṣāsmād agnis cendraś ca mṛtyur dhavati pañcamaḥ 10190 482 48 The Lord’s Senses Are Transcendental since Your sense organs are self-luminous, evidently they must be innate in Your essential being.” अथाप्यास्तां महाशक्तिर्मायैवाश्रय इति [Kṛṣṇa objects:] “Ignore all that. It is really the all-powerful māyā that is their shelter.”
The Śrutis answer by saying, “[The gods worship You] accompa- nied by māyā, the unborn (ajaya).” ननु जीवा अपि निजेन्द्रियाधिष्ठातृणामाश्रया भवन्ति । Bids Another objection: “But aren’t the living beings also the shelter of the presiding deities of their own sense organs?” bas तत्राहुः - विदधतीति । विषयभोगद्वारेष्विन्द्रियेषु भवता विश्वपतिना दत्ताधिकाराणां देवा- नामेवाधिकार्याः कतिपयग्रामभौमिका इव जीवा इति न तेषामाश्रयाः किन्तु भवानेव तेषा- मधिकारकत्वादाश्रय इति भावः ॥ श्रुतयः श्रीभगवन्तम् ॥ The Śrutis answer, “The devas carry out (vidadhati) their respon- sibilities out of awe for You.” You are the Lord of the universe, and You have granted authority over the various sense organs, which are the gates of sensual enjoyment, to the gods alone. The living beings, who are like small village landowners, are not the shelter of the presiding deities of their senses. Only You, who have bestowed such authority on the presiding deities, are their shelter.” libod od: Commentary Jo Jreg a fon usbusgabro arti CHAPTER 87 OF THE TENTH CANTO is called “The Prayers of the Personified Vedas,” or Śruti-stuti. Great Bhagavatam scholars, like Śrīdhara Svāmi, have identified a significant mantra from the Upanisads to be the speaker of each of these twenty-eight verses. For example, the verse discussed in this section (SB 10.87.28) corre- sponds to the following mantra from Svetāśvatara Upanisad: 483 bo Śri Bhagavat Sandarbha T He has no feet or hands, yet runs swiftly and can grasp anything. Henle War sees without eyes and hears without ears. He knows whatever is to ad be known, but no one knows Him. The sages call Him the original and greatest conscious being (Puruşa). (SU 3.19) 17 by Srila Jiva Gosvāmi mi says that the part Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmī says that the purpose of this mantra is to estab- lish that the Lord has transcendental senses in His transcendental body. In the previous section, it was explained that the Lord’s name, form, and actions are all transcendental. Since the Lord’s form is transcendental, it follows that His senses are as well. To remove any doubts, however, Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmi will now explicitly show that this is so. By quoting both the verse from the Śruti-stuti and the corre- sponding Vedic mantras, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmī shows how the Smrti and Śruti confirm each other. Nevertheless, rather than comment- ing directly on the Śruti mantra, Śrila Jiva Gosvāmi proceeds directly to the Bhāgavatam verse, which, after all, was spoken by the Śrutis personified. As such, they obviously understood the meaning of both these sources of revealed knowledge. The Śrutis say that the Lord is akaraṇa, or without external senses, because He is svarāt, or independent of anything external. The senses are called karana because they are inert instruments used by an agent to perform a particular activity or to acquire knowledge. In this respect, they are similar to the hatchet used by a woodcutter, as an instrument or tool for chopping wood. Just as the hatchet is distinct from the woodcutter, that is to say, is not part of him, so too the bodily senses are not a part of the jiva’s essential nature. The agent’s existence is not dependent on the senses, whereas the senses exist only to be utilized by the agent. Moreover, the senses cannot act independently, as they require an agent to direct and energize them in order to function. In the case of an ordinary jiva, the senses form part of the subtle body; they are material, but the ātmā invests consciousness into them. At the time of liberation, con- sciousness is freed from its apparent bondage to the material senses. 17 apāņi-pado javano grhita pasyaty acaksuḥ sa sṛnoty akarṇaḥ vollo sod sa vetti vedyam na ca tasyāsti vettä tam ahur agryaṁ purusaṁ mahāntam 484 48 The Lord’s Senses Are Transcendental If the ātmā were not distinct from the senses, there would be no question of liberation. savo la mailsuh styland Jon esobe -no In the Lord’s case, however, there is no distinction between Him, His body and His senses; thus the Śrutis call Him svarāț, or inde- pendent of anything external: “The Lord exists by His own inherent power, and does not depend on anything other than Himself” (svena eva rajate iti svarāt).alldises ahir home affy bite The living being in the conditioned state is dependent on his material senses in order to function in the material world. For their part, however, the senses depend not only on the atma’s presence in the physical body, but also on the controlling deities.’ The Lord’s senses, on the other hand, are part of His essential being (svarupa) and thus potent like Him. Therefore, any one of His senses can per- form the functions of the others, because they are not materially designed. This is confirmed by Śrī Brahmā: adi naming phdrà vd vino Bondanobuu I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, whose transcendental form is conscious, full of bliss, eternal and self-luminous. Each of the limbs of His body can perform the function of any other sense organ. He llev thus eternally sees, maintains, and manifests the infinite universes, both spiritual and mundane. (Brahma-samhita 5.32)19bal add odt to ylish griblasty sdr Joel of bad smerqueers to holzivisque This is also one of the imports of the Bhagavad Gitä verse that states: ionl brod art to E ybod lain en asense sdi to neilgque to roll other son al frol air Everywhere are His hands and legs; His eyes, head and mouth extend everywhere. (GĪTĀ 13.13)20 ni ballostno A doubt naturally arises in this regard, “Why then are His senses called karanas, if they do not fulfill the definition of an instrument?” The answer is that they are called karanas in a secondary sense. This is because they can act like the senses but are without the limitations of the material senses. Krsna’s eyes see, but are not limited to that function alone, as is the material eye. Furthermore, the Lord’s senses 18 19 20 See Tattva Sandarbha, Anucchedas 50 and 60. angani yasya sakalendriya-vṛttimanti paśyanti panti kalayanti ciram jaganti ananda-cinmaya-sad-ujjvala-vigrahasya govindam adi-puruşam tam aham bhajāmi sarvataḥ pāņi-pādam tat sarvato kşi-siro-mukham 485 lains Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha & cannot be separated from Him. In the Lord’s case, the phrasing “His senses” does not imply the dualism of owner and owned. notesup Nyāya-śāstra states, “An instrument (karana) is a non-common- place (i.e., specific) cause that plays an intermediary function.“21 In other words, in order to see an object, the eye has to make con- tact with the object, and the mind then has to create a connection between the eye and the ātmā. This establishing of contact is the intermediary function. But the Lord is in direct contact with every- thing at all times. His contact with an object is not indirect, as in the case of a jīva. So, since there is no intermediary function involved in His perception, this definition of karana is not applicable to Him. Everything is available to Him at each and every moment, without any mediating factor. Although the Lord is the support and fountain- head of all the senses, He has no material senses. Su 6.8 thus states, “The Lord has neither duty nor material senses.“22 This fact can be understood only by sabda-pramāņa, or revealed sound, and not by logic, as confirmed in vs 2.1.27. The Lord is not only the fountainhead of potency for all the senses, but He is the controller of their presiding deities as well. Devas like Indra, the presiding deity of the hands, work under the supervision of the Supreme Lord. In fact, the presiding deity of the material energy, maya, who supplies the ingredients for the mate- rial body and senses, is the maidservant of the Lord. In other words, the Lord is not the direct controller or supplier of the senses. The senses work under the supervision of the presiding deities, who are controlled in turn by the Lord. This again shows Kṛṣṇa’s super- excellent position because it indicates that the senses of the Lord are not under the control of the gods. The Śrutis offer the example of a sovereign king who controls many provincial rulers, who in turn have their subjects. Śrī Kapila confirms this in Śrimad Bhagavatam: Throughout the ages, the presiding deities of the three gunas, who control everything mobile and immobile, carry out their functions 21 vyāpāravad asādhāraṇaṁ kāraṇaṁ karanamum Nyaya-siddhanta-mañjarī 1 22 na tasya karyam karanam ca vidyate 486 48 The Lord’s Senses Are Transcendental of creation, maintenance and destruction out of fear of the Lord. (SB 3.29.44)23 One of the meanings of the word akarana (without senses), is that the Lord, as Supreme Indwelling Self, sits in the material body next to the individual self. The living being perceives the material world through the senses of the body. He is therefore called sa-karaṇa, “being endowed with or possessing senses.” But Paramātmā, while present in the heart of every jiva, remains situated in His own inher- ent being. He thus perceives or witnesses directly, without recourse to the material senses of the body-mind, and is hence called akarana. The living being is attached to his material senses, but Paramātmā is neither attached to nor dependent upon them. In the next anuccheda, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi will further explain that the Lord’s senses are transcendental because they are different from the material senses.songs fibas 1set has abroad and baikan abang bosened to biousb bd or bina i sis the Efter Ivstin WO bein A allen mens Sheir reapfie Todas) drw botifli bi her ybod so what he dining hooldased vil enter has slid gold sal sit adi badaibes van zad odw snow delinots gled segros ow basoud we blow ont autol woy to ysnod ads to shitan .04.01 ) vbode doue and have bad a’r to szort bus sutan u lutalid we oude doueris eff you as adwared badmash,avorio 23 gunābhimanino devāḥ sargādiṣv asya yad-bhayat vartante’nuyugam yeṣām vasa etac carācaram 487 latoshabanerad Be sense does not imply the Anuccheda 499d29v 02 belles 9701979 al SH The Lord’s Bodily Limbs Are Non-Material annyasin belles soned at me baim-vhod art 21 БГ ४९ । तस्माद् विलक्षणपाणिपादादित्वेनैवापाणिपादादित्वम् । यथाह (भा० १० । ६०।४५) – IT HAS THUS BEEN SHOWN that because Bhagavan’s sense organs, such as hands and feet, are different from those of human beings, He is said to be devoid of hands and feet, apāņi-pāda. As Śrīmati Rukmini Devi said: त्वक्श्मश्रुरोमनखकेशपिनद्धमन्तर्मांसास्थिरक्तकृमिविट्कफपित्तवातम् । जीवच्छवं भजति कान्तमतिर्विमूढा या ते पदाब्जमकरन्दमजिघ्रती स्त्री ॥ २३३ ॥ vision This human body, which is covered with skin, moustaches, nails and hair on the body and head, and which is filled with flesh, bones, blood, parasites, feces, phlegm, bile and wind, is a living corpse. Only a foolish woman who has never relished the fra- grance of the honey of Your lotus feet would serve a husband who has such a body. (SB 10.60.45)1 अत्र श्रीभगवति केशादीनां श्रूयमाणानामानन्दस्वरूपत्वमन्येषां त्वभाव एवेति वैलक्षण्यं स्पष्टमेव । g In this verse, a clear distinction is made between Bhagavan’s bod- ily parts, such as hair, which are blissful in nature, and those of others, described here, which are not. 1 tvak-śmaśru-roma-nakha-keśa-pinaddham antar mämsästhi-rakta-kṛmi-vit-kapha-pitta-vātam jivac-chavam bhajati kānta-matir vimūḍhā ya te padābja-makarandam ajighrati stripem 488 49 The Lord’s Bodily Limbs Are Non-Material अत एव हि हिरण्यकशिपुं प्रति तन्मारकजननिषेधलक्षणब्रह्मवरदानमपि सङ्गच्छते । “व्यसुभिर्वासुमद्भिर्वा सुरासुरमहोरगैः” (भा० ७ । ३ । ३७ ) इति । nd fird. Therefore, Śri Brahma’s boon to Hiranyakasipu that he would not be slain by various beings and weapons is also appropriate to con- sider in this regard. Hiranyakasipu asked, “Grant me that I not meet death from any animate or inanimate being, whether deva, asura or a great snake from the lower planets” (SB 7.3.37).2 न चैतत् करणस्य निषेधपरं किन्तु कर्तुरेव कर्तृप्रकरणात् । आगणिशि गाणिर्देि प्राणिभिः प्राणिभिर्वेत्युक्तेस्त स्यैव प्राप्तत्वात् । (हन्तुर्जीवदेहसाम्येऽपि ) सप्राणभागान् निस्कनायखाग्र- । भागस्य त्यक्तप्राणत्वाच् च । The negation here is not of the instrument, but of the agent, the wielder of the instrument, because that is the context in which the verse was spoken. Secondly, the words “animate or inani- mate” apply strictly to the agent, or in other words, the would- be killer of Hiranyakasipu. In addition, the negation must be of the agent, since if it applied to the instrument, Hiranyakasipu would be susceptible to being killed even by an ordinary human being’s nails, which are both living and non-living simultane- ously (a boon which Hiranyakasipu had not thought to ask for). A living being’s nails are lifeless, despite being similar to the liv- ing body, since they grow out separately from the organism and can be clipped off. 156 HEW तस्मादस्माकम् “अप्राणो ह्यमनाः शुभ्रः” (मु० २।१।२) इति । “अस्य महतो भूतस्य निःश्व- सितमेतत्” (बृ० २।४।१०) इति च श्रुतिर्नासङ्गतेति । अत एवोक्तं वाराहे- Therefore, our [the Śrutis] statements, such as, “He is without life, without mind, and pure” (MUU 2.1.2), and, “These scriptures have appeared from the breath of that great Lord " ( BAU 2.4.10 and BAU 4.5.11), are not inappropriate. And so, Varāha Purāna states: श तस्य प्राकृता मूर्तिदोमज्जास्थिसम्भवा ।ld fro न योगित्वादीश्वरत्वात् सत्यरूपोऽच्युतो विभुः ॥ २३४ ॥ इति । vyasubhir vasumadbhir va surāsura-mahoragaiḥ aprano hy amanahḥ śubhraḥ 4 asya mahato bhūtasya niḥśvasitam etad 489 M-Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbhaa eu The Lord’s form is not material, not composed of fat, marrow and h bones. The all-powerful, infallible Lord has an eternal form, not through mastery of yoga, but because He is that Supreme Entity Ton (Isvara) in whom complete potency, authority and mastery no inhere. gonggs oals ai anoqsow bus agniod auoitev yd nisl sd om insholas uglèsdaygunit hingst aids ni shiz तच् चाप्राकृतमूर्तित्वं तस्य महायोगित्वादिच्छाकृतमिति न किन्त्वीश्वरत्वान् नित्यमेवेत्य- ef: 1 200 DTUZO In other words, the Lord’s non-material form is eternal because He is the Supreme Entity (Iśvara) in whom such self-actualized potentialities eternally inhere. His form is not manifest as a function of His will, due to supreme mastery of yoga. doidw discussed an 941 तथा च प्रयोगः – ईश्वरः सविग्रहः ज्ञानेच्छाप्रयत्नवत्कर्तृत्वात् कुलालादिवत् । स च विग्रहो नित्यः ईश्वरकरणत्वात् तज्ज्ञानादिवदिति । अत एव विलक्षणत्वमपि । The logical formulation is this: The Lord has a form, because, like a potter, He has agency, implying cognition, volition and endeavor. This form is eternal, just like His cognition and other attributes, because it is the sense, or the instrument, of the supremely potent eternal Entity (Iśvara). Therefore, it is categorically different from mortal forms. go जीवच्छवम् इति चैतन्ययोगेन जीवन्तं स्वतस्तु शवम् । ततः श्रीभगवद्विग्रहस्तु चिदेकर- सत्वात् सदा जीवन्नेवेति वैलक्षण्यं युक्तं नित्यानन्दचिद्रूपत्वाद् भजनीयत्वं च युक्तमिति भावः ॥ श्रीरुक्मिणी श्रीभगवन्तम् ॥ The words jivan-śava (living corpse) mean that the material body is alive solely because of its connection with the conscious being, but of its own, is simply a corpse. The Lord’s form, on the other hand, being conscious by nature, is always alive. The distinction between the two is thus proper. Furthermore, since His form is inherently eternal, blissful and conscious, the worship of His form is appropriate. 5 na tasya prākṛtā mūrtir medo-majjāsthi-sambhavā na yogitvad iśvaratvāt satya-rupo’cyuto vibhuḥ 490Commentary 49 The Lord’s Bodily Limbs Are Non-Material lolactulose, disano zis..or berillaldanovi TO FURTHER SUBSTANTIATE that “no hands or legs” indicates their transcendental counterparts, Śrila Jiva Gosvāmī cites a verse by Ruk- miņi Devi, Kṛṣṇa’s principal and most affectionate queen in Dvārakā. One day, He decided to tease her and playfully spoke the following words: 30 109 b addid al vhod mon dallar O Rukmini, many kings were eager to marry you, all of whom are more opulent, handsome, generous and powerful than Me. Indeed, father betrothed you to Śiśupala, who is a great hero and was your mad to win your hand in marriage. You rejected all of them, how- ever, and chose to marry Me. Why did you make such a mistake? O beautiful one, don’t you understand that I reside in the midst of the ocean out of fear for Jarasandha and other powerful enemies? 916 DEVE Most dear one, I am not qualified to be king, nor do I know how to behave with the cultured women of royal families. I am a pauper band loved only by those who are like Me. Those who have wealth and aristocratic birth generally avoid Me. Therefore, O princess of Bhismaka, you have made a severe blunder. You heard my so-called 408 glories from beggars who are devoted to Me, and owing to short- sightedness, you fell in love with Me. Still, it is not too late to rec- tify your mistake. You can still choose some suitable king as your husband. mbald basqa lauouest Actually, I really abducted you only to curb the pride of Śalva and Siśupāla, who were envious of Me. Otherwise, I am quite indif- ferent, having no attraction or attachment for wife, children and wealth. (SB 10.60.10-20) Śrīmati Rukmini Devi was thoroughly upset to hear these pierc- ing words, the like of which she had never heard before from her affectionate and constant companion. Drowning in an ocean of sor- row, she fainted at the mere thought of being separated from Him. Seeing this, Śrī Kṛṣṇa was filled with compassion. He lifted her up, wiped the tears from her eyes, and consoled her, admitting that He had only been joking with her. After repeated reassurance, she was finally pacified. She then proceeded to speak a number of verses that 491 Lanta MonŚrī Bhagavat Sandarbha ents reveal the hidden meaning of Kṛṣṇa’s statements, turning them in a favorable light. SB 10.60.45 is one verse in this series, where Rukmini indirectly indicates the transcendental nature of Bhagavan’s form. Rukmini first presents a lucid description of the material body, which is dead though appearing alive. She asks how one can enjoy embracing a dead body, which is impure, filthy, abominable, untouchable and a source of fear. The only rasa, or taste, a sane per- son can relish from the material body is bibhatsa, the sentiment of disgust. The outer covering of skin may look attractive, but the inte- rior is filled with foul intestines, flesh wrapped around bones, all tied together with nerves and veins. The body is full of unsightly blood, worms, bile, stool, mucus and urine. Furthermore, it is always afflicted with various miseries, like boils, wounds, fever, cancer and so on. Rukmini Devi indicates that the limbs and body of Bhagavan are distinct from the material limbs being described here. Even His hair is sat-cit-ananda. odv Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi cites the following verse in his Vaisnava-toşani commentary to paint a vivid picture of the material body’s actual makeup: the warsh If the contents of the body were worn on the outside, one would con- tinuously spend his time warding off dogs and vultures with a stick. At certain times of the day, we get a glimpse of the foul nature of the contents of the body. So the question arises, how can a woman be attracted to a man’s body, and vice versa? Rukmini Devi answers, känta, because she thinks him beautiful and lovable. A further doubt is raised. Everyone is exposed to the various foul odors emanating from the body, so how can it be considered beautiful? The answer is that it is due to pronounced bewilderment, vimuḍhāh. This condition is compared to the state of intoxication, under the influence of which, a man can take pleasure even in lying in the gutter. ⚫ yadi nāmāsya kāyasya yad antas tad bahir bhavet di dandam udyamya loko’yam sunaḥ kākāmś ca varayet nonded2 farbagylle 492 49 The Lord’s Bodily Limbs Are Non-Material not People who relish the fragrance of lotus flowers will abhor the stench of a dead body, whereas a crow considers it pleasant. In the same way, those who have tasted the nectarean pastimes of the Lord, or experienced the fragrance of His lotus feet, will abhor the fixation with enjoyment of the material body, which is a living corpse. The Śrutis confirm this: unanibons 0975 vizua дом Those who fix their minds on You, who are the Self of all selves and the personification of eternal joy, become egoless sages residing by the holy pilgrimage sites. Their hearts hold Your lotus feet, and the on water that washes their feet also becomes capable of destroying allow sin. So, they never again reside in the homes that rob them of the or bolessence of human life. (SB 10.87.35) ir lip to ad by non od zands To corroborate this conclusion, Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī next alludes to the history of Hiranyakasipu, who performed great penances to please Śrī Brahma. When Śrī Brahma appeared before him, Hiranyakasipu offered him prayers in which he asked for many boons, including that he not be killed by any creature created by Brahma; that he not be killed inside or outside any residence, dur- ing the day or at night, in the sky, on earth or in water; that he not be killed by any weapon, and so on. In this way, Hiranyakaśipu requested boons with the intent of becoming immortal, attempting to cover all the possible sources of death. asbev adi tadi bozinoqu Amongst the kinds of beings he protected himself against, Hiranyakasipu included those “who have life-air (or vital-force) and those who do not have life-air” (vyasubhir väsumadbhir vā). Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmi says that with this statement, Hiranyakasipu intended to deny an agent with such characteristics, not an instrument. He requested not to be killed by any being that either breathes or does not breathe. He failed, however, to request not to be killed by a being who both breathes and doesn’t breathe simultaneously. Such characteristics are present in the Trans-conventional being who breathes, but not in the way that ordinary human beings do. His ‘bhuvi puru-punya-tirtha-sadanany ṛṣayo vimadas ta uta bhavat-padambuja-hṛdo’gha-bhid-anghri-jalaḥ dadhati sakṛn manas tvayi ya ātmani nitya-sukhe na punar upăsate purusa-sara-haravasathān 493 JAAM Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha breath, like His body, senses, and so on, is an inherent manifestation of His essential nature.as madebod babb to danes If Hiranyakasipu’s intention had been to deny, not the agent, but an instrument that is either living or non-living, then by his fail- ure to request protection from an instrument that is both living and non-living simultaneously, even an ordinary human being would be able to kill him with his nails and remain true to Śrī Brahma’s boon. This is so because nails have no life-air in them as they are clippable, and yet they have life because they grow. No mortal being, however, would have been able to kill Hiranyakasipu, since it is clear that no mortal being could be an exception to his conditions. ble In spite of all his precautions, however, he was eventually killed by Lord Nrsimhadeva without Brahma’s boons being flouted. The Lord killed him with His nails, which implies that His nails are non- different from Him, and therefore satisfy the condition of being both with and without life-air. The Lord’s existence is not depen- dent on His breath, as is the case for human beings. Rather, His breath is an inherent and natural manifestation of His existence. Therefore, He alone fits the exception to the stringent criteria set by Hiranyakasipu. bas This proves that the Lord’s limbs are transcendental and a part of His svarupa-sakti. As such, the statement from Bṛhad-aranyaka Upanisad that the Vedas and Vedic literature appeared from the breath of the Supreme is neither false nor allegorical. Moreover, the Lord’s body is not manifest by yogic power, but exists eternally, like Himself, and can never be separated from Him. It is not living due to contact with the Lord’s ātmā, as is the case with the material body. It is pure consciousness and therefore worshipable. Finally, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi offers a logical proof that the Lord has a body, and that, furthermore, it is eternal and transcendental. The logical steps are given as follows:
- Proposition: Bhagavan must have form. art fold
- Reason: Because He is the creator, and a possessor of knowledge, will and the capacity for action.
- Universal proposition: Whoever creates must have a body, e.g., a potter. 494 49 The Lord’s Bodily Limbs Are Non-Material dc4. Application: Bhagavan created the universe. gol of gaibro
- Conclusion: Therefore, He must have form.) gninniged hib ybod bo t This is the five-step syllogism of Vedic logic, called anumana. Cre- ative action indicates that an agent must have knowledge. Mere knowledge, however, is not sufficient. People may have various types of knowledge, but that does not mean they use it to create. The will to create must also be present, though that too is insufficient on its own; the creator must also have sufficient energy and the means to engage in the act of creation. Furthermore, there should be no insurmountable impediments during the process of doing so. When all these conditions are met, the work of creation can be carried out. Knowledge, will and working capacity are attributes and can only reside in a substantive, gunavattva-samaväyi-kāraṇatvaṁ dravyatvam. Knowledge cannot reside in inert matter, jñānād- hikaraṇam ātmā. The self is the substratum of knowledge; therefore, it is concluded that the Lord, who is the creator of the universe and has the knowledge, will and energy needed for creation, must be a conscious being. This in turn naturally infers that He must have a body. But His body could be material or spiritual. To prove that His body is spiritual, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi offers another logical phrasing:
- Proposition: Bhagavan’s form is eternal.
- Reason: Because it is His instrument.
- Universal proposition: Whatever serves as Bhagavan’s instru- ment, such as His knowledge, is eternal.
- Application: Bhagavan’s body is His instrument in creation.
- Conclusion: Bhagavan’s body is eternal. Nyaya is a realistic philosophy, and logicians accept that the Lord is eternal and real. Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmī does not go into the details of logic here because it would be out of context. Interested read- ers may study Nyaya-kusumāñjali of Śrī Udayanācārya, wherein the author offers detailed logical proof for the existence of God. Because the Lord is eternal, all His attributes and instruments, such as His will, knowledge and action, are eternal. If His knowledge is eternal, then naturally its substratum is also eternal, as the attributes of an eternal substance are similarly eternal (nityam gataṁ nityam). 495 JAM Śri Bhagavat Sandarbhav bre According to logic, something is considered eternal if it is both without beginning (anadi) and end (ananta). This means that there was never a time when the Lord’s body did not exist, nor will it ever cease to exist. In contrast to this, Rukmiņi Devi calls mortal beings “living corpses” (jivan-śava). This means that they are actually dead but appear to live owing to contact with the eternal spark of con- sciousness that is the living being. The Lord’s body is not like that, as it is conscious by its very nature. This is the implication of the word jivan-śava, used in this verse. In the upcoming anuccheda, the author will reconcile mutually contradictory statements about the name and form of the Lord. поду TH Jarli svong of Icing2 10 Issam od bluos vbod eill ju bod sing Learyol radions Umesto el nord on go Drevini Kausged at prea valed W nitizogong via elish silloin og jonesol revenden lee bit aplin best boje stal ones to ruoad Blow Asya algal to derbensyobu 21 inhua-byld yine yam 496 movin dala eno toga orions agridalis toxomaadishulleys and bebizoni doldwasi alentador o la cale has Isistem deuordt gidarow sortie marave sgby sidrassland or aldo velqaro mss and faith driw sa adiosumed m Anuccheda 50 sa od breyta svad seds Contradictory Statements Reconciled mi astudes to (i 50.1572ya airs ani grizy adsgan Jadi mstays s bylina ei stuload A sdf botash al juload A ५० । नामरूपित्वविधिनिषेधश्रुतिभिर्विवदमानानां विवादावसरे तदेव ह्युपपादयति (મા૦ ૬।૪।રૂર) — 19 IN THE FOLLOWING VERSE, Śri Dakṣa sets forth the [transcenden- tal nature of the] Lord’s name and form for the sake of those who argue amongst themselves over the Vedic statements that either deny or accept the Lord’s name and form: अस्तीति नास्तीति च वस्तुनिष्ठयोरेकस्थयोर्भिन्नविरुद्धधर्मणोः into owi aft २. अवेक्षितं किञ्चन योगसाङ्ख्ययोः समं परं ह्यनुकूलं बृहत् तत् ॥ २३५ ॥wdi xsil Hguo Me) Variot lis ber The adherents of yoga and sänkhya are intent on the Truth, which bis One and the same Entity for both, but they attribute differ- Sent and opposing characteristics to it, either by affirming or negating [its attributes]. They both see that same something, which is transcendental, favorable [to their understanding] and me[supremely] great. (SB 6.4.32)1 अस्तीति योगः स्थूलोपासनाशास्त्रम् । तत्र हि यद्भगवतो नामरूपित्वं श्रूयते तद् दृष्टकल्प- नालाघवाद् घटपटादिलक्षणाखिलनामधेयत्वं पातालपादादिकत्वं चेति विधीयते । ca 1 The system that affirms the existence (asti-iti) of names and forms in the Absolute is yoga. In this context, yoga refers to the scripture that prescribes worship of the Absolute through gross or visible form. The descriptions of the Lord’s names and forms in astiti nästiti ca vastu-nisthayor eka-sthayor bhinna-viruddha-dharmanoḥ avekṣitam kiñcana yoga-sänkhyayoḥ samaṁ paraṁ hy anukulam bṛhat tat hoy 497 Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha this system include the names of all things, such as a pot or a cloth, and also all forms, such as the Pātāla planet, which is considered to be His feet. The yoga system affirms worship through material form because of the ease with which one can contemplate objects that have already been seen. नास्तीति साङ्ख्यं ज्ञानशास्त्रम् । तत्र हि निषेधश्रुतिभिस्तस्य नामरूपित्वं यन् निषिध्यते तत् प्रापञ्चिकनामरूपित्वस्य कल्पितत्वात् सर्वथैव नास्तीति निश्चीयते । stroD The system that negates the existence (năsti-iti) of attributes in the Absolute is sänkhya or the jñāna-śästra. In this system, the Absolute is denied name and form, using the negative statements of the Vedas. Because the names and forms in this material world are mere thought constructs, it is concluded that the Absolute has no names and forms whatsoever. -nabassan तदुक्तमुभयमतस्यैव प्राक् “स सर्वनामा स च विश्वरूपः” (भा० ६।४।२८) इत्यादिना “यद्यन् निरुक्तं वचसा निरूपितम्” (भा० ६।४।२९) इत्यादिना च । अस्तीति नास्तीति च वस्तुनि निष्ठा ययोः । mot barn smen bod ad tqss to visb The two opinions referred to in this verse were mentioned ear- lier in two verses of the Hamsa-guhya-stotra: “He has all names and all forms” (SB 6.4.28), and, “Whatever is described through speech and ascertained by intelligence, whatever is perceived by the senses and conceived by the mind, is all a product of māyā and is not the Absolute Reality” (SB 6.4.29). Therefore, both the philosophy of asti-iti and nästi-iti have the same Entity, the One Ovet Istashaspaner at doidw Absolute, as their common subject. a) Jeong [vismanque
तमेव विवादं स्फुटयति – भिन्नौ अस्तीति नास्तीत्येवम्भूतौ विरुद्धौ धर्मौ ययोस्तयोः । Dakṣa now clarifies the nature of the dispute between the two systems: “They attribute different and opposing characteris- tics to the Absolute,” either by affirmation (asti-iti) or negation (năsti-iti). 2019 901 SuloadA ads to gidarow editor dougho 2sa vai mamăseșa-viseṣa-maya-niṣedha-nirvana-sukhānubhutiḥmolaldiaivu sa sarva-nāmā sa ca viśva-rupaḥ prasidatām aniruktätma-saktiḥ yad yan niruktam vacasă nirupitaṁ dhiyākṣabhir va manasota yasya mã bhūt svarupaṁ guna-rupaṁ hi tat tat sa vai guṇāpāya-visarga-lakṣaṇaḥ 498 50 Contradictory Statements Reconciled नन्वास्तामनयोर्भिन्नविषयत्वं नेत्याह – एकस्थयोः समानविषययोः । तदेवं विवादे सति तयोर्यत् किञ्चित् समं समञ्जसत्वेनैव अवेक्षितं प्रतीतं वस्तु तद् द्वयोरपि बृहन्महदनु- कूलं भवति । किं तत्समञ्जसम् । यत् परं नामरूपादत्यन्ततदभावाच् च विलक्षणं यत्र युगपन् नामरूपित्वमनामरूपित्वमपि वक्तुं शक्यते तद् विलक्षणं किमपि नामरूपलक्षण- मेव वस्त्वित्यर्थः I islauor baraqmos bas hnsagne A doubt is raised: Why not assume that these two systems describe different entities? That is not true, for the verse says, “One and the same Entity for both” (eka-sthayoh ). In the mat- ter of such controversy, whatever Entity is perceived (avekṣita) by the disputants as being the synthesis (sama) of their particu- lar view, that same Entity, though perceived in opposing ways, will be viewed by both onlookers as great (bṛhat) and favorable (anuküla) to their own specific outlook. What is the nature of that Entity in which such synthesis is found? It is para (transcenden- tal), which is to say that it is completely beyond material name and form, as well as beyond their total absence; wherein it is pos- sible to say that it both does and does not have name and form simultaneously. This means that such a distinct Entity would certainly be inclusive of name and form. ad ba bna moltah । एतदुक्तं भवति – एकस्मिन्नेव वस्तुनि नामरूपित्वविधिनिषेधाभ्यां परस्परं श्रुतयः पराह- तार्थाः स्युः । अत्र तु परत्वेनोभयत्रापि प्राक्तनयुक्त्या समञ्जसमप्राकृतनामरूपित्वमेव विधिनिषेधश्रुतितात्पर्येनोपस्थाप्यत इति तत्तन्मतं विवादमात्रम् । इत्थमेवात्र श्रीध्रुवेण निर्विवादत्वमुक्तम् (भा० ४।९।१३) - tual foru It may be suggested that if the affirmative and negative state- ments of the Śrutis regarding name and form apply equally to the same Entity, that would make them self-contradictory. But because both perspectives accept that Entity as transcen- dental, then by the above stated reasoning, a synthesis can be arrived at by considering His name and form as being beyond material nature. This synthesis is established through [under- standing] the actual import of both the positive and negative statements of the Śrutis. Thus, any contention between the two systems is merely apparent. Dhruva Mahārāja also speaks of this reconciliation in the same manner: 499 bŚri Bhagavat Sandarbha तिर्यङ्नगद्विजसरीसृपदेवदैत्यमर्त्यादिभिः परिचितं सदसद्विशेषम् । रूपं स्थविष्ठमज ते महदाद्यनेकं नातः परं परम वेद्मि न यत्र वादः ॥ २३६ ॥ O unborn Supreme Lord! I am able to know only this gross cos- mic form that is full of animals, trees, mountains, birds, reptiles, gods, asuras, human beings and so on, and composed of many ele- ments, like the mahat, all intertwined in a chain of cause and A eyeffect. But until now, I did not know what lies beyond all this, b wherein all controversies find resolution. (SB 4.9.13) sd has o अत्र रूपशब्दस्यैवोभयत्र विशेष्यत्वेन “ भूप मूर्तममूर्तं च परं चापरमेव च” (वि० पु० ६।७।४७) इति वैष्णववाक्यानुसारेण च । अतः परं चतुर्भुजादित्वलक्षणं रूपं वपुरित्य- र्थः । तच् चाग्रे दर्शयिष्यते । तन् न वेद्मि एतत्पर्यन्तं कालं नाज्ञासिषमित्यर्थः । In this verse, the word rupa (form) refers to the Lord’s body, char- acterized by features such as four hands, and which is simul- taneously “beyond all this.” That this is so is concluded from the fact that such an Entity meets the criteria of the Absolute both through affirmation and negation of name and form. Fur- thermore, that the Absolute is an Entity both inclusive of tran- scendental form and beyond material form is also confirmed by this statement from Visnu Purāṇa, “O King, He is both with and without form; He is both transcendental and phenomenal […]” (VP 6.7.47). This will be demonstrated later on. The phrase, “I do not know” (nāvedmi) means, “I did not know until now.” Commentary bne sviaminis edi li tadt batanggua ad ve vilsups vigas aroi bas men gilings alone sat to ans IN THE LAST FEW SECTIONS, it has been established that Bhaga- vān’s name and form are transcendental. In the Vedas and Vedic literature we find two types of statements regarding the Absolute, either affirming or negating the existence of name and form in the existence of name and fo ⚫ tiryan-naga-dvija-sarisṛpa-deva-daitya- to outs sdt gaibas) martyādibhiḥ paricitam sad-asad-visesam rupam sthavistham aja te mahad-ady-anekam ar to inamstats nataḥ param parama vedmi na yatra vadaḥos vis com el amate 5 bhūpa murtam amurtam ca paraṁ caparam eva casali 6 “In the discussion of SB 6.4.35-36 in this anuccheda. 50050 Contradictory Statements Reconciled such an Entity. This is logically inconsistent. Nevertheless, in this section, Jīva Gosvāmi shows how both these types of Vedic state- ments describe one and the same Entity, Bhagavan, in whom the two apparently opposing views find resolution. To accomplish this, Jiva Gosvāmi refers to two verses from Dakṣa’s Hamsa-guhya prayers in the Sixth Canto. The ten sons of King Präcinabarhi, known as the Pracetas, per- formed austerities under the ocean for an extended period. When they emerged, they were incensed to see the earth overrun by tall trees; in anger they ignited the trees with fire and wind generated from their mouths. The presiding deity of the trees, the moon-god, pacified the Pracetas by offering them Pramlocă Apsara’s beautiful daughter, named Vārkṣī, in marriage. Their son was Dakṣa Mahā- rāja, who later went to a holy place, called Aghamarṣaṇa, to perform severe penances as a preparation for his work of procreation. There he recited the Hamsa-guhya-stotra for the glorification of Śrī Viṣṇu. In the first of the two verses under discussion in this anuccheda, Dakṣa reconciles the apparent contradiction between the teachings of yoga and those of sankhya? The word yoga, according to Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmī, here refers to the upāsanā-bhakti scriptures, which pre- scribe that neophytes should meditate on the cosmic form of the Lord. A neophyte refers to someone who is oriented to gross form and is not yet attuned to the Spirit that underlies and pervades all form. It is difficult for such people to conceive of the Lord’s spiri- tual form. By the principle that the very item that causes a disease can also cure it, such people are advised to meditate on material names and forms, as being the names and forms of the Lord. In this way, they learn to “re-cognize” the Lord in everything, and their con- sciousness becomes attuned to a more profound reality. Śrī Suka- deva describes this process to Parikṣit Mahārāja in the Second Canto: “In this context, yoga and sänkhya do not refer to the two schools of philosophy that are counted among the six Indian darśanas. Rather, they should be thought of as generic approaches to spiritual truth, as indicated in GITA 3.3. They are general approaches, stressing either the imminence or transcendence of the Absolute, rather than specifically formulated systems. amayo yaś ca bhūtānāṁ jāyate yena suvrata SB 1.5.33 501 balta Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha aid Having mastered the sitting posture and the breath, remaining iso-u 91-lated from company and controlling the senses, one should use the 92 intelligence to fix the mind on the Lord’s gross form, which is called in the viraḍ-rupa. This special body of the Lord is the grossest of the 21 gross, in which the past, present and future of the existing universe is manifested. Within this body - the universal shell covered by the sevenfold material elements - resides the universal form of the Lord, the basis of all meditation. (SB 2.1.23-25) llet After this, Sukadeva explains how one should meditate on the various planetary systems, beginning from Pātālaloka, which is con- sidered to be the sole of the Lord’s foot. In this way, the yoga-sastra affirms the worship of the Absolute through material names and forms. But these are not the real names and forms of the Lord. queb Sänkhya-sastra, however, deny name and form in the Absolute. Sänkhya means knowledge, “That which properly defines or explains is called sänkhya” (samyak khyāyate iti sänkhyah). This refers to the path of jñāna-yoga, which is based on the process of ascertaining the Absolute Truth through negation, neti neti, “not this, not this.” While teaching Gärgi, the sage Yajnavalkya said, “Brahman is without name, ears, mind or organ of speech” (acakṣuşkam asrotram avag amanas, BAU 3.8.8). This process of negation concludes that Brahman is beyond the visible material world. Since it denies Brah- man all material qualities, it simply hints that He has transcenden- tal features. That is the actual purpose of the denial, though the negation is interpreted in absolutistic terms by those who cling to formlessness as a conception. Through the system of yoga, attention is disciplined to constantly remember the Lord by perceiving all material elements as parts of His universal body. When the yogi advances, however, he medi- tates directly on Paramātmā within his heart. Through the sankhya jitäsano jita-śvāso jita-sango jitendriyaḥancial sthule bhagavato rüpe manaḥ sandhärayed dhiya visesas tasya deho’yam sthavisthas ca sthaviyasām yatredam vyajyate viśvam bhūtam bhavyam bhavac ca sat anda-kose sarire’smin saptavarana-samyute vairajaḥ puruso yo’sau bhagavan dharaṇāśrayaḥ 502 50 Contradictory Statements Reconciled approach, one is trained to constantly think of the Absolute as tran- scending all material objects perceived by the senses. Sānkhya phi- losophy holds that the Absolute cannot have material name, form or qualities, and thus encourages one to fix the mind on the Absolute Truth devoid of limitations and qualifiers.tolime Both approaches are, in fact, directed toward the same goal, since both describe, and encourage remembrance of, One and the same Entity. Thus, there is no contradiction between the affirming process of yoga (asti-iti) and the negating process of sänkhya (nāsti- iti). So, the word avekṣita (appears) means the way the Absolute is perceived, by the respective schools, after thorough analysis; and anukulam (favorable to the understanding of both) means that the two positions are accommodated and thus reconciled within the same Entity. for al vo In the Second Canto, Śrī Suka says that yogis reject gross and subtle material forms to meditate on the Lord: stilasp leristem zod I have explained to you the subtle and gross forms of the Lord. Both Dvi of these are manifestations of the Lord’s external energy. The devo- tees who know reality, however, do not accept them as suitable objects for meditation. (SB 2.10.35) 10 ni even lliw bas ninab.consH J Juods Regarding the process of neti neti, Śrī Śuka elsewhere says: Since they intend to set aside everything that is not the Absolute Truth, by following the process of negation (neti neti), the transcen- em dentalists give up all misconceptions of the self. Constantly embrac-q qsing the Lord’s form within their heart and having no friend other athan Him, they know that He, Śrī Visnu, is the supreme destination. (SB 2.2.18)11 SH Since the goal of both paths is the same, there is no contradic- tion between them, only the means taken is different. One cannot envision the universal form without accepting the substratum, just 10 amuni bhagavad-rūpe māyā te hy anuvarṇite 11 ubhe api na grhnanti maya-sṛṣṭe vipaścitaḥ param padam vaiṣṇavam amananti tad yan neti netity atad utsisṛkṣavaḥ visṛjya dauratmyam ananya-sauhṛda hrdopaguhyarha-padam pade pade ad 503 Bolis Śri Bhagavat Sandarbha N as one cannot paint a picture without a canvas. Imagination needs a basis in reality (sati kudye citram nyayaḥ). One sees water in a mirage only because he is familiar with the real substance; one can imagine horns on a rabbit because he has experienced both independently. Similarly, one can imagine the universal form of the Lord, because the universe and the Lord’s form exist separately as tangible realities. In the same way, the process of negation has both a basis and a limit. For example, suppose twenty students, one of whom is Kṛṣṇadāsa, are sitting in a row. Someone is looking for him and so points to the first student and asks, “Is this Kṛṣṇadāsa?” The teacher replies, “Not him, not him.” The same question is posed of the next student, and again the teacher replies, “Not him, not him.” This process is repeated until the investigator finds Kṛṣṇadāsa. The process of neti neti is thus only limited or relative negation; it is not absolute, since the negation is no longer applicable when the actual entity is discov- ered. With regard to the question at hand, its purpose is simply to deny that the Lord has material qualities. Moreover, according to Vedic logic, one cannot deny something that does not exist, aprasiddha-pratiyogino’bhavo manyante naiva tärkikāḥ. If something has never existed, does not exist at present, and will never exist in the future, then one cannot say anything about it. Hence, denial of the Lord’s name and form is not absolute, but refers only to certain names and forms, because even to deny His name and form implies that names and forms do exist somewhere. Bhagavan is the source of all names and forms, aham sarvasya prabhavaḥ (GITA 10.8). As such, He must also have names and forms. Thus, there are Vedic mantras that simultaneously deny and accept qualities in the Lord, such as in śu 6.11, “He is the witness, the bestower of intelligence, the Absolute and yet, He is devoid of qual- ities.” And in Bhagavad Gita, Śrī Kṛṣṇa confirms that there is no conflict between sänkhya and yoga: топпаз эл om da vino rood sowiedn 12 One who knows that the state reached by means of sankhya can also be attained by yoga, and therefore sees both approaches as one and the same, sees things as they really are. (GĪTĀ 5.5)13 sākṣi cetä kevalo nirgunaś ca 13 yat sankhyaiḥ präpyate sthanam tad yogair api gamyate 504 50 Contradictory Statements Reconciled Dakṣa had referred to both of these approaches earlier in verses SB 6.4.28-29. First he said that all names and forms belong to the Lord (following the yoga approach), and then that all names and forms perceived by the senses, including the mind, are products of māyā (following the sankhya approach). Since the Lord has names and forms that are not produced by māyā, it must mean that they are manifestations of His svarupa-sakti. 9 After expressing these seemingly irreconcilable attitudes, Dakṣa then resolves them in the verse under discussion by stating that the Lord’s name and form are para, transcendental. This means that the Lord’s name and form are different both from those accepted by the followers of yoga (those related to the Lord’s material universal form) and those rejected by the followers of sänkhya. 50.2
boogershaned wit तदेव व्यनक्ति (भा० ६।४।३३) on Tatasboobsinoe Dakṣa further enlightens us on this very principle: blubash tail al 309 योऽनुग्रहार्थं भजतां पादमूलमनामरूपो भगवाननन्तः । नामानि रूपाणि च जन्मकर्मभिर्भेजे स मह्यं परमः प्रसीदतु ।। २३७ ।। wors! bisa al To bless those who worship His lotus feet, the unlimited Lord, he unlimited Lord. who is complete with six opulences and devoid of material name and form, has assumed name and form along with His birth and activities. May that Transcendental One be gracious upon me. (SB 6.4.33)141 25 mwonal al en befun । । यो नामरूपरहित एव नामानि रूपाणि च भेजे प्रकटितवान् । जन्मकर्मभिः सह तानि च प्रकटितवानित्यर्थः । व्यतिरेके दोषमाह - अनन्तः । यदि तस्मिन् नामरूपित्वादिकं नास्ति तर्हि तच्छक्तिमत्त्वं प्रति सान्तत्वमेव प्रसज्येतेति । तदुक्तं प्रचेतोभिः “न ह्यन्तस्त्वद्विभूतीनां सोऽनन्त इति गीयसे” ( भा० ४ । ३० । ३१) इति । ekam sänkhyam ca yogam ca yaḥ paśyati sa pasyati yo’nugrahartham bhajatām pada-mülam anama-rupo bhagavan anantaḥana nāmāni rūpāņi ca janma-karmabhir bheje sa mahyam paramaḥ prasīdatu 505 babe Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha The One who is devoid of name and form has assumed (bheje), i.e., revealed, His name and form. He has manifested them along with His birth and pastimes.5 Should He not have done so, that itself would have been a flaw or shortcoming. Thus, Dakṣa says that He is unlimited (ananta); if He was devoid of name, form and so on, then limits would have been imposed on His omnipotence. So, the Pracetas sang, “There is no end to Your glories, and so You are called unlimited, ananta” (SB 4.30.31).16 molze तत्तत्प्रकाशने हेतुः – भगवान् भगात्मकशक्तिमान् । तस्याः शक्तेर्मायात्वम् निषेधति- परमः पराख्यशक्तिरूपा मा लक्ष्मीर्यस्मिन् । अन्यथा परमत्वव्याघातः स्यादिति भावः । The cause behind this manifestation [of His names and forms] is that He is Bhagavan, the complete personal nondual Whole, endowed with inherent potencies in the form of opulences. His power is not a product of māyā, and thus the verse refers to Him as “the Transcendental One” (parama). Here parama should [fur- ther] be understood as “the One in whom Lakṣmi (Mã, the per- sonification of transcendental energy called pară, resides.” The import is that if such transcendental potencies were not inher- ent in Him, He could not be called parama (transcendental). So it is said: तस्मान् न मायया सर्वं सर्वमैश्वर्यसम्भवम् । अमायो हीश्वरो यस्मात् तस्मात् तं परमं विदुः ॥ २३८ ॥ इत्युक्तेः । oysb bo от w sisigmos el odw Therefore, His attributes and pastimes are not manifest by māyā but from His own magnificence. Because the Lord is free from māyā, amāyi, He is known as transcendental, parama.”” ननु सर्वनामविश्वरूपत्वे तद्राहित्ये च सन्त्येव तत्तदुपासकाः प्रमाणम् । अत्र तु के स्युः ? 15 Here Śrī Jiva specifies that the instrumental case compound janma-karmabhiḥ (along with His birth and pastimes) should be read in the sense of accompaniment (with) rather than the prima facie sense of instrumentality (by). See HNV 4.111. 16 17 na hy antas tvad-vibhutinām so’nanta iti giyase tasman na mayaya sarvam sarvam aiśvarya-sambhavam amayo hiśvaro yasmat tasmat tam paramaṁ viduḥ See Section 47.6. This verse is from Vişnu-dharmottara Purāṇa. 506 50 Contradictory Statements Reconciled A doubt is raised: The only evidence of whether the Absolute has all names and possesses a universal form, or is devoid of them, is deduced from the fact that there are respective worshipers of these two features. But who are these people who testify in this way? H giderow odw brow adf इत्याशङ्क्याह – पादमूलं भजतामनुग्रहार्थमिति । योगसाङ्ख्ययोस्तत्तत्त्वं न सम्यक् प्रका- शते किन्तु भक्तावेव “भक्तिरेवैनं नयति भक्तिरेवैनं दर्शयति” (ब्र० सू० मध्वभा० ३ | ३ |५४ माठरश्रुतिः) इत्यादिश्रुतेः । तस्माद् युक्तं तयोर्विवादमात्रत्वमिति भावः । 102 In response, Dakṣa said, “To bless those who worship His lotus feet.” Absolute Reality does not become completely manifest to those who adopt the processes of yoga or sankhya, but does through the process of devotion. This is confirmed by the Śruti, “Only bhakti leads to Him, only bhakti reveals Him.“18 So, the overall idea is that it is justified to say that their dispute is merely apparent. अत एव वक्ष्यतेऽनन्तरमेव ( भा० ६।४ । ३५-३६) – Therefore, immediately following the above verse [SB 6.4.33], Śrī Sukadeva Gosvāmī says: Isi इति स्तुतः संस्तुवतः स तस्मिन्नघमर्षणे । प्रादुरासीत् कुरुश्रेष्ठ भगवान् भक्तवत्सलः ॥ २३९ ॥ कृतपादः सुपर्णांसे प्रलम्बाष्टमहाभुजः चक्रशङ्खासिचर्मेषुधनुःपाशगदाधरः ॥ २४० ॥ इत्यादि । 1 || blovob si broj csub brod arfl bilow bradada (Cys-autol) smoolambat bemann The Supreme Person [Bhagavan], Hari, who is extremely affec-ad ditionate to His devotees, was very pleased by the prayers offered by Dakṣa, and thus appeared to him at that holy place, known as Aghamarṣaṇa. O Mahārāja Parikşit, best of the Kuru dynasty. The Lord’s lotus feet rested on the shoulders of His carrier, Garuda. (SB 6.4.35-36)19 bral si vino bhaktir evainam nayati bhaktir evainam darśayati Mathara-śruti cited in Madhva-bhāṣya to vs 3.3.54. 19 iti stutaḥ samstuvataḥ sa tasminn aghamarṣane pradurasīt kuru-śreṣṭha bhagavan bhakta-vatsalaḥL kṛta-pādaḥ suparṇāṁse pralambaṣṭa-maha-bhujah cakra-sankhäsi-carmeşu-dhanuḥ-pāśa-gada-dharaḥ medy lalu ton 100 เช 507 blano Śri Bhagavat Sandarbha “पादमूलं भजताम्” इत्यनेन तान् प्रति रूपप्राकट्यात् पूर्वमपि रूपमस्त्येवेति व्यञ्जितम् “चरणं पवित्रं विततं पुराणम्” (म० न० ५।१०) इत्यादिश्रुतेः । भेजे इत्यतीतनिर्देशः प्रामाण्य- दार्ज्यायानादित्वं बोधयति । अनन्तपदस्य च नामानि रूपाणि चानन्तान्येवेति भावः । अत्र “प्राकृतनामरूपरहितोऽपि” (भा० दी० ६।४।३३) इति टीका च ॥ दक्षः श्रीपुरुषोत्तमम् ॥ He is unlimits The word “feet” in the phrase, “those who worship His lotus feet” (pada-mülam bhajatām), implies that the Lord’s form existed even before He manifested it to them. As the Śruti says, “His primeval lotus foot spread around.“20 The past tense in the verb bheje (“assumed,” i.e., revealed) strengthens the above conclu- sion and indicates that His name and form are beginningless. The term ananta (unlimited) also implies that His name and form are unlimited. Śrīdhara Svāmī similarly comments here, “Although devoid of material name and form […].” Commentary In the next verse (SB 6.4.33) of this anuccheda, Dakṣa confirms the conclusions he expressed in his preceding statement. He says that the Lord is devoid of material name and form (anama-rupa) but man- ifests transcendental name and form out of mercy for His devotees. The Lord does not have a name in the ordinary sense, as a mere referent or designation, and so He is called anāmā. In the material world, a person is different from his name. Thus, a blind man may be named Padmalocana (lotus-eyed). But the Lord and His Name are nondifferent. Anāmā can also mean that no mortal can exhibit the power of the Lord’s name. For example, the Lord is called Mukunda (the giver of liberation), or Madanamohana (one who captivates Cupid by His beauty). Though a mortal can be designated by such names, he can- not fulfill their meaning. Only the Lord can do so. Furthermore, the Lord is called Ananta, unlimited. If it is argued that He cannot have name and form, since material names and forms are limitations, that denial is itself an imposition of limitation on 20 caranam pavitram vitatam purāṇam 508 50 Contradictory Statements Reconciled Him. Ironically, this restriction is unwittingly imposed in the very attempt to defend the Absolute from all such limitations. If this per- spective is followed to its logical conclusion, then the Absolute could not truly be said to be unlimited. By the same logic, however, if one argues that He cannot be denied names and forms, this too imposes another limitation. His name Ananta therefore implies that He both possesses and yet does not possess name and form. No one can limit Him, either positively or negatively. He is thus rightly called Bhagavan, the master of unlimited inconceivable opulences. This fact can be properly understood only by devotees, or in other words, by worshipers of the complete personal nondual Whole, in which all such contradictions are harmonized. It is beyond the understanding of the adherents of the yoga and sankhya approaches. Therefore, Dhruva Mahārāja said that everything is properly reconciled in the personhood of the Lord, which is the highest manifestation of the Absolute - nataḥ param parama vedmi na yatra vādaḥ. In the next anuccheda, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmī will relate Brahma’s experience of the form of the Lord, as given in the Third Canto. bon later ont lie naid na bat bre sited fissastroqxs zswaldt.nois 1 ni mol anyagada badiresb 2017 Bomustavad antito del 50mssvol maintain it held togainigadvowson mast Bearing aidova la banbul isi bose suplire sifat Вел Sinon funds amel sind bertaqga avad sequr 509 belboom mic visvistal beadgmt vigte at noch vyllet mÍH hiloadA its estoque Seq and 11 anopetala wwad sigol sime on va pod esdogmi pot d) amyot bos Anuccheda 51ght helfen ab The Lord’s Form Is the Supreme Absolute Reality pvnstthe bus op hau arld ५१ । तदेवं नित्यत्वाद् विभुत्वात् सर्वाश्रयत्वात् स्थूलसूक्ष्मप्राकृतवस्त्वतिरिक्तत्वात् प्रत्य- ग्रूपत्वात् स्वप्रकाशत्वात् सर्वश्रुतिसमन्वयसिद्धत्वात् तद्रूपं परमतत्त्वरूपमेवेति सिद्धम् । तथैव हि परमवैदुष्येणानुभूतं स्पष्टमेवाह त्रिभिः (भा० ३।९।२-४ ) - IN THIS WAY IT HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED that the form of the Lord is indeed the Supreme Absolute Truth because it is eternal, all- pervading, the shelter of everything, distinct from all gross and subtle material objects, beyond sense perception, self-luminous, and that in which all the statements of the Śrutis find reconcilia- tion. This was experienced by the most wise Brahma, who clearly described Bhagavan’s form in the following three verses: रूपं यदेतदवबोधरसोदयेन शश्वन्निवृत्ततमसः सदनुग्रहाय आदौ गृहीतमवतारशतैकबीजं यन्नाभिपद्मभवनादहमाविरासम् ॥ २४१ || You, who are eternally free of ignorance due to the upsurge of overwhelming taste in the form of knowing, have assumed this form from the very beginning in order to bless the true. This form is the unique seed from which hundreds of avatāras arise, and I myself have appeared from its lotus navel, which is my home. (SB 3.9.2)1 1 rupaṁ yad etad avabodha-rasodayena saśvan-nivṛtta-tamasaḥ sad-anugrahāya adau grhitam avatara-sataika-bījaṁ yan-nābhi-padma-bhavanād aham āvirāsam 51051 The Lord’s Form Is the Supreme Absolute Reality टीका च - ननु त्वमपि सम्यङ् न जानासि यत् त्वया दृष्टं रूपमेतदपि गुणात्मकमेव निर्गुणं ब्रह्मैव तु सत्यम् । । Comment by Śrīdhara Svami: “The Lord raises an objection, ‘Your understanding is surely imperfect. Is not the form seen by You also made of the three gunas of nature? Only unqualified Brahman is the Absolute Reality.’ T तत्राह “रूपम्” इति द्वाभ्याम् । अवबोधरसोदयेन चिच्छक्त्याविर्भावेन शश्वन् निवृत्तं तमो यस्मात् तस्य तव यदेतद्रूपं त्वयैव स्वातन्त्र्येण सतामुपासकानामनुग्रहाय गृहीतमाविष्कृ- तम् । अवतारशतस्य शुद्धसत्त्वात्मकस्य यदेकं बीजं मूलम् । तत्प्रदर्शनार्थं गुणावतारबी- जत्वं दर्शयति यन्नाभि इति । ( “In answer, Brahma speaks the following two verses: ‘Ignorance is permanently absent from You, through the upsurge of taste in the form of knowing’ (avabodha-rasodayena), i.e., by the presence of Your conscious potency (cit-śakti). ‘You have assumed (grhita) this form,’ meaning, ‘You have manifested it by Your independent will for the purpose of blessing the true’ (sad-anugrahāya), i.e., Your worshipers. This form is the sole fountainhead of hundreds of other avataras, which are all situated in pure being (viśuddha- sattva). To illustrate this, Brahma shows that this form is the source of the guṇāvatāras by the phrase, ‘I myself have appeared from its lotus navel, which is my home.’ (as Ab नातः परं परम यद्भवतः स्वरूपमानन्दमात्रमविकल्पमविद्ववर्चः । पश्यामि विश्वसृजमेकमविश्वमात्मन् भूतेन्द्रियात्मकमदस्त उपाश्रितोऽस्मि ॥ २४२ ॥ O Supreme One! I do not perceive Your essence, which is bliss alone, undifferentiated being and unobstructed effulgence, as anything different from this form. I therefore take shelter of this form, which is unique, which creates the universe, and yet, remains distinct from it, being the Self and essence of the mate- rial elements and the senses. (SB 3.9.3)2 nātaḥ paraṁ parama yad bhavataḥ svarupam ananda-matram avikalpam aviddha-varcaḥ pasyami viśva-sṛjam ekam aviśvam atman bhütendriyatmaka-madas ta upăśrito’smi 511 SullendeŚrī Bhagavat Sandarbha हे परम । अविद्धवर्चोऽअनावृतप्रकाशम् । अतोऽविकल्पं निर्भेदम् । अत एवानन्दमा- त्रम् । एवम्भूतं यद्भवतः स्वरूपं तदतो रूपात् परं भिन्नं न पश्यामि किन्त्विदमेव तत् । अतः कारणात् ते तव अद इदं रूपमाश्रितोऽस्मि । । Goda do ns 298 Imave madhine vd “[Śri Brahma shows:] ‘O Supreme One! Your essence is unob- structed effulgence (aviddha-varca), meaning that the Lord’s radiance, or brilliance, is without covering. Because of this, it is undifferentiated (avikalpa), which is to say that it is of one nature, devoid of distinction. For this reason, Your essence is nothing but bliss (ānanda-mātra). Although such is Your essence, I do not perceive it as beyond (para), or in other words, different from, this form. Rather, this very form is Your essence. For this reason, I take shelter of Your form. lege Amdanowane n TOY योग्यत्वादपीत्याह एकमुपास्येषु मुख्यं यतो विश्वसृजम् । अत एव अविश्वं विश्वस्मादन्यत् । किं च भूतेन्द्रियात्मकं भूतानामिन्द्रियाणां चात्मानं कारणमित्यर्थः । “Brahma then describes the characteristics of the Lord’s form that establish its worthiness of being his shelter: “This form is unique (eka), i.e., it is supreme among objects of worship. This is because it is the creator of the universe (viśva-srja). As such, this form is not the universe (aviśva), i.e., it is distinct from the universe. Moreover, it is the Self and essence, i.e., the cause, of both the senses and the material elements (bhütendriyatmaka). des तद् वा इदं भुवनमङ्गल मङ्गलाय ध्याने स्म नो दर्शितं त उपासकानाम् । तस्मै नमो भगवतेऽनुविधेम तुभ्यं योऽनादृतो नरकभाग्भिरसत्प्रसङ्गैः ।। २४३ ।। O source of the world’s auspiciousness! This then is certainly the same form You manifested to us, Your worshipers, in our medita- tion for our welfare. We offer obeisance to You again and again, O Lord, who are disregarded by those destined for hell and by those influenced by the company of the untrue or the inessential. (SB 3.9.4)3 3 tad va idam bhuvana-mangala mangalaya dhyane sma no darsitaṁ ta upasakānām tasmai namo bhagavate’nuvidhema tubhyam yo’nadṛto naraka-bhagbhir asat-prasangaih 512 51. The Lord’s Form Is the Supreme Absolute Reality नन्वेवमपि सोपाधिकमेतदर्वाचीनमेवेत्याशङ्क्याह तद् वै तदेवेदं हे भुवनमङ्गल । यतस्ते त्वया नोऽस्माकमुपासकानां मङ्गलाय ध्याने दर्शितम् । “But surely this form also has limiting adjuncts (upadhi) and is thus of recent origin ? Expecting this objection, Brahmā says, “This then is certainly the same form, etc. You are the source of all auspiciousness, because You showed us, Your worshipers, this selfsame form in our meditation for our welfare.’ न ह्यव्यक्तवर्त्माभिनिवेशितचित्तानामस्माकं सोपाधिकं दर्शनं दातुं युक्तमिति भावः । अतस्तुभ्यं नमोऽनुविधेम अनुवृत्त्या करवाम । “The import is that it is not befitting for You to show a material form to us, who have fixed our minds on You through the path leading to the unmanifest. Therefore, we offer obeisance again and again to You; i.e., we are impelled to do so constantly. तर्हि किमिति केचिन् मां नाद्रियन्ते ? “[The Lord asks:] ‘Then why is it that some people do not honor Me?’ lombardste or no or noodw तत्राह “योऽनादृतः” इति । असत्प्रसङ्गैर्निरीश्वरकुतर्कनिष्ठैः । इत्येषा । mula be mois esfort adi “[Brahma answers,] ‘Those people who disregard Your form are influenced by the company of the untrue or the inessential (asat-prasangaih),’ meaning, they are committed to an inher- ently defective logical perspective that fails to accommodate the Absolute as personal God.” Here ends Śrīdhara Svāmi’s comment. अत्र कल्पितमप्यर्थान्तरं यस्य विद्वद्गुणगुरुत्वान् न सम्भवत्येवेति व्यञ्जितं न ह्यव्यक्तव- मे॑ति । उक्तं चैतत् स्तुतितः प्राक् “अव्यक्तवर्त्मन्यभिवेशितात्मा” (भा० ३।८।३३) इति । “मां नाद्रियन्ते” (भा० दी० ३।९।४) इति विग्रहरूपं मामित्येवार्थः । विग्रहस्यैव परब्रह्मत्वेन स्थापितत्वात् । अत एव ये विग्रहमेतादृशतया न मन्यन्ते ते विद्वदनुभवविरुद्धमतयो नेश्व- रमपि मन्यन्त इत्यत आह - निरीश्वर इति । ni bonitnom row odw viaSЯ I It is implied here that since Brahma is the chief among scholars, no other imaginary meaning can be given to the above verses. It was also established earlier, before Brahma began reciting his prayers for creative energy, that his mind was “fixed on the path 513 tuleŚrī Bhagavat Sandarbha leading to the unmanifest” (avyakta-vartmanyabhivesitātmā, SB 3.8.33). In Śrīdhara Svāmi’s phrasing of the objection, “Why do some people not honor Me?” the pronoun “Me” implies the Abso- lute specifically as endowed with form, since the Absolute inher- ently self-endowed with form (vigrahi) has been established as Parabrahman. Therefore, those who do not accept the form of the Lord in this way contradict the experience of realized beings and fail to recognize the Lord. So, Śrīdhara Svāmi says they are influ- enced by inherently defective logic that fails to accommodate the Absolute as personal God (nirisvara-kutarka-niṣṭhāḥ). I do not perceive it a da यत एव (भा० ३।९।५ ) don — both seed digonis woy no abnimo baxi svad alw For this reason, Śrī Brahma goes on to pray: mm 200 oget si an 03 20 gribest nisge bre ये तु त्वदीयचरणाम्बुजकोषगन्धं जिघ्रन्ति कर्णविवरैः श्रुतिवातनीतम् । भक्त्या गृहीतचरणः परया च तेषां नापैषि नाथ हृदयाम्बुरुहात् स्वपुंसाम् ॥ २४४ ।। O My Lord, persons who, on the other hand, smell the fragrance from the whorl of Your lotus feet, which has been carried to the holes of their ears by the breezes of revealed sound (śruti), hold on to those feet with supreme devotion. These people are Your very own, and so you never leave the lotus of their hearts. In -794(SB 3.9.5)5 bottimmos sra yedi gainas (dinginang-tan) qebq Insigol svitostab yuus इत्यनन्तरपद्ये तुशब्देन योऽनादृत इत्याद्युक्तेभ्यो बहिर्मुखजनेभ्यो विलक्षणत्वेन निर्दिष्टा- नां तादृशश्रीभगवद्रूपनिष्ठानामेव श्रुतिवातनीतम् इति शब्देन प्रमाणेन भक्त्या गृहीतचरण इत्यनुभवेन च प्राशस्त्यमुक्तम् || ब्रह्मा श्रीनारायणम् ॥ Here the word tu (on the other hand), distinguishes the wor- shipers of the Absolute with form from those averse to such Reality who were mentioned in the previous verse (SB 3.9.4) as disregarding the form of the Lord. The present verse indicates The reading in Śri Haridasa Sastri’s edition is avyakta-vartmābhinivesitātmā. ye tu tvadiya-caraṇambuja-kosa-gandham jighranti karna-vivaraiḥ śruti-vāta-nītam bhaktyā grhita-caraṇaḥ paraya ca teṣām nāpaiṣi natha hṛdayambu-ruhāt sva-pumsām 514 51 The Lord’s Form Is the Supreme Absolute Reality the superiority of the devotees whose faith-vision (niṣṭhā) is reposited in the Absolute as Bhagavan, endowed with transcen- dental form. The basis of their superiority is both theoretical (i.e., scriptural) and experiential, as indicated by two adjecti- val phrases: the words śruti-väta-nita (carried by the breezes of revealed sound) mean that they have arrived at this under- standing of the Absolute on the authority of Vedic revelation (sabda-pramāṇa). Furthermore, the words grhita-carana (they hold those feet), mean that they have directly witnessed, expe- rienced and realized the Absolute as Bhagavan, replete with transcendental form. dwman not lenigno dialysis said mun ni alose sodio vnem nisanos doit be arbored the Commentary on its br boge ai bunnotate Baus or 2 a abriady how aids mi ai IN THE PREVIOUS FEW SECTIONS, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmī has established that the Lord’s form is eternal and transcendental. He substantiates this here by referring to the experience of Śrī Brahma, one of the twelve authorities (mahajanas) on the complete Absolute, known as Bhagavan. Brahma recited these verses in glorification of Śrī Nārā- yana at the dawn of creation. Being eager to create, yet uncertain of how to proceed, he prayed to the Supreme Lord, the abode of all knowledge. In this world, everyone is imperfect and must depend on others even for material knowledge. Brahma knew this very well: without faith in the scriptures and in the sages who have directly realized them, nobody can approach the Absolute Truth. In these prayers, Brahma declares that the Lord’s form is the Absolute Truth, and that there is nothing beyond it. There cannot be two Absolute Truths. Therefore, the Lord and His body cannot be independent of each other. Furthermore, Brahmā singles out that very form present directly before him (etad rupam). 21H bne brol The word nistha is generally translated as faith or fixity. Yet faith or fixity in the Absolute as Bhagavan does not imply mere strength of belief. Nistha actually refers to a state of consciousness involving pronounced realization of the said Reality. The faith co-existent with such direct apprehension may thus be referred to as faith-vision. 515 in Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha The Lord’s form is a manifestation of avabodha-rasa (the taste of knowledge), or pure consciousness, and is thus eternally free from ignorance. The word ignorance (tamas) implies the presence of the other two gunas and their source, pradhana. This is because the gunas are always interconnected, and thus the absence or presence of any one of them indicates the absence or presence of the others. The bod- ies of mortal beings, including Brahma’s, are made of matter, which is temporary and full of ignorance. (agmorgenhdna) Brahma next says that the form he sees is the source of hundreds of avataras, comparing it to a seed, bija. This indicates that the Abso- lute Reality is the original form from which all other forms appear, in the same way that a single seed is the source of a tree with numer- ous branches and fruits, which contain many other seeds in turn. The tree is a manifestation of the seed and thus nondifferent from it. In this world, the rule is that the seed itself is transformed into a tree, but this transcendental seed remains intact even after giving rise to the tree. In Brahma-samhita, Śrī Brahma offers the example of multiple candles being lit from a single candle: 1919 yd not bud Bi mo When the flame of one lamp is transferred from one wick to another, the second lamp burns separate from the original source, but nis remains the same in all characteristics. I adore the primeval Lord Is Govinda who, in the same manner, manifests Himself in the various to breforms of Viṣṇu. (Brahma-samhita 5.46) blow.eider worl Amdera sgbalwond laristam o nove do no In the second verse of this section (SB 3.9.3), Brahma explicitly states that he does not consider the Lord’s form and His essen- tial nature (svarupa) to be different. He uses three adjectives to describe this svarupa, and thereby establishes the Lord’s distinctive transcendental nature. brod sili solare di tuload owad The first adjective, ananda-matra (pure bliss), signifies that the Lord and His form are absolutely free from the gunas of nature, which are the sources of misery. Although He is the source of the universe, the universal elements do not exist in His transcendental body. The Lord is both the material as well as the efficient cause, diparcir eva hi daśäntaram abhyupetya dipayate vivṛta-hetu-samana-dharma yas tādṛg eva hi ca viṣṇutaya vibhāti govindam ādi-puruşam tam aham bhajami 516 51 The Lord’s Form Is the Supreme Absolute Reality and yet He is essentially distinct from them. Just as a person mak- ing sweets is different from them, the Lord is different from His creation. He is the cause of all causes, yet He is aloof. Generally, material causes transform themselves into their effects - like milk turning into yogurt. The Lord is unlike such material causes because His eternal body does not undergo any transformation from the act of creating. How l The Lord is like touchstone that transforms iron into gold while remaining unchanged, or like a magnet, which can magnetize a piece of iron without itself being affected. The Lord creates the universe from pradhana, but modifications in pradhana do not affect His form or personality because He is eternally parama, or transcendental. The second adjective is avikalpa (undifferentiated). The Lord is unlike pradhana, which transforms into many categories of ele- ments, such as mahat (the cosmic intellect), material ego, the senses, sense objects and the material elements. These elements contain some specific qualities not observed in mahat. This gives rise to dual- ity. There is no such duality in the form of the Lord. Unlike empiric duality, which is the cause of misery, there is no tinge of misery to be found in the Supreme Lord. He is thus ananda-matra, and completely free from duality, avikalpa. The divisions (vikalpa) of names and forms in this material world are temporary and cause illusion to the living being. Because the Lord is unadulterated bliss (ananda-matra) and without any mate- rial divisions (avikalpa), He is self-luminous, aviddha-varca, the third adjective used to describes the Lord’s nature. This quality means that He can be known only by His mercy. The material mind and senses cannot comprehend Him. Self-luminous also means that He is purely conscious. Thus, although He is the source of the universe, He is not the universe. Worship of the Lord’s form is therefore appropriate because it possesses the above characteristics, which distinguish it from the material body. Moreover, it is the source of all auspiciousness. In Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī defines auspiciousness in the following terms: 517 villŚri Bhagavat Sandarbha Chi According to the wise, auspiciousness means to be pleasing to the whole cosmos, to be loved by everyone, to be endowed with all goodni wil qualities, and to be content. (BRS 1.1.27) da arall olg The Lord is certainly the shelter of all auspiciousness, as Śrī Yudhisthira Mahārāja remarks: For the welfare, prosperity and general well-being of all the worlds, the Original Person, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, is present in the ocean of the Yadava family, accompanied by His constant companion, Ananta or [Balarama]. Respected by all, the Yadavas revel, like the attendants Ja of Śrī Visņu, in their own city of Dvaraka, which is protected by His to long arms. (SB 1.14.35-36)55d In reality, auspiciousness means to progress on the path of tran- scendence. All other so-called progress is mere phantasmagoria, like the water of a mirage. The purpose of human life is to awaken to spiritual truth. All other pursuits are temporary and ultimately lead to misery. Prahlada Mahārāja compared sensual gratification to the itching sensation, which provides initial relief but eventually aggra- vates the pain. After all, itching is a dis-ease, and no sane person considers dis-ease as a legitimate source of pleasure. But as Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the spiritual teacher of the whole cosmos and the source of transcendental knowledge, He is all-auspicious and thus Brahma takes shelter of Him. By taking shelter of the Lord, the devotees also become auspicious. By their mercy, the ignorance of the conditioned beings is removed, and auspiciousness is infused into their unfulfilling lives. Even so, there is a class of people who disrespect the Lord owing to association of the untrue, asat-prasangaḥ, whose reductionistic and hence defective logic fails to accommodate the Absolute as per- sonal God. Owing to this defect, such persons are said to be suitable subhani prinanam sarva-jagatam anuraktată! sad-gunaḥ sukham ity-adiny akhyātāni manīṣibhiḥ mangalaya ca lokānāṁ kṣemāya ca bhavaya ca äste yadu-kulämbhodhav ädyo’nanta-sakhaḥ pumän yad bahu-danda-guptāyāṁ sva puryam yadavo’rcitāḥ kriḍanti paramanandam maha-pauruşikā iva 518 51 The Lord’s Form Is the Supreme Absolute Reality candidates for facing the lord of death and judgment, Yamarāja, naraka-bhāk. Those who hold to such misperception include the atheists, who decry the existence of the Lord, and the radical Advaita philosophers, who teach that the Lord’s body as well as the universe are mithya, or illusory. Association is the fundamental cause behind one’s upliftment or downfall. Canakya Pandita thus advises: Give up the association of miscreants and keep the company of the true. Perform pious works throughout both day and night, and remember the temporary nature of this body and the material world. (Canakya-nīti 14.2)10 The devotees experience the flavor of the Lord’s pastimes with their ears. Revealed sound is compared to a pleasant breeze that per- vades every direction, carrying the fragrance of the Lord’s glorious pastimes. Just as fragrance pervades the air, sound vibrations travel through the ether. Because the devotees never leave the lotus feet of the Lord, he never abandons the lotus-like hearts of His devotees. The phrase śruti-vāta (breeze of revealed sound) also indicates that the Lord can be known only through śabda-pramaņa, in the same way that smell can be perceived only when carried by the air. Asat-prasangāḥ (those influenced by the company of the untrue) refers to those who do not acknowledge the Vedic authority because of adopting an inherently reductionistic or defective logical perspective on what constitutes reality. Among the various types of sabda-pramāņas, Śrīmad Bhagavatam is supreme, and Śrī Brahma was the first to hear it. Brahma boldly accepted the form of the Lord as transcendental and nondifferent from Him, and he denounces all who stand in opposition to this con- clusion. Those who embrace Brahma’s vision are truly learned, in the sense of having assimilated the complete, unlimited Reality, they are qualified to understand the Lord and His form in the way that Śrī Brahma did. Not only do the Lord’s sväṁśa-līlāvatāras (viṣṇu-tattva) have transcendental bodies, but even the body of an aveśāvatāra, like 10 tyaja durjana-samsargaṁ bhaja sädhu-samāgamam kuru punyam aho-ratram smara nityam anityatām 519 Vyuo Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha Rṣabhadeva, is transcendental. This will be explained in the next anuccheda.gsbasqa bor misha lesibed adibne bolibto waving add an llaw as vbod ehitad butred dite samites a beat to Toll allbanenjoypu Teme yads yaw sinca of Jun Estothemokify margol brithel Justsibuno Be Istrabesser z biols to into haft Babypau in berest you an nolely emden sourds odwi Hall 570025VA me to bod and moved asthod Textovembe 520qool Isabed al aid poor balm Midd y-baided.colgato zi indignidiy morg h the fire Anuccheda 52 Śrī Ṛṣabhadeva’s Body Is Transcendental or agnisd nemud ५२ । एवं च आवेशावतारतया प्रतीतस्य श्रीऋषभदेवस्यापि विग्रह एवं योज्यते यथा (भा० 414188)- awo bod dit qu’svig of wad algo IN THE SAME WAY, the body of Śrī Rṣabhadeva, who appeared as an äveśāvatāra, is to be understood as transcendental. As Śrī Rṣabhadeva told His sons: bigol bss इदं शरीरं मम दुर्विभाव्यं सत्त्वं हि मे हृदयं यत्र धर्मः । पृष्ठे कृतो मे यदधर्म आरादतो हि मामृषभं प्राहुरार्याः । २४५ ।। । This body is an inconceivable reality. Religion (dharma) is situ- ated in My heart and irreligion behind My back. Therefore, those highly cultured in wisdom teachings call Me Rsṣabha, the most exalted. (SB 5.5.19)1 इदं मनुष्याकारशरीरं हि निश्चितं दुर्विभाव्यं दुर्वितर्क्यं यत्तत्त्वं तदेव । यत्रैव धर्मो भागव- तलक्षणस्तत्रैव मे हृदयं मनः । यद् यस्मात् तद् विपरीतादिलक्षणोऽधर्मो मया पृष्ठे कृतः । ततः पराङ्गुखोऽहमित्यर्थः । hammed bar bull Rṣabhadeva is saying, “This human-like body of Mine is certainly that very Reality (tattvam) which is inconceivable (durvibhāvya), meaning that it is beyond the conventional reasoning faculty. Wherever there is dharma, characterized by pure devotion to the complete Reality, Bhagavan, that is where My heart dwells, or 1 idam sariram mama durvibhavyam sattvam hi me hrdayam yatra dharmaḥ prsthe kṛto me yad adharma äräd ato hi măm ṛṣabham prähur äryähk 521 Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha in other words, where My mind resides. This is because I keep everything that is contrary to dharma, i.e., irreligion, behind My back. In other words, I am ill-disposed towards irreligion.” अत एव वक्तुरस्य ऋषभदेवस्य च सर्वान्तिमलीलापि व्याजेनान्तर्धानमेव प्राकृतलोकप्र- तीत्यनुसारेणैव तु तथा वर्णितम् । आत्मारामतारीतिदर्शनार्थम् । तदुक्तम् “योगिनां साम्प- रायविधिमनुशिक्षयन्” (भा० ५।६।६) इति । Therefore, the concluding pastime of Śrī Rṣabhadeva, the speaker of this verse, is actually His disappearance, although it is described in a way that accords with the experience of ordinary human beings. The story is depicted in this way specifically to illustrate the behavior of the atmarama, or the self-situated sage. This is stated as follows, “He adopted this behavior just to teach yogis how to give up the body” (SB 5.6.6). अतः “स्वकलेवरं जिहासुः” इत्यत्र कलेवरशब्दस्य प्रपञ्च एवार्थः । उपासनाशास्त्रे तस्य तथा प्रसिद्धेः । Therefore, in the statement, “desiring to give up His body” [found in the same prose section], the word kalevara (body) really means the material world, since the word kalevara is widely recognized in this sense in texts related to worship (upāsanā-śästra). तथा “अथ समीरवेगविधूतवेणुविकर्षणजातोग्रदावानलस्तद् वनमालेलिहानः सह तेन ददाह” (भा०५।६।८) इत्यस्य वास्तवार्थे तु तेन सहेति कर्तृसाहाय्ये तृतीया । गौणमु- ख्यन्यायेन कर्तर्येव प्राथमिकप्रवृत्तेः । ततश्च दावानलस्तद्वनवर्तितर्वादिजीवानां स्थूलं देहं ददाह । ऋषभदेवस्तु सूक्ष्मं देहमिति तस्य सर्वमोक्षदत्वमनुसन्धेयम् । भा० ९ । ११ ।२२- Similarly, in a subsequent text we find the following statement, “The blazing forest fire, generated by bamboo shoots rubbing against each other amidst strong winds, engulfed and burned the forest, along with Him” (SB 5.6.8). The real meaning of this description can be understood by taking the instrumental case in the phrase tena saha (along with Him) as having the sense of assisting the agent, [which would yield the following, “The fire, 2 yoginām sämparaya-vidhim anusikşayan 3 atha samira-vega-vidhūta-veņu-vikarṣaṇa-jätogra-dāvānalas tad vanam alelihānaḥ saha tena dadaha da 522 52 Śrī Ṛṣabhadeva’s Body Is Transcendental along with Him, burned the forest,” meaning that He assisted the fire in doing so]. This is appropriate here, since by the rule that the primary agent takes precedence over the secondary agent (gauna-mukhya-nyaya), the primary agent [in this case, the fire] is to be considered first. As such, the meaning is that the forest fire burnt the gross bodies of the trees and other living beings existing in the forest, but Śrī Rṣabhadeva burnt their subtle bod- ies. In this way, one should take note of his ability to liberate them all. This event is similar to Lord Rama’s disappearance: mid ionship воло यैः स्पृष्टोऽभिदृष्टो वा संविष्टोऽनुगतोऽपि वा । कोसलास्ते ययुः स्थानं यत्र गच्छन्ति योगिनः ॥ २४६ ॥ इतिवत् । The residents of Ayodhya, who saw, sat with, followed or touched Him [Lord Rama], went to that abode attained by the yogis. (SB 9.11.22)5 ततोऽनलसाधर्म्यं वर्णयित्वा तद्वदन्तर्धानमेव तस्येति च व्यञ्जितम् । अत एव “ऋषभदे- वाविर्भावस्तृतीयोऽध्यायः” इत्येवोक्तं न तु तज्जन्मेति । श्रीऋषभदेवः स्वपुत्रान् ।। By describing Rṣabhadeva as having qualities in common with fire, it is also implied that He became invisible [and did not leave His body]. Therefore, the Third Chapter is entitled “The Appear- ance of Śrī Ṛṣabhadeva,” and not “The Birth of Sri Rṣabhadeva.” Vanal vol mobgats all gailet flA Commentary anen hi didt betörten bis eyes dong to AFTER EXPLAINING that Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s transcendental body is nondif- ferent from Him, Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī explains that the body of Śri Rṣabhadeva, an aveśāvatāra, is also transcendental, even though He is not a full avatāra. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī defines an aveśāvatāra in the following verse: A Stochel hind to brod et suo See the commentary. 5sa yaih sprsto’bhidṛṣṭo va samvisto’nugato’pi vā kosalās te yayuh sthanam yatra gacchanti yoginah 523 Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha When Śrī Kṛṣṇa pervades a living being with a portion of His opu-ols lence, such as energy or knowledge, such a great soul is called an Nāvesa. āveśa. (LBH 1.17)6 laga maning There are two categories of äveśāvatāras - bhagavad-aveśā- vatāra, pervasion as the Lord directly, and bhagavat-śakti-aveśa- avatāra, pervasion as an upholder of one of the Lord’s potencies. The first type of pervasion induces the living being to identify himself directly as the Lord. The second type of pervasion induces the living being to identify himself as a devotee, and an upholder of the Lord’s potency. Śrī Ṛṣabhadeva is an example of bhagavad-āveśāvatāra, as He Himself says: The Therefore, unless one has love for Me, Śrī Vasudeva, he is certainly yay not delivered from the bondage of this material body. (SB 5.5.6)” Examples of bhagavat-śakti-aveśa-avatāras are Śrī Nārada Muni and the four Kumāras. All āveśāvatāras are living beings, but they are invested with a special power of the Lord. Śrī Rṣabhadeva appeared as the son of King Nabhi and Meru- devi. Of His one hundred sons, Bharata Mahārāja was the eldest and, owing to his glories, India was named Bharatavarṣa after him. Nine of his younger brothers became the renounced paramahamsas known as the Navayogendras. ая After ruling His kingdom for many years, when Śrī Rṣabha decided to renounce all worldly duties and retire to a life of medita- tion in the forest, He gathered His one hundred sons in an assembly of great sages and instructed them in transcendental knowledge. The verse under discussion is found amongst these teachings. In the verse preceding it, Rṣabha emphasized the importance of self- realization, which is rooted in service to the Lord and His devotees, and here He explains to His sons that they need not go far to search out the Lord, for their father was the Lord Himself. Later on, He “jñāna-śaktyädikalaya yatrāvisto janardanaḥ ta äveśo nigadyante jiva eva mahattamāḥ pritir na yavan mayi vasudeve na mucyate deha-yogena tavat 524 52 Śrī Rṣabhadeva’s Body Is Transcendental instructs His sons to serve their elder brother, Bharata Mahārāja, who was a great devotee. By doing so, He demonstrated that service to His devotees is service to Him. nor do nove bodasorigad Śrī Rṣabha explains that His body is nondifferent from the Abso- lute Truth and thus inconceivable to mundane logic. One can con- ceive of a form made of material elements, but not one made of pure consciousness. Indeed, it is difficult to conceive of a form made of anything other than earth, water and fire. The subtle elements also have form, but it is not possible to perceive them with the gross eyes. Yogis, however, can even perceive atoms. Śrī Viśvanatha Pañcānana states in Bhāṣā-pariccheda: 9” omdie brow s brow 15. es A yogi who has attained the goal of yoga (yukta) is at all times able to see everything, such as the atoms present in ether, through his mind by the power of yoga. (Bhāṣa-pariccheda 65) The inconceivable nature of the Lord’s form indicates that it is not a product of karma. His form results from His own free will. Such is not the case with ordinary living beings, who are thus unable to comprehend how any form can be the Absolute Reality. When the Lord says that His form is absolute, or when He calls Himself Vasudeva, the supreme goal of life, He does not do so out of pride. His purpose is to instruct His sons and, through them, humankind in general. It is out of compassion that He reveals these secrets to conditioned living beings. The Lord says that religion resides in His heart and irreligion far away, behind His back. This means that He can be understood only through dharma, by which He means bhakti, or worship of the complete Whole, Bhagavan. All other processes are either partial or material. Partial processes, such as jñāna, are those directed toward a less complete, or less inclusive, aspect of the complete Reality, such as Brahman. Material processes, such as yoga, are those that make use of gross form in an attempt to extricate themselves from gross form. Only bhakti is purely transcendental, being directed toward the complete Whole and being comprised exclusively of the yuktasya tavad yogaja-dharma-sahāyena manasă ākāśa-paramāṇv-ādi-nikhila-padartha-gocaram jñānam sarvadaiva bhavitum arhati 525 lamba Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha internal potency of Bhagavan, characterized by being, awareness and bliss. For the irreligious, the Lord is very far away and cannot be approached even by the mind. Indeed, non-devotees can never approach Him, even through the processes of jñana and yoga. Śrī Brahma confirms this: He I worship Govinda, the Original Person, only the tip of whose toes is attained by the greatest of sages, who may follow either the paths of controlling the breath or the mind for hundreds of millions of years, for He is the supreme inconceivable truth. (Brahma-samṁhitā 5.34) word story The word rṣabha means “the best.” When words like ṛṣabha, vyäghra, śärdula, simha, pungava, etc., are affixed to another word, they endow it with the superlative sense. Thus, purușa-vyāghra (lit., “tiger amongst men”) means “the best of men.” Since the Lord is the best of everything, He is simply called Rṣabha (the most exalted). This is the opinion of aryas, or those highly cultured in wisdom teachings. Alternatively, the word arya in this verse refers to His father who named Him, and the plural is used out of respect for him. Śrī Suka said: When the child’s father, Mahārāja Nābhi, saw the baby’s body, dec- orated with qualities that are praised by poets, such as vitality, strength, beauty, glory, courage and valor, he gave him the name Rṣabha. (SB 5.4.2) 10 orang maneg ni buisne zynied An objection may be raised regarding the statement that Śrī Rṣa- bhadeva’s body is transcendental. In chapter 5 of the Fifth Canto, Śukadeva Gosvāmī describes how Rṣabha took to renounced life after instructing His sons and installing Bharata Mahārāja on the throne. Abandoning all codes of social conduct, He followed the path of an avadhuta, not even wearing clothes or making any effort for His own maintenance. Such a discipline requires full absorption panthas tu koti-śata-vatsara-sampragamyo bvayor athāpi manaso muni-pungavānām so’py asti yat-prapada-simny avicintya-tattve govindam adi-puruşam tam aham bhajāmi tasya ha va ittham varṣmaṇa variyasa bṛhac-chlokena caujasā balena śriya yaśasā virya-sauryabhyam ca pita ṛṣabha itidaṁ nāma cakāra 526 52 Śrī Ṛṣabhadeva’s Body Is Transcendental in transcendental awareness, to the degree that one no longer pays attention to the body. It cannot be done artificially. According to the Mahā-nirvāṇa-tantra, there are four types of avadhūtas, the best of which is called hamsa, whose activities are described below: with? A hamsa should not possess anything and never associate with women. He should wander, surviving on whatever comes his way by the will of providence, and remain free from all rules and regulations.” Jonge viabnos Śrī Ṛṣabhadeva called Himself hamsa (SB 5.5.10) and accepted such a lifestyle: no In the garb of an avadhuta, Śrī Ṛṣabhadeva appeared like a fool, a blind, deaf and dumb man, either possessed or mad. Though people mocked Him by calling Him such names, He kept a vow of silence and said nothing. (SB 5.5.29)12 26 Rṣabhadeva wandered throughout India. When He arrived near Kuṭakacala in the present state of Karnataka, he entered the jun- gle. Naked and His hair disheveled like a madman, He meandered through the forest, which suddenly burst into flames: 89 The blazing forest fire, generated by bamboo shoots rubbing against each other amidst strong winds, engulfed and burned the forest, ar along with Him. (SB 5.6.8) 13 lottem ton af yb In Bhagavad Gita, Kṛṣṇa says that even the atomic ātmā cannot be burnt, so how is it that Rṣabha’s transcendental body was? Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi says that careful analysis of this text reveals that Rṣa- bhadeva’s body was not burnt in the forest fire. The phrase saha tena dadaha (burnt […] along with Him) does not mean that the fire burnt the trees along with Rṣabhadeva, although that is the immedi- ate sense of the words. According to Śrī Jīva, it actually means that “haṁso na kuryāt stri-sangam na vidhatte parigraham tile prarabdham aśnan viharen nişedha-vidhi-varjitah bow and brod sift jaḍāndha-müka-badhira-piśāconmādakavad avadhūta-veṣo’bhibhāṣyamāṇo’pi janānāṁ grhita-mauna-vratas tūṣṇīm babhūva atha samira-vega-vidhūta-veņu-vikarṣaṇa-jātogra-dāvānalas tad vanam ālelihānaḥ saha tena dadaha 527 letsbaŚrī Bhagavat Sandarbha Śrī Rṣabhadeva accompanied the fire in burning the trees: While the fire burned the flora and fauna’s gross bodies, He burned their subtle bodies. antith The pronoun tena is in the instrumental case along with the inde- clinable saha, in the sense of accompaniment. The sutra PĀŅINI 2.3.19, saha-yukte’pradhane, ordains that in such usage, the accompanying party is considered to be secondary. For example, in the sentence putreņa saha agataḥ pita, “The father came with his son,” the father is the principal agent of the verb, and “son” is the secondary agent. In this particular case, the son is not assisting the father in coming, but merely accompanying him. So, saha means that the son is merely accompanying the agent of the verb. In the example from Bhagavatam, the fire was burning the trees, and Śrī Rṣabha was also engaged in that activity, thus assisting the primary agent in accomplishing the action. Or, it could also mean, not that he was assisting the fire, but accompanying it, by burn- ing the subtle bodies while the fire burned the gross ones. In this instance, saha does not mean that He was burnt along with the for- est, but rather that He accompanied the fire in the act of burning the forest. The Lord’s burning of their subtle bodies means that He liberated them. If this prose selection from Bhāgavatam is understood to mean that Ṛṣabhadeva’s body was burnt by the fire, it would contradict the previous text, which stated that His body is not material. Jon A further objection may be raised. In SB 5.6.6, it is stated that Rṣabha desired to give up His body, sva-kalevaram jihāsuḥ. Kalevara means body. Since the context is that Rṣabhadeva desired to give up His body, it seems appropriate to say that He was burnt in the forest fire. Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmī states, however, that kalevara here means the material world; thus, the phrase means, “He desired to leave the material world.” And even if the word kalevara were taken to mean the body, still, it does not indicate that He gave it up. Rather, in the case of the Lord, the words “giving up the body” simply mean leav- ing the world. This is confirmed in the following verse from Kūrma Purāṇa, cited by Śrīla Madhvācārya in his Bhāgavata-tätparya to the verse in question: 528 52 Śrī Ṛṣabhadeva’s Body Is Transcendental When the phrase “giving up the body” (kalevara) is applied to Śrī Vişņu, it simply means that He disappears from the earth, and noth- ing more. But in the case of others, it means dying or giving up the body made of five elements.14 Therefore, it is proper to say that Rṣabhadeva disappeared from the material world. Just as fire burned the trees and then disap- peared, the Lord burned the subtle bodies of the inhabitants of the forest and then disappeared. Fire exists in wood everywhere, but appears by friction; similarly, the Lord is present everywhere but appears by devotion. Hence, the comparison of the Lord with fire is appropriate. This explanation is also in agreement with an earlier state- ment by Śrī Śuka, “The Lord appeared in a form of unalloyed being [viśuddha-sattva]” (śuklaya tanvävatatāra, SB 5.3.20). Suka- deva Gosvāmi does not say that Śrī Rṣabhadeva took birth (janma). Rather, He appeared, and so He disappeared in the same way. The word antardadhe, “He disappeared,” was also used in this way when Śrī Rṣabha’s father, Nabhi, performed a sacrifice to attain a son. The Lord appeared in the sacrificial arena (āviścakāra, SB 5.3.2) and then disappeared after blessing King Nabhi (antardadhe bhagavan, SB 5.3.19). In the next anuccheda, the author will cite Śrī Bhisma, one of the twelve Vedic authorities on religion, to show how Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s body is transcendental.gigim banged the zidi wa ailerow 113 mil gainsford as italou a easy and És fate the Ysam nes spots front of 190 Moersy si bien avaldamms Tive gradbe by ‘sound bars and commit to be ori i odw sisnuhol woh sidrely smooad bas om soled batalism and H visnoḥ kalevara-tyāgo bhu-tyago’nyo na vidyate kalevara-tyāgo’nyeṣāṁ pañcatvaṁ samudiritam 529 Sy blyg af gritty bad man un Pre-daan bela dimba atvig no galeb suas lquila Svaband Anuccheda 53 Krsna’s Body Is Transcendental and Most Beautiful but to no -916/2 A STRE DI lai nodensleys and ५३ । तद् एवं ऋषभदेवस्यापि विग्रहे तादृशता चेत् किमुत स्वयं भगवत इत्याह (भा० १।९।४१) — व Rood svabend IF RSABHADEVA’S BODY has the aforementioned characteristics, what more can be said about the body of the original and complete Personal Absolute? For example, Bhismadeva said the following: ( मुनिगणनृपवर्यसङ्गलेऽन्तःसदसि युधिष्ठिरराजसूय एषाम् । अर्हणमुपपेद ईक्षणीयो मम दृशि गोचर एष आविरात्मा ॥ २४७ ॥ At Mahārāja Yudhisthira’s Rajasuya sacrifice, there was a great assembly of eminent sages and mighty kings who honored Him, the cynosure of all eyes, by offering Him first worship. Now this Besame Self has again appeared before my eyes. (SB 1.9.41)1 टीका च - एष जगतामात्मा मम दृशि गोचरो दृष्टिपथः सन्नाविः प्रकटो वर्तते । अहो मे भाग्यमिति भावः । इत्येषा ॥ श्रीभीष्मः श्रीभगवन्तम् ॥ Śrīdhara Svāmi comments: “[Bhismadeva said,] “This person, who is the Self of the cosmos, has appeared before my eyes, i.e., He has manifested before me and become visible. How fortunate I am!’ This is Bhisma’s intent.” muni-gana-nṛpa-varya-sankule’ntah-sadasi yudhisthira-rajasuya eṣāmo arhanam upapeda ikṣaniyo mama drsi gocara eşa āvir ātmā m 53053 Kṛṣṇa’s Body Is Transcendental and Most Beautiful Commentary in quods notando aid vedion oT IN THIS SECTION, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi will now establish that Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s body is transcendental by using the a fortiori argument? Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the original and complete Reality, and He has three types of expansions, described by Śrīla Rupa Gosvāmi in the following verse: 19226 911 In the transcendental abodes lying beyond material nature, Śrīsup Kṛṣṇa exists in three kinds of expansions, called svayam-rupa, sib tad-ekātma-rupa, and aveśa. (LBH 1.11)3 laur Kṛṣṇa’s prakāśa manifestations in Vṛndāvana and Dvārakā are in the category of svayam-rupa. His tad-ekātma-rupa expansions include his vilāsa forms, such as Śrī Nārāyaṇa, and svāṁśa mani- festations, such as Śrī Matsya. There is no difference between Śrī Kṛṣṇa and His prakasa manifestations. His vilāsa manifestations are almost equal to Him in opulence, but His svāṁśa expansions have less manifest power than His vilāsa forms. Kṛṣṇa’s āvesa-rupas, on the other hand, are not vişnu-tattvas; they are empowered jivas. They are not in the same category as Svayam Bhagavan or tad-ekātma-rupa. If an aveśāvatāra’s body is completely transcendental, as dis- cussed in the previous anuccheda regarding Śrī Rṣabhadeva, and if a jīva like Nārada Muni, who is a śakty-aveśāvatāra, also has a transcendental body, then it goes without saying that the body of the original and complete Personal Absolute, Bhagavan Śrī Kṛṣṇa, should also be transcendental. atHads bas sldwidz Narada describes his own spiritual body to Śrīla Vyasa in the First Canto: “As I was about to inhabit the pure body befitting an associate of the Lord, my body made of five material elements dropped away, as all the accumulated results of my karma had been extinguished” (SB 1.6.29) libaque 2 See earlier explanation. They ai svayam-rupas tad-ekātma-rupa āveśa-nāmakaḥ ity asau trividham bhāti prapañcătita-dhāmasu prayujyamane mayi tām śuddhāṁ bhāgavatiṁ tanum arabdha-karma-nirvano nyapatat pañca-bhautikaḥ alybod antonA bad bro 531 Lilies Śri Bhagavat Sandarbhang To corroborate his conclusion about Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s body, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmī next cites a verse Bhiṣmadeva spoke while awaiting his death on the bed of arrows. In this verse, Bhisma recollects the Rājasuya sacrifice of Yudhisthira Mahārāja, which was attended by sages, scholars, great thinkers, brahmanas and kings from all over the world. On such occasions, it is the Vedic custom to honor guests, and so it was imperative to ascertain who in the assembly was most qualified to receive the first worship (agra-pūjā). This was a great distinction to bestow on someone, and care had to be exercised to make sure it was offered to the most qualified person; otherwise, more deserving individuals would be justifiably insulted. The qual- ifications of a candidate had to be considered based on such factors as caste, birth, strength, knowledge and so on. Although there were many great personalities in Yudhisthira Mahārāja’s assembly, everyone, with the exception of Sisupāla, unanimously chose Śrī Kṛṣṇa to receive the agra-pūjā. In this verse, muni-gana, “eminent sages,” and nṛpa-varya, “mighty kings,” indi- cates that men of wisdom and of brawn were in attendance. Kṛṣṇa surpassed all in both these respects. Moreover, everyone marveled at His beauty, and thus Bhisma refers to Him as ikṣaṇīya, the cyno- sure or most pleasing object for the eyes. Sisupāla alone protested and was condemned because of it. bas This verse specifically refers to Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s body, because Bhiş- madeva said that this same form was present before him now in the plain of Kuruksetra. In Krama-sandarbha, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi says that Bhisma described the Lord’s body as most attractive, most wor- shipable and a most rare sight. His beauty was not material, for otherwise the sages, who are without attachment and of discern- ing nature, would not have been attracted to Him. The word muni, or thinker, implies that they had already ascertained that the mate- rial body is not essentially beautiful. The import is that Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s body is transcendental and not saupadhika, or composed of material adjuncts. Great sages, well versed in Vedic literature, would not have respected and worshiped Him just because He was a king. Another important point being made in this verse is that the Lord had “become manifest” (aviḥ). This indicates that He exists 532 53 Kṛṣṇa’s Body Is Transcendental and Most Beautiful everywhere at all times but had appeared or manifested in order to give pleasure to His devotee, Bhisma. It is the characteristic of Kṛṣṇa’s transcendental body that He can manifest it to someone at His will, while simultaneously keeping it concealed from others. The learned and experienced Bhisma would not have exulted at his fortune if it were not so. A si 112 of 19yang ‘bloved 14 sept of avangad naves oals ideya hemma G ave 13 at alotiw not sea to afsage [subay 667) ond att vige to small 9 это чи ? amos to sloga ashavan namuti ajal jedi awans blev pline tmavě db2] de ugly. my bavio vozihai tay bastants as doods Usamil sd a bind ad of huurste plimies slam sesyvebs slin2 Cou? had to hunt an 533 to altaisesedelalampada abroyabat of any iss 16 anotos of stars SH mild wheel Jumalansanvas and Anuccheda 54 hiuow ameidd bounting has hel Devaki’s Prayer to Śrī Kṛṣṇa make T ५४ । तथैव च “रूपं यत्तत्” (भा० १० । ३ । २४) इत्यादौ " स त्वं साक्षाद् विष्णुरध्यात्मदीपः” इति । SIMILARLY, Śrīmati Devaki also says in her prayers to Kṛṣṇa at His birth: “[The Vedas] speak of some form which is […] You, Viṣṇu Himself, the flame of spiritual truth” (SB 10.3.24). यत्तत् किमपि रूपं वस्तु प्राहुर्वेदाः । किं तद्वस्तु ? तत्राह - अव्यक्तमित्यादि । एवम्भूतं किमपि कार्यकल्पं वस्तु यत् स एव साक्षादक्षिगोचरस्त्वं विष्णुरिति । [Śrīdhara Svāmi:] “The Vedas speak of some form, namely some entity. What is that entity? Devaki answers that it is ‘unmani- fest’ (avyakta), etc. Whatever it is, that entity, which appears as though an effect, and yet is directly perceived by me, is You, Visņu Himself.” तथा च पाद्मे निर्माणखण्डे श्रीभगवन्तं प्रति श्रीवेदव्यासवाक्यम्- Śrīla Vedavyāsa makes a similar statement to the Lord in the Nirmāṇa-khanda’ of Padma Purāṇa: 1 त्वामहं द्रष्टुमिच्छामि चक्षुर्भ्यां मधुसूदन । यत्तत्सत्यं परं ब्रह्म जगद्योनिं जगत्पतिम् । वदन्ति वेदशिरसश्चाक्षुषं नाथ मेऽस्तु तत् ॥ २४८ ॥ इति । rupaṁ yat tat […] sa tvam sākṣād viṣṇur adhyatma-dipaḥ 2 In the extant edition, this verse falls in the Pätäla-kända, Vṛndāvana-māhātmya (PP 5.73.13). 534 54 Devaki’s Prayer to Śrī Kṛṣṇa O Lord Madhusudana! I wish to see You with my eyes. The Upanisads describe You as Truth, the Supreme Brahman, the source and master of the universe. O Lord, let that form become visible to my sight.3 तत्र हेतुः - अध्यात्मदीपः । देहितत्कारणकार्यसङ्घप्रकाशकत्वेनावभासमान इत्यर्थः । एवम्भूतस्य न तव भयशङ्केति भावः । इत्येष प्रकरणानुरूपः श्रीस्वामिदर्शितभावार्थोऽपि श्रीविग्रहपर एव । अन्यत्र भयसम्भावनानुत्पत्तेः || श्रीदेवकी श्रीभगवन्तम् ॥ The reason why Devaki says that the Lord is unmanifest and yet appears directly before her is that He is the flame of spiritual truth (adhyatma-dipa), meaning that He exists as the illuminator of the embodied being, the entirety of all bodies and the senses. Śrīdhara Svāmī says, “The import of Devaki’s statement is that because He is such, He has nothing to fear.” This interpretation, based on the context, specifically relates to the Lord’s form, for otherwise there could have been no question of fear arising.* Commentary AFTER HONORING THE OPINION OF BHIṢMADEVA, one of the twelve Mahajanas, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmī cites one of the prayers Devaki recited immediately after Krsna was born as her son. Śrī Kṛṣṇa took birth in Kamsa’s prison house, and His parents feared that as soon as Kamsa heard this, he would murder the child. When mother Devaki noticed, however, that the child displayed the symptoms found in the Sup- reme Lord, she abandoned her fear and offered Him these prayers. In this verse, she establishes that her son was none other than Visnu, who has a completely transcendental body:b 3tvam aham draṣṭum icchami cakṣurbhyam madhusudana yat tat satyam param brahma jagad-yonim jagat-patim vadanti veda-sirasas cākṣuşaṁ natha me’stu tat
- In other words, because Kṛṣṇā had appeared in a human form, Devaki considered the prospect of His undergoing trials and tribulations as a result of the enmity of Kamsa and his associates. Since she was overcome by maternal affection, it was a problem to which she needed to respond and dispel. Had Kṛṣṇa remained invisible (avyakta), etc., no such perception of potential danger to Him would have been possible. d 535 Śri Bhagavat Sandarbha [The Vedas] say this form is the unmanifest, the original; it is Brah- man, self-luminous (jyoti), beyond the material qualities, and with- out transformation. It is pure existence, without attributes, and without action. Verily, it is You, Visnu Himself, the flame of spiritual truth. (SB 10.3.24)5 FIFET Śrīdhara Svāmī gives a lucid explanation of this verse in his Bhāvārtha-dipika. Devaki says that the form of Visnu before her is the same reality described in the Vedas. How do the Vedas describe His form? As unmanifest (avyakta) and as the original cause (ādya). Logicians conclude that atoms are both unmanifest and the cause of the universe, so does this mean the Lord’s form is atomic? Devaki says, no- it is immense (brahma). Then perhaps it is pradhana, which is also unmanifest and massive, and according to the follow- ers of sänkhya, the cause of the universe? Śrī Kṛṣṇa also refers to pradhana as brahma in Bhagavad Gita: The total material substance, called Brahman [i.e., pradhana], is My own womb, into which I sow the seed of living beings. O descen- dent of Bharata, it is from that womb that all living beings proceed. (GĪTĀ 14.3) залмаін Devaki responds by saying that Kṛṣṇa’s form is jyoti, or self- luminous, which, according to Śrīdhara Svāmi, means conscious (cetana), and since pradhana is inert, she could not be referring to it. Then perhaps His form is identical to Isvara of the Vaiseṣikas, who consider the atma conscious merely due to contact with the knowledge present in the material gunas? Devaki responds to this by saying nirguna - the Lord’s form is free from the material gunas. Then could His form be like the ātmā described by the Mimām- sakas, who consider it to undergo a transformation through jñāna? Devaki negates this possibility by saying nirvikära, the Lord’s form undergoes no change. 5 to saim rupaṁ yat tat prahur avyaktam adyam brahma jyotir nirgunam nirvikāram sattă-mătrăm nirviseṣam niriham sa tvam säkṣad vişnur adhyatma-dipaḥ “mama yonir mahad brahma tasmin garbham dadhamy aham sambhavaḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ tato bhavati bhārata 536 54 Devaki’s Prayer to Śrī Kṛṣṇa Then is His form the atma of the followers of Puskarākṣa, who consider it empowered by maya’s power of projecting the world appearance (vikṣepa-sakti)? No, because His form is sattă-mătra, pure existence, and does not depend on anything else. Thus, Kṛṣṇa’s form remains eternally the same. Jo an a Perhaps, then, it is samanya, meaning that the Lord’s form has divisions of proximity and remoteness, as described by the Naiyayikas? To this, Devaki replies, nirvišesa, His form is without divisions. If the Lord’s form is the cause of everything, then it must undergo some change while producing effects, but Mother Devaki says it is nirīha, inactive. The Lord is exactly like a magnet that moves a piece of iron but remains still. Finally she says, “You are sākṣāt, directly perceivable.” It is not that the Lord is inferred by observing an effect, as one may infer fire upon seeing smoke in the distance. Moreover, the Lord is adhyatma- dipa (a spiritual flame). This means that everything is illumined by His radiance-yasya bhäsä sarvaṁ idam vibhāti (MUU 2.2.10). The import is that He is the controller of everyone’s senses, mind and body. Thus, there was no reason to fear Kamsa. This verse explains that the Lord’s form is completely tran- scendental and beyond the conceptions of philosophers, such as Naiyāyikas, Sankhyaites and Mīmāmsakas. The verse exclu- sively describes the body of the Lord and not the various “absolute realities” imagined by these different philosophical systems. Śrīdhara Svāmī adds that this verse specifically draws attention to the form of the Lord since it comes in the context of Kṛṣṇa’s birth. There is no question of someone’s taking birth without having a form. Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi quotes a verse from Padma Purana spoken by Śrīla Vyasa, who was undergoing severe penances to please the Lord. After a long time, Kṛṣṇa came within his mind and offered Vyasa a boon. Vyasa desired to see the form of the Lord with his own eyes, the form which he described as the satyam paraṁ brahma mentioned in the Upanisads. This is consistent with the verse by Devaki, who also says the Lord’s form is described in the Vedas as avyakta, nirviseṣa, 537 Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha satta-mātra and so on. These attributes of Brahman are commonly referred to in the Upanisads; however, they apply specifically to the forms experienced by mother Devaki and Śrīla Vyasa. Therefore, it is established without doubt that Śri Krsna’s body is self-luminous and transcendental to the gunas of nature. It is the Absolute Reality and reconciles all the apparently contradictory statements of the Vedas. sdIn the following anuccheda, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi will show that the expansions of Śrī Kṛṣṇa have the same qualities as Him. In this regard, he refers to Śrī Brahma’s experience from brahma-mohana- lilā. bnu teum 21 Jans con 111 evea blava yd borin bne inimesi to rallong distal troq ne vstalamos al labol al Isdi arrisco bazov p Have exerqueolling to enooyoo l aldry bersy biT MEM bak 15th surfords” iority shit on bre briell odio vhod ad Rodosh play mays holy as sob yotgan bile kind easels also brodato mined adaye mwo aid daw 538 Jody Weyed d godi alds soda bi ovo (nijny nadmuz ayhally) mad of Anuccheda 55 The Partial Expansions of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Are Also Transcendental 30 2979 ad quod 9 od 920 vo ve Alsa To esya sili deuords abrow Rioler tams) ५५ । अतस्तदंशानामपि तादृशत्वमाह (भा० १० | १३ |५४ ) - nyomd ad abasinaq0 ár Jan NEW Volg silnitud THEREFORE, even the partial expansions of Śrī Kṛṣṇa are of the same nature. Śrī Suka dieg odi an imave says: до это ____सत्यज्ञानानन्तानन्दमात्रैकरसमूर्तयः । अस्पृष्टभूरिमाहात्म्या अपि ह्युपनिषद्दृशाम् || २४९ ।। The Visņu forms were embodiments of the one absolute essence, constituted of unalloyed being, consciousness and infinite bliss alone. Their infinite glory was certainly untouched even by those HE blessed with the vision of the Upanisads. (SB 10.13.54) off) टीका च - सर्वेषां मूर्तिमत्त्वेऽप्यविशेषमाह “सत्यज्ञान” इति । सत्याश्च ज्ञानरूपाश्च अनन्ताश्च आनन्दरूपाश्च । तत्रापि तदेकमात्रा विजातीयसम्भेदरहिताः । तत्रापि च एकरसाः सदैकरूपा मूर्तयो येषां ते । Śrīdhara Svāmi comments: “Although they all have individual forms, their constitution is without distinction, as described in this verse. Their forms are of the nature of unalloyed being (satya), consciousness (jñāna-rupa), infinity (ananta) and bliss (ānanda-rupa). Furthermore, they consist of this alone, which means that there is nothing in their constitution that is foreign 3198 satya-jñānānantānanda-mātraika-rasa-murtayaḥ aspṛṣṭa-bhūri-māhātmya api hy upaniṣad-dṛśam not on vd noit 539 Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha to them (vijātiya-sambheda-rahita). Over and above this, they remain always in a single form (eka-rasa). यद् वा सत्यज्ञानादिमात्रैकरसं यद्ब्रह्म तदेव मूर्तिर्येषाम् इति । अत एवोपनिषदात्मज्ञानं सैव दृक्चक्षुर्येषां तेषामपि हि निश्चितम् । अस्पृष्टभूरिमाहात्म्याः न स्पृष्टं स्पर्शयोग्यं भूरि- माहात्म्यं येषां ते तथाभूताः सर्वे व्यदृश्यन्तेति । इत्येषा । “An alternative explanation is that the Lord’s forms are the per- sonification of Brahman, which is uniformly unlimited, blissful, immutable, eternal and conscious, and nothing else. He cannot be known, therefore, even by those who see through the eyes of the Upanisads alone, or in other words, through the eyes of self- knowing. The indeclinable (emphatic) hi means, it is certainly the case that He cannot be known by them. The statement, “Their infinite glory was untouched’ (asprsta-bhūri-māhātmya), means that the glory of these forms could not be perceived [even by those on the path of knowledge]. All these forms were seen by Brahma, with the aforementioned qualities.” Here ends Śrīdhara Svāmi’s comment. अत्र मात्रपदं तद्वर्णादीनां स्वरूपान्तरङ्गधर्मत्वं बोधयति । न ह्यत्रापरस्मिन्नर्थे मूर्तिशब्दः केवलात्मपर इति स्वामिनः श्रीशुकदेवस्य वा मतं लक्षणायाः कष्टकल्पनामयत्वातस्पृष्टे- त्यत्र । अस्पृष्टेति भूरिमाहात्म्येति अपीति उपनिषद् दृगिति पदचतुष्टयस्यैव व्यस्तस्य समस्तस्य च स्वारस्यभङ्गप्रसङ्गातुक्तप्रकारानुरोधात् “तेऽचक्षताक्षविषयं स्वसमाधि- भाग्यम्” (भा० ३।१५।३८) इत्यद्युदाहरिष्यमाणानुसारात् “स्वसुख” ( भा० १२ । १२ । ६८) इत्यादि श्रीशुकहृदयविरोधाच् च । p In this verse, the term mātra (alone ), [in the phrase, the Visnu forms of being, consciousness and bliss – “alone”] indicates that their color and other attributes cannot be other than aspects of their essential nature. Neither Śrī Sukadeva nor Śrīdhara Svāmī could have intended the word murti (form) to mean “the formless self” or anything else here, since it would be an abstruse exer- cise of imagination to ignore the direct meaning, which suits the present context, and resort to an indirect one instead. Further- more, such an interpretation would run contrary to the context, as it would spoil the flavor or tone (rasa) imparted to the descrip- tion by the four terms aspṛṣṭa (untouched), bhuri-māhātmya 54055 The Partial Expansions of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Are Also Transcendental (infinite glory), api (even) and upaniṣad-drs (through the eyes of the Upanisads), whether they are read together as a compound word or separately. Moreover, the direct meaning of murti, as form, is in accordance with the experience of the Kumāras, as shall be demonstrated later, “As a result of their trance, they saw Him with their eyes” (SB 3.15.38). In addition, interpreting mürti here as the formless self would contradict the experience of Śrī Śuka, as described in verses such as SB 12.12.68.3 156 66 अत एव “विशुद्धविज्ञानघनम् ” ( भा० १० । ३७।२३) “विशुद्धज्ञानमूर्तये” (भा० १०।२७।११) “त्वय्येव नित्यसुखबोधतनौ” (भा० १० । १४ । २२ ) इत्यादिवाक्यानि च न लाक्षणिकतया कदर्थनीयानि । Therefore, other statements, such as, “[He is the] embodiment of pure consciousness” (viśuddha-vijñāna-ghanam, SB 10.37.23),* “unto Him, who is pure knowledge personified” (viśuddha-jñāna- murtaye, SB 10.27.11), and, “in You, whose body is full of bliss and knowledge eternally” (tvayy eva nitya-sukha-bodha-tanau, SB 10.14.22), should not be distorted by applying a secondary meaning, such as Brahman. तथैव “आनन्दमूर्तिमुपगुह्य दृशात्मलब्धम् ” (भा० १० ।४१।२८) इत्यादौ “दोर्भ्यां स्तनान्तर- गतं परिरभ्य कान्तमानन्दमूर्तिमजहादतिदीर्घतापम्” (भा० १०।४८।७) इत्यादौ च दर्शना- लिङ्गनाभ्यामन्यार्थत्वं व्यवच्छिद्यते । Similarly, no other meaning can be taken when it is said that the women of Mathura had a vision of Kṛṣṇa’s form of bliss (ānanda-murti) and that Kubjā embraced it: “With their eyes, [the women of Mathura] took in and held [Kṛṣṇa’s] form full of bliss” (SB 10.41.28). And similarly, “Kubjā embraced her lover, 2 te’cakṣatākṣa-visayam sva-samadhi-bhagyam sva-sukha-nibhṛta-cetas tad-vyudastanya-bhāvo ajita-rucira-lilākṛṣṭa-sāras tadīyam 4 6 vyatanuta kṛpaya yas tattva-dipam purāṇaṁ tam akhila-vrjina-ghnam vyāsa-sunum nato’smi Quoted earlier in Section 47.1. Quoted earlier in Section 24. 5 Quoted in full in Section 41. ananda-murtim upaguhya dṛśatma-labdham 541 T/T Śri Bhagavat Sandarbha ri the personification of bliss, holding Him between her breasts with both arms, and thus gave up her long-standing suffering” (SB 10.48.7)? VOSTOM उक्तं च महावाराहे- ds to fluor Maha-varaha Purana also states: 30 सर्वे नित्याः शाश्वताश्च देहास्तस्य परात्मनः। S8098 to brow Here
- vendi daw mil beginob blow 3se animolds and हेयोपादेयरहिता नैव प्रकृतिजाः क्वचित् ॥ २५० ॥ परमानन्दसन्दोहा ज्ञानमात्राश्च सर्वतः । देहदेहिभिदा चात्र नेश्वरे विद्यते क्वचित् ॥ २५१ ॥ इति ॥ श्रीशुकः ॥ owing All the forms of the Supreme Lord are eternal, unchanging and devoid of all that is either rejectable or acceptable, because they are never the product of material nature. Their forms are a fluid mass of highly concentrated supreme bliss, purely conscious in nature. The dualism of body and embodied does not exist in the un Lord Bod-Bruz AVA bv) yllen sts sabalword bus yaboose & gnivlags vd barrotaib ed ion blu Commentary AFTER EXPLAINING that Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s form is eternal and transcenden- tal, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmī next establishes that all the plenary portions of Śrī Kṛṣṇa are of the same nature. The verse cited here describes Śrī Brahma’s experience upon seeing the various expansions of Śrī Kṛṣṇa after he stole the cowherd boys along with their calves. Śrī Kṛṣṇa expanded Himself and took not only the exact forms of the stolen calves and cowherd boys, but their personalities as well. When Brahma returned a year later to witness Kṛṣṇa’s plight, he was astounded to see that His pastimes were going on as if nothing had happened. While he was thus marveling at Kṛṣṇa’s yogic power, ‘dorbhyām stanantara-gataṁ parirabhya kantam ananda-mürtim ajahäd atidirgha-tāpam sarve nityaḥ śāśvataś ca dehas tasya parātmanaḥ heyopadeya-rahită naiva prakṛtijāḥ kvacit paramananda-sandohä jñāna-mātrāś ca sarvataḥ deha-dehi-bhidă cătra nesvare vidyate kvacit 542 55 The Partial Expansions of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Are Also Transcendental he saw all the cowherd boys and calves turn into four-handed Vişnu forms. Śrī Śuka explains the nature, beauty and glory of these forms for a few verses (SB 10.13.46-55). This verse is the last in that series. In the event someone might think that these forms were magical creations, meant only to befuddle Brahma’s intelligence, the verse says satya, they were real. Furthermore, the forms were full of con- sciousness and bliss. The matrat suffix, which appears in ananda- matra (bliss only), signifies that the murtis of Viṣṇu were not tinged by matter; they were fully conscious and unlimited. The word eka- rasa (remaining eternally the same One form) means that they were beyond the influence of time. Brahmā saw unlimited Visņu forms and each form was also unlimited. They were not liberated beings, because Brahma saw the mark of Śrīvatsa, one of the distinctive fea- tures of Śrī Viṣņu, on their chests (SB 10.13.48). Though there were unlimited forms, they were all one with Kṛṣṇa, the advaya-tattva who is free from duality. These forms were not different from each other in the way that one table is different from another. полипозни з is Kṛṣṇa gave a practical demonstration of the acintya-bheda- abheda reality-view (darśana) in this brahma-mohana-lila. The Lord is one, yet by His acintya-sakti, or inconceivable power, He manifests as many. Thus, the verse states that the glory of these forms was beyond the reach even of the knowers of the self who see through the eyes of the Upanisads. doua 0920 (by-inngin The Upanisads describe the Absolute as, “Truth, awareness, the infinite Brahman” (satyam jñānam anantam brahma, TU 1.2), “The knower of the joy of Brahman” (anandam brahmano vidvän, TU 2.4), and so on. From statements such as these, scholars of non-theistic persuasion assume that the Absolute has no form. slams adi mo This verse says, however, that the Lord’s forms (murtayaḥ) are satya, jñāna, ananta, ananda-mātra - “unalloyed being, conscious- ness, infinity and bliss alone.” This is beyond the conception of such scholars, because Kṛṣṇa can be understood only through the con- scious potency of bliss inherent in His own essential being, and that potency is what is meant by unalloyed devotion. As the Śruti declares: 543 Tramtalenesto Sri Bhagavat Sandarbhan of The Supreme Lord cannot be attained by mere study of the Vedas, nor through the intellect, nor by hearing. Only one who is blessed of by the Lord can attain Him, and only to such a person does the Lord reveal His form. (KU 1.2.23) The word mürti in the verse under discussion should not be mis- construed to mean ātmā or Brahman, because Śrī Brahmā saw these forms with his own eyes. Brahman has no attributes and thus cannot be seen. According to Amara-kosa 3.3.66, murti means either “body” or “solidity” (mürtiḥ käṭhinya-kayayoḥ). The Advaitavādīs propose that these forms were bodies of Brahman, or “solidified Brahman” appearing in Visņu forms. Such a meaning does not suit the context and is also contrary to logic. Brahman has no manifest qualities and thus can neither accept form nor become solidified. According to Advaita philosophers, Brahman cannot be named, since the act of naming introduces a plurality: the name, its mean- ing and the object referred to amount to three distinct entities. San- skrit logicians state that it is improper to imagine some uncommon secondary meaning when the commonly held primary meaning fits the context (sati prasidde’rthe’prasiddhartha-kalpanam anyāyam). Accordingly, Śrila Jiva Gosvāmī says that to conceive a secondary meaning, like that of ātmā or Brahman, in this particular instance would be “an abstruse exercise of imagination” (lakṣaṇāyāḥ kaṣṭa- kalpana-mayatvāt). Moreover, such an explanation is supported neither by Śrīdhara Svāmi nor Sukadeva Gosvāmī - and it certainly does not correspond to Brahma’s experience. Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi refers to the experience of the Kumāras, the details of which will be discussed later in Section 90. He also cites the example of Sukadeva Gosvāmi, who was a living liberated being, and became a devotee simply by hearing some select verses from Srimad Bhagavatam, describing Lord’s Kṛṣṇa’s activities, beauty and qualities. If Kṛṣṇa’s body were material, or inferior to Brahman, Sukadeva Gosvāmi would not have been attracted to His devotional service. The general psychology is that a person does not give up nayam ātmā pravacanena labhyo na medhaya na bahună śrutena yam evaiṣa vṛnute tena labhyas tasyaiṣa ātmā vivṛṇute tanuṁ svām 544 55 The Partial Expansions of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Are Also Transcendental a superior thing for an inferior one, whereas a discerning person will gladly abandon his inferior attachments to attain something superior, as here. Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmi offers various references from Srimad Bhāga- vatam that describe Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s form as purely transcendental. And Brahmā realized this for himself when he saw the Lord’s expansions: 9 Thus, for a moment, the unborn Brahma beheld all these aspects of the Supreme Brahman, the Self of all, by whose effulgence this entire universe of moving and non-moving creatures is revealed. (SB 10.13.55)10 In other words, Brahma saw that all the calves and boys were simultaneously nondifferent from the Supreme Lord. In the next anuccheda, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi will explain that Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s body is the ultimate of all that can be aspired for, because it is the Absolute Reality. arizo avion Is to Use and a 60X aids won blada uo! goed baibodiesofindi, bowed to lasand [ae..oraz) nehm all to sousual ada d moody of arten (chi) mans nomor sviestahomsh sdr aidi es daue vote amand To 23 bids af bedrmash To dobri sa oniwano sideqiderow Oudy of wob wod I soo vbod benotzalamos-bool 692 Roz diw bank baadwos adt vinsgluts al 4581 lutused mutasdols basolo-grimigil bas 183 5 169 Harrod sing to obem agalises iw bomen bas rugoy gaihlon asawa oz fool woy bar swoll 191ol to bal adio ad ni shita abong has on to mi bed wo ni alu rer 10 evam sakṛd dadarśajaḥ para-brahmatmano’khilān yasya bhāsā sarvam idam vibhāti sa-caracaram 545 nome gambeth пости за gride one on done torsini na pol girl sonique s emdomomoda-ylbaly fllw 012 msva upEHB ban Anuccheda 56&The Whe cons Kṛṣṇa’s Form Is the Ultimate of All That Is to Be Attained ५६ । इत्थमेवाभिप्रेत्याह ( भा० १० ११४।५५ ) - WITH THIS VERY SAME INTENT, Śrī Śuka said: 1 कृष्णमेनमवेहि त्वमात्मानमखिलात्मनाम् । जगद्धिताय सोऽप्यत्र देहीवाभाति मायया ॥ २५२ ।। You should know this Kṛṣṇa to be the Self of all selves. For the benefit of the world, He appears here just like an embodied being by the influence of His maya. (SB 10.14.55)1 एनं “नौमीड्य तेऽभ्रवपुषे” (भा० १० | १४ |१) इत्यादिवर्णितरूपम् । mie The demonstrative pronoun enam (this) refers to the form described in the preceding verses of Brahma-stava, such as this one: “I bow down to You, O worshipable one, who are the son of the cowherd Nanda, with soft feet, a cloud-complexioned body and lightning-colored clothes. Your beautiful face is effulgently framed with earrings made of guñjā berries. You wear a gar- land of forest flowers and You look so sweet, holding yogurt and fruits in one hand, a flute, horn and prodding stick in the other” (SB 10.14.1)? kṛṣṇam enam avehi tvam ātmānam akhilātmanām jagad-dhitaya so’py atra dehīvābhāti māyayā 2 naumiḍya te’bhra-vapuse taḍid-ambaraya guñjāvataṁsa-paripicchala-san-mukhāya vanya-sraje kavala-vetra-viṣaṇa-veņu-lakṣma-śriye mrdu-pade paśupangajāya 546 56 Kṛṣṇa’s Form Is the Ultimate of All That Is to Be Attained अवेहि मत्प्रसादलब्धविद्वत्तयैवानुभव न तु तर्कादीना विचारयेत्यर्थः । एवम्भूतोऽपि मायया कृपया जगद्धिताय सर्वस्यापि स्वात्मानं प्रति चित्ताकर्षणाय देहीव जीव इवाभाति क्रीडति । इवशब्देन श्रीकृष्णस्तु न जीववत् पृथग्देहं प्रविष्टवानिति च गम्यते । abas By use of the verb avehi (to know), Sukadeva advises Parīkṣit to experience the form of the Lord exclusively through the know- ing that arises out of his [Sukadeva’s] mercy, and not the know- ing that is arrived at through logical or rational deliberation. Although Kṛṣṇa is such (i.e., as described by Śrī Brahmā), still, by His māyā, i.e., His mercy, He appears or acts like an embodied person, just to attract everyone’s heart towards Him for their benefit. The word iva (“like” or “as if”), implying similarity only and not identity, means that Śrī Kṛṣṇa has not entered into a separate body like an ordinary living entity. rol अत एव श्रीविग्रहस्य परमपुरुषार्थलक्षणत्वमुक्तं श्रीध्रुवेण (भा० ४।९।१७) - Śrī Dhruva Mahārāja therefore establishes that the form of the Lord meets the criteria of being the ultimate end of all that can ever be aspired for (parama-puruṣārtha): 979 सत्याशिषो हि भगवंस्तव पादपद्ममाशीस्तथानुभजतः पुरुषार्थमूर्तेः । २५३ ॥ इति । dilo da si wods of ti O Supreme Lord! You are the bestower of true blessings, and Your foform is the supreme of all that is to be attained. So, Your lotus feet US are the highest blessing for those who worship You constantly. (SB 4.9.17)3 NEW अत्र टीका च - हे भगवन् । पुरुषार्थः परमानन्दः स एव मूर्तिर्यस्य तस्य तव पादपद्मम् । आशिषो राज्यादेः सकाशात् सत्या । आशीः परमार्थफलं हि निश्चितम् । कस्य ? तथा तेन प्रकारेण त्वमेव पुरुषार्थ इत्येवं निष्कामतया अनुभजतः । इत्येषा || श्रीशुकः ॥ 9ni yeh gnizesy Śrīdhara Svāmī comments here: “O Lord! The ultimate end of all that is to be aspired for is supreme bliss. Your form is that sup- reme bliss. Hence, attaining Your lotus feet is the true blessing, satyasiṣo hi bhagavaṁs tava pada-padmam āsīs tathanubhajataḥ puruṣārtha-mürteḥ 547 bia Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha med 2 i.e., the supreme attainment, certainly much more so than receiv- ing a kingdom and so on. For whom? For those who perpetually worship You without any tinge of material desires, considering You, in this way, as the ultimate end of aspiration.” Here ends Śrīdhara Svāmi’s comment. wor word ada dgoods vlavizulaxs bru wond sds ton bas gorom (svahel Commentary o kolealgol duela 15 hav mah2 yd badhesh as …) ibu al Iguod ŚRĪ KRṢNA’S FORM is supremely transcendental and the topmost repository of love. Everyone in this material world, knowingly or unknowingly, is searching for love. Because Kṛṣṇa is the supreme repository of love, He is the ultimate end of all that is to be attained. This was wonderfully demonstrated in brahma-mohana-lila. When Brahma stole the calves and cowherd boys, Śrī Kṛṣṇa expanded Himself to perfectly replace each and every one of them: sd The unborn Lord took the forms of every one of the boys and calves, even the smallest of them, with the exact same hands, feet and others physical features, carrying the exact same sticks, horns, flutes and lunch bags, the same clothes and ornaments, the same personalities, qualities, appearance and age, and with the same activities and ges- tures, as if to show the truth of the statement that everything in the universe is nothing but Śrī Vişņu. (SB 10.13.19)*71 Jp autolava 02 bolsadors to 20 quential ag The love that the older gopis and the cows felt toward the expan- sions of Kṛṣṇa, posing as their offspring, kept increasing in intensity. At that time the gopis loved their sons in exactly the same way they loved Kṛṣṇa, even though they were unaware that it was Śrī Kṛṣṇa who was present before them in those forms: With every passing day, the residents of Vraja found that the vine oY of love for their children grew steadily for an entire year, increasing apdailielmot uoy saild smsnque al 703 basigas ad of zi tell yavad vatsapa-vatsakalpaka-vapur yavat karanghry-adikaṁsongHeal yavad yaşți-viṣaṇa-veņu-dala-sig yavad vibhuṣāmbaram yavac chila-guṇābhidhäkṛti-vayo yavad viharädikaṁ sarvam vişnu-mayam giro’ngavad ajaḥ sarva-svarupo babhau 548 56 Kṛṣṇa’s Form Is the Ultimate of All That Is to Be Attained without limit, as it did for Kṛṣṇa. Such a thing had never happened before. (SB 10.13.26)5 Even Lord Balarama was astonished at this, though He was not aware of the actual situation, since He had been absent on the day Brahma stole the calves and cowherd boys. Upon hearing this, King Parikṣit posed the question: O saintly teacher, please explain how they [the cowherd women] докай could have had so much love for Kṛṣṇa, who was someone else’s child. They never felt such love even for their own children. (SB 10.14.49) Sukadeva Gosvāmi responded to the question with seven verses, SB 10.14.50-56. He began by explaining that everyone loves them- selves above everything else, and loves other beings or objects only because they are somehow pleasing to the self. People who are identified with the body-self, love their own body because they mistake it for the self. They do not love anything else to the degree they love their own bodies. This is confirmed by Yajnavalkaya while instructing Maitreyi: ain It is not for the sake of the husband, my dear, that the husband is d loved, but for the sake of the self that he is loved. (BAU 4.5.6)’ Неё втащо aquest to solaz dsl vino bavol at 1ise adi neva by Those whose self-concept is tied to the body, love the body, not for the body, but because it is what they believe the self to be. Thus, in spite of their attachment to the body, their real affection is for the self, whatever they take that to be at any particular phase of develop- ment. Thus, when the body grows old and decays, they still continue to desire life. It is thus the true self that is most dear to every living being. Everyone views the entire world as existing for the sake of the self. Thus, in the Udyoga-parva of Mahabharata, Vidura advised 5 vrajaukasāṁ sva-tokeşu sneha-vally abdam anvaham sanair niḥsima vavṛdhe yatha kṛṣṇe tu apurvavator brahman parodbhave kṛṣṇe iyan prema katham bhavet yo’bhūta-purvas tokeşu svodbhaveşu api kathyatām sa hovāca na vă are patyuḥ kāmāya patiḥ priyo bhavati atmanas tu kāmāya patih priyo bhavati 549 bonis Avd Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha Dhṛtarastra to disown Duryodhana, ultimately in the interest of real- izing his true self: so on. For whom? F 100 10 One may give up a family member to save the family, and abandon a family for the sake of the village. One can renounce a village for the sake of the nation, but one must be prepared to sacrifice the entire earth for the sake of the self (ātmā). (MB 5.37.17)8 入 Having established that the self is that which is most dear to one and all, Sukadeva Gosvāmi then speaks the verse under discussion in this section (SB 10.14.55). He says that Śrī Kṛṣṇa is “the Self of all selves.” In other words, Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the source of the self, which is itself most dear. Thus, He is the dearest of the dear and the ultimate repository, from which and toward which, love flows. The living entity is part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, as He declares in Bhagavad Gitä: The living beings in this conditioned world, who are verily My eter- gnal integrated parts, are entangled with the mind and five cognitive senses, which are rooted in phenomenality (prakṛti). (GĪTĀ 15.7)” Kṛṣṇa is like the sun, and the atomic living entity is compared to the sun’s ray. While people in general love other beings or objects only in relation to the self, the liberated devotees go a step further. Even the self is loved only for the sake of the Supreme Self, which is to say that they love Kṛṣṇa more than the self. Śrī Viṣṇu instructed Śrī Brahma in this regard at the beginning of creation: od sift ybod stit of themribsite O creator of the world! I am the Self of every self and the dearest sin of all that is beloved. Therefore, love is meant for Me, on account of whom the body and everything else are dear. (SB 3.9.42)10 The residents of Vraja were naturally filled with inherent love for Kṛṣṇa. They loved Him more than their own selves, typifying the 8 tyajet kulärtham puruşaṁ grämasyarthe kulam tyayet in grāmaṁ janapadasyarthe ātmārthe pṛthivim tyajet bw con 9 mamaivāmśo jiva-loke jiva-bhūtaḥ sanātanah manah-sasthänindriyāņi prakṛti-sthani karṣatilden 10 aham atmātmanam dhataḥ preṣṭhah san preyasām api ato mayi ratim kuryad dehädir yat-krte priyah 55056 Kṛṣṇa’s Form Is the Ultimate of All That Is to Be Attained teaching from the above verse. Thus, when Śrī Kṛṣṇa came to them in the form of their own sons, they naturally loved them just as they loved Kṛṣṇa. Their love for Kṛṣṇa was superior to the love they felt for their own offspring. Indeed, this was the case even with the cows. Neither the gopis nor the cows knew that it was in fact Kṛṣṇa who had come as their child, and yet their love still increased. This is because their love for Kṛṣṇa is causeless and unobstructed - the epitome of uttama-bhakti. Visiem uzimy loans basada en Saw The great soul Uddhava was struck with wonder when he saw the love the gopis had for Kṛṣṇa. He glorified them in the following manner: brod sm dw b These cowherd women have justified their human bodies on this earth, for they have achieved the most elevated feelings of love for Govinda, the Self of the unlimited creation. This is something aspired for by the sages, who view material existence with fear, and no by ourselves, as well. Oh! What need is there for a life as long as that ton of Brahma for one who is immersed in the infinite joy of hearing i grabout the Lord? (SB 10.47.58)11 H odabrani ai diwyd sub to ne vil ass The demonstrative pronoun enam (this) in SB 10.14.55 refers to Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the son of Nanda Mahāraja, as he had been seen and described by Brahma at the beginning of his prayers. Kṛṣṇa manifests His supreme beauty and sweetness in Vraja. up all to vnam 20sang In describing Brahma’s vision, Sukadeva Gosvāmi was simul- taneously blessing Parīkṣit Mahārāja that he too may realize the form of Kṛṣṇa as seen by Brahma. While in the womb of his mother, Parikṣit Mahārāja had seen the four-handed form of Kṛṣṇa. Now, by the mercy of his spiritual teacher, he was able to behold the most beautiful form of Kṛṣṇa. Indirectly, Sukadeva was blessing any serious student of Bhagavatam to be granted this vision of Kṛṣṇa. In commenting on this verse, Śrīla Viśvanatha Cakravarti Thakura says that one loves his or her child because of its relation etäḥ paraṁ tanu-bhṛto bhuvi gopa-vadhvo govinda eva nikhilätmani rūḍha-bhāvāḥ väñchanti yad bhava-bhiyo munayo vayaṁ ca kim brahma-janmabhir ananta-katha-rasasya 551 benici od oral Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha 102 to the body (which one takes to be the self), and one loves the body because of the Indwelling Self, who is Kṛṣṇa present in the body. Kṛṣṇa is the complete whole, and He expands Himself as Param- ātmā, or Immanent God: “I exist, pervading this entire cosmos by a single portion of Myself” (viṣṭabhyaham idam kṛtsnam ekāṁśena sthito jagat, GĪTĀ 10.42). Bog blida ledtes mos 10 Therefore, Krsna is the highest limit of love. Viśvanatha further writes that the residents of Vraja are completely free from māyā and full of devotion; therefore, they are naturally endowed with this realization of Kṛṣṇa. By their very nature they love Kṛṣṇa more than their own offspring. According to Viśvanatha, this means they do not have to be aware of Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Lord, or even as Kṛṣṇa! Their love springs forth for Him, vehemently and unimpeded, whether knowingly or unknowingly. rot Although Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the Self of the self, He appears like an embodied being. His purpose is to attract the minds of the con- ditioned beings by performing alluring pastimes. One should not think, however, that He has a material body because He sometimes appears hungry and eats like an ordinary boy with His friends. The word iva (“like” or “as if”) is important in this verse. It means that He appears as if an embodied being, but is not so in truth. Accord- ing to Vedic logicians, when an object is different from another but possesses many of its qualities, it is called similar!2 The similarity between the Lord and an ordinary boy is that He acts like one.of The word dehi (lit., “one who possesses a body”) does not mean that Kṛṣṇa is distinct from His body, as is the case with ordinary embodied beings, or dehi. In His case the usage is figurative, in the vein of the ahi-kundala-nyaya, i.e., that of presuming a difference where one does not exist. According to this axiom, even though the coil (kundala) of a snake constitutes the snake (ahi) and is not sepa- rate from it, it can nonetheless be considered as an attribute of the snake. So too it is with Krsna and His body. Tava enplär 12 tad-bhinnatve sati tad-gata-bhūyo dharmavattvaṁ sădṛśyatvam 13 kundalätmano’py aher yatha kundalam viseṣaṇatvena manyate Govinda-bhāṣya 3.2.28 552 56 Kṛṣṇa’s Form Is the Ultimate of All That Is to Be Attained Thus, Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s body is nondifferent from Him and is the sup- reme of all that is to be attained, the parama-purusartha. Śrī Dhruva Mahārāja recognized this to be the truth when he called the Lord purusārtha-murti, or the personification of the ultimate attainment. Although Dhruva had approached God in the beginning with a mate- rial motive, namely to obtain a kingdom greater than that of his half- brother, after seeing the Lord face to face he realized that service to the Lord was superior to any other attainment. Thus, even when the Lord blessed him by offering him the whole world to rule, he was not pleased because he no longer regarded it as worthwhile. In the following anuccheda, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi will explain that the Brahman described in the Vedic literature is also the body of Bhagavan. amit bele bridegrool on beacly galdubio… audi was demands, suponi [inusmaha] mid (es.eu)mo) gninaob bauos sibov FIRITH TRAY ARKISTUS RS 75PS -ingle arrot all goestuem ansom (gninnob) todanh bow oilf [agervar survine niveles line home brod sili teds goly above sho Jos se red Im ambex bawades Bouwy yd botanvas autostoload ad oder faldw 553 quorfs al bi mi mon testition ai balsam aul banda neodromomarind of el dia lato seco hind Land at Bellewedding all od raids boringos sadar bitte damitud to nones by th itive gatnaigs Anuccheda 57 adamass ledno vlamen, svimum lan Krsna Is Sabdabrahmanov OF TOUC blow plodwar ५७ । अतः शब्दप्रतिपाद्य यद् ब्रह्म तच्छ्रीविग्रह एवेत्युपसंहारयोग्यं वाक्यमाह (भा० ३।२११८) - SO, THE BRAHMAN DESCRIBED IN THE VEDAS is nothing other than the divine body of the Lord. Maitreya states this in the following verse, which comes to an appropriate conclusion: तावत् प्रसन्नो भगवान् पुष्कराक्षः कृते युगे । दर्शयामास तं क्षत्तः शाब्दं ब्रह्म दधद् वपुः || २५४ ॥ O Vidura, being pleased, the lotus-eyed Lord showed Himself to him [Kardama Muni] in Satyayuga, the Brahman known through Vedic sound donning form. (SB 3.21.8)1 यद्वपुर्दधत् प्रकाशयन्नसौ शुक्लाख्यो भगवान् कृते युगे वर्तते । तदेव शब्दप्रतिपाद्यं ब्रह्म परमतत्त्वं तं कर्दमं प्रति दर्शयामासेत्यर्थः ॥ श्रीमैत्रेयः ॥ The word dadhat (donning) means manifesting that form, signi- fying that the Lord, named Sukla, exists in Satyayuga [Krtayuga]. In other words, He showed Kardama Muni that self-same form, which is Brahman, the Absolute Truth, revealed by Vedic sound. 1tavat prasanno bhagavan puṣkarākṣaḥ kṛte yuge darśayāmāsa tam kṣattaḥ śabdam brahma dadhad vapuḥ 554 57 Kṛṣṇa Is Sabdabrahman Commentary to gainaiged vagan asia aiH gril weile asw dinh AFTER ESTABLISHING that Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s body is supremely tran- scendental and the topmost repository of love, Śrila Jiva Gosvāmi explains that the Brahman described in the Vedas is the body of Śri Krsna. To support his conclusion, he quotes Maitreya Rṣi’s reply to Vidura’s question regarding the lineage of Svayambhuva Manu, and specifically, about Kardama and Devahūti, the daughter of Manu. Maitreya Rși recounts that Brahma had ordered Kardama Muni to create progeny, and thus he performed penance for 10,000 years on the bank of the Sarasvati River. The Lord was pleased and showed Himself to Kardama, as described in the verse under discussion. The verse explains that the Supreme Lord has a form, which is the personification of Sabdabrahman. There are various types of pramāņas, or valid means of know- ing. These were outlined in the commentary to Section 9 of Tattva Sandarbha. Therein, it was explained that Bhagavan’s form can be understood only through sabda-pramāņa, or revealed sound. Thus, His body is called Sabdabrahman. The Lord’s body is self-luminous, which means that it reveals itself and, hence, cannot be perceived by material senses. Moreover, because sabda reveals the form of the Lord, sabda or Sabdabrahman is nondifferent from Him. This was confirmed by the Lord Himself to King Citraketu: “Śabdabrahman and Parabrahman are my two eternal bodies” (SB 6.16.51)? Also, Maitrāyaṇi Upanisad states: The Absolute Truth is to be understood as Sabdabrahman and Parabrahman. After comprehending Sabdabrahman, one attains Parabrahman, or the Supreme Lord. (Maitrayani Upanisad 6.22)3 Because Bhagavan is understood through sabda-brahma, He is Śabdabrahman. In Anuccheda 47 it was explained that Bhagavan is nondifferent from His Name. Thus, it is possible to realize Him by 2 sabda brahma param brahma mamobhe śāśvati tanū dve brahmani veditavye śabda-brahma paraṁ ca yat sabda-brahmani niṣṇāta paraṁ brahmadhigacchati 555 Śri Bhagavat Sandarbha chanting His Names. In the very beginning of this Bhagavat San- darbha, it was shown that Brahman and Bhagavan are one. The same Absolute Reality appears differently to different types of worshipers. Therefore, the Brahman described in the Vedas is also the Lord, who is nondifferent from His body.bodh29b nem Śrī Śukla, mentioned in this anuccheda, is the yugavatāra for Satyayuga. He is described in SB 11.5.21. Kardama Muni said as much to Svayambhuva Manu, “These things were told me by Śri Sukla” (śukla-prokta, SB 3.22.19). 2ukey 000,0fnot somene bswore brc bazasi zew polazupeib woml to encum baleno in to a Y DE V bevisang sa Jonas som bor toe aleaves Gemilerabad of Ham foll 556 Asda aromitto aloads (Bass) quan sath boy ro baixalqimas-bool v hodeloghalb anors to 180 walt ko samay verla sirni oldagidarow an hogbalwomblon kw 30 adil asersy a botsinadure you saw aid propo Anuccheda 58 body ді заб an dw HU Kṛṣṇa’s Body Is the Complete Form of Bhagavan (ovtos) dun ५८ । तदेवं सिद्धे भगवतस्तादृशे वैलक्षण्ये दृश्यत्वात् घटवदित्याद्यसदनुमानं न सम्भ- वति कालात्ययोपदिष्टत्वात् । तदेतदभिप्रेत्य तस्मिन् सत्यतापुरस्कृतं षड्भावविकाराद्यभावं स्थापयन् पूर्णस्वरूपत्वमभ्युपगच्छति (भा० १० | १४ |२३) - BOY da smarque NOW THAT IT HAS BEEN SHOWN that Bhagavan’s form is distinct from other objects, one should not improperly infer that His body is material because it is visible like a pot. This syllogistic statement is subject to the defect of stultified reasoning (kalatyay- opadiṣṭa). In order to demonstrate that the Lord’s body is real and free from the six types of transformation, Śrī Brahma accepts His form as complete in itself: एकस्त्वमात्मा पुरुषः पुराणः सत्यः स्वयं ज्योतिरनन्त आद्यः । नित्योऽक्षरोऽजस्रसुखो निरञ्जनः पूर्णोऽद्वयो मुक्त उपाधितोऽमृतः ॥ २५५ ॥ the You are the one Self, the primeval Supreme Person, the Absolute Truth - self-effulgent, endless and beginningless. You are eter- nal and imperishable, full of unobstructed joy, pure, perfect and complete. Being nondual and free from all limiting adjuncts, You are immortal. (SB 10.14.23)1 the “नौमीड्य ते” (भा० १०।१४।१) इत्यादिना स्स्तुत्यत्वेन प्रतिज्ञारूपोऽयमभ्रवपुरादिलक्षणत्व मेक एव सर्वेषामात्मा परमाश्रयः । तदुक्तम् ऎकाडास प्रथमम् (भा० १० | १४ | १८) इति । “कृष्णमेनमवेहि त्वमात्मानमखिलात्मनाम्” (भा० १० | १४ | ५५ ) इति च । duvebe 1 ekas tvam ātmā puruṣaḥ puranaḥ satyaḥ svayañjyotir ananta adyaḥ nityo’kṣaro’jasra-sukho nirañjanaḥ purno’dvayo mukta upadhito’mṛtaḥ stag 557 Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha You are “the one Supreme Self” (ekātmā), the only ultimate shel- ter of everyone, distinguished by a cloud-complexioned form which was acknowledged as worshipable in the first verse of the Brahma-stava? This was further substantiated in verses like, “You were One in the beginning […],“3 and, “You should know this Krsna to be the Self of all selves.“4 यतस्त्वमात्मा तत एव सत्यः । परमाश्रयस्य सत्यतामवलम्ब्यैवान्येषां सत्यत्वात् त्वय्येव सत्यत्वस्य मुख्या विश्रान्तिरिति भावः । तदुक्तम् “सत्यव्रतं सत्यपरम्” (भा० १०।२।२६) इत्यादि । म० भा० उद्यमप० ५। ७० ।१२ – Because You are the atma, You are truth (satya). The import is that you are the ultimate limit of reality or truth, since all other objects are true only by taking support of the truth that is You, the supreme shelter. This was stated by the devas when they prayed, “We take shelter of You, whose essence is Truth: You, who are true to Your vow, who value truth above all, who are truth in past, present and future; You, who are the womb of truth, who are con- cealed in all truth, and who are the Truth of truth. You are the eye of truth in the cosmic law” (SB 10.2.26). The Udyama-parva of Mahābhārata also states: 2n671 lo esqyt xizads mori 997) Alsatt ni sisigrosas mo सत्ये प्रतिष्ठितः कृष्णः सत्यमत्र प्रतिष्ठितम् । सत्यात् सत्यं च गोविन्दस्तस्मात् सत्यो हि नामतः ॥ २५६ ॥ इत्युद्यमपर्वणि च । Śrī Kṛṣṇa is situated in truth, and truth is situated in Kṛṣṇa. The truth of Govinda is beyond even Satyaloka (the abode of truth), and thus He is called Satya by name. (MB 5.70.12)-Use-dunt bas fois tug voj betouradomir tollut oldederqui bus lan wy zaujhe antimil le mot vil bon subaunsais 2 SB 10.14.1, cited in full in Section 56. 3 eko’si prathamam SB 10.14.18, see earlier, Section 36. kṛṣṇam enam avehi SB 10.14.55, see Section 56. sigmas satya-vrataṁ satya-param tri-satyam satyasya yonim nihitam ca satye satyasya satyam ṛta-satya-netraṁ satyatmakaṁ tvām saranam prapannāḥ ⚫ satye pratisthitaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ satyam atra pratisthitam satyat satyam ca govindas tasmat satyo hi nămataḥ 558 58 Kṛṣṇa’s Body Is the Complete Form of Bhagavan न च त्वयि जन्मादयो विकाराः सन्तीत्याह - आद्यः कारणम् । “एकोऽसि प्रथमम् " ( भा० १०।१४।१८) इत्यादौ तादृशत्वदृष्टेः । अतो न जन्म किन्तु “प्रत्यक्षत्वं हरेर्जन्म न विकारः कथञ्चन” इति पाद्मरीतिकमेव । WO doudw Declaring that the six transformations of the body, beginning with birth, do not exist in the Lord, Brahma says, “You are the original (adya), i.e., the Source.” This was clearly demonstrated earlier in the verse, “You were One in the beginning […].” There- fore, there is no birth for Bhagavan; rather, He becomes manifest, as stated in Padma Purana, “Birth in relation to the Lord means that He becomes visible. There is never any change in His body.’ अत एव स्कान्दे- ybod wbred Winds 119 wong So too the Skanda Purāņa states:nising [notremvolanu ded) P अविज्ञाय परं देहमानन्दात्मानमव्ययम् । आरोपयन्ति जनिमत् पञ्चभूतात्मकं जडम् ॥ २५७ ॥ इति । nd Not knowing the Lord’s form as blissful and imperishable, the unwise consider His body to be inert, made of five elements, and ad that it undergoes birth.10 आद्यत्वे हेतुः – पुरुषः पुरुषाकार एव सन् पुराणः पुरापि नवः । कार्यात् पूर्वमपि वर्तमान इत्यर्थः । श्रुतिश्च “आत्मैवेदमग्र आसीत् पुरुषविधः” (बृ० १।४।१) इति । bellso not Gal] adi asinsb The reason why the Lord is the original cause is stated next: “[You are] the primeval Supreme Person (puruṣaḥ puraṇaḥ). While existing in Your personal form as puruşa, You are ever new, though primeval. This means that You exist even before the beginning, prior to this manifest creation. The Śruti also con- firms this, ‘In the beginning there was only the Self (ātmā) in the form of a person.” 10 11 bas sait yd Explained in detail in the commentary. gaidys eko’si prathamam SB 10.14.18 pratyakṣatvam harer janma na vikaraḥ kathañcana avijñāya paraṁ deham ānandātmānam avyayam äropayanti janimat pañca-bhūtātmakam jaḍam ätmaivedam agra āsīt puruṣa-vidhaḥ BAU 1.4.1 seus35 mili tuodtiw 950 559 nego Śri Bhagavat Sandarbha अत एव जन्मान्तरास्तित्वलक्षणं विकारं वारयति - नित्यः सनातनमूर्तिः Therefore, Brahma also denies the [second] transformation known as astitva (subsistence), which follows birth, by say- ing nitya, i.e., “You are eternal,” meaning that His form exists through all time, and not just for a limited duration. did dow Innigio तथा पूर्ववन् मध्यमाकारत्वेऽपि पूर्ण इति वृद्धिम् । अजस्रसुखो नित्यमेव सुखरूप इति परिणामम् । Though medium-sized, You are complete, and so as before, You are devoid of the [third] transformation known as vṛddhi (growth). The phrase ajasra-sukha (unobstructed joy), which means that the Lord’s body is eternally blissful, excludes [the fourth transformation], parināma, or “mutation.” helter 168 सुखस्य पुंस्त्वं छान्दसम् । “विज्ञानमानन्दं ब्रह्म” (बृ० ३।९।२८) इत्यत्रानन्दस्य नपुंसकत्व- वत् । तथा अक्षर इत्यपक्षयम् । अमृत इति विनाशम् । The application of the masculine gender to the word sukha here is Vedic, just as the word ananda is given in the neuter in the Upanisadic mantra BAU 3.9.28, vijñānam ānandam brahma.12 The word aksara (imperishable) denies the [fifth] transforma- tion called “decay” (apakṣaya), and the word amṛta (immortal) denies the [last] transformation called “destruction” (vināśa), i.e., death. batte al sabras Lanigiro W(donburg lain) 2 que lavs पूर्णत्वे हेतुः – अनन्त अद्वय इति देशकालपरिच्छेदरहितः । वस्तुपरिच्छेदरहितोऽपि । अन्यस्य तच्छक्तित्वात् तं विनानवस्थानात् । good The reason for Bhagavan’s completeness is that He is “unlimited” (ananta). The word advaya (nondual), means that His form is not limited by time and space. His form cannot be limited by any object because everything is His potency and cannot exist without Him. 12 In general, the Vedic language was somewhat more fluid than classical Sanskrit, which has Panini’s sutras establishing grammatical standards. Masculine and neuter nouns sometimes change their gender even in the classical language, but for the words sukha and ananda, this is very infrequent. Here, it seems that since they are predicates of words of the contrary gender, their gender has also changed. 56058 Krsna’s Body Is the Complete Form of Bhagavan अत्रामृतत्वोपपादनाय चतुर्विधक्रियाफलत्वं च वारयति । तत्रोत्पत्तिराद्य इत्यनेनैव निरा- कृता । शिष्टत्रयं स्वयञ्ज्योतिर्निरञ्जन उपाधितो मुक्त इति पदत्रयेण । तत्र च प्राप्तिः क्रि- यया ज्ञानेन वा भवेत् । अत्र क्रियया प्राप्तिरात्मपदेनैव निराकृता सर्वप्रत्यग्रूपत्वात् । तथा ज्ञानतः प्राप्तिं वारयति । स्वयञ्ज्योतिरिति । In this verse, it is denied that the four results of action (kriya- phala) 13 can in any way be attributed to Krsna’s body, in order to establish His immortality. The result called “creation” (utpatti) is denied owing to His being the original cause, adya. The remain- ing three results are negated respectively by the three phrases, svayañjyoti (self-effulgent), nirañjana (pure) and upadhito muk- tah (devoid of any limiting adjuncts). Out of these three, the result called “attainment” (präpti), can be accomplished either by physical action or through cognition. Attainment by action is negated by use of the word ātmā, because He is the indwelling Self of all beings, while attainment by cognition is denied by the phrase, “He is self-luminous” (svayañjyoti).ants SUTT WEA Jon bis Is bnim तदुक्तं ब्रह्माणं प्रति श्रीभगवता “मनीषितानुभावोऽयं मम लोकावलोकनम्” (भा० २।९।२१) इति । hi susmon The Lord spoke in similar fashion to Brahma: “This vision of My abode is the result of My will.“14 119 907 9q9dxam edi of qu टीका च – एतच् च मत्कृपयैव त्वया प्राप्तमित्याह । मनीषितमिच्छा तुभ्यं दातव्यमिति या ममेच्छा तस्या अनुभावोऽयम् । कोऽसौ ? तमाह मम लोकस्यावलोकनं यत् । इत्येषा । FOR THE PTE TREPT ए Śrīdhara Svāmi comments: “The intent of Bhagavan’s statement is, ‘You attained this by My mercy alone.’ The word manișită means will, i.e., ‘I chose to reveal this to you, and this is the consequence of that choice.’ [Brahma asks:] ‘What is that con- sequence?’ [The Lord replies:] ‘Being granted the vision of My abode.”” 13 (1) Utpatti (creation), (2) prapti (attainment), (3) vikara (mutation), (4) samskära (improvement). detavad ylan in Petro 14 maniṣitānubhavo’yam mama lokavalokanam yad upaśrutya rahasi cakartha paramaṁ tapah SB 2.9.21 Joling 561 mavagada to Śri Bhagavat Sandarbha तदुक्तम् “नित्याव्यक्तोऽपि भगवानीक्ष्यते निजशक्तितः” इति । LIESIPPISTHIER PERSPEE (NCIPE HESHY BY DESIST TH Thus, it is said: “Although the Lord is always unmanifest, He can be realized by His mercy.“15 ननु श्रीभगवतोद्धवं प्रति “वासुदेवो भगवताम्” (भा० ११ । १६ । २९) इत्यादिकं विभूतिमध्ये गणयित्वा सर्वान्ते “मनोविकारा एवैते” (भा० ११ । १६।४१) इत्युक्तम् । (plody Itt faildet An objection may here be raised: In His teachings to Uddhava, did not Krsna include Himself among His own opulences, “Among those entitled Bhagavan, I am Vasudeva” (vasudevo bhagavatām, SB 11.16.29)? And in conclusion, did He not say, “These opulences are all modifications of mind” (mano-vikārā evaite, SB 11.16.41)? सत्यम् । तद्गणनं प्राचुर्यविवक्षया “छत्रिणो गच्छन्ति” इतिवत् । तत्रैव हि (भा० ११।१६।३७) - 9H Amto biow biow adi lo vd instalene alhtw eu yd bat gutted lie to 142 Answer: True, He includes Himself in the list. But the concluding statement, that all is a modification of mind, is general, and not universal, in its application. It is made due to the overwhelming prevalence of mutable phenomena in the list itself, and hence, it is a statement about such phenomena and not about Him. There- fore, this is an instance of overarching description, summed up in the maxim, “There go the men with umbrellas” (chatrino gacchanti).16 Later in the same chapter it is said: पर्णपृथिवी वायुराकाश आपो ज्योतिरहं महान् । विकारः पुरुषोऽव्यक्तं रजः सत्त्वं तमः परम् ॥ २५८ ॥ p-saf Invenedbee madbha biginom brow or snola yorem yM vd aidt boniens uoY I am earth, water, fire, air and sky; I am the mahat-tattva and the Ano ego, the modifications, the living entity, material nature, sattva,105 rajas and tamas, and the Supreme (para). (SB 11.16.37)17 15 nityavyakto’pi bhagavan ikṣyate nija-saktitaḥ Quoted from Nārāyaṇādhyatma in Section 46. ahoda 16 The description is overarching because in the crowd of umbrella bearers being referred to, some people don’t actually have umbrellas. See the commentary for further explanation. 17 pṛthivi vāyur ākāśa apo jyotir aham mahān vikaraḥ puruṣo’vyaktam rajaḥ sattvam tamaḥ param 562 58 Kṛṣṇa’s Body Is the Complete Form of Bhagavan इत्यत्र परशब्देन ब्रह्मापि तन्मध्ये गणितमस्ति । तदेवं प्राप्तिर्निषिद्धा । In this verse, the word para indicates that even Brahman is enu- merated in a list of phenomena [and yet is obviously not phenom- enal]. So, in spite of Kṛṣṇa’s mention in a list of phenomena, all of which can be attained through action or cognition, His form is not attainable or cognizable in this way, because of His self- luminosity. In this manner, the verse denies that the result of action (kriya-phala) known as attainment (präpti) can in any way be attributed to His form. vizellade अथ विकृतिरपि तुषापाकरणेनावघातेन व्रीहीणामिवोपाध्यपाकरेणेन भवेत् । तच् चासङ्ग- त्वान् न सम्भवेदित्याह - मुक्त उपाधितः इति । तदुक्तम् “विशुद्धज्ञानमूर्तये” ( भा० १०।२७।११) “विशुद्धविज्ञानघनम्” (भा० १० । ३७।२३) इत्यादौ च । Just as by beating paddy the husk is removed, similarly by remov- ing the limiting adjuncts, the kriya-phala of transformation occurs. Because the Lord is free from any material association, there is no possibility whatsoever of His being subject to limiting adjuncts, and thus His body cannot be an instance of the result called transformation. Thus, the verse states, “free from limit- ing adjuncts” (mukta upadhitaḥ). This is also expressed in verses such as, “Unto Him whose form is pure consciousness,” and, “His form, which is pure consciousness.“19 bezobliwed तस्मात् “मम निशितशरैर्विभिद्यमानत्वचि” (भा० १।९।३४) इत्यादिकं तु मायिकलीलाव- र्णनमेव । भा० १० ७७।३०- As such, statements like, “My body pierced with sharp arrows” (SB 1.9.34),20 are to be considered a description of pastimes that are of an apparent nature only (mayika-lila), because the appearance contradicts the reality. This is in accordance with the principle enunciated by Śrī Śuka: 18 viśuddha-jñāna-murtaye SB 10.27.11 19 viśuddha-vijñāna-ghanam 20 SB 10.37.23 mama nisita-sarair vibhidyamana-tvaci 563 Us Aysgade 1 Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbhak एवं वदन्ति राजर्षे ऋषयः केचनान्विताः । यत् स्ववाचो विरुध्येत न नूनं ते स्मरन्त्युत ॥ २५९ ।। इत्यादि न्यायेन वास्तवत्वविरोधात् । windy da by bas) ansiode to add a ni batanem O wise king, so speak some sages who contradict themselves in this illogical way, having surely forgotten their own previous 1 statements. (SB 10.77.30)21 malda तथा हि स्कान्दे- jasmniej 25 (forg Similarly, in Skanda Purāņa: Bre2 असङ्गश्चाव्ययोऽभेद्योऽनिग्राह्योऽशोष्य एव च । विद्धोऽसृगाचितो बद्ध इति विष्णुः प्रदृश्यते ॥ २६० ॥ …असुरान् मोहयन् देवः क्रीडत्येष सुरेष्वपि । मनुष्यान् मध्यया दृष्ट्या न मुक्तेषु कदाचन || २६१ ।। пом noitsi Even though Śri Visņu’s body is imperishable and impalpable, though it cannot be pierced or dried, and is free from the mate- rial gunas, He appears as if pierced, wounded or bound. He seems Tas if to play among the gods, or appears as if a common man, balles with a medium-sized body. He upholds such appearance just to bewilder the non-theists, but the living liberated are never thus bewildered.22 इति श्रीभीष्मस्य युद्धसमये दैत्याविष्टात् तथा भानं युक्तमेवेति । किन्त्वधुना दुःस्वप्नदुःख- स्येव तस्य निवेदनं कृतमिति ज्ञेयम् । ybody Bhisma’s vision of Śrī Kṛṣṇa wounded by arrows was appropriate, since he had been possessed by a demoniac temperament during the battle. But that attitude now seemed to him like a horrible nightmare, and thus he offered supplication to the Lord. 21 evam vadanti rajarse ṛṣayaḥ kecanänvitāḥ 22 yat sva-vaco virudhyeta na nunam te smaranty uta asangas cavyayo’bhedyo’nigrahyo’śosya eva ca viddho’sṛg-acito baddha iti vişnuḥ pradṛśyate asuran mohayan devaḥ kriḍaty eşa sureșv api manuṣyān madhyayā dṛṣṭyā na mukteṣu kadācana Uma 564 58 Kṛṣṇa’s Body Is the Complete Form of Bhagavan संस्कारोऽपि किमतिशयाधानेन मलापाकारेण वा । तत्रातिशयाधानं पूर्णत्वेनैव निराकृ- तम् । मलापकरणं वारयति - निरञ्जनो निर्मलो विशुद्धज्ञानमूर्तिरित्यर्थः ॥ श्रीब्रह्मा श्रीभ- गवन्तम् ॥ The kriya-phala of improvement Mukta-phala (saṁskāra) can result either from embellishment or purification. Because Bha- gavan is perfect and complete (purna), improvement by embel- lishment is denied. Purification is denied by the word niranjana, which means that His form is pure consciousness to begin with. Commentary shame prost IN THE PREVIOUS SECTIONS, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmī showed that Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s body is transcendental. He also cited many verses verifying that the Lord became visible to certain individuals, such as Kardama Muni. Hearing this, a disputant may propose the following faulty inferential statements: In 20.00%
- Proposition: Kṛṣṇa’s body is material.
- Reason: Because it is visible.
- Universal proposition: All visible objects are material, like a table. 4. Application: Krsna’s body was seen by Brahma, Kardama, and others.
- Conclusion: Hence, Kṛṣṇa’s body is material. Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi says this inference is fraught with the defect of kalatyayopadiṣṭa-hetu-ābhāsa, or stultified reasoning. Conclusions reached by stultified reasoning are negated by superior proof. For example, one may claim, “Fire is not hot because it is a sub- stance. Whatever is a substance, like water, is not hot.” Such rea- soning is called hetu-abhasa, or logical fallacy, and is of the kalatyay- opadiṣṭa type. This conclusion is negated by direct perception of fire, which reveals that it is hot. Direct perception is superior to inference and thus overrules conclusions reached by such inferior processes. The neo-logicians call this badhita-hetu-ābhāsa.lt la sessant The conclusion expressed in the above hypothetical syllogism is superseded by Śruti, or revealed scriptures, such as, “Bhagavan’s 565 yon to Sri Bhagavat Sandarbha da body is pure consciousness” (viśuddha-vijñāna-ghana, SB 10.37.23). In Tattva Sandarbha, Anucchedas 9-10, it was shown that in transcen- dental matters, sabda-pramāņa is the supreme means of valid know- ing. Next, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmī shows that the Lord’s body is free from the six transformations that all material bodies undergo. These are listed in the Nirukta Vedic dictionary: “The body takes birth, subsists, grows, undergoes changes by aging, or gives rise to by-products, dwindles and finally dies.“23 To prove that the Lord is free from these transformations, Jīva Gosvāmī cites a verse from the prayers of Śrī Brahma (SB 10.14.23). The material body is a product of past karma. Furthermore, it is made up of limbs, which are composed of matter. This means it is an effect, not a cause. Being an effect, the body comes into existence at a partic- ular time as a result of a causal chain of events, and this is called birth. Brahma says, however, that Bhagavan’s body is adya. It existed in the beginning, prior to cause and effect. In Brahma-samhita, he says that Kṛṣṇa or Govinda is sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇa, the original Source of all other causes. Hence, His body is not an effect of any prior cause, as is the case for the material body. Because the Lord’s body does not undergo birth, the transfor- mation called astită, subsistence, or in other words, sustained exis- tence after birth, is automatically denied. Thus, Brahma calls Him nitya, or eternal. Material objects exist within an external field, but the Lord’s body is the support of everything and exists in its own context, in His own energy. The Śruti says, “Where does the Lord exist? In His own glory” (sa bhagavā kasmin sthitah? sve mahimni, CHU 7.24.1). All phenomena exist in time and space, but Bhagavan’s body is beyond these. He maintains everything, but is not main- tained by anyone. Asti means to exist for a measurable duration of time, and to do so within spatial vectors; the Supreme Lord’s body is the basis for both time and space. nail podal jadralesve,oldw 25 Bhagavan’s body is purna, or complete, and thus it does not increase. Only things that are incomplete can increase. Something 23 jayate’sti vardhate vipariņamate apakṣiyate nasyati caron 2 Nirukta 1.1.2 (as doingangh bsisavin and st 566 58 Kṛṣṇa’s Body Is the Complete Form of Bhagavan that is complete or perfect doesn’t undergo growth. The Lord is perfect because He is ananta, or unlimited, so how can He be said to grow? There is nothing that exists outside of Him that He could acquire. He is the limit of all limits, but He Himself is limitless.Idis 9 Bhagavan’s body is ajasra-sukha, or eternally blissful. Therefore, His body does not produce by-products (vipariņāma). Ordinary human beings feel incomplete and therefore hanker for a compan- ion with whom they can share their life. To further expand their happiness, the couple unites and procreates. But the Supreme Lord does not procreate in this fashion, so His body cannot be said to pro- duce by-products. Alternatively, vipariņāma means that His body does not undergo changes, such as aging, because He is satya, or absolute. An object that does not transform in the three phases of time, namely, past, present and future, is called satya. urbano Brahma also calls the Lord akṣara, or imperishable. That which does not diminish or decay is called akṣara (na kṣaratity aksarah), and thus His body does not undergo the fifth transformation called apakṣaya, or diminution. Kṛṣṇa confirms this in GITA 15.18, wherein He says that He is beyond both the perishable and the imperishable (kṣara and akṣara). @dbidw Finally, because Kṛṣṇa is amṛta, or immortal, He is free from destruction. Since He is not born and His body does not dwindle, He does not die. “Death fears Govinda” (govindan mṛtyur bibheti, GTU 1.6). Consequently, because Kṛṣṇa’s body does not undergo any of the six transformations, it is concluded that His body is not material. Furthermore, Bhagavan’s body is not limited by time and space. Time is the movement of His bodily limbs: 2509 O friend of the unmanifest (prakṛti)! The phenomenon of time, by which the cosmos becomes active, is Your own activity. It is divided into units, from a nanosecond (nimesa) to years, up to periods as long as the lifetime of Brahma, but You are its master and the abode of all auspiciousness. I take shelter of You. (SB 10.3.26)24 weldre 24 yo’yam kālas tasya te’vyakta-bandho ceṣṭām āhus ceṣṭate yena viśvam nimṣādir vatsaranto mahiyāms tam tveśānam kṣema-dhama prapadye 567 Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha Every material body exists within time and space and is limited by them, but Brahma calls the Lord advaya, the nondual Reality, who is thus not limited by time, space or any other contingency. It is pos- sible for two objects to exist in all places and at all times. For exam- ple, space and time exist together and are both unlimited. They are independent, and thus, they limit each other. But the Lord is not lim- ited by anything, because He is the shelter of everything and every- body. Nothing can exist without Him. This is the meaning of the word advaya.but be esti To establish that Bhagavan is immortal, Brahma says that His body is not any of the four types of results of action (kriya-phala). All work involves action and the result for which it is performed. According to Sanskrit grammarians, there are four types of results: utpadya, creation; vikarya, transformation; samskarya, improve- ment; and präpya, attainment. The grammarian Bhartṛhari has summarized this in his Vākya-padiya:25 b to dair
- When something did not previously exist and is created, it is older called utpadya. An example of something created is a garland, Chip which a devotee may make for the Lord. m2. When an existent object is transformed into something else, it is albor called vikarya. This is of two types. One is when the nature of the existent object changes, as when fire burns wood into ash. The other is when a change is made in the shape of the original object, as in making bangles out of gold. ogisb
- When the characteristics of existent objects are modified or improved, it is called samskärya. An example is adding fragrance See to water. Ad Bellmil 18 a560 Shav at
- And to reach a destination is called präpya, such as when a devotee goes to the temple. This result also includes comprehending an observable entity through cognition. 25 yad asaj jayate yad va janmana yat prakāśate tan nivartyam vikäryam tu dvidha karma vyavasthitam prakrty-uccheda-sambhutam kiñcit kāṣṭhādi-bhasmavat kiñcid gunäntarotpattyä suvarṇādi-vikäravat kriya-kṛta-viṣṣaḥām siddhir yatra na gamyate darśanād anumānād vā tat präpyam iti kathyate 20 568 58 Kṛṣṇa’s Body Is the Complete Form of Bhagavan The word adya, or original cause, excludes the Lord’s body from being classified as utpadya, or that which is created as a result of some action. Kṛṣṇa’s body is the original Source of all cause and effect, and hence not an effect of anything. An object is attained (präpya) either by physical activity or by cognition. This means that one acquires an object either through external or internal senses. The use of ātmā in the verse indicates that the Lord cannot be attained through physical action, because He is all-pervading. “That which exists everywhere is called ātmā, or in other words, Paramātmā” (atati sarvam gacchati iti ātmā). In this verse the word ātmā refers to Krsna and not to the individual living being. According to the neo-logicians of India, there are five types of physical action: Upward projection, downward thrust, contraction, expansion and 24motion are the five actions. (Kärikävali 1.6)26 A ev Other actions, such as flowing, dripping, and so on, are included in motion. smen e ai dardw The Lord’s body cannot be attained by these types of action because it exists everywhere. This was established in Anuccheda 41. The word ātmā also signifies that His body is pratyak, or manifest exclusively by its own conscious intent, and hence, it is beyond all sense perception. Thus, His body cannot be immediately cognized through the faculties of perception and conception, because it is not a material object. For this reason, Brahma calls the Lord svayañjyoti, or self-luminous. We need light to see material objects, but no light is needed to see the sun. We need our senses and mind in order to cognize objects, but the sun appears of its own accord, indepen- dent of our will and sensory capacity. In the same way, we cannot force the Lord to appear before us by performing some activity. He is seen and understood only by His mercy (which is to say, by His will) and not by any other means. This is stated in Santi-parva of Mahabharata: utkṣepanam tato’pakṣepaṇam akuñcanaṁ tatha prasaranaṁ ca gamanaṁ karmány etani pañca ca 569 Śri Bhagavat Sandarbha O Bṛhaspati, He can be seen neither by you nor by us. Only one who bis blessed by Him becomes eligible to see Him. (MB 12.336.20) 27/ In this way präpya is negated. its medont vonen has The third type of result, vikarya, or transformation, is denied by the words mukta upadhitaḥ, or freedom from all foreign superimpo- sition. Only material objects undergo such alterations. Since Bhaga- van’s body does not contact anything material, He is free from alter- ations resulting from effort or time. Indra calls Him one whose form is pure consciousness (viśuddha-vijñāna-mūrti): I bow down to Him, who voluntarily assumes forms (according to the will of His devotees), whose true form is pure consciousness, who is everything, the seed of all things and the Self of all living beings. (SB 10.27.11)28 An objection may be raised here. Śrī Kṛṣṇa described His vibhutis (opulences) in chapter 16 of the Eleventh Canto. In the midst of this account, He said that among those called Bhagavan, He is Vasudeva, which is a name of Kṛṣṇa that means “the son of Vasudeva.” This means that Kṛṣṇa counts Himself amongst His own vibhutis. In con- cluding this topic, He says that all these vibhutis are merely modifica- tions of mind (SB 11.16.41). Does this mean that Bhagavan is also just a mental modification, and not the Absolute Reality? bosIn response, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi says that such a statement is made because the vast majority of the vibhutis listed by Kṛṣṇa are, in fact, mutable phenomena. This is an instance of overarching descrip- tion, as in the maxim, chatrino gacchanti, “There go the men with umbrellas” (chatri-nyaya). In a crowded place where many men are seen walking with umbrellas, a few among them may not have umbrellas. Still, onlookers remark, “There go the men with umbrel- las,” including in their statement even those devoid of umbrellas. ai Similarly, because most of the vibhutis mentioned in the list are phenomena, Kṛṣṇa sums up His description with the overarching 27 na sakyaḥ sa tvyadraṣṭum asmābhirvā bṛhaspate yasya prasādaṁ kurute sa vai tam drastum arhati 28 svacchandopatta-dehāya viśuddha-jñāna-murtaye sarvasmai sarva-bījāya sarva-bhutätmane namaḥ 57058 Kṛṣṇa’s Body Is the Complete Form of Bhagavan statement that, “They are all modifications of mind.” The statement, however, is specifically applicable to all phenomena in the list, and not to the non-phenomenal. In the midst of Krsna’s descrip- tion, we find the phrase, vasudevo bhagavatam (SB 11.16.29), “Among those entitled Bhagavan, I am Vasudeva.” In relation to this phrase, Kṛṣṇa’s concluding statement (SB 11.16.41), that all this is a modifica- tion of mind, has to be understood in a secondary sense, by use of jahal-lakṣaṇā, which entails bypassing the primary meaning when it doesn’t accord with the speaker’s intention. A further objection is raised, challenging the claim that the Lord’s body is free from vikara, or transformation. When Bhisma fought with Arjuna on the battlefield of Kurukṣetra, his sharp arrows wounded Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who was driving Arjuna’s chariot. Bhis- madeva remembered this while lying on his bed of arrows awaiting death. One may conclude from this that the Lord’s body is material. Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmī says that this description is of māyika-līlā, pas- times of an apparent nature only. This means that Bhagavan’s māyā projects an apparent scene so as to be viewed in a particular way to particular onlookers, yet the appearance contradicts the inherent truth of His being. This is similar to seeing a hero shot in a film or a play; in reality nothing happens to the actor. ass didwaasm This is also the definitive opinion of Śrī Sukadeva, the prime speaker of Srimad Bhagavatam. He says that those who think that Kṛṣṇa can fall into illusion, or that His body is material, forget that He is the Unlimited Lord. Bhisma was overwhelmed by a demo- niac warrior spirit, and the Lord, being a Player of unlimited skill, took on the appearance of being wounded to reciprocate with him in appropriate manner. Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s body appears wounded to demons who fight with Him as well. The Lord thus nurtures their envious and ignorant nature, because He says that He reveals Himself exactly in accor- dance with the essential attitude with which He is approached (GĪTĀ 4.11). Otherwise, how would it be possible to pierce His tran- scendental body? He says that even the infinitesimal individual ātmā cannot be pierced by weapons (nainam chindanti sastrāņi, GĪTĀ 2.23). To further support this, the author cites two verses from Skanda 571 pengalŚri Bhagavat Sandarbha Purāṇa that describe Bhagavan’s body as abhedya, or impermeable. Someone may raise the question, “Since Bhisma is a great devotee, how could he desire to harm Krsna?” Śrīla Viśvanatha Cakravarti Thakura writes that Bhisma’s heroic mood was very pleasing to the Lord. He says that the Lord was relishing the relation of yuddha-rasa (the heroic battle spirit) with His devotee. She than mypi Still, one may insist, “How can arrows be considered pleasant?” Cakravartipāda offers an analogy to explain. When a hero who is overpowered by kandarpa-rasa, or erotic desire, makes love to a bold heroine, she may hurt him by scratching or biting. But rather than causing him distress, this action increases the hero’s pleasure, while also demonstrating the intensity of the heroine’s love for him. This is accepted by the Vedic sexologists and rasa theorists. In a similar way, Bhisma wounded Kṛṣṇa with his arrows, but this was highly pleasing to the Lord who was enjoying the spirit of battle. This, of course, does not mean that Kṛṣṇa’s body was actually wounded, like an ordinary mortal. Later, however, when Bhisma was lying on his deathbed, he had embraced the mood of reverential service (dāsya- rasa) and thus supplicated the Lord. The f fourth and final result of action is samskarya, or improve- ment, which can be effected either by embellishment or cleansing. Bhagavan is pūṛna, perfect and complete, so this negates the possi- bility of embellishment. People wear ornaments to enhance their beauty, but the Lord’s body is itself the reservoir of all beauty. When He puts on ornaments, they become embellished by contact with Him. This was described by Śrī Uddhava to bhakta Vidura: red The Lord appeared in a form that was appropriate to this mortal world. Demonstrating the power of His internal potency, yoga- Tsmāyā, the Lord took a form that was perfectly suited for pastimes ho in the world of humans. Because of its extraordinary beauty, it bs astounded even Himself. It was the epitome of auspiciousness and an ornament to the ornaments that decorated it. (SB 3.2.12)29 29 yan martya-lilaupayikam sva-yoga-maya-balam darśayata grhitam vismapanam svasya ca saubhagarddheḥ param padam bhuṣaṇa-bhūṣaṇangam 572 58 Kṛṣṇa’s Body Is the Complete Form of Bhagavan Nothing is needed to embellish the Lord’s body, for He is per- fectly complete in His form and beauty. He puts ornaments on His body simply for the pleasure of the ornaments, who are His devo- tees. Finally, because Śrī Brahma says that Bhagavan is nirañjana, or inherently immaculate, He cannot be improved through cleans- ing or purification. He thus indicates that the Lord’s body is not an effect of any action. Rather, the Lord is the cause of all causes, the source of everything-janmady asya yataḥ. He also addresses Him as purāna, which means that although the Lord is the oldest person, He is ever youthful and has a human-like form. This indicates that His body does not mutate like that of a mortal being. In the following anuccheda, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi will conclude this topic, by stating unequivocally that Bhagavan’s form is part of His essential nature. bas at gisingorage waren eliases if 10 ring 921 800 gosan sad) in my blistalate as singo sandi sonie daus ad to strutora depot add App den leb aboz hon lines of sold animal to zastigiad com einrigonga orle af sidernen Tansas alt to las Rodw ona u gnom abuse He fiw bowobus Hoe vins dul plantazi na wy aiff Jasnika sirque en lo esinstog ins то olivial to stoked oralendorius adelanten feasts 10 anivic Shows bayon! anden huolee difw bowohns dou amsiqu at 207 10 sangue mention ad in at bestod 573 Fist at Holygheded slids of baboon af gnidn weed hasm 5128 U odbyttely divorquate had Anuccheda 59/bro Bhagavan’s Attire and Ornaments Are Part of His Svarupa ५९ । तदेवं पूर्वं तदैश्वर्यादीनां स्वरूपभूतत्वं साधितं तच् च तेषां स्वरूपान्तरङ्गधर्मत्वाद् युक्तम् । यथा ज्योतिरन्तरङ्गधर्मानां तदीयशुक्लादिगुणानां ज्योतिर्भूतत्वमेव न तम आदिरूपत्वं तद्वत् । IN THIS WAY, it was first shown that the Lord’s opulence, and so on, are part of His essential nature. This is appropriate since these opulences are intrinsic characteristics of that essen- tial nature, just as the intrinsic characteristics of fire, such as brightness or luminosity, belong to fire and not to darkness. अथ श्रीविग्रहस्य पूर्णस्वरूपलक्षणत्वं साधितं तच् च युक्तं सर्वशक्तियुक्तपरमवस्त्वेक- रूपत्वात् तस्य तत्र यो निजान्तरङ्गनित्यधर्मः श्रीविग्रहतागमस्तत्तत् संस्थानलक्षणस्तद् विशिष्टं परमानन्दलक्षणं वस्त्वेव श्रीविग्रहः । स एव चान्तरङ्गधर्मान्तराणामैश्वर्यादीनामपि नित्याश्रयत्वात् स्वयं भगवान् । Thereafter, it was established that Bhagavan’s body is entirely constituted of His essential nature. This is also appropriate, because that Form is identical to the Supreme Existent, who is inherently self-endowed with all potencies. Among the inher- ent potencies of this Supreme Existent, His very own intrinsic eternal nature is the characteristic feature of His Divine Form, endowed with various limbs. Indeed, the Lord’s Divine Form is verily the Supreme Existent, who is self-endowed with such attributes and is of the nature of supreme bliss. This Form is identical to the original and complete Being, Svayam Bhagavan, 574 59 Bhagavan’s Attire and Ornaments Are Part of His Svarupa since it is the resting place for all of His other intrinsic eternal attributes, such as His majesty. tolls word ans al यथा शुद्धखण्डलड्डुकम् । यतो यथा लड्डुकतागमकसंस्थानविशिष्टखण्डमेव लड्डुकं तदेव खण्डस्वाभाविकसौगन्ध्यादिमच् चेति लोकैः प्रतीयते प्रयुज्यते च तथा “रूपं यदेतत् ” ( भा० ३।९।२) इत्यादिषु परं तत्त्वमेव श्रीविग्रहः स एव च भगवानिति विद्वद्भिः प्रतीयते प्रयुज्यते चैवेति । The relation of the Absolute’s body to the Absolute itself is compa- rable to the relation a sweet (laddu) has to pure powdered sugar (khanda), that out of which it is formed. Laddu, a particular- ized form of sweet, is nothing other than pure powdered sugar, shaped in such a way that it features all the necessary compo- nents that make it recognizable as a laddu. Because the laddu is simply powdered sugar, it has the fragrance, taste and other characteristics that naturally exist in powdered sugar. This fact is commonly recognized and acted upon [by people who enjoy eating sweets]. Similarly, the Lord’s Divine Form is the Supreme Absolute Truth, as stated in verses such as SB 3.9.2, “He is that Form.” And that very Form is recognized, by those in knowl- edge, as Bhagavan, the Supreme Lord Himself, and is dealt with appropriately. तदेवं श्रीविग्रहस्य पूर्णस्वरूपत्वं साधयित्वा तत्पोषणार्थं प्रकरणान्तरमारभ्यते यावत् पार्ष- दनिरूपणम् । तत्र परिच्छदानां तत्स्वरूपभूतत्वेन तदङ्गसहिततयैवाविर्भावदर्शनरूपं लिङ्ग- माह द्वयेन (भा० १०।३।९-१० ) - m ybod a’navegad8 bnon ad ybod art After thus establishing that Bhagavan’s form is identical to His complete essential nature, we now begin a new topic, which will continue up to the description of the Lord’s associates, to further substantiate this point. The attire and ornaments of Bhagavan are also part of His svarupa. This is hinted at in the following two 1 “You, who are eternally free of ignorance due to the upsurge of overwhelming taste in the form of knowing, have assumed this form from the very beginning in order to bless the true. This form is the unique seed from which hundreds of avataras arise, and I myself have appeared from its lotus navel, which is my home.” This verse is quoted in full and discussed in Section 51. 2 Section 75 e 575 Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha ele verses, which relate that He was so adorned when He made His appearance [in the prison cell of Vasudeva and Devaki]:studiats तमद्भुतं बालकमम्बुजेक्षणं चतुर्भुजं शङ्खगदार्युदायुधम् गाम श्रीवत्सलक्ष्मं गलशोभिकौस्तुभं पीताम्बरं सान्द्रपयोदसौभगम् ॥ २६२ ॥ महार्हवैदूर्यकिरीटकुण्डलत्विषा परिष्वक्तसहस्रकुन्तलम् ( उद्दामकाञ्च्यङ्गदकङ्कणादिभिर्विरोचमानं वसुदेव ऐक्षत ॥ २६३ ॥ इत्यादिना 1555 । Vasudeva looked at the extraordinary lotus-eyed little boy, who had four arms in which He held the conch, discus, mace and lotus. His chest was decorated with the mark of Laksmi, and the bril- liant Kaustubha gem graced His neck. He was dressed in yel- low; His body had the beautiful hue of a dense cloud, and was wasade decorated with a brilliant belt, armlets, bangles and other orna- ments. His helmet and earrings sparkled with invaluable multi- colored vaidurya gems, and His hair was scattered in thousands of strands. (SB 10.3.9-10)* yons on algosg स्पष्टम् ॥ श्रीशुकः ।। to bas bost Indy s Is.e.ee a dooz 2961sy it batete ad dirt oulbed/ The meaning is clear.basfogod movie set bra “S bris Commentary IN THIS SECTION, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi concludes his investigation of the nondifference of Bhagavan’s body from Himself. This means that all the characteristics found in the Lord are found in His body as well. Light has an intrinsic nature, possessing characteristics such as brightness, whiteness or luminosity. This characteristic is part of light. It does not belong to anything external to, or outside of, light. Similarly, the characteristics of the Lord belong to Him. They are not toid er einloginor all lo sgoals is 3
- In all editions of Bhagavat Sandarbha, only the first two lines of these verses are quoted, but as Śri Jiva mentions specifically that he is referring to both in their entirety, both are given here in full. tam adbhutam balakam ambujekṣaṇam catur-bhujam sankha-gadaryudayudham Srivatsa-lakṣmam gala-sobhi-kaustubham pitambaram sandra-payoda-saubhagam maharha-vaidurya-kirita-kundala-tvişă parişvakta-sahasra-kuntalamT uddāma-kāñcy-angada-kankaṇādibhir virocamanaṁ vasudeva aikṣata 576 59 Bhagavan’s Attire and Ornaments Are Part of His Svarupa illusory manifestations that can be taken away: They are part of His svarupa, and thus all the characteristics of the Lord are in His body. Indeed, Bhagavan, His body and His characteristics are all one and the same. un 27 msmo abrod sit nove jadi aidates of anlged To clarify this, Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī gives the example of a sweet- ball (ladḍuka) and pure powdered sugar (suddha-khanda). The laddu is formed out of sugar, and there is absolutely no difference between the laddu and its constituents. The very same taste, texture, smell and color found in the constituents are also present in the ball. Simi- larly, the Absolute Truth in His own intrinsic being (svarupa) is like pure powdered sugar, and His form (rupa) is like the sweetball. All the characteristics inherent in His intrinsic being also exist in His body. There is absolutely no difference between the two. Just as the constituting essence that is pure powdered sugar is nondifferent from its particularized form as a sweetball, so is the Lord identical to His body. Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi uses the word suddha-khanda, or pure pow- dered sugar. “Pure” indicates there is nothing foreign in it, and “powdered” implies uniformity. This nullifies the possibility that a particular portion of the ball could be sweeter, or in some other way different from any other part of the ball. Hence, all the limbs of the Lord are endowed with all the characteristics of the Absolute Real- ity; this is the verdict of experienced transcendentalists, such as Śrī Brahmä: I worship the primeval person, Lord Govinda, whose transcendental form is full of bliss, consciousness, eternality and self-luminescence. Each of the limbs of His body can perform the functions of all of the other senses. He thus eternally sees, maintains and mani- fests the infinite universes, both spiritual and mundane. (Brahma- samhitā 5.32)5 Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī then refers back to the three verses that describe Śrī Brahma’s personal experience of the Lord and His body. These verses (SB 3.9.2-4) were discussed in Section 51. They explicitly 5 angani yasya sakalendriya-vṛttimanti paśyanti panti kalayanti ciram jaganti ananda-cinmaya-sad-ujjvala-vigrahasya govindam adi-puruşam tam aham bhajāmi 577 brave a lo hŚrī Bhagavat Sandarbha state that there is absolutely no difference between Bhagavan and His body.blobodan enl bTo further substantiate his conclusions, Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī begins to establish that even the Lord’s ornaments and dress are part of His svarupa. If this can be shown, it automatically confirms that the Lord’s body is part of His essential nature. He cites two verses describing how, bedecked with ornaments and dress, the four-armed Śrī Visņu appeared to His parents in Kamsa’s prison. Later, this four-armed form disappeared along with all His orna- ments, before He reappeared again as a normal child. Just as Bha- gavan appeared and disappeared, so did His ornaments and dress. This is because they all belong to His svarupa. bussilib on woy sing to aband-orthbuzow ( 2030 van) svilen? 5ms Ji ni gol gnidione con heo bespl Yew 790 900 nito 75159wa ad bitco flad ply to quoqu 9rt to admill sit ile song ladds to grey voitoa mar, pasi Testuloid ad lo apiralorpeners ont le Aw bawobis he an dara istasbassenen beren Jibravou bro Introbayc its to enormt ad mish des glad at To admit hits to Mun d) and be authed in this bod alti bus bouldron mild 578 i 816qqa malodi u shasane H no plovianlors SH fed antes (tide vagini) hothoth dots” med o Ploubigua ai clothing mot lelimberspetter all onds of alsov92 buy brow or with anotine gradou onto him intild or tea/brow Anuccheda 60 badaudsias borti vd () and so to gnied Bhagavan’s Weapons Belong to His Svarupaoni han 500 aniku 149 bnz mit besinstog ayolgais vaina gnigandanu PET ६० । एवमभिप्रायेणैवेदमाह (भा० ६।८।३२-३३) - WITH THIS SAME INTENTION, Viśvarupa said to Indra: … यथैकात्म्यानुभावानां विकल्परहितः स्वयम् । भूषणायुधलिङ्गाख्या धत्ते शक्तीः स्वमायया || २६४ ।। तेनैव सत्यमानेन सर्वज्ञो भगवान् हरिः । पातु सर्वैः स्वरूपैर्नः सदा सर्वत्र सर्वगः ॥ २६५ ॥ … Unami 20 sa laubpon legoang Topic sob allw sends nogu поди navegara at Just as the complete Reality, Svayam Bhagavan, is experienced as free from distinction for those established in exclusive iden- tity with Him, [similarly] through His own māyā, He Him- self employs energies in the form of ornaments, weapons and insignia. On the truth of this statement may the omniscient and omnipresent Śri Hari always protect us everywhere, by all the potencies and manifestations that are identical to His essential Being. (SB 6.8.32-33) sis iH to aroi’s no pe bag an ऐकात्म्यानुभावानां केवलपरमस्वरूपदृष्टिपराणां विकल्परहितः परमानन्दैकरसपरमस्वरू- पतया स्फुरन्नपि यथा येन प्रकारेण । for The phrase, “Those who experience exclusive identity with Him” (aikātmyānubhāvānām), refers to those whose vision is fixed 1yathaikātmyānubhāvānāṁ vikalpa-rahitaḥ svayam dil bhuṣaṇayudha-lingakhya dhatte śaktiḥ sva-māyayā tenaiva satya-manena sarva-jño bhagavan hariḥ pātu sarvaiḥ svarūpair naḥ sada sarvatra sarva-gah Inte [ AZ of 579 Śri Bhagavat Sandarbha exclusively on His transcendental form. That the Lord appears to them “free from distinction” (vikalpa-rahita) means that He reveals to them His transcendental form, which is supremely blissful and of one unchanging uniform identity. The word yatha (just as) means “in the same way as;” in other words, just as the Lord [though replete with form and attributes] is experienced as being of one unchanging uniform identity by those established in exclusive worship of Him, [so too, this one uniform Absolute Entity employs potencies and form, and yet remains one and unchanging.] 1 स्वेषु स्वस्वामितया भजत्सु या माया कृपा तया हेतुना स्वयं भगवान् विचित्रशक्तिमयेन स्वरूपेणैव कारणभूतेन भूषणाद्याख्याः शक्तीः शक्तिमयाविर्भावात् धत्ते गोचरयति । तेनैव विद्वदनुभवलक्षणेन सत्यप्रमाणेन तद् यदि सत्यं स्यात् तदेत्यर्थः । तैरेव भूषणादिलक्षणैः सर्वैः स्वरूपैर्विचित्रस्वरूपाविर्भावैर्नः पातु । T He does so, out of His own māyā, sva-māyaya - which here means, out of mercy upon “His own [people],” or in other words, upon those who worship Him as their Lord, master and beloved. Mercy is the cause of His doing so. The word svaya means Svayam Bhagavan, the complete personal nondual Reality. He Himself in His own essential form, inherently self-endowed with won- derful potencies, “employs” (dhatte) or displays these potencies in the form of ornaments, weapons and so on. “On the truth of this statement,” means on the evidence of realized devotees who have directly experienced the Lord as such. So, if this statement is true, then may the Lord protect us through all these won- derful manifestations of His essential Being, distinguished as ornaments, weapons and so on.
अत एव श्रीविष्णुधर्मे बलिकृतचक्रस्तवे “यस्य रूपमनिर्देश्यमपि योगिभिरुत्तमैः” इत्यादि । तदनन्तरं च- Therefore, after stating in the Cakra-stava prayer of Viṣṇu- dharma Purana, “Even though its [the cakra’s] form cannot be comprehended by the best of yogis […],“2 Bali Mahārāja goes on to say: yasya rupam anirdesyam api yogibhir uttamaiḥ 58060 Bhagavan’s Weapons Belong to His Svarupa भ्रमतस्तस्य चक्रस्य नाभिमध्ये महीपते । omnif sbm ale bluorde aariot owl sdi gaitsbianco shemt tasmsicle aidi sused, brol O King, the Daitya then saw the whole universe, consisting of as the planetary divisions known as Bhu, Bhuvar and so on, within the navel of the Lord’s revolving disc [cakra] weapon. [Indicat- ing, that the Lord’s disc, like the Lord Himself, enfolds the entire universe within itself.]3 त्रैलोक्यमखिलं दैत्यो दृष्टवान् भूर्भुवादिकम् ॥ २६६ ॥ इति । तदेवमेव नवमे श्रीमदम्बरीषेणापि चक्रमिदं स्तुतमस्ति । In the Ninth Canto, Śrī Ambarīṣa also prayed to the Lord’s disc in the same manner. लिङ्गानि गरुडाकारध्वजादीनि । अनेन यत् क्वचिदाकस्मिकत्वमिव श्रूयते तदपि श्रीभग- वदाविर्भाववज् ज्ञेयम् । bos Lingāni [in SB 6.8.32] means insignia, such as the image of Garuda on the Lord’s flag. On the basis of the preceding discussion, it should be understood that when scriptures mention the unex- pected appearance of the Lord’s weapons and so on, it means that the weapons appear in the same manner as the Lord. अत्र तृतीये “चैत्यस्य तत्त्वममलं मणिमस्य कण्ठे” (भा० ३।२८।२८) इत्यपि सहायम् । 8 quodilA bol sdi difw so dane In this regard, the following statement is also helpful: “The Kaustubha gem, the embodiment of all pure conscious beings, decorates the neck of Bhagavan” (SB 3.28.28)5 von bod अतो द्वादशेऽपि“कौस्तुभव्यपदेशेन स्वात्मज्योतिर्बिभर्त्यजः” (भा० १२।११।१०) इत्यादिकं विराङ्गतत्वेनोपासनार्थमभेददृष्ट्या दर्शितमेव यथासम्भवं साक्षाच् छ्रीविग्रहत्वेनाप्यनुस- न्धेयम् । तथा हि श्रीविष्णुपुराणे (वि० पु० १ । २२ । ६८) - dapaH diw bs wolle Thus, even though the statement, “The unborn Lord carries the living beings in the form of the Kaustubha gem” (SB 12.11.10), is 6 3 bhramatas tasya cakrasya nabhi-madhye mahi-pate trailokyam akhilam daityo dṛṣṭavan bhur bhuvädikam SB 9.5.3-11 caityasya tattvam amalam manim asya kanthe kaustubha-vyapadeśena svätma-jyotir bibharty ajah 581 wilŚrī Bhagavat Sandarbha made in regard to the virat form, for the purpose of worship, it should also be understood in reference to the direct form of the Lord, because this statement is made considering the two forms as nondifferent. Similarly, Vişņu Purāņa states: आत्मानमस्य जगतो निर्लेपमगुणामलम् । nalg बिभर्ति कौस्तुभमणिस्वरूपं भगवान् हरिः ॥ २६७ ॥ इति ॥ विश्वरूपो महेन्द्रम् ॥ Śri Hari upholds, in the shape of the Kaustubha gem, the living un beings of this world, who are beyond material contact, free from the gunas of nature, and pure. (VP 1.22.68)’ Commentary AFTER EXPLAINING that Bhagavan’s body is part of His svarupa and thus nondifferent from Him, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmī begins explaining that even His dress and weapons are part of His innate nature. Our own experience is that one’s dress and ornaments do not belong to the body. A change in dress and ornaments does not effect a change in the person. Since no one is born wearing these items, it means they are extraneous; they are not part of the body. Such is not the case with the Lord. Although Kṛṣṇa’s ornaments and dress are put on His body, they also belong to His innate nature, just like His body. There is no difference between Bhagavan and His body, nor is there any difference between Him and His dress or 7 ornaments. In the previous anuccheda, it was explained that when Śrī Kṛṣṇa appeared as Visnu before Vasudeva and Devaki in Kamsa’s prison, He was bedecked with His celebrated ornaments and yellow dress. Sūta Gosvāmi therefore described Him as adbhuta-bālaka, an extraordinary baby. No baby takes birth with dress and ornaments already decorating the body. Similarly, it is described that when the Lord appeared as Vamana to Aditi and Kasyapa Muni, He did so with ātmānam asya jagato nirlepam aguṇāmalam bibharti kaustubha-maņi-svarupaṁ bhagavan hariḥ 582 60 Bhagavan’s Weapons Belong to His Svarupa His weapons and ornaments and only later turned Himself into a dwarf boy:owed or niso p The Lord assumed His unmanifest spiritual form, which became manifest with ornaments and weapons. Then, as His parents watched, He, like an actor, in that very form, became Vamana, the boy brahmana. (SB 8.18.12) The two verses at the beginning of this anuccheda are spoken by Viśvarupa and are part of the description of the Nārāyaṇa shield (kavaca). Viśvarupa was the son of Tvaşță and became the officiat- ing priest of the devas after Bṛhaspati left them, on account of being insulted by Indra. Viśvarupa prayed to the Lord, who was hold- ing weapons and wearing ornaments and insignia constituted of His own internal potency. He uses the term sva-māyā to indicate that the Lord holds these weapons and wears these ornaments simply out of His mercy. The word māyā here should be taken to mean mercy. Śrīpāda Vijayadhvaja Tīrtha gives the following quote from the smṛti-śästra to show that the weapons and ornaments of Bhagavan are of the nature of His svarupa-śakti: yd The supreme unborn Śrī Visņu exists in the form of His energies, gardistinguished as ornaments, cakra and flag?arob [simoza wo 211 boyIn this verse, the word “ornaments” also indicates His dress and other weapons. It is for this reason that the Lord’s weapons and ornaments are also worshipable by the devotees. Viśvarupa offers prayers to them:st havssedo zew all mill smiled adimplie 10 O mace! You produce sparks of fire as deadly as thunderbolts. You are extremely dear to the Lord, so crush, crush the evil beings known as Kuṣmaṇḍas, Vaināyakas, Yakṣas, Rākṣasas, ghosts and goblins. Pulverize, oh, pulverize them. (SB 6.8.24)10 yat tad vapur bhāti vibhuṣaṇāyudhair avyakta-cid vyaktam adharayad dhariḥ babhūva tenaiva sa vamano batuḥ sampaśyator divya-gatir yatha naṭaḥ eka eva paro vişnur bhuṣā-heti-dhvajeṣv ajaḥ tat-tac-chakti-svarupena svayam eva vyavasthitaḥ gade’sani-sparśana-visphulinge nispindhi nispindhy ajita-priyasi mu kuṣmaṇḍa-vainayaka-yakṣa-rakṣo-bhūta-grahams curṇaya cürṇayārīnumie 583 gone an Śri Bhagavat Sandarbha When Durvāsā Muni created a witch to attack the great devotee Ambarīṣa Mahārāja, Sudarśana Cakra came to his rescue. Durvāsā was forced to run all over the universe, seeking protection from the cakra, but no one could help him, not even Brahmā. Finally, he went to Śrī Viṣṇu, who advised him to beg Ambarīṣa’s forgiveness. Ambarīṣa Mahārāja then requested the Lord’s cakra to spare Durvāsā Muni. From these prayers it is evident that the cakra is as powerful as the Lord Himself. Ambarīṣa said: blstra O Sudarśana Cakra, you are Fire, the Sun, who is Lord of the cosmos; and the Moon, the master of all luminaries. You are Water, Earth and Sky; you are the air, the five sense objects, and the senses as blo (SB 9.5.3)11 Ho bomango zingizni banatisment well. полка adO Sudarśana discus, you are justice, the eternal law and truth. You are encouraging statements. You are sacrifice and the enjoyer of all sacrifices. You are the maintainer of the entire cosmos and the Self of all. You are the supreme prowess of the Divine Person. (SB 9.5.5) 12 901 tadt wora of Ambarīṣa Mahārāja offers prayers to Sudarśana Cakra just as he would to the Supreme Lord, because Sudarśana Cakra is directly the potency of the Lord, nondifferent from Him. Any entity that is, by its own essential constitution, worthy of worship cannot be imag- inary or material. That the weapons of the Lord can appear sponta- neously and of their own volition, just as the Lord does, was observed when Sudarśana arrived to protect Ambarīṣa Mahārāja. When Śrī Kṛṣṇa prepared to disappear from the world, His weapons left for Vaikuntha before Him. This was observed by Daruka, His driver: 11 All the divine weapons of Viṣṇu rose up and followed the chariot. Lord Janardana then spoke to His chariot driver, who was most astonished to see this. (SB 11.30.45)13 tvam agnir bhagavan suryas tvam somo jyotiṣām patiḥ tvam āpas tvam kṣitir vyoma vayur maātrendriyani ca 12 tvam dharmas tvam ṛtam satyam tvaṁ yajño’khila-yajña-bhuk 13 tvam loka-palaḥ sarvātmā tvaṁ tejaḥ pauruşam param tam anvagacchan divyani viṣṇu-praharaṇāni ca tenativismitātmānam sūtam āha janardanaḥ mitdog 584 60 Bhagavan’s Weapons Belong to His Svarupa Thus, it is evidenced that the weapons of the Lord are conscious and transcendental, just like the Lord. Sometimes they appear with Him and sometimes independently, just like Bhagavan’s other asso- ciates. In Section 10 it was mentioned that His associates are tran- scendental. The Lord’s weapons and ornaments are also considered to be His associates; consequently, they too are transcendental and belong to His internal potency. Next Śrī Jiva Gosvāmi shows that Bhagavan’s abode is also part of His svarupa, or intrinsic nature. any del head at beds beraildate 1/1 model serwandte Slunw or sods no siger silt gervants To fw sw How awtholland hathode and stulnada and ans ewbllot es,nage sono ored 27 amemtomob -TH Sylles? Laubonn ad dw intorshi quid shode endvegada brow 585 Heres de varias memodbiod adlastesoonest an Fontstelosal baronat ze for thed al cantab boshiades bilersineenges Anuccheda 61 Vaikuntha Is Also Part of Bhagavan’s Svarupa ६१ । अथ श्रीवैकुण्ठलोकस्यापि तादृशत्वम् " तस्मै स्वलोकं भगवान् सभाजितः” (भा० २।९।९) इत्यत्र साधितमेव । पुनरपि दुर्धियां प्रतीत्यर्थं साध्यते । IT WAS PREVIOUSLY established that the Lord’s abode is also part of His essential nature, in verses such as, “He showed [Brahma] His own planet, Vaikuntha” (SB 2.9.9). Nonetheless, for the sake of clarifying the topic for those who would otherwise miscon- strue the Absolute through aberrated intellectualism, we will demonstrate it here once again, as follows: यतः स कर्मादिभिर्न प्राप्यते । प्रपञ्चातीतत्वेन श्रूयते । तं लब्धवतामस्खलनगुणसात्म्येन स्तूयते । नैर्गुण्यावस्थायामेव लभ्यते । लौकिकभगवन्निकेतस्यापि तदावेशान् नैर्गुण्यम- तिदिश्यत इत्यतः स तु तद्रूपतया सुतरामेव गम्यते । साक्षादेव प्रकृतेः परत्वेन श्रूयते । नित्यतयोद्बोष्यते । मोक्षसुखमपि तिरस्कुर्वन्त्या भक्त्यैव लभ्यते । सच्चिदानन्दघनत्वेना- भिधीयत इति । 1
- Bhagavan’s abode, being identical with the nondual Reality, cannot be attained by dualistic action, which is to say, by result-oriented action (karma) of any kind.
- It is described in the Vedas as transcendental to the manifested cosmos.
- It is glorified for the reason that those who attain it, being per- vaded by its intrinsic nature, do not fall down to the material world.
- It can be attained only by one permanently established in free- dom from the gunas of material nature. Discussed extensively in Anuccheda 10. 586 61 Vaikuntha Is Also Part of Bhagavan’s Svarupa
- The abodes of the Lord within the material world are also said to be transcendental to the gunas because of His presence in them; this being the case, Vaikuntha is certainly ascertained to be transcendental by the a fortiori principle.
- Scriptures declare that the Lord’s abode is, by its very nature, jobs beyond material nature.
- They declare it to be eternal.
- It is attained only by pure devotion, [or in other words, by nondual action that is causeless, uninterrupted, produces no ng extraneous effects and is one in nature and orientation with brow the nondual complete whole, Śrī Bhagavan]. Such nondual Palo devotion belittles even the bliss of liberation, which is merely the negation or absence of dualistic or result-oriented action. 19. It is referred to as sat-cit-ananda-ghana, a highly compact mass of eternal being, consciousness and bliss. तत्र कर्मादिभिरप्राप्यत्वम् । यथा ( भा० ११ । २४ । १२-१४ ) - (1) The first of these, the characteristic of being unattainable by dualistic or result-oriented action of any kind (karmadibhir aprăpyatvam) is stated by Śri Krsna as follows:
- देवानामोक आसीत् स्वर्भूतानां च भुवः पदम् । मर्त्यादीनां च भूर्लोकः सिद्धानां त्रितयात् परम् ॥ २६८ ॥ अधोऽसुराणां नागानां भूमेरेकोऽसृजत प्रभुः । 511 o boilor adi gelhauong hos a has adobara inse त्रिलोक्यां गतयः सर्वाः कर्मणां त्रिगुणात्मनाम् ॥ २६९ ॥ 10 योगस्य तपसश्चैव न्यासस्य गतयोऽमलाः । u allevia महर्जनस्तपःसत्यं भक्तियोगस्य मद्गतिः ॥ २७० ।। (estemtone) Svarloka is the residence of the celestial beings; Bhuvarloka is that of the spirit entities; Bhuloka is the world of mortals. The worlds attained by the Siddhas, or those who have attained M the mastery over the paranormal powers, exist beyond these three and divisions. Śri Brahma created the region below the Earth for the ungodly (asuras) and the serpent race (nāgas). In this man- ner, the various destinations available within the three worlds have been arranged in accordance with the scale of action con- ducted under the influence of the three gunas. Through yoga disci- pline, severe austerities and adherence to the renounced order of 587 wave on Śri Bhagavat Sandarbha que life, the spotless destinations of Maharloka, Janoloka, Tapoloka and Satyaloka can be reached. One who embraces the yoga of unalloyed devotion, however, attains My abode. (SB 11.24.12-14)2 I सिद्धानां योगादिभिः त्रितयात् परं महर्लोकादि । भूमेरधश्चातलादि । त्रिलोक्यां पातालादि- कभूर्भुवः स्वश्चेति । कर्मणां गार्हस्थ्यधर्माणां तपो वानप्रस्थेन ब्रह्मचर्यं च । तत्र ब्रह्मचर्येणो- पकुर्वाणनैष्ठिकभेदेन क्रमान् महर्जनश्च वनस्थत्वेन तपः । न्यासेन सत्यम् । योगतारतम्येन तु सर्वमिति ज्ञेयम् । yu glue han The Siddhas, or those perfected in paranormal ability, by pro- cesses such as yoga, attain planets like Mahar, which are beyond the three planetary systems. The region below the Earth refers to the group of planets beginning with Atala. Included in the three planetary systems are Bhu, Bhuvar, and Svar, with Pātāla and the other lower planets counted as part of Bhuloka. Actions conducted under the influence of the three gunas is a reference to the duties of a God-centered married life, embedded in a social network (gärhasthya-dharma). Tapas, or “austerity,” refers to the duties associated with retirement from household life and the related social network (vānaprastha). It also refers to the duties of student life, involving education, character formation and grounding in truth (brahmacarya). Of these, those who fol- low the two types of brahmacarya, i.e., upakurvāṇa and naiṣṭhika, attain Maharloka and Janoloka, respectively. By following the vānaprastha duties, one reaches Tapoloka, and by sannyāsa, Satyaloka. But all these can be attained by different degrees of advancement in yoga. 2 मद्गतिः श्रीवैकुण्ठलोकः भक्तियोगप्राप्यत्वेन वक्ष्यमाणः “यन् न व्रजन्ति” ( भा०३।१५।२३) इत्यादिवाक्यसाहाय्यात् लोकप्रकरणाच् च । big sifhatalorimet 10 Mad-gati (lit., “My destination”) means Vaikunthaloka and can be reached only by the yoga of unalloyed devotion (bhakti-yoga), devānām oka āsīt svar bhūtānāṁ ca bhuvah padam martyādīnāṁ ca bhür-lokaḥ siddhānāṁ tritayāt param adho’surānāṁ nāgānāṁ bhümer eko’srjata prabhuḥ trilokyaṁ gatayaḥ sarväḥ karmaṇām triguṇātmanām yogasya tapasas caiva nyasasya gatayo’malaḥ mahar-janas-tapaḥ-satyam bhakti-yogasya mad-gatiḥ 588 61 Vaikuntha Is Also Part of Bhagavan’s Svarupa as substantiated by the verse yan na vrajanti (SB 3.15.23), which will be quoted [in Section 68] below, as well as by this present description of the planets. all duords उक्तं च तृतीये देवान् प्रति ब्रह्मणैव “तत्सङ्कलं हरिपदानतिमात्रदृष्टैः” ( भा०३।१५।२० ) इत्यादि । shines bro.J vid bowollo? In the Third Canto, Śri Brahma said to the devas: “Vaikuntha abounds with air-ships, which are available to the devotees merely as a result of bowing down at the feet of the Lord.” टीका च – पुनर्वैकुण्ठलोकं विशिनष्टि । तत्सङ्कलं व्याप्तं भवति । कैः ? हरिपदयोरानतिः प्रणामस्तावन्मात्रेण दृष्टैर्भक्तानां विमानैर्न कर्मादिप्राप्यैः । इत्येषा । Śrīdhara Svāmī also comments: “[Brahma] further distinguishes the Vaikuntha world: Tat-sankula means abounding with them. With what? With the air-ships of the devotees, which have become available to them simply by offering obeisances to Śrī Hari’s lotus feet, and not by means such as dualistic or result- oriented action.” ford terd on एवमेव श्रुतिश्च (मु०१।२।१२) - The Śruti also confirms this: STEA परीक्ष्य लोकान् कर्मचितान् ब्राह्मणो निर्वेदमायान् नास्त्यकृतः कृतेन । २७१ ।। इति । । on and sm After passing through all the worlds attainable by karma, a learned brahmana becomes indifferent to it all, realizing that the akrta world, or in other words, the world that is prior and tran-20 scendental to dualistic action [Vaikuntha], cannot be achievedn by such action, kṛta. (MUU 1.2.12)* अत्राप्यकृत इत्यस्य विशेष्यं लोक इत्येव तत्प्रसक्तेः । no In this mantra, the word akṛta, prior and transcendental to dual- istic action, qualifies the word loka (world) and not anything else, as worlds, or lokas, are the subject under discussion. 3 tat sankulaṁ hari-padān atimātra-dṛṣṭaiḥ […] vimānaiḥ (SB 3.15.20) pariksya lokan karma-citän brähmano nirvedam ayan nasty akṛtaḥ kṛtena 540 589 aqin 2 dŚri Bhagavat Sandarbha “ईश्वरः सर्वभूतानाम्” (गीता १८ । ६१ ) इत्यादौ । गीता १८ । ६२-prades bouped by Śrī Kṛṣṇa also confirms that the eternal abode is attainable only through His shelter [and not through dualistic effort] in Bha- gavad Gita, in the series of verses beginning with, “The Supreme Lord resides in the hearts of all beings” (GITA 18.61), which is followed by: sd of bisa linder 2015 bin if it wiwahpande तमेव शरणं गच्छ सर्वभावेन भारत । तत्प्रसादात् परां शान्तिं स्थानं प्राप्स्यसि शाश्वतम् ॥ २७२ ॥ इति श्रीभगवदुपनिषत्सु ।। श्रीभगवान् ।। ॥ to O Bharata, take shelter of Him alone with the totality of your being and awareness. By His grace you will attain supreme peace and the eternal abode. (GĪTĀ 18.62) Jovan Commentary gnisto vo Threys to Stellen AFTER CONFIRMING that the body, dress, weapons and ornaments of the Lord are part of His svarupa, Śrī Jiva Gosvāmī demonstrates that the same applies for Vaikuntha. Anuccheda 10 briefly touched on this point with reference to Brahma’s vision of Śrī Kṛṣṇa and His abode, wherein it was shown that Vaikuntha is free from māyā, the material nature and her by-products. Because maya and the gunas are absent in Vaikuntha, time has no influence. Vaikuntha is a manifestation of suddha-sattva, or nondual being, free from the gunas of nature (PP, Uttara-khanda 6.91.57)? Anuccheda 10 also stated that this pure sattva, or nondual being, is not just material sattva emptied of any tinge of passion and ignorance, but is Bhagavan’s own internal potency. While Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmī incidentally discussed the transcenden- tal nature of Vaikuntha in Section 10, he will now focus his attention on this topic for the next twelve anucchedas. He begins by listing nine characteristics of Vaikuntha: 5 isvarah sarva-bhūtānāṁ hrd-deśe’rjuna tişṭhati 6 tam eva saranam gaccha sarva-bhāvena bhārata tat-prasādāt parāṁ santim sthanam prapsyasi śāśvatam “śuddha-sattva-mayam divyam anantam brahmanah padam 59061 Vaikuntha Is Also Part of Bhagavan’s Svarupa
- It is not attainable by dualistic action, or in other words, by result- oriented action of any kind (karmädibhir apräpyatvam, discussed in this anuccheda).
- It is beyond the visible or manifested cosmos (prapañcātītatvam, in Anucchedas 62 and 64).
- Its residents are infallible (tato’skhalanam, in Anucchedas 63-64). 4. Only a person permanently established in freedom from the gunas of material nature can attain it (nairgunya-präpyatvam, in Anu- ccheda 65).
- It is the seat of unalloyed being, free from the gunas (nair- gunyaśrayatvam, in Anuccheda 66.1).
- It is transcendental to material nature (prakṛteḥ paratvam, in Anu- ccheda 66.2). Amigo 26
- It is eternal (nityatvam, in Anuccheda 67). 99 ble the by
- It is attainable only through bhakti, or unalloyed devotion, which belittles the bliss of liberation, since that bliss is no more than de the absence of dualistic action (mokṣa-sukha-tiraskari-bhakti-eka- Syllabhyatvam, in Anuccheda 68).
- It is by nature eternal, full of consciousness and bliss (sat-cit- ananda-rupatvam, in Anuccheda 58). Śrī Jiva Prabhu provides evidence for these nine characteristics in twelve anucchedas, beginning with this one, showing that Vaikun- tha is not a manifestation of the external energy but belongs to the Lord’s svarupa. In this section, Jīva Gosvāmī first explains that Vai- kuntha cannot be attained by dualistic action, or in other words, by result-oriented action of any kind. This is to say that it cannot be attained by any method other than nondual devotion, which is not a method in the sense of generating any extraneous effect. It is imme- diate and direct centering of awareness in the nondual complete whole, facilitated through the agency of His own internal potency. All dualistic actions, performed with the body, mind or speech, directly or indirectly, tend toward producing particular effects. The karaṇa-guna-prakrama-nyaya explains that every effect of an action necessarily reflects the qualities inherent in its cause. Thus, the result of all material action will be material. After death, a person attains a destination befitting the karma accrued in the previous life or lives. This formula is briefly stated by Śrī Kṛṣṇa in Bhagavad Gitä: 591 fall Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha Those situated in sattva-guna ascend to the higher planets; those in rajo-guna remain in the middle region; and those in tamo-guna, who engage in detrimental action, go downward. When the seer observes that there is no performer at work other than these gunas, and knows himself to be beyond them, then he attains to My nature. (GĪTĀ 14.18-19)8 Kṛṣṇa describes this same principle in greater detail in the three verses from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (SB 11.24.12-14) quoted here by Śrī Jiva Gosvāmi. In this context the word siddha, lit., “perfected being,” refers to those who have attained mastery in yoga and who have thus perfected the paranormal abilities, such as anima (atomization). It does not refer to the perfection of liberation or devotion. Analysis of these verses clearly shows that every planet, except for the nondual abode of the Lord, is attained as an effect of dualistic action, includ- ing even austerity and yoga. Karma, yoga, austerities and renuncia- tion are dualistic in the sense of being enacted from the perspective of being a separated or isolated self, and aiming at producing particu- lar effects extraneous to the self. Such endeavors are tainted by the gunas of material nature and lead to different destinations within the material world. wortel Vaikuntha, however, is attained by nondual devotion. Although nondual devotion makes use of the mind and physical senses, which is to say that it manifests through these agencies, it is not mental or physical action. This means that it is not dualistic action performed by an apparent isolated doer, through instruments (the mind and senses) that are distinct from the doer, and generating an effect that is again distinct from both the doer and its instruments. Non- dual devotion, rather, is directly the potency of the nondual Abso- lute. It is not an event generated or performed by an isolated doer, nor through material instruments. Being conscious by nature and beyond the gunas, it flows vehemently and of its own will, toward the ātmā that is first offered to the nondual whole, pervading the ātmā 99dni esitilsup adi *ürdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-stha madhye tiṣṭhanti rājasäḥ jaghanya-guna-vṛtti-stha adho gacchanti tāmasāḥ nanyamṁ gunebhyaḥ kartāram yada draṣṭānupaśyati gunebhyaś ca param vetti mad-bhavam so’dhigacchati 592 61 Vaikuntha Is Also Part of Bhagavan’s Svarupa as well as its instruments (the mind and senses). Thus, the ātmā, the physical instruments, the act of worship and the Entity toward whom such devotion is directed, all become of the same identical nature, that of conscious, blissful, nondual being. oftailcub It was shown in Anuccheda 46 that Bhagavan’s name is not capable of being grasped by the tongue or material senses. Rather, when the ātmā is first offered in devotion, the name makes its appearance, by its own will, on the tongue and other senses. That nondual devotion or worship is not a material action is discussed at greater length in Bhakti Sandarbha, Anuccheda 234. lleva into slidesqua The word karma in these verses refers to those who follow the duties associated with a God-centered household life. This does not refer merely to conventional married life, rooted in satisfaction of ego drives. Rather, in the broad sense it is action in harmony with God’s creation, and one that honors the entire interconnected network of relations that make life possible on earth.AVI 2 In the Vedic context this refers to the actions of religious house- holders, who uphold the worship of various deities who maintain the cosmic order. Such householders perform the pañca-maha- yajñas according to Smrti injunctions.fanitab laisten la doldwni Tapas, which means austerity, refers to those who adhere to the rules of either vanaprastha or brahmacarya. In both of these āśra- mas, austerity is a prominent requirement. Brahmacarya does not, however, exclusively mean unmarried individuals or lifelong celi- bates. Brahma means the Veda, and one who studies the Vedas under a spiritual teacher while adhering to the foundational training that alone makes possible the reception of his wisdom, as described in the Purānas and Smrtis, is called a brahmacārī. There are two types of brahmacāris. Śrī Kurma describes them as follows: “A student who properly studies the Vedas, remaining fixed in the Absolute Real- ity until the end of his life, is called a naiṣṭhika-brahmacārī. A stu- dent who enters household life after completing his studies is called upakurvāṇa-brahmacāri” (Kurma Purāņa 1.2.77-78)? brahmacary upakurvano naiṣṭhiko brahma-tat-paraḥ yo’dhitya vidhivad vedän gṛhasthāsramam āvrajet upakurvāṇako jñeyo naiṣṭhiko maraṇāntikaḥ 593 sqvŚri Bhagavat Sandarbha iy Nyasa refers to the renounced order of life, sannyāsa. None of these people can attain Vaikuntha because their actions are under the gunas of nature, and Vaikuntha is not attained as an effect of dualistic action. eld The yan na vrajanti verse (SB 3.15.23), which will be discussed more fully in Section 68, explains that those whose consciousness is locked-in to topics unrelated to the pastimes of the Supreme Lord cannot reach Vaikuntha. In the verse from the same chapter quoted here (SB 3.15.20), Brahmā states that Vaikuntha abounds with air- ships, which have become available to the devotees simply by offer- ing obeisances to the Lord, indicating that Vaikuntha is beyond karma. Offering obeisances here is indicative of all other categories or methods of worship. The word matra, meaning “only” or “exclu- sively,” indicates that such bhakti is not mixed or supported by any other process, such as jñāna or karma. Śrī Jiva Prabhu further cites Mundaka Upanisad in order to con- firm his point through Śruti. Here the word akṛta (prior and tran- scendental to dualistic action) is an adjective qualifying the Vaikun- tha world. This can be inferred from the preceding part of the verse in which all material destinations were called karma-jita, or attained as an effect of action. Since lokas are the topic under discussion, the word akṛta could not have another referent. 30 In some editions of this Upanisad, the word parikṣya (after inspecting) is used in place of paritya (after passing through). This would then mean that a learned brāhmaṇa, after scrutinizing the var- ious planets that can be obtained by karma, loses interest in them. He realizes that Vaikuntha is beyond karma. Then, to understand Vaikuntha, he approaches an authentic spiritual teacher, as is stated in the second half of the above-quoted lines: ismer In order to realize this truth, one should go, bearing fuel for the sac- rificial fire, to a spiritual teacher who is thoroughly acquainted with scriptural truth and firmly grounded in the truth of Ultimate Being. (MUU 1.2.12)10 10 tad-vijñānärtham sa gurum evabhigacchet samit-pāniḥ śrotriyam brahma-nistham 594 61 Vaikuntha Is Also Part of Bhagavan’s Svarupa The only means by which the Lord or His abode becomes avail- able is through His mercy and that of His devotees. Jada Bharata confirmed this while instructing King Rahugana: he divisions or O King Rahūgana, one does not attain the Absolute Truth through asceticism, rituals, renunciation, nor by following household life, the study of the Vedas, nor through the worship of water, fire or sun, but only by smearing one’s body with the dust of the feet of pure devotees. (SB 5.12.12)11 In Section 58 it was shown that the Lord’s body cannot be cate- gorized as one of the fourfold results of action. The same analysis can also be applied to His abode. Eternal, self-effulgent entities can- not be achieved as an effect of any dualistic or result-oriented action. Therefore, Śrī Kṛṣṇa advises Arjuna (GĪTĀ 18.62) that one can attain the eternal abode, Vaikuntha only by submission of inherent being, consciousness and all forms of attention unto Him. mando o ad brad) sm is a uno digiis shyenaliquae noeng A and sild babaud ballsup om y comoood anti be twod navegada stod Warsigindo adito quicow Avi svangle) szafyam ads to shode ads of atomary lasihommi JAVA) 2017/5irbom to adoishiblls to sobaldw(hog ellenabod og 1 bne abogadott निक og oft nus of baboon and polqaro izob Juan een sno islandsbergiderowe sue bow and undeva to A shoda sdr aniste bad al qurvig softe evagada lodw alt ddfbolts as word at did Ung heig “rahugaṇaitat tapasă na yati na cejyaya nirvapaṇād gṛhad vā na cchandasă naiva jalagni-suryair vina mahat-pada-rajo’bhisekam 595 The fivemoved abode it to broads dsided subserving ont balansive to a bar yorim ai dgüents al alde grament elide a hemos the arumanagariga Anuccheda 62 od antwollol yd son qo Due to a law to giderow and gu Vaikuntha Is beyond the Material World here Pahma states dat Val obod abroadswab world own a noirs n dogs su bale os ६२ । प्रपञ्चातीतत्वम् (भा०४।२४।२९) – Pro 5th (2) VAIKUNTHA IS TRANSCENDENTAL to the manifested cosmos (prapañcãtitatva). Rudra declares this truth to the Pracetas: स्वधर्मनिष्ठः शतजन्मभिः पुमान् विरिञ्चतामेति ततः परं हि माम् । अव्याकृतं भागवतोऽथ वैष्णवं पदं यथाहं विबुधाः कलात्यये ॥ २७३ ॥ A person scrupulously devoted to his occupational duty for one hundred births becomes eligible to occupy the post of Brahmā, and if he becomes yet more qualified, he can attain me (Lord Śiva). A worshiper of the complete Whole, Bhagavan, however, is immediately promoted to the abode of the Complete (vaiṣṇavam ipadam), which is free of all divisions or modifications (avyākṛta), just as the other gods and I go there after the destruction of our subtle bodies. (SB 4.24.29)1 ततोऽपि पुण्यातिशयेन मामेति । भागवतस्तु अथ देहान्ते अव्याकृतम् “नामरूपे व्याक- रवाणि” (छा० ६।३।२) इति श्रुतिप्रसिद्धव्याकरणाविषयं प्रपञ्चातीतं वैष्णवं पदं वैकुण्ठ- मेति । If one has a great deal more piety [than needed to attain the post of Brahma], he attains my world. But a worshiper of the Complete Whole, Bhagavan, after giving up his body, attains the abode of the Complete, Śrī Viṣṇu, which is known as Vaikuntha. It is 1 sva-dharma-nisthaḥ śata-janmabhiḥ pumän viriñcatām eti tataḥ param hi mām avyākṛtam bhagavato’tha vaisnavam padam yathahaṁ vibudhaḥ kalatyaye 596 62 Vaikuntha Is beyond the Material World beyond the manifested cosmos and free from all modifications (avyākṛta), such as those mentioned in the famous Śruti state- ment, “I shall bring into manifestation (vyākṛta) the divisions or modifications of name and form” (CHU 6.3.2).2 bology sqin vd bea यथाहं रुद्रो भूत्वाधिकारिकतया वर्तमानः । विबुधा देवाश्चाधिकारिकाः कलात्यये अधिका- रान्ते लिङ्गभङ्गे सत्येष्यन्तीति “यावदधिकारमवस्थितिराधिकारिकाणाम्” (ब्र० सू० ३।३।३३) इति न्यायेन ॥ श्रीरुद्रः श्रीप्रचेतसः ॥ Just as I, Rudra, exist as an office-bearer, so do other devas. At the end of our appointed duration, and when our subtle bodies are destroyed, we go to that place, in accordance with the principle stated in Brahma-sutra, “The office-holders remain in this world until their tenure is completed” (vs 3.3.33). Commentary indend k ŚRILA JIVA GOSVĀMĪ NOW EXPLAINS that Vaikuntha is beyond the visible or manifested world (prapañca), beyond even Śrī Brahma’s realm, Satyaloka, which is considered to be the topmost planet in the universe. From the verse quoted in this section, it is clear that Śrī Rudra’s world is superior even to that of Brahma, since more pious merit is required to reach it. syedi emit doinw is stil a’dend lo One can achieve the world of Brahma by pious acts or by adher- ence to religious principles. If one has even greater piety, he can attain the realm of Rudra. In the previous anuccheda, Kṛṣṇa described to Uddhava the various destinations attained by the fol- lowers of varṇāśrama, belonging to different asramas. To reach Vai- kuntha, however, one has to be free from both the gross and subtle bodies, which means Vaikuntha lies beyond both gross and subtle dimensions. m To prove this, Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī cites a verse spoken by Lord Rudra to the Pracetas in which Vaikuntha is described as avyākṛta, free from external divisions or modifications, or in other words, one, 2 unmodified nondual Reality. Chandogya Upanisad uses the word nama-rūpe vyākaravāņi 597 blW Śri Bhagavat Sandarbha ley vyākṛta to mean “manifest from the state of non-manifestation,” or in other words, “a caused event” - I shall bring into manifestation (vyākṛta) the divisions or modifications of name and form” (nama- rūpe vyākaravāņi, CHU 6.3.2). The subsequent Chandogya mantra describes material objects produced by the three gunas of nature, which have names and forms. Vaikuntha is not a manifestation of the three gunas, and is thus called avyākṛta, not a caused event, not something brought into the state of manifestation, which is to say that it is eternally self-manifest. Jiva Gosvāmī gives the word, pra- pañcãtita, “beyond the visible or manifested cosmos,” as a synonym for avyākṛta. diw sonsbrose ni salg fart of by sw.bayoresh Vaisnavam padam means the abode of the Complete Whole, Śrī Viṣṇu, known as Vaikuntha. The presiding deities of universal affairs attain that abode after they complete their tenure and are free from the subtle body, kalatyaye. Kala means the subtle body. In his commentary on vs 3.3.33, Śrī Baladeva Vidyabhūṣaṇa writes that the devas, like Brahma, have burned their accumulated karma in the fire of transcendental knowledge, but some prärabdha- karma remains owing to their desire to assist the Lord in adminis- tering universal affairs. Brahma becomes liberated at the end of his term. Other gods who are free from karma proceed to Brahma’s planet after their tenure is over. They remain there until the end of Brahma’s life, at which time they are liberated along with him. Kurma Purana confirms this:della bhowed avoid adiwasig gifon When Brahma’s tenure is over and the great dissolution occurs, all lot perfected beings enter the abode of the Lord along with Brahma. (Kurma Purana 1.12.273) This proves that Vaikuntha is beyond Satyaloka and thus beyond the manifested cosmos. Incidentally, it should be noted that unlike devas or other pious beings who attain Brahma’s post, a devotee fully established in the Lord’s internal potency and thus free from the gunas does not have to wait until the end of Brahma’s life span to enter into Vaikuntha. After giving up the present body, he is 3 brahmana saha te sarve samprapte pratisañcare parasyante kṛtātmānaḥ praviśanti param padam 598 62 Vaikuntha Is beyond the Material World immediately transferred to Vaikuntha, having become one in nature and constitution with that transcendental realm. In the next section, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi will show that no one ever falls from Vaikuntha. A sdiculisy moni alle 900 M OM Peatonalniz onaj daa ARTIMOIY MOO ON DE cava vselige wbq imtioneel, nivans già ads not too on ve d bead foy hon.bob to vroly lidsbest ad rol ve tonas Mostabiaideliave pleat ons smooed aflg ngined (es.ar.cas) shod. sume that flaumentos gaby touches st | -oust to fevoltys sdffie (ds) aninhaw.sdl YM Mayden (pain)gam M vd m zo festiukin then town (boot) stove art hon varm пода aldeltava 599 en ni samooed quired doll othersienas vaibstuni 1996 OR 1 wade van evil. Anuccheda 63 No One Falls from Vaikuntha अस्पृह ६३ । ततोऽस्खलनम् (भा० ३।२५।३७ ) - (3) NO ONE FALLS DOWN FROM THAT ABODE (tato’skhalanam). Śrī Kapiladeva says: अथो विभूतिं मम माययाचितामैश्वर्यमष्टाङ्गमनुप्रवृत्तम् । श्रियं भागवतीं वास्पृहयन्ति भद्रां परस्य मे तेऽश्नुवते तु लोके ॥ २७४ ॥ माययाचितामैश्वर्यमष्टाङ्गमनुप्रवृत्तम् Thereafter, they do not hanker after any opulence stored for them by My māyā, nor for the eight ensuing yogic paranormal pow- ers, nor even for the transcendental glory of God, and yet these benign gifts become effortlessly available to them in My supreme abode. (SB 3.25.37)1 Pur अथोऽविद्यानिवृत्त्यनन्तरं मम मायया भक्तविषयककृपया आचितां तदर्थं प्रकटितां विभू- तिं भोगसम्पत्तिं तथाणिमाद्यष्टैश्वर्यमनुप्रवृत्तं स्वभावसिद्धम् । तथा भागवतीं श्रियं साक्षाद्भ- गवत्सम्बन्धिनीं सार्ष्टिसञ्ज्ञां सम्पत्तिमपि अस्पृहयन्ति भक्तिसुखमात्राभिलाषेण । यद्यपि तेभ्यो न स्पृहयन्तीत्यर्थः । तथापि ते मे मम लोके वैकुण्ठाख्ये अश्नुवते प्राप्नुवन्त्येवेति । The word athah (thereafter) means, “after the removal of igno- rance.” The term “by My maya” (mama mayaya) means, “by My mercy upon the devotee.” Acita (stored) means, made manifest or 1atho vibhutim mama mayayācitām aiśvaryam aṣṭāängam anupravṛttam śriyaṁ bhāgavatīṁ vāspṛhayanti bhadrāṁ parasya me te’śnuvate tu loke Note that the words mama mayayācitām are used here, while the more commonly available editions, such as the Gita Press edition, use the expression mama māyāvinas tām. 60063 No One Falls from Vaikuntha available for the sake of those devotees. Vibhuti (opulence) refers to paraphernalia appropriate for enjoyment, and aiśvarya, to the eight yogic paranormal powers (aṣṭāngaiśvarya), such as aṇimā (atomization). These powers systematically ensue (anupravṛtta), i.e., it is their very nature to be made available [as a consequence of pure devotion]. The devotees do not desire any of the above, nor even “the transcendental glory of God” (bhagavatim śriyam), which here refers to the majesty known as sārṣṭi, or in other words, those divine opulences that are particular to the Lord Him- self. The reason why they don’t desire any such opulence is that they yearn only to expand God’s own bliss through abandonment to all-consuming devotional love and service. Even though they have no desire for any of the above-stated gifts, they certainly enjoy (aśnuvate) them, meaning that they become fully available to them, in My supreme abode (loke) known as Vaikuntha. स्ववात्सल्यविशेषो दर्शितः । यथा सुदाममालाकारवरे ( भा० १० । ४१ । ५१-५२ ) - This shows the Lord’s special affection for His devotees, which is also exemplified in the benediction given to Sudāmā, the florist in Mathura:200 zailenadi ba to bas biol adi to nolfingons dano astle usibodul सोऽपि वव्रेऽचलां भक्तिं तस्मिन्नेवाखिलात्मनि । row [li ashilayond तद्भक्तेषु च सौहार्दं भूतेषु च दयां पराम् ॥ २७५ ॥ इति तस्मै वरान् दत्त्वा श्रियश्चान्वयवर्धिनीम् ॥ २७६ ॥ इति । how SH Sudāmā entreated the Lord that he may be blessed with unflinch- ing devotion for Him, the Self of all existence, with heart-felt friendship toward His devotees, and with the broadest and high- est compassion for all living beings. The Lord not only granted Sudama all these, but also awarded him ever-increasing pros-live perity for his family [as well as strength, longevity, fame and beauty]. (SB 10.41.51-52)2 153 SHIPP अतस्तेषां तत्रानासक्तिश्च द्योतिता । अविद्यानिवृत्त्यनन्तरम् इति मम कृपयाचिताम् इति so’pi vavre’calam bhaktim tasminn eväkhilātmani tad-bhakteṣu ca sauhārdaṁ bhūteṣu ca dayāṁ parām iti tasmai varan dattva śriyaś canvaya-vardhinim 601 Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha च तेषामनर्थरूपत्वं खण्डितम् । किं वा माययाचितां ब्रह्मलोकादिगतां सम्पत्तिमपीति तेषां सर्ववशीकारित्वमेव दर्शितं न तु तद्भोगः । तस्यातितुच्छत्वेन तेष्वनर्हत्वात् । amin an dore (avtova awog lamrionaTEC Kapiladeva’s verse also shows the devotees’ disinterest in these opulences. The phrases, “after the removal of ignorance” (athah), and, “stored for them by My mercy” (mama mayayācitam), indi- cate that such opulences are in no way detrimental to them. Fur- thermore, by saying, “stored by My maya” (mayayācita), Kapila- deva indicates that all opulences, including those of the highest realms like Brahmaloka, are fully available to such devotees, as experiential possibilities, yet they make no use of them, consider- ing them completely devoid of significance or substantiality and thus unsuitable for their use. sdf lo vas not slash श्रुतिश्चात्र “तद्यथेह कर्मजितो लोकः क्षीयते एवमेवामुत्र पुण्यजितो लोकः क्षीयते” ( छा० ८।१।६) इत्यनन्तरम् “अथ य इहात्मानमनुविद्य व्रजन्त्येतांश्च सत्यकामांस्तेषां सर्वेषु लोकेषु कामचारो भवति” इति । Śruti also states: “Just as the enjoyment earned by karma in this world perishes in due course, so does heavenly pleasure, attained by pious deeds” (CHU 8.1.6). And thereafter, “Those who leave their bodies after continuous recognition of the Lord, and of the realities truly worthy of desire, can freely travel in all the worlds.“4 नन्वेवं तर्हि लोकत्वाविशेषात् स्वर्गादिवत् भोक्तृभोग्यानां कदाचिद् विनाशः स्यात् । Here a doubt is raised: If Vaikuntha is just another planet (loka), undistinguished from other planets [like Siddhaloka, and so on], then sooner or later the experiencer’s enjoyment [of this realm] will come to an end. In response, the following verse is spoken: 3 Bas न कर्हिचिन् मत्पराः शान्तरूपे नङ्क्ष्यन्ति नो मेऽनिमिषो लेढि हेतिः । येषामहं प्रिय आत्मा सुतश्च सखा गुरुः सुहृदो दैवमिष्टम् ॥ २७७ ॥ tad yatheha karma-jito lokaḥ kṣiyate evam evamutra punya-jito lokaḥ kṣiyate *atha ya ihātmānam anuvidya vrajanty etämś ca satya-kāmāms teṣām sarveṣu lokeşu kāmacāro bhavati 602 63 No One Falls from Vaikuntha In that abode of unalterable peace are found only those who ow know themselves and feel themselves to belong to Me entirely.am They will never meet with destruction; My unblinking wheel never devours those for whom I am the total Beloved, their very Self, son, friend, preceptor, relative, benefactor and worshipable Lord. (SB 3.25.38)5 odw.brol तत्राह – शान्तरूपे शान्तमविकृतं रूपं यस्य तस्मिन् वैकुण्ठे मत्परास्तद्वासिनो लोकाः कदाचिदपि न नङ्क्ष्यन्ति भोग्यहीना न भवन्ति । अनिमिषो मे हेतिः मदीयं कालचक्रं नो लेढि तान् न ग्रसते “न स पुनरावर्तते” ( छा० ८।१५।१) इति श्रुतेः । गीता ८।१६- The phrase santa-rupe (of unalterable peace) refers to the sup- reme abode, Vaikuntha [mentioned in the previous verse], which is peaceful by nature, meaning that it is free from all change or alteration that could disrupt the continuity of peace. All those who reside there know themselves and feel themselves to belong to Me entirely (mat-parāḥ). They are never destroyed (no nankṣyanti), which means they are never bereft of the [afore- mentioned] experiential possibilities. “My unblinking wheel” (animişo me hetih), i.e., My discus in the form of time, does not devour them (no ledhi). As stated in the Śruti, “He does not return” (CHU 8.15.1). Gita Upanisad also declares: आब्रह्मभुवनाल् लोकाः पुनरावर्तिनोऽर्जुन । SUPPPAPIR मामुपेत्य तु कौन्तेय पुनर्जन्म न विद्यते ॥ २७८ ॥ इति श्रीगीतोपनिषद्भ्यः । opulet lo O Arjuna, all planets up to the highest planet, Brahmaloka, are places of return, but one who attains to My abode never takes birth again. (GĪTĀ 8.16)” SER सहस्रनामभाष्येऽप्युक्तम् “परमुत्कृष्टमयनं स्थानं पुनरावृत्तिशङ्कारहितम्” इति परायणः । पुंलिङ्गपक्षे बहुव्रीहिरिति । เลเว In commenting on the name Parayana in Sahasra-nama-bhāṣya 75, Sankarācārya writes, “That abode is supreme (para), or in other na karhicin mat-parāḥ śānta-rupe nanksyanti no me’nimişo ledhi hetiḥ yeṣām aham priya ātmā sutaś ca sakha guruh suhrdo daivam iṣṭam na sa punar avartate ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino’rjuna mām upetya tu kaunteya punar janma na vidyate an it dane 603 Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha words, most excellent, from which there is no going (ayana), meaning, wherein there is no fear of return (punar-āvṛtti-sanka- rahita), and so it is called Parayana.” If the term appears in the masculine gender, then it should be taken as a bahuvrihi com- pound, i.e., as an epithet of the Lord [rendering this sense, “the Lord, whose supreme abode is free from return”] न केवलमेतावत् तेषां माहात्म्यमित्याह “येषाम्” इति । येषां मां विना न कश्चिदपरः प्रेम- भाजनमस्तीत्यर्थः । यद् वा गोलोकादिकमपेक्ष्यैवमुक्तम् । तत्र हि तथाभावा एव श्रीगोपा नित्या विद्यन्ते । Freedom from the fear of fall or destruction is not the full extent of the devotees’ glories. Śrī Kapila elucidates further in the sec- ond half of the verse: “those for whom I am the total Beloved, their very Self, son, friend, preceptor, relative, benefactor and worshipable Lord.” This means that for such devotees there is no Entity other than Me [the Lord], for whom their love exists. Alternatively, the statement can be taken as a reference to Goloka [instead of Vaikuntha], because only there do the gopas, endowed with the full range of such attitudes, eternally reside. Ton अथवा तं लोकं कीदृग्भावा अविद्यानन्तरं प्राप्नुवन्तीति । तत्राह “येषाम्” इति । ये केचित् पाद्मोत्तरखण्डे दर्शितमुनिगणसवासनाः प्रियः पतिः इति मां भावयन्ति । ये केचिच् च सनकादिसवासनाः आत्मा ब्रह्मैवायं साक्षात् इति मां भावयन्ति । एवमन्ये च ये ये त एव प्राप्नुवन्तीत्यर्थः । सुहृद इति बहुत्वं सौहृद्यस्य नानाभेदापेक्षया । Then again, the last two lines of the verse can be taken as a reply to the question, “What kind of people attain that abode after being freed from ignorance?” The idea is this: Some people, like the sages described in the Uttara-khanda of Padma Purana, desire Me as their beloved husband (priya), while others, like the four Kumāras, consider Me as “their very Self” (ātmā), i.e., directly as Brahman; yet others relate to Me in the other ways mentioned; only such persons [who know themselves as belonging to Me entirely, through any of these dispositions] can attain Vaikun- tha. The word suhṛdaḥ, “bosom friend,” is in the plural, because such friends are of various kinds. param utkṛṣṭam ayanaṁ sthanam punar-āvṛtti-sanka-rahitam 604 63 No One Falls from Vaikuntha एवं चतुर्थे श्रीनारदवाक्ये ( भा० ४।१२।३७ ) - baltos polbest Śrī Nārada speaks in a similar vein in the Fourth Canto: शान्ताः समदृशः शुद्धाः सर्वभूतानुरञ्जनाः । यान्त्यञ्जसाच्युतपदमच्युतप्रियबान्धवाः || २७९ ।। इति ।। श्रीकपिलः ।। Those established in unalterable peace, who are equanimous, pure and who please all other living beings, effortlessly go to that abode from which no one falls down (acyuta-padam), for they keep friendship with the dear devotees of the infallible Lord. (SB 4.12.37) Commentary IN THIS SECTION, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmī proves that no one falls to the material world from Vaikuntha. In other words, Vaikuntha is acyuta-pada, a place devoid of falldown. Anuccheda 61 estab- lished that Vaikuntha is not attained by karma, since it is beyond time, which destroys everything achieved by karma. Time, how- ever, does not influence the transcendental realm. Thus, Śrī Kapi- ladeva instructs His mother-no’nimişo ledhi hetih. The wheel of time devours neither the devotees residing in Vaikuntha nor their opulences. Time, however, does exist in Vaikuntha, not as a material influ- ence of mutation and destruction but as a transcendental potency fully under the Lord’s control, providing unique moments for the unfolding of His pastimes. We saw in Anuccheda 10 Brahma’s state- ment, from his personal experience, that “time has no control over Vaikuntha” (na ca kāla-vikramaḥ, SB 2.9.10). This means that every- thing in Vaikuntha is eternal. Anuccheda 47 explained this in respect to Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s birth and other actions. The Lord and His actions are eternal, which means that the devo- tees and their actions are also eternal, since they are related to the säntäḥ sama-dṛśaḥ śuddhaḥ sarva-bhutanurañjanäha yanty añjasacyuta-padam acyuta-priya-bandhavaḥakers togeth UE Const elolv 605 ari Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha Lord. If we accept that a devotee falls from Vaikuntha, we must assume he falls eternally, which means the falling never comes to an end. And if it does not come to an end, it means that he never reaches the material world. If a jīva can fall, then Vaikuntha must be concluded to be like any other material place. To refute this misconception, Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmi begins by cate- gorically stating: tato’skhalanam - There is no fall from Vaikuntha. Since Jiva Prabhu is discussing the inherent nature of Vaikuntha, it is understood he is not referring only to those devotees who go there from the material world. No śastric evidence indicates that there is any distinction between the devotees who arrive in Vaikuntha from the material world and those who have been there eternally. Vai- kuntha manifests its inherent nature uniformly to all the resident devotees. It is not that it is a place of anxiety for some and a place of peace for others. Therefore, Śrī Kapila says śānta-rupa - its nature is that of unalterable peace, without trace of any influence that could disrupt the continuity of such peace. The verb nanksyanti (will meet with destruction), is used in con- nection with the particle of negation, na karhicin, meaning “this will never occur.” This is highly significant. The residents of Vai- kuntha, without exception, never lose their opulence. Therefore, Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī writes unequivocally - tad-vasino lokāḥ kadācid api na nankṣyanti bhogya-hina na bhavanti - the residents of Vaikun- tha are never destroyed, meaning they are never bereft of their opu- lence. This naturally means that no resident of Vaikuntha falls to the material world. Śrī Kapila submits two reasons for this in the second verse cited: First, time has no influence in Vaikuntha. The second and more important reason is that all residents of Vaikuntha have an eternal loving relationship with Bhagavan (sthayi-bhava). This relation- ship is not material and is never lost or covered. Beyond that, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi says that the Lord has so much love for His devotees (vātsalya-viseṣa) that He gives them all opulence even though they do not desire it. Hence, there is no possibility that anything could violate the will of the Lord to deprive the devotees of their opu- lence. To dispel the doubt that spiritual opulence might cause the 606 63 No One Falls from Vaikuntha devotees to forget the Lord, as is the case with material opulence, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmī says, teṣām anartha-rupatvaṁ khanḍitam - these opulences are in no way detrimental to them. Section 22 explained that mayă acts by first concealing the awareness of the living being (jiva māyā), and then by alluring him through projection of the world appearance (guna-māyā). It is not possible for this to hap- pen in Vaikuntha, since māyā does not exist there - na yatra māyā (SB 2.9.10). Devotees are not hindered by ignorance in Vaikun- tha, and their opulence is a manifestation of Bhagavan’s mercy - mayayācita (SB 3.25.37). Here maya means the mercy of the Lord, as stated in the Viśva-prakāśa dictionary - māyā dambhe kṛpāyām ca-māyā can mean “deceit,” or “mercy.” The above verse therefore states na nankṣyanti, which indicates that transcendental opulences can never be destroyed. The Lord is eternal; as such, relationships established with Him are also eternal. It is clearly confirmed herein that relationships with Him cannot be destroyed, and thus it follows that opulences stemming from those relationships can also never be destroyed. To clarify the topic further for those who cling still to doubt, let us assume that a devotee could somehow or other fall from Vaikun- tha. The obvious question that arises is, “How could such a thing occur?” One may say that transcendental events are causeless and thus there is no reason. But how can falling be considered transcen- dental? Transcendental action yields transcendental results, and falling into the material world cannot be considered transcenden- tal. Hence, by the principle of phala-bala-kalpa-nyaya (understand- ing a cause by its results), it is concluded that such a fall can only be material. Thus, falling has a beginning and end, which character- izes it as a material occurrence; so again, it cannot be regarded as transcendental. bes A question that naturally arises in this regard is, “How can a material event originate in the spiritual world?” It has been proven here in many places, specifically in Anucchedas 10 and 62, that Vai- kuntha is beyond the material world, free from the influence of time and from the gunas of nature. In response, one may argue that the origin of this event is not material, but when the living being crosses 607 lyŚrī Bhagavat Sandarbha the boundary, out of Vaikuntha, the action becomes material. This is, of course, absurd. Transcendental entities do not get converted from spiritual to material. Moreover, Vaikuntha is unlimited - it has no bounds. It is ananta, as stated in Bhagavatam: Am ge down old gohulle ydemarit This abode is truth, consciousness, the unlimited, the indestruc- tible spiritual effulgence that silent sages witness in their trance of spiritual absorption after the material qualities have been effaced. (SB 10.28.15)10 ow Vaikuntha is all-pervading, just like the Supreme Lord, who exists everywhere and never leaves His abode. This means that His abode exists everywhere. The material world cannot contain the extent of His being. Thus, the Śruti asks, “Where is the Lord situ- ated?” and answers, “in His own glory,” meaning in His own abode (CHU 7.24.1).” mi daw bedaildates ideas Objection: But if Vaikuntha is unlimited, how is it that we do not see it or exist in it? And why is it said that when a devotee is liberated, he leaves the material world and enters into the spiritual world? Answer: We do not experience Vaikuntha because our conscious- ness is absorbed in and identified with matter. Going to Vaikun- tha actually means becoming of the nature of Vaikuntha (sat-cit- ananda), or in other words, to exist exclusively in and for Kṛṣṇa, to be fully conscious of Him in every arising moment, to radiate His own potency of bliss in order to expand His personal bliss. A televi- sion has many channels, yet while tuned to a particular channel, we cannot see programs shown on other channels. Transmission waves of numerous channels are broadcast into the atmosphere and are received by the television; we then choose which one to view, and it appears on the screen. Similarly, there are basically two channels in existence, Vaikuntha and maya, and a person views one or the other according to his or her particular state of consciousness.up A Everything exists in the Lord and the Lord exists everywhere. Bhagavan is always situated in His own abode, and so His abode 10 1o satyaṁ jñānam anantam yad brahma jyotiḥ sanātanam 11 yad dhi pasyanti munayo gunäpäye samähitaḥ sa bhagavaḥ kasmin pratisthitaḥ iti sve mahimni smo news in 608 63 No One Falls from Vaikuntha exists everywhere. Falling down is possible only if a devotee falls under the influence of material consciousness, and this is not possible in Vaikuntha, since matter does not exist there. If we accept that the jiva falls from Vaikuntha, we must admit it is a material event from beginning to end. Although a material act cannot occur in Vaikuntha, let us assume for the sake of argument that it could somehow happen. Falling can have either a material or a spiritual cause. Below are six conditions often thought to precede a falldown, followed by a discussion of the conditions in greater detail.
- The jiva wishes to come to the material world, inspired by his free will.
- He commits sin.
- He is cursed by a devotee or the Lord.
- He offends a devotee.ffde t
- He offends the Lord.
- The Lord decides to make him fall, as He is free to do as He likes. It is not possible for a devotee to fall from Vaikuntha for any of these reasons. Here is why: (1) The devotee’s very nature, svarupa, is to be in undiminish- ing, unbreakable, all-consuming love for God, to long only for His bliss through naturally arising service in devotion. Such devotees do not desire material or spiritual opulence without devotional service, because, in fact, they desire nothing independent of Bhagavan. Their will, too, being of the same transcendental nature, exists simply for the pleasure of the Lord. This is the import of Śrī Kapila’s statement, quoted above, “They do not hanker even for the transcendental glory of God” (śrīyam bhagavatim vaspṛhayanti). Furthermore, spiritual opulences, and for that matter, even material opulences, are fully available to them as experiential possibilities at every moment, by the mercy of the Lord (mama mayayācitām, SB 3.25.37). So why yearn for that which eternally sits in the palm of one’s own hand? Elsewhere, Śrī Kapila states: “Without being assured of My ser- vice, a pure devotee does not accept any kind of liberation, whether it be residence on the same planet with Me (sälokya), opulence equal to Mine (sārști), proximity to Me (samipya), endowment with a form 609 Śri Bhagavat Sandarbha identical to Mine (sarūpya) or becoming one with Me (ekatvam), even though I may offer these to him” (SB 3.29.13).12ltet ads shinin The phrase vină mat-sevanam here means, “without My service.” This means that a devotee would accept one or more of these dif- ferent types of liberation only if they prove conducive for his ser- vice to the Lord, but not for independent enjoyment. A devotee cer- tainly has no desire to come to the material world. Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi says that devotees have no interest in material enjoyment because they consider it completely devoid of significance or substantial- ity - tasyatitucchatvena. Why should a discerning person abandon a touchstone to acquire a piece of glass (kāca-mani)? On the contrary, a devotee never conceives, even for a moment, of leaving Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet. Everything else is simply of no interest. King Parīkṣit confirms this while speaking to his spiritual teacher: A person whose heart has been washed clean never abandons Krsna’s lotus feet. Like a traveler who has arrived home, he is relieved of all distress. (SB 2.8.6) 13 TOZEST 9201 adairimin In Section 7 of Priti Sandarbha, Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī writes that one should not think that Jaya and Vijaya chose to become enemies of the Lord in order to quickly relieve themselves from the curse of the Kumāras - na ca tayor eva svāparādha-bhoga-sighra-nistärärtham api tādṛśīcchā jāteti vācyam. Pure devotees of the Lord do not accept even salokya-mukti if it is bereft of bhakti, and are prepared even to go to hell for the sake of bhakti. Indeed, Jaya and Vijaya’s only request was, “But we pray that Your compassion be invoked on see- ing our penitence, so that as we descend ever downward, we will 12 sälokya-särṣṭi-samipya- särüpyaikatvam apy uta diyamanaṁ na grhnanti vina mat-sevanam janaḥ 13 dhautātmā puruṣaḥ kṛṣṇa- pada-mulaṁ na muñcati mukta-sarva-parikleṣaḥ panthaḥ sva-saranam yatha 61063 No One Falls from Vaikuntha not be overtaken by the bewilderment that causes forgetfulness of the Lord” (SB 3.15.36).14 and sites to added Thus, for a Vaikuntha resident to give up Bhagavan’s service and voluntarily come to the material world is highly illogical and against scriptural conclusions. 9171 The Lord has endowed the devotees with freedom of will for the purpose of serving Him, not for leaving Him. Śrī Kṛṣṇa says that everyone follows his own nature, and that it is very difficult to give it up (GĪTĀ 3.33). This is also commonly experienced by everyone. So, if abandoning one’s acquired, and hence spurious, material nature is so difficult, how much more difficult would it be for a resident of Vai- kuntha to give up his eternal, and hence true, nature - the nature to love and serve the all-conscious, all-blissful, all-encompassing Being to whom we eternally belong! Just as fire cannot exist without heat, a pure devotee in Vaikuntha cannot exist without service. Freedom of will does not mean acting frivolously, nor does it imply having the power to manifest whatever it is one may desire (i.e., omnipotence). We have freedom of will, but even if we desire to do so, we haven’t the power or capacity to stand on our own shoulders. Moreover, the mere fact that drinking poison is within the range of decision making possibilities doesn’t mean that a per- son would likely choose to do so. How then would a Vaikuntha resident choose something that is altogether outside their range of experience and interest? (2) There is no possibility of committing sin in the spiritual world. Sin and piety exist only in the material world, both being products of the gunas of nature. A devotee in the spiritual world is situated in his eternal inherent nature (svarupa), free from mate- rial covering or ignorance-muktir hitvanyatha-rupaṁ svarūpeṇa vyavasthitiḥ (SB 2.10.6). Mukti means to give up the subtle and gross bodies and become situated in one’s original nature. In Bhagavad Gitā, Śrī Kṛṣṇa explains that all sins are burned in the fire of transcendental knowledge: 14 må vo’nutapa-kalaya bhagavat-smṛti-ghno moho bhaved iha tu nau vrajator adho’dhaḥ 611 Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha Even if you are the most sinful of all sinners, you will be able to cross t Fover the ocean of miseries in the boat of knowledge. As a blazing fire reduces fuel to ashes, O Arjuna, so does the fire of knowledge reduce all karma to ashes. (GĪTĀ 4.36–37) 15 Some rare souls who are completely devoted to Lord Vasudeva ere totally destroy all their sins by their exclusive devotion, just as the sun immediately dissipates fog with its rays. (SB 6.1.15)16 This point was also described in Section 47 of Tattva Sandarbha, in regard to the explanation of Vyasa’s trance: By hearing this Srimad Bhagavatam, one is blessed with devotion to Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Person. This devotion puts an end to all mourn- gating, bewilderment and fear. (SB 1.7.7)op-leadi svisa bine-o 1690 Jood Śrila Jiva Gosvāmi’s commentary on this verse explains that even the most subtle impressions of sin are destroyed. Śrī Kṛṣṇa Himself instructed Śrī Uddhava in this same principle: Uddhava, just as a blazing fire turns firewood into ashes, devotion to Me completely burns My devotees’ sins to ashes. (SB 11.14.19) 18 aidsiw al noalog nilalab Jedi 1989150 avosno vosnoM shluon 19 The word kṛtsnaśaḥ (completely) is important. It means that igno- rance, which is the root cause of sin, is also completely destroyed along with the external effects of sin. (3) There is no possibility that a devotee would curse another devotee in Vaikuntha. A devotee never desires to harm anyone, what to speak of another devotee. Prahlada Mahārāja says that a devotee is endowed with all auspicious qualities: 15 api ced asi păpebhyaḥ sarvebhyah papa-kṛttamaḥ sarvam jñāna-plavenaiva vrjnam santarisyasi yathaidhamsi samiddho’gnir bhasmasāt kurute’rjuna bjñānāgniḥ sarva-karmāņi bhasmasät kurute tatha 16 kecit kevalaya bhaktya vasudeva-parayanaḥ agham dhunvanti kärtsyena nihāram iva bhaskaraḥ 17 yasyām vai śruyamaṇāyām kṛṣṇe parama-puruşe bhaktir utpadyate pumsaḥ śoka-moha-bhayapahā 18 yathägniḥ su-samṛddharciḥ karoty edhamsi bhasmasät tatha mad-viṣaya bhaktir uddhavaināmsi kṛtsnaśaḥ bubo To guliavos le 612 63 No One Falls from Vaikuntha All the gods come and invest their qualities in one who is devoted to the Supreme Lord without independent interest or desire. On the other hand, where are the great virtues of a person not devoted to Śrī Hari, whose desires lead him to wander about in the superficial and impermanent realm? (SB 5.18.12)19 A devotee has no desire to harm even those who consider him their enemy. Prahlada Mahārāja is the ideal example. He remained concerned about his father’s welfare even though the latter tortured and tried to kill him in various ways. Devotees are peaceful, tolerant, merciful and always disposed toward everyone’s welfare. Śrī Kapila confirms this: 918 001 you OnThose established in Truth are tolerant, merciful and friendly to all beings; their enemy is never even born, and so they are situated in unalterable peace. Such persons are jewels amongst the virtuous. (SB 3.25.21)20 TSV There are some stories in the Purānas wherein devotees curse each other, but this is just to set the scene for the unfolding of the lila, and no truly inimical feelings are present. Even when devotees come to the material world as a result of a curse, they are not placed under the influence of the gunas of material nature. They remain for the prescribed duration and assist in the Lord’s bhauma-līlā, or mani- fest pastimes on earth. Jaya and Vijaya’s descent to the earth was not the result of the curse of the Kumāras; it was impelled by the will of the Lord: gorg mont soal vlads eisd ning bouleste zadatovah z nadw ter The Lord said to His attendants, Jaya and Vijaya, “Go, but fear not. May peace be with you. Though I am capable of stopping od the brāhmaṇas’ curse, I do not wish to do so. In fact, I approve of it.” (SB 3.16.29)21 19 yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcană sarvair gunais tatra samāsate surāḥ harav abhaktasya kuto mahad-guna manorathenasati dhavato bahiḥ 20 titikṣavaḥ kärunikāḥ suhṛdaḥ sarva-dehinām ajāta-satravaḥ śāntāḥ sadhavaḥ sadhu-bhūṣaṇāḥ 21 bhagavan anugāv āha yātaṁ ma bhaistam astu sam brahma-tejaḥ samartho’pi hantum necche matam tu me basto 613 Śri Bhagavat Sandarbha Just as those who visit a prison do not become prisoners, so those devotees who are so-called “cursed” to come to this material world to assist the Lord in His lila are not bound by the gunas of nature. The associates of Bhagavan are almost as powerful as Bhagavan Himself, as stated in Bhagavatam: They saw Him with eyes resembling a pair of full-blown autumn balotuses, and surrounded by His sixteen associates, who appeared be exactly like Him, only without the mark of Śrīvatsa and the Kaustubha jewel. (SB 6.9.29)22 aliq The word atma-tulyaiḥ in this verse means that the Lord’s asso- ciates are just like His very own Self. This means that they too are merciful, just like Him, and thus they never desire to harm anyone. (4) AND (5) A perfected devotee never commits an offense. Offenses are committed due to ignorance, resulting from forget- fulness of the Lord. Offense (aparādha) means an act that causes displeasure. A siddha devotee never forgets the Lord, and he never desires to displease Him; he thus never commits offenses, know- ingly or unknowingly. He is guided by the internal potency of Bha- gavan, just as a conditioned being is always under the influence of the external energy. The internal energy is always favorable to the Lord. odial seher has noitshub bedhoesig s Jon In Madhurya-kādambini, Śrīla Viśvanatha Cakravarti Thakura has made a minute analysis of offenses while describing a devotee’s progress from śraddha to prema. In the third chapter, he explains that when a devotee has attained prema, he is completely free from all types of offenses, and that when he attains the lotus feet of the Lord, there is not even the slightest possibility of committing an offense. For the enlightenment of those who think Mahārāja Citraketu offended Lord Śiva after having attained the darśana of Śrī Sankar- ṣaṇa, Viśvanatha writes that the king did not really offend Lord Siva. He gives more details on this in his commentary on chapter 17 of 22 atma-tulyaiḥ ṣoḍaśabhir vinā śrīvatsa-kaustubhau paryupäsitam unnidra-sarad-amburuhekṣaṇame 614 63 No One Falls from Vaikuntha the Sixth Canto. The effect of an offense is that one’s affection for the Lord diminishes, but we see that even after King Citraketu took birth as Vṛtrāsura, he retained his love for the Lord. According to Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī (BRS 1.3.54), an offense committed to the Lord’s dear devotee can cause one’s bhava, or permanent devotional dispo- sition of being, to be lost altogether, transmuted into a mere sem- blance (bhāvābhāsa), or downgraded to a lower bhava, depending on the gravity of the offense. But none of these things can happen once a devotee has attained the platform of prema. The conclusion is that a perfected devotee who has attained the Lord is free from all offenses. Readers can also refer to Priti Sandarbha, Section 7, for more details. (6) The last possibility is that Bhagavan Himself sends a devotee away. This is also impossible, except in cases where He deliberately sends one of His eternal companions to the material world for the purpose of assisting Him in His pastimes. The Lord positively told Durvāsā Muni: O brāhmaṇa, I am completely under the control of My devotees, as if I had no independence at all. My heart has been fully captivated by My virtuous devotees, for I am their only beloved. is Obrāhmaṇa, I have no desire to delight in My own Being, nor to enjoy blo My eternal opulences, separate from my virtuous devotees, to whom I am the supreme goal of life.exe alone of sub How could I possibly abandon those sadhus who, for My sake, have given up home, wife, children, family members, wealth, life and all hopes for happiness in this world and the next? I am conquered by the virtuous whose hearts are tied to Me while showing equanimity to all beings, just as a virtuous wife wins over her pious husband’s love. My devotees are completely satisfied by their service to Me. They have not even the slightest interest in the four kinds of liberation (sälokya, särüpya, samipya and särsți) automatically available to them as a mere side effect of their service. How could they yearn for anything that is destroyed by time? 615 Śri Bhagavat Sandarbha I am the heart of the devotees and they are Mine. They know nothing $66other than Me, and I, nothing other than them. (SB 9.4.63-68) 23 Aih These verses lucidly describe the Lord’s intense affection for His devotees. They were spoken with respect to Ambarīṣa Mahārāja, who was in the material world, so imagine how much more they must apply to devotees who are supremely perfect and have been eternally rendering service to the Supreme Lord in transcendental bodies, within the spiritual domain. Kṛṣṇa assured Arjuna in similar fashion: Ils most sa ai botoi banienezed odw sotovoh boot ali O son of Kunti! Such a devotee very quickly becomes righteous and attains eternal peace. Therefore, declare it loudly: My devotee will never perish. (GĪTĀ 9.31)24 ad This verse is spoken in reference to devotees in the material world who accidentally engage in abominable action, sudurăcăra. Even they do not fall into the material conception of life. Inauspi- ciousness does not exist for devotees of the Lord (MB 13.149.131). It has thus been shown that none of the above conditions that could hypothetically lead to a devotee’s falldown exist even as pos- sibilities in Vaikuntha, for it is the place free from all such fear. One may still, however, suspect that there may be non-devotees in Vai- kuntha to whom such arguments do not apply. Such persons could fall down due to any of the six aforementioned possibilities, could they not? 23 aham bhakta parādhino hy asvatantra iva dvija sadhubhir grasta-hrdayo bhaktair bhakta-jana-priyah näham ātmānam āśase mad-bhaktaiḥ sadhubhir vinā śriyam catyantikim brahman yeṣam gatir aham parā ye dārāgāra-putrāpta-prāṇān vittam imam param hitvā mām saranam yataḥ katham tāms tyaktum utsahe mayi nirbaddha-hṛdayaḥ sadhavaḥ sama-darśanaḥ vasīkurvanti măm bhaktyä sat-striyaḥ sat-patim yatha mat-sevaya pratitaṁ te sälokyädi-catuṣṭayam necchanti sevayā pūrṇāḥ kuto’nyat kala-viplutam sadhavo hrdayam mahyam sadhūnām hrdayam tv aham mad-anyat te na jänanti näham tebhyo manāg api 24 kṣipram bhavati dharmatma śaśvac-chantim nigacchati kaunteya pratijanihi na me bhaktaḥ pranasyati 616 63 No One Falls from Vaikuntha We reply that there are no non-devotees in Vaikuntha. As stated earlier, mukti means being free from foreign elements and being situated in one’s own svarupa. The nature of the living being is spiritual - he is a part of Kṛṣṇa. This means he is a servant of the Being who is his Source. As stated in PP 6.226.37, “The living being is exclusively a servant of Lord Hari and nothing else.“25 No one can enter or remain in Vaikuntha unless he has attained devotion for the Lord. Śrī Rṣabhadeva confirms this: When the living being is covered by tamo-guna, his mind is sub-q ject to result-oriented action. Therefore, the jiva cannot be released from attachment to the body until love dawns for Me, Śrī Vasudeva. (SB 5.5.6)26 In the principal verse (SB 3.25.38) of this anuccheda, spoken by Śrī Kapila, it is said that devotees have different relationships with the Lord. According to Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmi, there are five basic rasas, or aesthetic experiences, that the Lord enjoys with His devo- tees. These varieties of aesthetic experience are rooted in, and arise out of, five foundational moods of loving devotion. Out of these five, the devotees immersed in peaceful devotion, or santa-rasa, have the least intensity of love for Bhagavan. Nonetheless, they are completely devoid of material desires and have strong faith in Him. Santa-bhaktas cannot be considered non-devotees, nor is there any possibility of their falling down. In commenting on this verse (yeṣam aham priya ātmā sutaś ca sakha guruh suhṛdo daivam iṣṭam), Śrīla Viśvanatha Cakravarti says that those who consider the Lord as priya, or the beloved, refers to devotees in amorous devotion madhurya-rasa; similarly, those who consider Him as ātmā, the Self, refers to those in peaceful devotion (śānta-rasa); suta, or son, to those in parental devotion (vātsalya- rasa); and sakha, friend, to those in devotional friendship (sakhya- rasa). Those who consider Him as guru, in this case a respectful elder, refers to devotees with a specific type of respectful devotion (dāsya- 25 dasa-bhūto harer eva nanyasyaiva kadācana 26 evam manah karma-vasam prayunkte avidyāyatmany upadhiyamane pritir na yavan mayi vasudeve na mucyate deha-yogena tavat s 617 Śri Bhagavat Sandarbha rasa); suhrd, bosom friend, to devotees in a specific type of devotional friendship (sakhya-rasa); and the words ista, the worshipful Deity, and daiva, the Lord, to those in different kinds of respectful devotion (dāsya-rasa). The words santa-rupe, the abode of unalterable peace, in the same verse, mean that Vaikuntha is beyond the material gunas (viśuddha- sattva). Although Vaikuntha is a place, its nature is identical to that of the Lord - eternal, conscious and blissful - and it is thus unlike any material place. The opulence of the devotees in Vaikuntha never perishes. That is to say, they never descend to the material dimen- sion. This is confirmed by hundreds of verses both in Śruti and Smrti. The Chandogya Upanisad states: Drawing his senses within, he does not cause violence to any being, other than in circumstances of mortal danger where scripture may call for appropriate aggression. Remaining in this condition till the pra moment of death, he attains the spiritual abode. He does not return. ov He does not return. (CHU 8.15.1)27 9257 Śrīla Vyasa Muni concludes Vedanta-sutra by repeating the words, “There is no return [from Vaikuntha] because the scriptures declare this as truth” (anavṛttiḥ śabdad anavṛttih śabdāt, vs 4.4.22). Śrīla Baladeva Vidyabhūṣaṇa, while commenting on this sutra, confirms the same by quoting the following mantra from Chandogya Upanisad: He leads them to Brahman. This is the path of the godly (devas) that By leads to the Lord. Those who walk on this path do not return to this human life. Surely they do not come back. (CHU 4.15.5)28 Śrī Baladeva Vidyabhuṣaṇa says that Bhagavan is determined not to abandon His devotees, and His devotees are equally determined to love Him. Thus, they can never leave Him. One should never doubt this. 595 per mill bran 27 ätmani sarvendriyani sampratiṣṭhäpyähimsan sarva-bhūtāni anyatra tirthebhyah sa khalv evam vartayan yavad-ayuşaṁ brahma-lokam abhisampadyate na ca punar avartate na ca punar ävartate 28 sa enän brahma gamayaty eșa deva-patho brahma-patha etena pratipadyamānā imaṁ mänavam avartaṁ nävartante nävartante se 618 63 No One Falls from Vaikuntha beWhile instructing Yudhisthira Mahārāja in the aranya-dvādasi- vrata, Śrī Kṛṣṇa says:ages Infussent num 231 Therefore, they attain the auspicious and blissful abode of liberation. Having attained it, they neither lament for anything nor return to the cycle of birth and death. (Bhavisya Purana, Uttara-parva 66.26)29 In Bhagavad Gita, Śrī Kṛṣṇa says: Not illumined by the sun or moon, nor by fire, such is My supreme Labode, attaining which one never returns to this material world. (GĪTĀ 15.6)30 There are many other such verses in Bhagavad Gitā. dis Despite the clarity of this evidence, one might claim that the above verses mean that those who reach Vaikuntha from this mate- rial world never return, and that only those who have never been to this material world can fall down. In other words, those who achieve Vaikuntha have experienced the miseries of the material world, but the nitya-siddhas are ignorant of these and are subject to falldown. The logic is that a person who has burned his tongue with hot milk is so careful that he even blows on buttermilk before drinking it. This is an inconsistent argument. Before reaching Vaikuntha, the devotee casts off his gross and subtle bodies. The experience of the material world remains in the subtle body, so the devotee does not carry it with him. In the material world we carry a stock of impressions in our subtle body, but how much of it do we remem- ber? Indeed, we cannot recollect most of the things we have done even in this lifetime. How then is it to be expected that a liberated being would remember the miseries of the material world? And why would he? What is the gain? Is the remembrance of past material miseries more captivating than the immediate and present ecstasy of service to the Lord? Whenever sustained joy fills a person’s life, memories of past pain or suffering fade into the background. 29 tato yanti param sthanam mokṣa-margam sivam sukham yatra gatva na śocanti no samsare bhramanti ca 30 na tad bhāsayate suryo na śaśānko na pāvakaḥ yad gatva na nivartante tad dhama paramam mama y 619 Śri Bhagavat Sandarbha Moreover, even if the devotee, after attaining Vaikuntha, wanted to recall his former material experience, he no longer has a subtle body in which all the impressions would be stored. Those memories are wiped clean without a trace. In BRS 1.1.23, Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmi writes that bhakti destroys all varieties of karma. H It has been shown logically that falling from Vaikuntha is not pos- sible under any circumstances. Nor is there any scriptural evidence to support such an event. However, there are many scriptural texts to the effect that it is impossible to fall down from the spiritual world, regardless of whether one has resided there eternally or has attained it after many lifetimes in the mundane world. Still, to address any possible remaining doubt, we ask, “Have the nitya-siddhas attained Vaikuntha or not?” If the answer is in the affir- mative, then they cannot fall down. If they have not, where are they? They must be in Vaikuntha; otherwise, they are not nitya-siddhas. So how is it that they exist in Vaikuntha, but have not attained it? Or is it that they are not in Vaikuntha? If yes, then there is no falldown; and if no, then there is no falldown. The reason most verses dealing with this subject use verbs like “having attained,” or “after reaching,” is because these instructions are meant for the conditioned beings. The Lord has no need to say this to the nitya-siddhas. First, the nitya-siddhas are not in ignorance of this knowledge. Second, when something is denied, it indicates the possibility of opposite action. If the Lord were to tell a nitya- siddha, “You will never fall because you are my devotee,” this would imply the possibility of falldown; otherwise, why the reassurance? But the Lord never says that one can fall from Vaikuntha (nor do they have any experience of this), and thus there is no need to reassure the nitya-siddhas. But Bhagavan does assure the conditioned persons that His abode is distinct in nature - it is a place of no return. He does this because conditioned beings know from scriptures that one can and does fall from the heavenly planets. Scriptures inform us about subjects that are unknown to us and which we are unable to know by ourselves - śāstro’jñāta-jñāpakaḥ. Scriptural instructions are meant for the conditioned beings. Per- fected persons are called nirgrantha (SB 1.7.10) and dūre yamāḥ 62063 No One Falls from Vaikuntha (SB 3.15.25), “beyond the rules and regulations of scripture.” Śrī Kṛṣṇa says, “You will step beyond everything that has been heard or is to be heard” (GITĀ 2.52)31 Pure devotees hear scriptures to relish the Lord’s pastimes, not to be given assurance that they will not fall. For them there is no difference between heaven and hell (SB 6.17.28)32) Therefore, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmī says tato’skhalanam - Vaikuntha is a place of no falldown. He did not say “a place of no return;” other- wise, he could have said tato’navartanam. He knows very well the difference between the two statements. Vaikuntha is called acyuta- pada (SB 4.12.37). This can either mean the place of Śrī Acyuta, or the place from where no one falls. Acyuta is a name of the Lord which means, “One who never falls,” and also, “One whose devotees never fall” (na cyavati cyavayati va ity acyutah). This is confirmed in Skanda Purāṇa: His devotees do not fall down even during the great dissolution; therefore, He is supreme, imperishable and omnipresent in all the planetary systems. (Skanda Purana 4.20.10)33 00 os doidw (Thus, Kṛṣṇa’s abode is here referred to as acyuta-pada- the place of no falldown. Śrī Kṛṣṇa says: No effort on the yoga path is ever lost, nor can any obstacle ever hold one back forever. Just a little progress on this path can protect one from the greatest fear. (GITA 2.40)34 ob gaidismos westbni or (stes) atslund Another objection could be raised: Conditioned beings are called patita, or fallen, and this implies that previously they were not fallen. When we say, “This is a mashed potato,” it means that it was not mashed previously. So, although we are unable to understand how we fell, we must have; otherwise, we would not be designated as “fallen.” The Supreme Lord, Caitanya Mahaprabhu, in the mood of a 31 tada gantäsi nirvedam śrotavyasya śrutasya ca 32 svargāpavarga-narakeşv api tulyartha-darsinah 33 na cyavante’pi yad-bhakta mahati pralaye sati ato’cyuto’khile loke sa ekaḥ sarvago’vyayahḥ nehābhikrama-naso’sti pratyavayo na vidyate svalpam apy asya dharmasya träyate mahato bhayat 621 Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha devotee, says that He has fallen into the ocean of birth and death patitam mam visame bhavambudhau (Sikṣāṣṭaka 4). If we have fallen, it must have been from Vaikuntha, because every other place is already a fallen position. ved de ton sunthangaba den The defect in this argument is the assumption that the fallen con- dition is preceded by a non-fallen state. If one’s falldown has no beginning (anadi-patita), then that person is also called patita, as there is no other word to describe such a state. The adjective anādi is not always used. An adjective distinguishes one object from oth- ers in the same class and identifies a specific quality belonging to a particular object. For example, when we say “red lotus,” we are specifying that this lotus is different from blue or yellow ones. Nev- ertheless, the red lotus is also a lotus, and can be referred to simply as such when there is no need to distinguish it from others. Simi- larly, when patita is used without the adjective anadi, it refers to all fallen living entities. Hell is a fallen place and there was never a time when it was not fallen. Calling it a fallen place does not imply that it was not previously fallen. Patita is a past participle, which according to Panini’s grammar is formed when the kta suffix is added to the verbal root √pat (to fall). This suffix is called a niṣṭhā (PANINI 1.1.26) and is applied in various ways, some of which are described below:
- To indicate something done in the past (PANINI 3.2.102) - as in bhukta (eaten).
- Used actively, it indicates the beginning of an activity (PĀŅINI Fod 3.2.102, värttika 3). For example, prakṛtaḥ katam devadattaḥ, aw “Devadatta begins to make the mat.” and
- The sense of present tense action applied to verbal roots which end in a mute ñ, as well as to roots having the sense of desire, knowledge and worship (PANINI 3.2.187-88). E.g., rājñām iṣṭaṁ (desirable by kings).
- As a verbal noun, such as hasita (laughter). When used in this way, the word is always in the neuter gender (PANINI 3.3.114). 5. When the word ending in kta is used as a name, as in devadatta, it carries the sense of a benediction (PANINI 3.3.174 and its Käsikä- vrtti). on 622 63 No One Falls from Vaikuntha (as The suffix kta, therefore, is not always used to indicate the past. When patita is used to indicate a conditioned being, it means he or she is in an eternally fallen state. In commenting on Ujjvala- nilamani 15.187, wherein he demonstrates the eternality of Bhaga- vān’s pastimes, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi explains the meaning of sannihita, which is also a past participle formed in the same way, by adding the suffix kta to the verbal root √dha. He says that in that reference the kta suffix is used in the sense of the present tense, lat-pratyayavat kta-pratyayasya. To substantiate his view, Jīva gives an example from the Śruti, “The Lord is free from sins” (ayam ātmāpahata-pāpmā, CHU 8.15.1). The word apahata is formed with the kta suffix and when combined with papma, it literally means, “He has warded off or destroyed sins.” Does this mean that the Lord was previously sinful? No. Here the kta suffix signifies eternality, without any beginning. Thus, the statement means that the Lord is eternally free from sins. The kta suffix has also been applied in the term pratilabdha, which was used to indicate eternality when the Lord spoke to the Kumāras: On account of My service to you, the dust of My lotus feet has become so pure that it immediately destroys all sins, and I have acquired such a disposition that Lakṣmi Devi, for whose sidelong glance oth- ers observe all manner of rules and regulations, never abandons Me, though I am indifferent to her. (SB 3.16.7) 35 Here the Lord says, “I have acquired such a disposition” (pratilab- dha-sila). This certainly does not imply that once upon a time He did not have such a disposition. The word bhakta, a devotee or worshiper, is also formed by adding the kta suffix to the verbal root √bhaj (to worship). This word does not necessarily imply that the devotee it refers to was previously a non-devotee. Eternal associates of Bhagavan, like Nanda Mahārāja, are bhaktas. Does this mean they were non-devotees once upon a 35 yat sevaya caraṇa-padma-pavitra-renum sadyaḥ kṣatakhila-malam pratilabdha-silam na śrir viraktam api mam vijahāti yasyaḥ prekṣa-lavartha itare niyaman vahanti 623 Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha time? Therefore, it is incorrect to assume that the word patita (fallen) implies a previously liberated state. than baril alting is W Talo The eternal associates of Bhagavan, such as Mother Yasoda, are liberated beings, nitya-mukta. The word mukta is also formed with the kta suffix. However, it does not imply that all liberated beings were previously fallen. Similarly, patita (fallen) or baddha (bound), which are both past participles, may still indicate an eternal (i.e., beginningless) condition when used to describe the state of a jiva in the material world. It does not mean that those who are fallen were previously liberated. But our disputant may set forth yet another objection: If this sec- tion is properly analyzed, we can conclude that it refers only to those devotees who reach Vaikuntha from the material world. This can be ascertained by studying the six items that determine the import of a text, such as its opening and closing statements. These are described in the following verse: The true import of a text can be decided by these six criteria: (1) that which is stated at the beginning and the end; (2) that which is repeated throughout the text; (3) that which is unique to it; (4) that which is stated to be the result; (5) that which is praised; and (6) that which is established by logical argument.36 The disputant may argue that the opening verse, concluding verse and the Upanisad mantra quoted in the section currently under discussion, all refer to the jiva who attains Vaikuntha from the material world. Answer: This type of analysis is applied only when ambiguity exists about the subject of a book, chapter or essay. But such is not the case here. It is clearly evident that Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmī is dis- cussing the qualities of Vaikuntha. He listed nine characteristics of Vaikuntha in Section 61, and is now explaining them in detail. In this present section, he is arguing that one of Vaikuntha’s divine charac- teristics and proofs of its transcendental nature is that no one falls from there (tato’skhalanam). 36 upakramopasaṁhārāv abhyaso’pūrvată phalam arthavădopapatti ca lingam tätparya-nirnaye 624 63 No One Falls from Vaikuntha Moreover, even if one follows the method of analysis recom- mended above and concludes that the subject of the section is that those who attain Vaikuntha from the material world never again fall, this does not prove that eternal associates fall. This section makes no such statements, directly or indirectly, and to form such a conclusion is highly improper. On the contrary, the second verse spoken by Śrī Kapila (SB 3.25.38), clearly states that Kṛṣṇa’s devotees are never bereft of opulence. Jiva’s intention in quoting it is to say that they never fall. Yet another objection may be raised: The cycle of creation and destruction of the material world is beginningless and has thus occurred innumerable times. During the maintenance period, some jīvas occasionally attain liberation. If living beings continue to exit the material world and no new ātmās enter by falling from Vai- kuntha, then the universe should have been empty by now. Thus, according to this reasoning, it would be logical to assume that an equal number of ātmās fall from Vaikuntha to replace those who achieve liberation from the material world. Answer: Such a concept results from ignorance of the unlimited nature of the Lord. There are unlimited material universes, and each contains unlimited living beings. Unlimited means that when some are removed, an unlimited number still remain. Even in mathemat- ics, infinity minus infinity equals infinity. There are an infinite num- ber of points existing in a line that extends from point A to point B. If this line is divided into two parts, say AC and CB, each line still con- tains an infinite number of points. Moreover, the logic of the objection ultimately backfires. If nitya- siddhas fall to replace the jivas who achieve liberation, and those who go to Vaikuntha from the material world never come back, then, as time is beginningless (anadi), by now all the nitya-siddhas would have fallen into the material world and returned to Vaikuntha, and there would be no virgin nitya-siddhas left to fall. Thus, the material world would be empty. Obviously this imagined state is far from the truth; otherwise, I would not be here writing this commentary. The prayers of the personified Śrutis (SB 10.87.30) acknowledge that there are unlimited or countless living beings (aparimita). In 625 Śri Bhagavat Sandarbha commenting on this verse, Śrīla Sanatana Gosvāmī quotes Vajra Mahārāja’s question to the sage Märkandeya: O brahmana, because time has no beginning, therefore even if only one person achieved liberation in each of the bygone kalpas, wouldn’t the world be empty by now? (Visnu-dharmottara Purāņa 1.81.12)37 Märkandeya’s answer is as follows: the mate ban Tha When someone is liberated, the Supreme Lord, who possesses unlimited potency, brings forth (sargena) another jiva and thus always keeps the world full. Those beings who achieve Brahmaloka become liberated along with Brahma. Then in the next cycle of creation (maha-kalpa), the Lord emits (srjyante) similar beings. Material nature and the living beings should be understood to be beginningless. Their transformations and the gunas of matter are products of material nature.38 Therefore, there is no need to assume that living beings fall from Vaikuntha to replace the liberated beings. The important word in Markandeya’s reply is acintya-sakti, or inconceivable power. This has been discussed in greater detail in earlier sections of this book. Without accepting the existence of this astonishing potency of the Lord, one can never hope to understand Him in truth. A doubt may be raised, however, in regard to Markandeya’s state- ment. Living beings are said to be beginningless (anadi). Why then does Märkandeya say that the Lord brings forth (sargena) other jīvas? Śrīla Sanatana Gosvāmī answers that there are unlimited dor- mant living beings, which the Lord activates as He desires. This is what is meant by the term “brings forth” in the above verse. The word sarga, or creation, does not mean producing new living beings. This siddhanta is accepted by all Vaisnavas. Actually, the 37 ekaikasmin nare muktim kalpe kalpe gate dvija 38 abhaviṣyaj jagac chünyam kalasyäder abhāvataḥ 35 jivayanyasya sargena nare muktim upagate acintya-saktir bhagavan jagat pürayate sadā brahmana saha mucyante brahma lokam upāgatāḥ srjyante ca mahā kalpe tad-vidhäścăpare janāḥ 626 63 No One Falls from Vaikuntha verb sriyante (He creates) is used here to mean “emits.” It comes from the verbal root √srj visarge, which can be used to mean either “to create,” or “to emit.” Since the first meaning would contradict many other statements asserting that the jiva is never created, we must take the second meaning here. Srjyante then means to release the jiva from the dormant state into the active condition. So the conclusion is that nobody, whether nitya-siddha or sadhana-siddha, ever falls from Vaikuntha. The question that nat- urally follows is, “So then, where do we come from?” or, “How did we come to be in this bound condition?” The simple answer is that we are nitya-baddha (perpetually bound), which is to say that till now, and indefinitely onwards till the moment of liberation, we have always been bound by the material energy, due to ignorance of who we are and what God is. There was never a time when we were not involved with material nature. Material nature as well as the living beings are anadi, or beginningless, as Śrī Kṛṣṇa says in Bhagavad Gitā: Know that prakṛti, or the material energy, and purușa, or the bconscious being, are both without beginning. Know, however, that the modifications and the gunas are produced from prakṛti. (GĪTĀ 13.19)39 The word anadi (beginningless) is very important in this verse. Not only are the living beings and material nature beginningless, but so also is their correlation. Śrila Viśvanatha Cakravarti Thakura and Śrīpāda Baladeva Vidyabhuṣaṇa confirm this fact in their com- mentaries, tayoḥ samsleṣo’py anadir iti bhavaḥ. More details on this subject will be presented in Paramātma Sandarbha. Objection: But there are verses in Śrimad Bhagavatam which clearly state that the living being was with the Lord and then fell down, such as: Do you remember your self from your previous state, when you were with your friend named “Unknown”? You left Me, seeking mate- prakṛtim puruşam caiva viddhy anãdi ubhāv api vikārāmś ca gunāmś caiva viddhi prakṛti-sambhavan 627 Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbhara Rorial acquisition, being attached to worldly sense pleasures. O noble one, you and I are two swans, two friends, who have been living toll together in the Manasa Lake for many thousands of years (sahasra-o ew parivatsaran) far from our original home. (SB 4.28.53-54)40 First of all, there is no mention of falling down from Vaikuntha in these verses. The commentaries of previous ācāryas clearly indicate that these verses refer to the jiva residing with Mahāviṣṇu during the total annihilation. The words sahasra-parivatsaran (SB 4.24.54), “for a thousand cycles,” confirms this fact, since the period of anni- hilation is equal to a thousand cycles of the four yugas. “Giving up My company,” means taking birth in the next cycle of creation. Nārada Muni told the story of Purañjana to King Präcīnabarhi explic- itly as an allegory, so it should not be taken literally. It is indirect expression (paroksya), as stated by Narada himself: O King Barhişman! I have shown you these spiritual truths in ant indirect manner, through allegory, because Bhagavan, the Source of the cosmos, is fond of indirect expression. (SB 4.28.65)41 In this verse, the words pārokṣyena (in an indirect manner) and paroksa-priya (fond of indirect expression) must be noted. From the above analysis, based on the authority of sastra, it is concluded without doubt that the living being does not fall from Vai- kuntha. Yet for the benefit of those who have not been exposed to the full breadth of the Bhāgavatam’s view, as revealed to us by Jiva Gosvāmi, here is a fresh analysis of this topic from yet another angle. in In Tattva Sandarbha, Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī accepted three pramāņas, evidence or valid means of knowing, while establishing the Gauḍīya Vaisnava epistemology. These are sabda (revealed sound), anumāna (inference), and pratyakṣa (direct perception). All evidence from sabda clearly indicates that the jiva does not fall. Pratyakṣa and 40 api smarasi cātmānam avijñāta-sakham sakhe hitvā mām padam anvicchan bhauma-bhoga-rato gataḥoy hämsäv aham ca tvam carya sakhayau mänsäyanau 100 abhūtām antarā vaukaḥ sahasra-parivatsarān 41 barhişmann etad adhyatmam parokṣyena pradarśitam yat paroksa-priyo devo bhagavan viśva-bhāvanaḥ 628 63 No One Falls from Vaikuntha anumäna shed no light on this topic. Pratyakṣa, or sense percep- tion, has no validity in the ascertainment of transcendental matters, which by definition lie beyond the purview of the senses. Logic, on the other hand, which is part of anumana, can be used in analyz- ing scripture. Logic that conforms to sastra is acceptable as a valid means of knowing. pleqs off gathutembra o apst Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmi, in defining the characteristics of an uttama- adhikari, writes:star by One who is expert in logic, argument and the revealed scriptures, -ils who has unflinching determination and firm faith in Krsna, is the person most eligible to achieve bhakti. (BRS 1.2.17)42 Here, yukti means logic and argument. Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmī com- ments that the logic referred to here is that which conforms to scripture. To clarify, he quotes a verse from a Vaisnava Tantra:43 Appropriate logic is that which is used to reach the proper conclu- sion on the strength of understanding prior and subsequent state- ments of sastra. Dry logic [or in other words, logic devoid of such truth-visioning] should be rejected.** Thus, logic and argument are not bereft of value. They can assist us to understand the conclusion of scriptures and to resolve apparent contradictions. It is not uncommon to find contradictory statements in scriptures. For example, the Vedas state, “One who observes the vow of caturmasya attains imperishable merit.“45 Yet, in another place it is stated, “Just as the results of material action do not endure, so are the results attained in heaven by the performance of good deeds” (CHU 8.1.6).466) 43 sastre yuktau ca nipunah sarvatha dṛdha-niscayah praudha-śraddho’dhikari yaḥ sa bhaktāv uttamo mataḥ This verse appears in Madhva’s bhāṣya to vs 1.1.3, where it is credited to Kurma Purāna. 1200 1 o stil side el vgged **purvāparānurodhena ko nv artho bhimato bhavet 46 ity adyam uhanaṁ tarkaḥ śuşka-tarkam tu varjayet akṣayyaṁ ha vai caturmäsya-yajinah sukṛtam bhavati tad yatheha karma-jito lokaḥ kṣiyate evam evāmutra punya-jito lokaḥ kṣiyate blow 629 Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha Naturally, both statements cannot be absolute. In other words, the observation of caturmasya does not directly lead to imperishable merit, but only to the indirect possibility of such. So the statement is neither false nor true in its primary sense. A secondary mean- ing must be applied to one of the statements in order to reconcile them. By understanding the speaker’s intention, deliberating on the results of sakāma-karma, and studying the many statements indi- cating the temporary nature of heavenly existence, one can under- stand that the first statement is not absolute. It is meant to inspire those who are materially identified and attached to fruits to observe the religious ceremony of caturmäsya. In the course of such reli- gious observances, they may contact a living sage and be graced with pure knowledge, and thus attain liberation. Śrī Kṛṣṇa confirms this principle in Bhagavad Gitä: O chastiser of the enemy! Better than the sacrifice of material pos- sessions is the sacrifice of knowledge. O Partha! All action attains completion in transcendental knowledge. (GĪTĀ 4.33)47 1012 People in general are attached to the fruits of their actions. So, if scriptures were to categorically reject all karma and its fruit, and make allowance for pure devotion alone, the religiously inclined, yet materially driven, who cannot yet adhere to pure devotion, may lose faith even in karma-yoga. So, Śrī Kṛṣṇa advises: Do not unsettle the minds of the spiritually unaware who are attached to fruitive action. A person of wisdom, while attentively engaged in action, should engage the materially attached in all manner of action. (GĪTĀ 3.26) Teaching is an art. An expert teacher is one who educates in such a way that the students embrace the teaching as their own, without confusion or degradation. The conditioned beings, being unaware of any other reality, do not aspire to become free of the material world, but would rather be happy in this life, or at best, in some future heaven. Yet a compassionate teacher is moved to help relieve 47 śreyan dravya-mayad yajñāj jñäna-yajñaḥ parantapa sarvam karmakhilaṁ pärtha jñāne parisamapyate 63063 No One Falls from Vaikuntha them of their material identification. Hence, there is an apparent clash of interest. To overcome this, the discerning teacher often has to devise a strategy, just as parents may conceal medicine within candy to induce their sick child to take it. In the Pūrva-mīmāmsā, this is called parisankhyā-vidhi, or using an injunction to accomplish something other than the apparent aim. Hence, it is not always easy to understand the intent of scriptures. The sage Avirhotra confirms this: bol omsoque alia eru 30 Prescriptions, prohibitions and transgressions of prescribed duty Ware to be known from the Veda and not just through hearsay. Since the Veda is the direct revelation of God, even the devas are confused about these three types of actions. The Veda speaks indirectly. Its di breal import is to impel one to transcend karma and its fruits, but all it prescribes karma for the ignorant, just as a child is tempted with sweets in order to make him take a bitter medicine. (SB 11.3.43-44)48 Mere citing of references will not establish the truth conclu- sively. One has to analyze the scriptures thoroughly and objectively to understand the actual intent hidden within the hoards of recom- mendations for fruitive action, and to reconcile the various apparent contradictions. One must appropriately resolve all apparent contra- dictions by properly understanding the relative strength of various scriptural statements. Not all scriptural statements carry equal weight or authority; some can override others. For example, the famous statement, kṛṣṇas tu bhagavan svayam, “Śrī Kṛṣṇa, however, is Himself the complete personal nondual Absolute” (SB 1.3.28), is recognized as an “emperor statement,” or maha-väkya. It overrules all other statements that describe Kṛṣṇa as an avatara of someone else. This statement is not whimsically accepted to be of the highest authority, but is established as such in accordance with accepted rules of logic. This will be demonstrated in Krsna Sandarbha. Of the four chapters of Vedanta-sutra, the first is called saman- vayādhyāya, or the chapter on reconciliation, since the purpose is 48 karmakarma vikarmeti veda-vãdo na laukikaḥ vedasya ceśvaratmatvät tatra muhyanti surayaḥ parokṣa-vado vedo’yam bālānām anusāsanam karma-mokṣāya karmani vidhatte hy agadam yatha 631 Śri Bhagavat Sandarbha to reconcile the numerous apparent contradictions in the various Upanisads. So, the tradition of using tarka, or appropriate logic, is well established, and Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmī has rightly accepted it as a means to establishing the śastric conclusion. The point is that the conclusions reached must not contradict scripture. One approach to analyzing a philosophical conclusion is by observing whether there is conformity between sadhu, śästra and guru. Of these three, śästra stands supreme. Indeed, without śās- tra we cannot even know the true characteristics of the other two. The degree of completion and truth-resonance, or the falsity, of any teaching, even those of various avataras, can be assessed based on a thorough and cross-contextual visioning of all scripture. It is on the authority of śästra that the teachings of Lord Buddha, for example, are identified as pertaining strictly to non-theism, even though He is taken to be one of the avataras of Visnu (which is to say, almost with a tinge of irony, that Buddha is God teaching that there is no God). At the same time, however, we must not forget that śästra is understood through the medium of guru and sadhu. This makes the process a little more complex than it may first appear. Without receiving instruction in an authorized parampară, one will easily get lost in the jungle of scripture. We have seen the śastric conclusions regarding the topic under discussion. These are accepted by all other Vaisnava sampradayas without any quibbling. Our stalwart ācāryas, like Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi, Śrīla Viśvanatha Cakravarti Thakura and Srila Baladeva Vidyabhu- şana confirm this view, and thus the sadhus are in agreement. On the other hand, we can find no scriptural statements and no com- mentary by a previous ācārya that describe a fall from the spiritual world. A sampradaya is based on the conclusions of prasthana-trayi, or Śruti (Upanisads), Smrti (Bhagavad Gita) and Nyaya (Vedanta- sūtra). We see that the prasthana-trayī does not support that the jiva can fall from Vaikuntha. In Vedic culture every authorized sam- pradaya establishes their siddhanta based on prasthana-trayi, and any conclusion inconsistent with this standard is considered to be apasiddhanta, or a heterodox view. Sometimes it is suggested that the jiva falls due to being envious of Kṛṣṇa. But as declared earlier, 632 63 No One Falls from Vaikuntha māyā is not present in Vaikuntha, so from where could such envy arise? In GĪTĀ 13.7, the Lord says that hatred, or envy, is connected to the material body. to manqabatutul spovedt blood Some argue that envy arises by seeing Kṛṣṇa enjoying with the gopis. But it is explained that devotees derive far greater pleasure from serving other devotees, who are in direct association with Kṛṣṇa, than from direct service to Him. Śrī Caitanya prayed to become a servant of the servant. Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu considers following in the footsteps of the residents of Vraja to be the highest mood of service. Moreover, Caitanya-caritamṛta says that the gopis derive ten thousand times more pleasure by seeing Kṛṣṇa than He does by seeing them. So how could any devotee feel dissatisfied at being a servant? This would mean that the well-propounded devo- tional conclusion of becoming a servant of the servant is defective. Ultimately, this notion indicates a defect in Kṛṣṇa for not being able to satisfy His servants. Moreover, not everyone serves Kṛṣṇa directly, so it would imply that there are a lot of envious devotees in Vaikuntha. Śrimad Bhagavatam states that pure bhakti is free from all types of cheating, and is meant only for non-envious devotees.49 The Lord also promises in Bhagavad Gitā, “I arrange for the provision of what they lack and the preservation of what they have.“50 So when the devotee is by nature free from envy, and in fact all forms of ego- centrism, and the Lord has unlimited capacity for provision and care, how could anyone feel dissatisfied, become envious and leave? Moreover, if the jivas do fall, do they do so only from Kṛṣṇaloka, and not from other Vaikuntha planets? Were this the case, then Kṛṣṇaloka would have to be considered inferior to the Vaikuntha planets, owing to its being less secure. This proposal contradicts scriptures like the Brahma-samhita, which describes Kṛṣṇaloka as the highest realm. Secondly, if everyone falls from Kṛṣṇaloka only, why is it that later on some become devotees of other avataras, like nirmatsarānāṁ satām SB 1.1.2 50 yoga-kṣema vahamy aham GĪTĀ 9.22 633 Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha Rāma, or Nrsimha, and end up in Vaikuntha? This would mean they are not going back to their original home, but to a new home. How could they change their natural disposition of love for Kṛṣṇa to some other avatara? grea Were it possible to fall from Vaikuntha, Yudhisthira Mahārāja’s question to Narada Muni regarding Jaya and Vijaya’s descent would be meaningless: wih moit ner What kind of horrible curse could affect even liberated Visņu bhak- tas, and what sort of person could curse even the Lord’s associates? For unflinching devotees of the Lord to take birth in this mate- rial world is impossible. I cannot believe this [story of Jaya and Vijaya’s being cursed]. The bodies of the inhabitants of Vaikuntha are completely spiritual, having nothing to do with the material body, senses or life air. Therefore, kindly explain how associates of the Supreme Person were cursed to descend in material bodies like Weordinary people. (SB 7.1.33-34) 5120Madame ve The concept of nitya-baddha, or perpetually bound, is not easy to grasp. Comprehension normally functions by processing ideas and events with reference to our material experience, which concerns objects and actions that have a beginning and an end. If the word nitya (eternal) in nitya-baddha is applied strictly, it would imply that the bondage of the jiva is without beginning or end. All wisdom tra- ditions accept that the jiva can be liberated from bondage. Therefore, nitya does not apply to the future in the sense of endless. Rather, it implies indefinite continuance till the moment of awakening. Now, if an ātmā were to fall from Vaikuntha, their bondage would begin at that point, in which case the term nitya would have no bearing in respect to the past. So from the perspective of both future and past, the term would lose all significance. Then why use the word nitya at all? Or why use the word anadi (beginningless), in nitya-baddha and anãdi-karma, when the fall signals a definite beginning? Why not just say that we are baddha instead of saying nitya-baddha? 51 kidṛśaḥ kasya vā sāpo hari-dāsābhimarśanaḥ aśraddheya ivābhāti harer ekāntināṁ bhavaḥ dehendriyasu-hīnānāṁ vaikuntha-pura-vāsinām deha-sambandha-sambaddham etad ākhyātum arhasi 634 63 No One Falls from Vaikuntha Some interpret the term anadi in a non-technical sense as time immemorial. This lack of precision, however, is misleading because it implies that the origin of our conditioned state cannot be traced simply because it occured so long ago. That is not the case. Rather, we cannot trace the beginning because it is without beginning. How can you trace out something that does not even exist, since mate- rial bondage is in truth nothing other than the beginningless non- existence of awareness of the Real? yed to al sdiquiliel If one falls from Vaikuntha, how can it be considered superior to the material heavenly planets? One may answer that everyone without exception must fall from heaven, but only those who have never been to the material world are subject to falling from Vaikun- tha, so it is superior in this sense. But where is the śastric evidence for such a proposal? Vaikuntha is a place free from anxiety. The threefold miseries do not exist there. The residents there do not suf- fer from the pangs of birth, death, disease and old age. If the threat of falling from there existed, the residents would be in anxiety about it. And the more joy a resident experiences there, the more anxiety he would feel at the prospect of losing it. Since the bliss experienced in Vaikuntha is superior even to the bliss of Brahman (brahmananda), the anxiety of losing it would have to be immense. But who would accept that Vaikuntha is a place of anxiety, much less, the place of supreme anxiety? What to speak of falling down, one can not even slip, which is why Śrī Jiva Gosvāmī has used the word askhalana and not apatana! So, the conclusion is that the living being does not fall from Vai- kuntha. The good news is that although we are nitya-baddhas – perpetually bound - we can achieve liberation and become nitya- muktas. The umbrel OWIADA IMAVEO AVIT ALICE bonobasm adfines would-abadasun oubliesing oft ΠΟΥ 635 ali za sense lasindostenom ni thoda tanquam emme paused gribiolalmal hawed good debrium booted touren sus bonolinos sob nighoads tadi asilqaris ada, ass ads on al dgn groot lend yiqinis wollenlantved tops w Anuccheda 64 aded ato non dui ni al gebod Ichh Vaikuntha Is Both beyond Matter and a Places of No Falldowns word edrolley mo ६४ । प्रपञ्चातीतत्वं ततोऽस्खलनं च युगपदाह “आतपत्रं तु वैकुण्ठं द्विजा धामाकुतोभयम्” (भा० १२ । ११ । १९) इति । प्रपञ्चरूपस्यैवेति प्रकरणात् । द्विजा इति सम्बोधनम् ॥ श्रीसूतः ।। IN THE FOLLOWING VERSE, Śrī Sūta Gosvāmī simultaneously describes both qualities of Vaikuntha [discussed in the two pre- vious sections]. It is beyond the visible or manifest world and is a place from which no one falls down: “O twice-born, the Lord’s umbrella is His spiritual abode, Vaikuntha, where there is no fear” (SB 12.11.19). From the context in which this verse is found [i.e., within a description of the Lord’s form within the cosmos], it is understood that the umbrella referred to in the verse belongs to His form as seen in the material world. [Though appearing in the material world, even that umbrella is Vaikuntha, which is to say that it is beyond matter.] Dvijāḥ (twice-born), is an address: “O brāhmaṇas!” oth Commentary BRYDD vll ŚRILA JIVA GOSVĀMĪ AGAIN DISCUSSES the characteristics of Vai- kuntha mentioned in the previous two anucchedas. Akuto-bhaya (where there is no fear) is a characteristic of Vaikuntha. The term literally means, “where there is no fear from any direction, or from 1ātapatraṁ tu vaikuntham dvijā dhāmākuto-bhayam 636 64 Vaikuntha Is Both beyond Matter and a Place of No Falldown any cause.” Time is the most feared thing, as it devours everything; in the material world, time ultimately means death and the fall from acquired status. As there is no such fear in Vaikuntha, it is qualified by the word akuto-bhaya. Therefore, this word suggests two of Vai- kuntha’s qualities - it is beyond the material world and no one falls from there. Again, it should be noted here that this second quality of Vai- kuntha is not restricted purely to those devotees who go to Vai- kuntha from the material world. Neither Sūta Gosvāmi nor Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmī make any such distinction. The Lord’s umbrella is described as Vaikuntha, for it protects the living beings from all kinds of suffering. Śrīla Viśvanatha Cakravarti Thakura comments that when one experiences fearlessness in the material world, it is an effect of this umbrella of the Lord. The Vaikuntha described in this verse appears within the mate- rial world. This is understood from Saunaka’s questions to Sūta Gosvāmī: May auspiciousness attend you. We are eager to know the means of dynamic worship (kriya-yoga), through mastery of which a mor- tal can attain immortality. Please explain to us, therefore, in what manner the tantrics meditate, in the course of worship, on the limbs, associates, weapons and ornaments of the Lord, who is the husband of the Goddess of Fortune and the absolute consciousness. Please tell us also of what elements [tattva] they conceive all of these to be constituted? Kriya-yoga here refers to deity worship. Saunaka Rṣi wants to know how devotees meditate on the limbs, ornaments, dress and so on, of the Deity in relation to the material elements. The umbrella mentioned in the verse under discussion is the one that is used in the deity worship of Śrī Viṣṇu. 2 tantrikāḥ paricaryäryäṁ kevalasya śriyaḥ pateḥ angopangayudhakalpaṁ kalpayanti yatha ca yaih tan no varnaya bhadram te kriya-yogam bubhutsatām yena kriya-naipunena martyo yāvād amartyatām SB 12.11.2-3 637 Śri Bhagavat Sandarbha of aller s In the Krama-sandarbha commentary to these verses, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi writes that the Vaikuntha referred to here is situated above Brahmaloka and was manifested by the son of Vikuntha. It is to be thought of as the umbrella of Śrī Nārāyaṇa. This was manifest during the reign of Raivata Manu, as Śrīla Suka describes: Vikuntha was the wife of the sage Subhra. From their union the Lord Himself appeared in His own partial self-expansion as Vaikuntha, along with the best of the gods who were also known as Vaikunthas. Being requested by the goddess Rama (Lakṣmi), the Lord, desiring to please Her, manifested a planet named Vaikuntha, which is revered Ile by all the worlds. (SB 8.5.4-5)4370g ti to uliye SuoladT thevole entomever sine conhell This verse will be discussed in greater detail in Section 74. 206900 901 do slow intuee gidrow dish or stolen arad hooy-high obris 291b2a26d as no son Lilandmur ad ainsmals hittem ritor 3 vaikuntham brahma-lokopariṣṭhād vikuntha-sutävirbhävitam tat-padam asya 4 virad-adhiṣṭhātuḥ śri-nārāyaṇasyätapatram bhavayed ity arthah
- patni vikuntha subhrasya vaikunthaiḥ sura-sattamaiḥ tayoḥ sva-kalaya jajñe vaikuntho bhagavan svayam vaikunthah kalpito yena loko loka-namaskṛtah ramaya prarthyamänena devyä tat-priya-kamyaya 638 isili bac saista to zaimi qul Tueda AVAB 0d DOAT AMEEN THE Anuccheda 65 euro totu no nobantesb mediesh to smit Only Those Free from the Gunas of Natured Attain Vaikuntha 20 A Intesb to not ६५ । नैर्गुण्यप्राप्यत्वम् (भा० ११ । २५।२२) I । २५।२२). bozu prabow beads to endtion of for (4) NAIRGUNYA-PRAPYATVA (Vaikuntha is attained by those who are established in freedom from the gunas of material nature). Śrī Kṛṣṇa says: bol सत्त्वे प्रलीनाः स्वर्यान्ति नरलोकं रजोलयाः । 10 तमोलयास्तु निरयं यान्ति मामेव निर्गुणाः ॥ २८० ॥ DVS nt Those who quit the body in sattva-guna attain to the heavenly) realms; those who pass away in rajo-guna remain in the world of human beings, and those who depart in tamo-guna descend to hellish realms. But those who are free from the gunas come to Me The alone. (SB 11.25.22)1 becau लोकप्रसक्तेर्मल्लोकमिति वक्तव्ये तत्प्राप्तिर्नाम मत्प्राप्तिरेवेति स्वाभेदमभिप्रेत्याह- मामेव इति ॥ श्रीभगवान् ॥ Here, instead of saying, “they attain My world,” which would have been appropriate in this context, the Lord says, “They attain Me” (mām eva). He says this considering Himself nondifferent from His abode, which means that to attain His abode is to attain Him. sattve pralināḥ svar yanti nara-lokam rajo-layāḥ tamo-layās tu nirayam yanti mam eva nirguṇāḥ 639 Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha Commentaryandarbha ŚRĪ KRṢNA TAUGHT UDDHAVA about the gunas of nature and their effect on human beings in the Eleventh Canto. He explained that the destination one reaches depends on the influence of the gunas at the time of death. Śrīdhara Svāmi comments here that the Lord refers to the influence of the guna that is in ascendance over the other two, because the gunas are always intermingled. 9971 Another interesting point to be noted in this verse is that, although the word lina or laya (destruction, dissolution or death) is used to qualify those who pass away in each of the three gunas, neither of these words is used as a qualifier for those who are nir- guna. Nirguṇaḥ means those devotees or worshipers whose self is completely offered to Bhagavan, without any separate-self sense remaining. The Lord’s own internal potency of devotion fills such a receptive and available ātmā, rendering the worshiper of the same nirguna nature. This indicates that such pure devotees are in a state beyond the gunas even while living, and thus they attain the Lord in this very life. It is for this reason that they are deservingly called jīvan-muktas (the living liberated). They surely reach the abode of the Lord after giving up the body. The word eva (only), in măm eva (i.e., “they attain Me alone”), negates any other possibility. sod blow sdt al mas polo ni yawe sexy odw sendiandes M of amazonu ad into odwad to miss dilled ansitiusfans 16 aterion for thatvora uret blow dairw “blow yM Disney grove to bestel wishe yan nistin yadi” aysa hul adresionati nisichqonqge need svart Jasioihmon Usemi gabbianos zida ya sh (swm) niette of a shode ali od tad aine in dotdw phodne Bro Twohodneil 640veel gede sale and a daten i 190 Haus bezsagge Lovent lapigiau al dashes llamas sute boudio to bine meteolliginica Anuccheda 66 batava Vaikuntha Is the Shelter of the Nirguna State 66.1 ६६ । सुतरां नैर्गुण्याश्रयत्वम् (भा० ११ ।२५।२५) – (5) SINCE VAIKUNTHA IS ATTAINED ONLY BY THOSE established in freedom from the gunas, it is certainly the shelter of the nirguna state (nairgunyaśrayatva). The Lord says: वनं तु सात्त्विको वासो ग्रामो राजस उच्यते । तामसं द्यूतसदनं मन्निकेतं तु निर्गुणम् ॥ २८१ ॥ The forest is a sättvic residence; the city, a rajasic residence; and the the gambling house, a tamasic residence; whereas, My residence All (i.e., My temple) is free from the gunas. (SB 11.25.25)’ तदावेशेनैवास्यापि निर्गुणत्वव्यपदेश इति भावः । The import is that the temple is referred to as nirguna only because of the Lord’s presence within the building. Commentary ŚRI KRṢNA EXPLAINED TO UDDHAVA that nairgunya, or the state of absence of the gunas of nature, is sheltered in Vaikuntha. Niketa means a temple. Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi explains that the temple is free from the gunas owing to the presence of the Lord in the form of the 1 vanaṁ tu sättviko vaso gramo rajasa ucyate tāmasaṁ dyūta-sadanaṁ man-niketaṁ tu nirguṇam 641 Śri Bhagavat Sandarbha Deity. It naturally follows, then, that places where Bhagavan has appeared, such as Vṛndāvana, are also nirguna. What then can be said of Vaikuntha, where He eternally resides in His original form? The implication is that while residing in the temple, devotees who are fully conscious of the Lord and devoted to Him remain free from the material gunas. cherborn A In his Krama-sandarbha comment to this verse, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi adds that just as iron is converted into gold through contact with a touchstone, similarly, the Deity’s presence transforms a physical structure into a temple, or in other words, a transcendental resi- dence. He adds, however, that most people do not see the temple as transcendental because they lack the eye of devotion? 66.2 स एव प्रकृतेः परत्वम् (भा० १० १८८।२५-२६) – (6) Vaikuntha is transcendental to material nature (prakṛteḥ paratvam), as Śrī Sūta said: ततो वैकुण्ठमगमद् भास्वरं तमसः परम् । यत्र नारायणः साक्षान् न्यासिनां परमा गतिः ॥ २८२ ॥ शान्तानां न्यस्तदण्डानां यतो नावर्तते गतः ॥ २८३ ॥ Then [Śiva] reached the effulgent Vaikuntha, beyond all dark- vinness, where Śrī Nārāyaṇa Himself resides. It is the destination of renunciants who are established in peace and who have given up all violence toward other beings, whereupon going, one never returns. (SB 10.88.25-26)3 अगमत् जगाम शिव इति शेषः ॥ श्रीशुकः ॥ Agamat means [he] went. The word siva is needed to complete the sense. 2 kintu bhagavat-sambandha-mähätmyena niketasyäpi nirguṇatvam bhavet 3 sparsa-mani-nyayena tādṛśatvaṁ tu tādṛśa-bhakti-cakṣurbhir evopalabdhavyam tato vaikuntham agamad bhasvaram tamasaḥ param yatra nārāyaṇaḥ sākṣan nyasinām parama gatiḥoth śāntānāṁ nyasta-daṇḍānāṁ yato nāvartate gataḥ 642 66 Vaikuntha Is the Shelter of the Nirguna State Commentary Vaikuntha is beyond material nature, as explained by Śrī Suka while narrating the characteristics of Viṣṇu, Brahma and Śiva. Vṛkāsura, the son of Śakuni, performed great austerities at Kedara to appease Lord Siva. But even though he offered his own flesh in the fire, Lord Śiva still did not appear before him. Finally, Vṛkāsura decided to sever his own head and offer it in the fire, but as he prepared to do so, Lord Śiva stopped him. Śiva offered him a boon, and Vṛkāsura asked that he be given the power to kill anyone simply by touching them on the head. Upon being granted this boon, Vṛkāsura decided to test it out on Sankara himself, in the hope of enjoying Pārvati. Understanding Vṛkāsura’s wicked intent, Śiva fled to various planets in search of protection, but no one could help him. Finally he reached Vaikuntha, which is described here as effulgent and as tamasaḥ param, beyond the guna of ignorance. This latter adjective has been used only for Vaikuntha and distinguishes it from other planets of the material world. Since the gunas of nature are always intermingled, the term “beyond the guna of ignorance” means beyond all three gunas (since the complete absence of any one implies the complete absence of all three). Bhāsvara, or luminous, means that Vaikuntha is self- effulgent, conscious and free from the gunas (nirguna). It is the sup- reme destination for the santas, those firmly established in unwaver- ing devotion, or in other words, those whose consciousness remains ever uninfluenced by the gunas of nature. Upon reaching that place, one does not return to this world. Thus, no one falls from Vaikuntha. 643 wood ballsigns in Jansen bangun al botany Anuccheda 67 wo air bestu guod tulle of bobibaduller, voted pesqueron bab 11 o w2 Vaikuntha Is Eternals in awo al towe bablosb wood and ६७ । नित्यत्वम् (भा० २।५।३९ ) - Buicy i helt sviz reini (7) ŚRI BRAHMA EXPLAINS to Śrī Narada about the eternality of Vaikuntha (nityatva): badab ग्रीवायां जनलोकोऽस्य तपोलोकः स्तनद्वयात् । मूर्धभिः सत्यलोकस्तु ब्रह्मलोकः सनातनः ॥ २८४ ॥ || || 900Janaloka is located on His neck, Tapoloka on His breast and To Satyaloka on His head, but Brahmaloka is eternal. (SB 2.5.39)1 1 टीका च – ब्रह्मलोको वैकुण्ठाख्यः । स तु सनातनो नित्यः । न तु सृज्यप्रपञ्चान्तर्वर्तीत्य- र्थः । इत्येषा । how Śrīdhara Svāmi comments: “Brahmaloka means the world called Vaikuntha. That place is eternal. This means that it is not part of the created material universe.” “2 ब्रह्मभूतो लोको ब्रह्मलोकः ।। श्रीब्रह्मा श्रीनारदम् ।। The planet that is of the nature of Brahman (brahma-bhūta) is known as Brahmaloka. grīvāyāṁ jana-loko’sya tapo-lokaḥ stana-dvayāt mürdhabhiḥ satya-lokas tu brahma-lokaḥ sanatanaḥ 2 brahma-loko vaikunthakhyah. sa tu sanãtano nityaḥ. na tu srjya-prapañcantar-vartity arthaḥ. 644 Commentary 67 Vaikuntha Is Eternal EVERYTHING IN THE MATERIAL WORLD is made of matter and is tem- porary. Since Vaikuntha is beyond the material world, it is eternal. In chapter 5 of the Second Canto, Śrī Brahma explains the process of meditating on the various planets as limbs of the Lord’s body. Śrī Brahma tells Narada that the universal egg (brahmaṇḍa) is a form of the Lord, and that everything up to Satyaloka, the topmost mate- rial planet, is temporary. Vaikuntha, however, is eternal. Lord Siva confirms this while speaking to Parvati: In this way, O daughter of Himalaya, I have explained the most splendid opulences of material nature. Now listen to the wonderful opulences of the supra-mundane region. Between the unmanifest material nature (pradhana) and the spiritual sky exists the Viraja river, the auspicious current of water generated from the perspira- tion of the Vedas personified. Beyond this is the spiritual sky, called d tripăda-vibhuti, which is eternal. It is supreme, immortal, unchang- ing, unlimited and never diminishes. This divine abode of the Lord cois unfathomable and exists in the state of unalloyed being (śuddha- sattva). (PP, Uttara-khanda 6.227.58-60)3 bestow of stall or sand alvin adt to endigibadi di sto se adulta voton to ob me lle von odw blad to sahi Copy Simmerpatiod bad gadwalgo sto sods handant To dolge si sini mi sex has sanseas rindo mads dos alg 4) stod soleb hawls and hear Holde alte ut guida hult to subsiy ya no tortilbehuts banged ana wol besigur 56 of a volvered mad bopods he to omolo 3 evam prākṛta-rupāyā vibhüte rūpam uttamam tripäd-vibhuti-rupam tu śrnu bhudhara-nandinindo dello vady indientes pradhana-parama-vyomnor antare virajā nadi vedänga-sveda-janita-toyaiḥ prasravită subhā tasyäḥ pāre para-vyomni tripad-bhūtaṁ sanātanam amṛtam śāśvatam nityam anantam param padam suddha-sattva-mayam divyam akṣaram brahmaṇaḥ padam 645 viainsmmod und at bus stram to shamel assow GARATAM JHT WIDKilityvi laurato rasto al di blow Instam si boyud andspustex Sweesom aspong sdt enials and 2 7 Lao Anuccheda 68 Tad to admil an atoni ar arla al (oboydmilar) ago Innovinu s te Vaikuntha Surpasses Liberation avie brod lemons at hers word adultav Shaved of gool ६८ । मोक्षसुखतिरस्कारिभक्त्येकलभ्यत्वम् (भा० ३।१५।२३) - sin to (8) VAIKUNTHA IS ATTAINABLE only through bhakti, which belit- tles the bliss of liberation (mokṣa-sukha-tiraskari-bhakti-eka- labhyatva), as was stated by Śri Brahma to the gods: 1 यन् न व्रजन्त्यघभिदो रचनानुवादाच्छृण्वन्ति येऽन्यविषयाः कुकथा मतिघ्नीः । यास्तु श्रुता हतभगैर्नृभिरात्तसारास्तांस्तान् क्षिपन्त्यशरणेषु तमःसु हन्त ॥ २८५ ॥ यच् च व्रजन्त्यनिमिषामृषभानुवृत्त्या दूरेयमा ह्युपरि नः स्पृहणीयशीलाः । भर्तुर्मिथः सुयशसः कथनानुरागवैक्लव्यबाष्पकलया पुलकीकृताङ्गाः ॥ २८६ ॥ Those who listen to worthless topics that destroy intelligence and which concern matters other than the descriptions of the divine lilas of the Lord, who destroys all sin, do not enter Vaikuntha. Instead, those other topics, when heard by these unfortunate peo- ple, rob them of their essence and cast them into the regions of darkness where there is no shelter. (SB 3.15.23)1 Reaching that abode, which is situated beyond us, are those who are beyond the jurisdiction of Yama by virtue of their service to the foremost of all the gods. Their behavior is to be aspired for, The since their eyes fill with tears of love and their bodies thrill, as together they relish the exploits of the glorious Lord. (SB 3.15.25)2 yan na vrajanty agha-bhido racanãnuvädäc chṛnvanti ye’nya-visayah […] yās tu śrută hata-bhagair nṛbhir atta-sārās tāms tän kṣipanty asaraneṣu […] yac ca vrajanty animiṣām ṛṣabhänuvṛttyä düre yama hy upari naḥ spṛhaniya-sīlāḥ bhartur mithaḥ suyaśasaḥ kathanānurāga-vaiklavya-bāṣpa-kalayā pulaki-kṛtāngāḥ 646 68 Vaikuntha Surpasses Liberation यद्वैकुण्ठं यच् च नोऽस्माकमुपरिस्थितं व्रजन्ति नः स्पृहणीयशीला इति वा । दूरे यमो येषां ते सिद्धत्वेन दूरीकृतयमनियमाः सन्तो वा व्रजन्ति इति । The relative pronoun yat refers to Vaikuntha, which is situated beyond even us (i.e., the gods like Brahma). Or, the pronoun “us” can be syntactically connected to the phrase, spṛhaniya-siläḥ (their behavior is to be aspired for), i.e., “by us.” The words dūre yamāḥ can be understood either as meaning that they are beyond the jurisdiction of Yamaraja, or that due to having attained per- fection, they are beyond all rules and regulations (yamas and niyamas). Only such persons go to Vaikuntha. “भर्तुर्मिथः सुयशसः” इत्यनेन तथाविधाया भक्तेर्मोक्षसुखतिरस्कारित्वप्रसिद्धिः सूचिता । “नात्यन्तिकं विगणयन्त्यपि” इत्यादौ “येऽङ्ग त्वदङ्गिशरणा भवतः कथायाः कीर्तन्यतीर्थय- शसः कुशला रसज्ञा” (भा० ३ | १५ |४८) इति सनकाद्युक्तेः ॥ श्रीब्रह्मा देवान् ॥ The phrase, “together they relish the exploits of the glorious Lord” (bhartur mithaḥ suyaśasah) indicates the well-known truth that devotion of this kind surpasses even the bliss of liberation. This is confirmed further on by the Kumāras in SB 3.15.48, where they say, “Those who have taken shelter of Your lotus feet, who are expert in speaking of You, whose glories are purifying and worshipable, and who have experienced the sweet taste [of devotion…] have no regard for liberation.“3 891 Commentary ch BRAHMAN IS ETERNAL and can be attained only by one who is free from the gunas of nature. The bliss of Vaikuntha, being the abode of Bhagavan, the complete Absolute, endowed with unlimited tran- scendental potencies, is far superior to that of liberation in unquali- fied Brahman, which is mere oneness devoid of variety. In liberation in Brahman, consciousness does not experience material miseries anam de zini ni betoup Ex meni brod natyantikaṁ viganayantyapi te prasādam kintv anyad arpita-bhayam bhruva unnayais te ye’niga tvad-anghri-sarana bhavataḥ kathāyāḥ kirtanya-tirtha-yaśasaḥ kuśala rasa-jñā 647 jons Śri Bhagavat Sandarbha and remains in a passive state because the material ego is dissolved. Thus, liberation in Brahman basically refers to the zero-point of material being. It is uniformity of being only, and thus it is but the outer glow of nondual or transcendental being. In that indetermi- nate state, one cannot taste the positive bliss of serving the Supreme Person. In Vaikuntha, however, the internal potency endows the devotee with a spiritual body, with the self identity of belonging to the Lord and existing entirely for Him, and with a particular rela- tionship with the Lord, through which the devotee loves and serves Him. This leads to countless naturally arising blissful exchanges between the Lord and His devotee. This state is attained only by pure devotional service. To illustrate this, Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī cites two verses spoken by Śri Brahma to the devas, while describing the birth of Hiranyākṣa and Hiranyakasipu. Brahma explains that Vaikuntha cannot be reached by those immersed in worthless topics that do not concern the Real. Such topics rob a person of all piety because they are without connection to the Lord’s pastimes. The Lord’s līlās are purifying (punya-śravana- kirtana, SB 1.2.17). Materialistic people, however, think them a waste of time because they have lost their intelligence through hearing and speaking about sense pleasure (kukatha mati-ghnī, SB 3.15.23). They are drawn primarily to topics concerning sexual attraction, and this leads them further into darkness and ignorance (tamo- dvāram yoṣitām sargi-sangam, SB 5.5.2). Narada Muni compares such mundane talks to the refuse eaten by crows: Those words, which though wonderfully composed do not con- 997 tain the glories of the Lord, who is capable of purifying the whole aboworld, are relished by sensuous people who are comparable to crows that feed on refuse. Swan-like devotees never take delight in such descriptions. (SB 1.5.10)* asdil According to Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi, agha-bhit (the destroyer of sin), the epithet of the Lord in SB 3.15.23 quoted in this section, means “Kṛṣṇa, the killer of Aghasura.” When pastimes, such as Kṛṣṇa’s
- na yad vacaś citra-padam harer yaso jagat pavitram pragrṇīta karhicit tad vayasam tirtham usanti manasa na yatra hamsa niramanty usikkṣayāḥ 648 68 Vaikuntha Surpasses Liberation killing of the demon Aghasura, are faithfully heard, all sins are dis- pelled from the heart. Śrī Jiva is implying here that hearing Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes is more purifying than hearing those of all His avatāras. And yet, unfortunate people do not take interest in hear- ing them even after achieving this rare human form. Śrī Kapila laments for such ātmās: anole nod to Those who reject the nectar of the infallible Lord’s topics are con- demned by Destiny. They choose to hear about temporal matters and any are thus comparable to stool-eating hogs. (SB 3.32.19)5 vd s In the second verse quoted in this anuccheda, Śrī Brahmā glorifies those who are enraptured by hearing and chanting about the Lord. Such people are described as dūre yamah, beyond the jurisdiction of Yamarāja, who instructed his servants not to approach the devotees of the Lord. Even Śrī Brahmā desires to follow in the footsteps of such devotees (nah spṛhaniya-silah), who alone have the eligibility to enter Vaikuntha. In Särärtha-darśini, Śrīla Viśvanatha Cakravarti Thakura dis- cusses the accounts found in some Purāņas of asuras who tem- porarily went to Vaikuntha. His conclusion is that these demons do not experience Vaikuntha’s transcendental qualities, so their going there is tantamount to not going at all. When Kṛṣṇa allows an asura to enter Vaikuntha, it can be compared to a king allowing a tamed tiger, decorated with various gems, to enter the assembly hall for entertainment. Sometimes the Lord allows material objects or people influenced by the gunas to be brought to Vaikuntha for the experience of His transcendental associates. Such instances include Bhrgu Muni and the Kumāras. As they are not qualified to stay there, they are sent back immediately. The Lord’s devotees, however, are taken to Vaikuntha in transcendental airplanes and enjoy eternal residence and loving relationships with Him. Therefore, in Jitante-stotra of Närada-pañcarātra, Śrī Brahmā says: motion Hators nunam daivena vihata ye cacyuta-katha-sudhām hitva śṛṇvanty asad-gāthāḥ purīṣam iva vid-bhujah 649 nobeŚri Bhagavat Sandarbha aib The world called Vaikuntha is replete with six types of opulence and The devoid of the three gunas of material nature. It can never be attained by non-devotees. ab Because devotees derive so much bliss from their mutual discus- sions of the Lord and His pastimes, they frown on the so-called bliss of homogeneous liberation in Brahman. This is confirmed by the Kumāras, the best of the jñānis, who directly experienced Vaikun- tha and the dealings between the Lord and His devotees. After the Kumāras cursed Jaya and Vijaya and realized the personal form of the Lord, they spoke SB 3.15.48, also quoted here by Śrī Jiva Prabhu. They realized that the taste of Hari-katha is far superior to brahmā- nanda. Previously, they were absorbed in the bliss of Brahman but gave it up, having found something superior. They spoke directly from their experience and not from hearsay. Śrī Sukadeva had a similar experience and said: O King Parikşit, generally the topmost transcendentalists, who are beyond prescriptions and restrictions, take pleasure in recounting the attributes of the Lord. (SB 2.1.7)” In this verse, Sukadeva describes the general tendency of liber- ated beings to awaken attraction for the Lord’s pastimes, but then goes on to speak of his own direct experience. Therefore, one should not think that his case is exceptional: O saintly King, although I was situated in transcendence beyond the Sigunas, my heart was captivated by the delineation of the pastimes of shithe Lord, and so I took up its study. (SB 2.1.9) In this verse, the word nairgunya (freedom from the gunas of material nature) refers to the liberated state. Thus, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi concludes that since the bliss of devotion is superior to lokam vaikuntha-nāmānam dviya-sad-guna-samyutament avaiṣṇvānām apräpyaṁ guna-traya-vivarjitam prayeņa munayo rajan nivṛttä vidhi-şedhataḥ nairgunya-stha ramante sma gunanukathane hareḥ sparinisthito’pi nairgunya uttama-sloka-lilaya grhita-cetā rājarṣe akhyānam yad adhītavān disd 65068 Vaikuntha Surpasses Liberation that of impersonal liberation, and since Vaikuntha can be attained only through such devotion, its transcendental glories can be easily inferred. 463 al stimulia क -AVUSRIOTR STORE | Parhaast flav BMCs of anem ads ares (fragM) indio amend an babuloni sr sv blodd he nothing laman listed in mom vodi said sil insigolyab farina dugaland ode bella davessaltados (onallova tes A wilt of sandy rady word year memayeh VM to allofa Tuvshum algid sit) noz ikpan as it 651 yliated mentolg isheshinomest annoooo sure quarriving devotees Anuccheda 69 of homogen Vaikuntha Is Sat-cit-ānanda - I tha and ६९ । सच्चिदानन्दरूपत्वम् (भा० ११ ।२०।३७) - (9) SAT-CIT-ANANDA-RUPATVA (Vaikuntha is eternal, conscious and blissful). The Lord Himself states this: एवमेतान् मयादिष्टाननुतिष्ठन्ति मे पथः । क्षेमं विन्दन्ति मत्स्थानं यद्ब्रह्म परमं विदुः ॥ २८७ ॥ Thus, those who perpetually adhere to My paths, which I Myself have established, attain the highest welfare, My abode, which they know to be the Supreme Brahman. (SB 11.20.37)1 I मे पथः – ज्ञानकर्मभक्तिलक्षणान् मत्प्राप्त्युपायान् । ज्ञानकर्मणोरपि भक्तेषु भक्तेः प्रथमतः क्वचित् कदाचित् किञ्चित् साहाय्यकारित्वात् । क्षेमं मद्भक्तिमङ्गलमयं यत्स्थानं परमं ब्रह्मेति विदुर्जानन्ति । इत्थमेवोदाहरिष्यते च (भा० १० । २८ ।१४-१५) - The term me pathah (My paths) refers to the means to attain Me, namely, jñāna, karma and bhakti. Jñana and karma are included here because they are sometimes a little helpful to some devotees at the beginning of their spiritual development. Kṣema (the high- est welfare) refers to that place which is filled with the auspi- ciousness of My devotion. They know that place to be the Abso- lute Truth, or paramam brahma. A similar example is found in the Tenth Canto: 1 evam etän mayādiṣṭān anutiṣṭhanti me pathaḥ kṣemam vindanti mat-sthanam yad brahma paramaṁ viduḥ 652 69 Vaikuntha Is Sat-cit-ananda - I इति सञ्चिन्त्य भगवान् महाकारुणिको हरिः । lord std mo I दर्शयामास लोकं स्वं गोपानां तमसः परम् ॥ २८८ ॥ सत्यं ज्ञानमनन्तं यद्ब्रह्मज्योतिः सनातनम् | A hold यद्धि पश्यन्ति मुनयो गुणापायो समाहिता ॥ २८९ ॥ इति । ambil datosh en After reflecting in this way, the supremely compassionate ŚrīMB Hari revealed to the cowherds His own abode, beyond the dark-g ness of the material world. That abode is the truth, knowledge, infinity and eternal divine light that thoughtful sages witness in the depths of trance, after the effacement of the material qualities. (SB 10.28.14-15)2 20 Jon उभयत्रापि चकाराद्यध्याहारादिना त्वर्थान्तरं कष्टं भवति । तैरेव च “तमसः प्रकृतेः परम्” इति वैकुण्ठस्यापि विशेषणत्वेन व्याख्यातमिति ॥ श्रीभगवान् ॥ In either of the two verses quoted above, it would be a mistake to imagine that there is ellipsis of the conjunction ca (and), and that it must therefore be added to complete the sense [in a farfetched attempt to suggest that Brahman and Kṛṣṇa’s abode are two dif- ferent realities]. Śrīdhara Svāmī has himself explained that the phrase “beyond the darkness of material nature” (tamasaḥ param) qualifies Vaikuntha. Commentary burtizni of babasoorg ned sH IN SECTION 62, ŚRILA JIVA GOSVĀMI SAID that Vaikuntha is beyond the material world, and then in Section 66.1, that it is nirguna, or free from the material gunas. All this necessarily implies that Vaikun- tha is sat-cit-ananda. Nevertheless, he here sets out to prove this point explicitly. Radical Nondualists do not accept that Vaikuntha is a transcendental realm, because they are predisposed to interpret all form as limitation. This itself becomes an imposition of limitation 2 iti sañcintya bhagavan mahā-kāruṇiko hariḥ darśayāmāsa lokam svaṁ gopānāṁ tamasaḥ param satyam jñānam anantam yad brahma-jyotiḥ sanatanam yad dhi pasyanti munayo guṇāpayo samähitā svam brahma-svarupaṁ lokam vaikunthakhyam ca tamasah prakṛteḥ param 653 Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha on the Absolute because they deny it even the possibility of transcen- dental form. Thus, they consider unqualified Brahman alone to be the supreme destination. At best they take Vaikuntha as a synonym for Brahman, or mukti. Generally, the Radical Nondualists think Vaikuntha to be subor- dinate to Brahman and a product of maya. According to them, time, place and direction do not exist in Brahman, but are perceived with Brahman as their background; they are material upadhis, or artifi- cial impositions on Spirit. By the knowledge of their adhiṣṭhāna, or Brahman, these upadhis are placed into recession, just as when one recognizes a rope as a rope, he does not mistake it for a snake. Vai- kuntha is a place, and thus cannot be equal or superior to Brahman. To dispel such misgivings, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi devotes four anucche- das to explaining Vaikuntha’s svarupa, or true nature. In the Eleventh Canto, Kṛṣṇa described three processes for the progress of human beings: 000 do aleg barb 15 nijanse 901 51sigmos bebbe ad ajot I have taught the three yogas-jñāna, karma and bhakti- for the ultimate welfare of humankind. Other than these three, there are no means to enlightenment. (SB 11.20.6)* He then proceeded to instruct Uddhava in these three yogas. In this anuccheda, Jiva Gosvāmī cites the concluding verse of that teach- ing, SB 11.20.37. The word patha refers to the three above-mentioned paths. In reality, the Lord is attained only through bhakti, but jñāna and vairagya are sometimes helpful in the beginning. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmi confirms this in Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: Jñana and vairagya are somewhat helpful in the beginning to enter upon the path of devotion, but they should not be considered as distinct limbs of bhakti. (BRS 1.2.248)5 yardeaussed,minst no Jñana and vairagya help one detach the mind from sense attrac- tion, and thus enable one to appreciate the significance of bhakti. yogas trayo maya proktā nṛṇām śreyo-vidhitsaya jñānam karma ca bhaktiś ca nopãyo’nyo’sti kutracit 5 jñāna-vairāgyayor bhakti-praveśayopayogitā işat prathamam eveti nangatvam ucitam tayoḥ 654 69 Vaikuntha Is Sat-cit-ananda - I Even though cleaning a gun is certainly helpful to facilitate a sharp- shooter’s discipline, it does not guarantee that one will hit the mark when using that weapon. In the same way, the practices of jñāna and vairagya, though beneficial, do not assure the attainment of bhakti. Cleaning a gun is a process external to marksmanship itself; so too are jñāna and vairagya external to establishment in, and cultivation of, bhakti. mva ending all will to sing ad dw Thus, when the Lord says, “Those who perpetually adhere to My paths,” He specifically means bhakti. When they attain completion of the paths in bhakti, they attain Vaikuntha, realizing it to be the Supreme Brahman. In commenting on the principal verse of this section (SB 11.20.37), Śrīdhara Svāmī writes, “They attain My world, which is free from time and māyā, and they also know the Supreme Brahman.” The con- junction ca (also) does not appear in the verse, but Śrīdhara Svāmi has suggested that there is ellipsis of the word in order to be able to interpret the verse in accordance with the Radical Nondualist view. The implication of this contrived interpretation is that devo- tees attain Kṛṣṇa’s abode and also realize Brahman, which would indicate that Brahman is superior to the Lord’s abode and is the ultimate destination.dated toolery.navia dos med bŚrila Jiva Gosvāmi quotes two verses from the Tenth Canto describing the direct witnessing of Vaikuntha bestowed upon the residents of Vraja. Śrīdhara Svāmi comments on the first verse, “Sva means Brahman, and loka means Vaikuntha.” Here also he assumes the conjunction ca, and instead of saying “His planet” (svam lokam), he comments that the Lord showed them His planet and Brahman as well. Śrila Jiva Gosvāmi objects to the artificial addition of ca in both cases as it yields a distorted meaning. In Tattva Sandarbha, Anu- ccheda 27, he says that although Sridhara Svāmī is a great Vaisnava, his commentary on Srimad Bhagavatam is mixed with the Radi- cal Nondualist interpretation, or Advaitavada. He has done this 7 ⚫ kṣemaṁ kāla-māyādi-rahitam mama lokam vindanti yat paramam brahma tac ca viduḥ. svam brahma-svarupaṁ lokaṁ vaikuṇṭhākhyam ca 655 Śri Bhagavat Sandarbha deliberately to attract the non-theistic Vedäntists to study and reflect upon devotional Vedanta or devotional nondualism. As a result, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi resolved that whenever Śrīdhara Svāmi’s explanation is in accordance with the pure Vaisnava conclusions, he would follow it. In other cases, he would explain Śrīdhara Svāmi’s comment in line with pure Vaisnava principles. This is one instance where he prefers to differ with Śrīdhara Svāmi’s comment, under- standing his real intention. cil Thus, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi says, tair eva ca tamasaḥ prakṛteḥ param iti vaikunthasyāpi višeṣaṇatvena vyakhyātam. Although Śrīdhara Svāmi has interpreted the verses to conform to the non-theistic view of the Absolute, he has identified the words tamasaḥ param, which means “beyond material nature,” as an adjectival phrase modifying Vaikuntha. Jiva Gosvāmī mentions this fact to indicate that Śrīdhara Svāmi understood the transcendental nature of Vaikuntha. There is no need to explain Śrīdhara Svāmi’s method, because the meaning of the original verses is clear. These verses especially describe the residents of Vraja, who have absolutely no interest in seeing Brahman. The Vraja-vāsīs desired to see the destination that awaited them. Thus, it would be entirely out of context for them to be given a vision of Brahman. Rather, the meaning is that Vaikuntha is the transcendental Absolute Reality, Brahman, and not a material planet. Therefore, Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī says that svam lokam (their own world) means Goloka, which is beyond ignorance. Satya means “eternally manifest;” jñāna means “conscious;” ananta means “unlimited;” sanatana means “eternal;” and jyoti means “self- effulgent.” All this implies that Vaikuntha is sat-cit-ananda in nature. The great sages who are free from the gunas of nature can see this planet. This is confirmed in the Ṛk mantra: “The great sages always see the supreme abode of Śrī Visņu” (RV 1.22.20) Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi will continue to explain the transcendental nature of Vaikuntha in the following anuccheda. stad visnoḥ paramam padaṁ sadā paśyanti surayaḥy bec 656 alindi niya to “and row study lea) unda rist sl Jakes vita dan akadrinated adsson Anuccheda 70 is ons allesh you.gidad arokowo-gal king ton” toplisting damage to sesong nyd “lees Vaikuntha Is Sat-cit-ananda-II is you Jed waiv od brutal (mito) snoremsasa si to 1951 أمور Stanis od hoy alien) Insinom su bil) avand ७० । तथैव (भा० २।२।१७-१८) - SIMILARLY, Śri Suka explains: “ohovah need bebal wi ulsora iw hallitam lovel dane न यत्र कालोऽनिमिषां परः प्रभुः कुतो नु देवा जगतां य ईशिरे । न यत्र सत्त्वं न रजस्तमश्च न वै विकारो न महान् प्रधानम् ॥ २९० ॥ परं पदं वैष्णवमामनन्ति तद्यन् नेति नेतीत्यतदुत्सिसृक्षवः । विसृज्य दौरात्म्यमनन्यसौहृदा हृदोपगुह्यार्हपदं पदे पदे ॥ २९९ ॥ 97002 do abode ad In that abode, Time, which reigns even over the immortals, has n no influence, what to speak of the gods who control the worlds. Nor do sattva, rajas, tamas, ego, the cosmic intellect (mahat) or primordial nature (pradhana) exist in that abode. Those who desire to realize the Absolute Truth by the process of negating all that is not That (neti neti), abandon false notions about the self’s true identity. Being filled with single-minded heartfelt devotion, thuthey embrace in their hearts at every moment the feet of the A Deserving One. Such persons regard the abode of Śrī Visņu as the bat Supreme Station. (SB 2.2.17-18)‘allon as अतत्– चिद्व्यतिरिक्तम् । नेति नेतीत्येवमुत्स्रष्टुमिच्छवो दौरात्म्यं भगवदात्मनोरभेददृष्टिं विसृज्य अर्हस्य श्रीभगवतः पदं चरणारविन्दं पदे पदे प्रतिक्षणं हृदा उपगुह्य आश्लिष्य na yatra kalo’nimiṣām paraḥ prabhuḥ kuto nu devā jagataṁ ya isire na yatra sattvam na rajas tamaś ca na vai vikāro na mahān pradhānam param padam vaiṣṇavam amananti tad yan neti netity atad-utsisṛkṣavaḥ visṛjya dauratmyam ananya-sauhṛdä hṛdopaguhyarha-padam pade pade 657 Śri Bhagavat Sandarbha नान्यस्मिन् सौहृदं येषां तथाभूताः सन्तो यदामनन्ति जानन्ति तद्वैष्णवं पदं श्रीवैकुण्ठमिति ब्रह्मस्वरूपमेव तदिति तात्पर्यम् । The term a-tat (lit., “all that is not That,” or “everything that is not the Absolute Truth”) means other than the inherently exist- ing conscious being. They desire to cast off the a-tat, or the “non- real,” by the process of negation, i.e., the principle of “not this, not this” (neti neti). They abandon false notions about the self’s true identity (dauratmya), namely, the view that the self and the Lord are absolutely without distinction. They embrace the lotus feet of the Deserving One (arha), namely, Bhagavan, within their hearts (hṛdā) at every moment (pade pade). The term “single- minded heartfelt devotion” (ananya-sauhṛda) means that such devotees are filled with exclusive affection for Him alone, and not for anyone else. Such sages regard (amananti), i.e., they know, the abode of Śrī Viṣṇu, or in other words, Vaikuntha, to be the very form of Brahman. This is the import of the verse. अनेन प्रेमलक्षणसाधनलिङ्गेन निराकाररूपमर्थान्तरं निरस्तम् । Since this abode is attained through spiritual practices rooted in love of God (prema), any other interpretation of this verse amounting to the utter denial of form must be rejected. अत्र निराकारपरायणस्यापि मुक्ताफलटीकाकृतो दैवाभिव्यञ्जिता गीर्यथा “ तत्परं पदं वैष्णवमामनन्ति । अधिकृताधिष्ठितराजाधिष्ठितत्ववत् ब्रह्मादिपदानामपि विष्णुनाधिष्ठि- तत्वात् परमित्युक्तम् । विष्णुनैवाधिष्ठितमित्यर्थः” इति । Although the writer of the Mukta-phala commentary is commit- ted to the formless conception of the Absolute, Fate has inspired him to explain this verse as follows, “[Śrī Suka explains:] “They regard the abode of Sri Visņu as the Supreme Station.’ The planets, such as that of Śrī Brahma, are under the control of Śrī Visņu, just as a provincial king is under the command of an emperor. There- fore, the adjective ‘supreme’ (para) has been used to qualify Śrī Visņu’s abode. This means that this Supreme Station is presided over only by Śri Visņu.” 658 70 Vaikuntha Is Sat-cit-ananda - II अत एव श्रुतावपि तस्य स्वमहिमैकप्रतिष्ठितत्वम् “स भगवः कस्मिन् प्रतिष्ठित इति स्वे महिम्नि” (छा० ७।२४।१) इति । अत एवोक्तम् “क इत्था वेद यत्र सः” (कठ १ । २ । २५) इति ॥ श्रीशुकः ॥ bre “2 Therefore, the Śruti establishes the Lord as situated exclusively in His own glory: “Where is that Lord situated? In His own glory.” Elsewhere it is said, “Who can know where He exists?“3 Commentary of ŚRILA JIVA GOSVĀMI CONTINUES to explain the transcendental nature of Vaikuntha. This time he cites two verses that Sukadeva Gosvāmī spoke to Parīkṣit Mahārāja regarding krama-mukti (grad- ual liberation) and sadyo-mukti (immediate liberation). In the midst of his description, Sukadeva explains how to meditate on the Lord within the heart and how by gradual practice the meditator becomes free from disturbances caused by the senses and mind. Thereafter, he goes on to attain the transcendental platform. These two verses describe the state of transcendence called param padam, or the supreme abode of the Lord, which is free from the influence of time. The material world is controlled by the devas who are under the influence of time, yet time cannot influence the transcendental abode of the Lord. The gunas of nature, which are the cause behind material creation, also have no control over Vaikuntha. An alternate meaning is that time has no control over Vaikuntha, which is free from the gunas of nature and their source, pradhana. Only those who desire to give up association with inert matter (atad-utsisṛkṣava), who understand that the Lord both includes and transcends everything, and who have loving feelings exclusively for the Lord and His devotees, can understand Vaikuntha. The word dauratmya, which generally carries the meaning of “depravity,” or “moral corruption,” is used here more precisely in the sense of sa bhagavaḥ kasmin pratisthita iti sve mahimni CHU 7.24.1 3 ka ittha veda yatra sah KU 1.2.25, quoted in full in the next section. 659 Śri Bhagavat Sandarbha ascribing to the pure self (atma) a spurious identity. This can mani- fest in two ways - taking the pure self to be the body-mind complex, and thus committing attention to the enjoyment of matter; or taking the pure, yet infinitesimal, self to be the Infinite Reality, and thus denying the whole-part existentiality in which we inherently abide. The first type of “moral corruption” reduces the pure conscious self to inert matter, whereas the second type inflates the pure self to the Totality. The pure self is in fact an infinitesimal conscious part of the One supreme conscious Existent. As such, the pure self is inherently and inviolably one in identity with, yet distinct from, the conscious Whole that encompasses it. Only when a person is free from the moral corruption of ascribing to the self either of these false identities can he enter the transcendental abode of the Lord. This freedom cannot be material as only transcendental consciousness manifests the true nature of the self. Therefore, Vaikuntha cannot be a material destination. It is also not utterly devoid of form, which is to say that it is inclusive of transcendental form. As the verse states, devotees embrace the Lord’s feet within their hearts at every moment. Thus, the words param padam, the supreme station, cannot refer to the formless brahmajyoti, in which there is no possibility of meditating on the Lord’s feet. The word “feet” is indicative of the whole body. To do Śrī Hemādri, a staunch proponent of non-theistic Vedanta, who flourished around the twelfth century, wrote the Kaivalya-dipikā commentary on Mukta-phala of Śri Vopadeva. By the will of the Lord, his comment on the first verse of this work confirms the con- clusions of theistic Vedanta, or theistic nonduality. In these two verses, Vopadeva explains the formless feature of Visņu. According to him, Visnu has two features - formless and endowed with form (sa dvedha nirākāraḥ sākāraś ca). Prior to this, Vopadeva explained the formless feature of Viṣṇu. In the relevant portion of his com- mentary, Hemādri says that even the topmost planet in this material world is under Śrī Visnu’s control, but His supreme abode, Vaikun- tha, is not controlled by anyone else. This is because Vaikuntha is a manifestation of Viṣṇu’s own internal energy. 66070 Vaikuntha Is Sat-cit-ananda - II In the next section, Śrī Jiva Prabhu will explain the meaning of the Katha Upanisad mantra cited in this anuccheda by referring to Narada Muni’s teachings to King Präcīnabarhi. 215 dengni fall and woud and W wangs oma ter bobuolistansgilistel end still ecoylu bogabad of tinira aba a consug adm (dob) solum diw babu zisillegal a festuabi (Bolwebzine brod to (adol) sboda sdt wer (raw) n day noong af noge ban cinely 661 02 anos to animam o lalo uden vil forsiradi doborkalle bat atom hosing t mittingistredeninint to go Anuccheda 71 Vaikuntha Is Not Known to Ritualistic Performers ७१ । “क इत्था” इत्यादिश्रुतेरर्थत्वेनापि स्पष्टमाह (भा० ४।२९।४८) - ŚRĪ NĀRADA CLEARLY STATES the meaning of the Śruti statement, “Who can know where He exists?” to King Pracinabarhi: स्वं लोकं न विदुस्ते वै यत्र देवो जनार्दनः । आहुर्धूम्रधियो वेदं सकर्मकमतद्विदः ॥ २९२ ॥ Those whose intelligence is clouded with smoke, being unaware of the real purpose of the Veda, think it to be devoted only to rit- ual. They do not know the realm where Śrī Janardana dwells, which is identical to His own essential nature. (SB 4.29.48)2 ये धूम्रधियो वेदं सकर्मकं कर्ममात्रप्रतिपादकमाहुस्ते जनार्दनस्य स्वं स्वरूपं लोकं न विदुः किन्तु स्वर्गादिकमेव विदुः । यत्र लोके ॥ श्रीनारदः प्राचीनबर्हिषम् ॥ Those whose intelligence is clouded with smoke (dhūmra-dhiyah) think that the Vedas prescribe only fruitive action. They do not know the abode (loka) of Lord Janardana, which is identical to His very own (sva) essential nature. They know only the heavenly planets, and so on. The pronoun yatra (where) signifies a distinct place or location [where Lord Janardana’s abiding occurs]. 1 ka itthā KU 1.2.25 2 svaṁ lokam na vidus te vai yatra devo janardanaḥ ahur dhumra-dhiyo vedam sa-karmakam atad-vidaḥ 662 71 Vaikuntha Is Not Known to Ritualistic Performers Commentary Brow andia du At the end of THE PREVIOUS SECTION, Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī cited KU 1.2.25 to show that Bhagavan is situated in His transcendental abode and that ritualistic performers, who consider heaven as the ultimate goal, do not comprehend Vaikuntha. The complete mantra is as follows: Indeed, who knows where resides the One for whom brāhmaṇas and kṣatriyas are the rice and death the condiment? (KU 1.2.25)3 In the mantra previous to this, it was said that one who has unwholesome conduct, uncontrolled senses and a disturbed mind cannot attain the Lord. This verse says that such a person cannot even understand His abode of the Lord. The reference to brāhmaṇas and kṣatriyas indicates all members of the God-centered society that is organized on the principles of varṇāśrama-dharma. Even they can- not know the Lord’s abode if they do not give up addiction to fruitive action. In Section 61 it was explained that such people can reach no further than Satyaloka. But Vaikuntha is attained by bhakti. In this section, Śrī Jiva elucidates the meaning of the mantra by referring to a statement made by Narada Muni to King Pracinabarhi, who was expert in Karma-kanda, the ritualistic portion of the Vedas that aims primarily at heaven. He was fortunate to obtain the asso- ciation of Narada Muni, who told him that one cannot achieve the ultimate goal simply by fruitive action. On the king’s request, Narada instructed him in transcendental knowledge by reciting the allegory of King Purañjana, wherein he explained that the Lord and His abode cannot be understood by those who are addicted to fruitive action. 3 This statement implies that both Vaikuntha and Bhagavan are sat, cit and ananda by their very nature. As material action can yield only material results, it is not possible to reach Vaikuntha by material action. yasya brahma ca kṣatram ca ubhe bhavata odanah mṛtyur yasyopasecanaṁ ka itthä veda yatra sah 663 Pas Śri Bhagavat Sandarbha a Dhumra-dhiyaḥ refers to those whose intelligence is smoky, or in other words, impure. This implies that their intelligence has been affected unfavorably by the smoke produced from their fire sacrifices. Such ritualistic performers are attracted by Vedic state- ments like, “We will drink soma juice by performing sacrifice and become immortal” (apām somam amamṛtābhūma, Atharva-sikhā Upanisad 3.2). Or, “The piety of those who observe the vow of căturmasya is imperishable” (akṣayyam ha vai caturmasya-yājinaḥ sukṛtam, RV 8.48.3). 101 ano o brazed swore In reality, such statements must be understood as having sec- ondary meanings because nothing is imperishable in the material world. These statements are meant to attract people to engage in religious acts in order that they may perform some austerity and charity. Those who are less discerning, however, become attracted to such flowery pronouncements and consider them as the be-all and end-all of the Vedas. In Bhagavad Gitā also, Śrī Kṛṣṇa disparages the attitude of such people, known as Vedavādīs: Being filled with desire and allured by the goal of heaven, the igno- rant who are attached to the Vedic doctrine propound the flowery yd words of the Vedas, claiming that the Vedas are concerned with noth- ing other than elaborate rituals that bestow propitious birth, plea- surable fruits of action, and that lead to sense enjoyment and opu- lence. (GĪTĀ 2.42-43)* Śrī Kṛṣṇa also denies that there is any eternal benefit to such selfish acts: istasbnspar After extensively enjoying the heavenly realm, when their merit is Web exhausted, they enter the world of mortality. Thus, those who are 4 committed to the religion of the three Vedas, seeking sense enjoy- ment alone, attain only such repeated coming and going. (GĪTĀ 9.21)5 yam imam puspitam vacaṁ pravadanty avipaścitaḥ veda-vada-rataḥ pārtha nanyad astīti vādinaḥ kāmātmānaḥ svarga-para janma-karma-phala-pradām kriya-viseṣa-bahulam bhogaiśvarya-gatim prati 5 te tam bhuktvā svarga-lokaṁ viśālam kṣine punye martya-lokam visanti evam trayi-dharmam anu prapannā gatāgataṁ kāma-kāmā labhante 664 71 Vaikuntha Is Not Known to Ritualistic Performers The real purpose of the Vedas is to know Kṛṣṇa-vedaiś ca sar- vair aham eva vedyaḥ (GITA 15.15). Those attached to the ritualistic portion of the Veda (Karma-kāṇḍa) sometimes receive the mercy of a true devotee and come to understand the real purpose of the revealed scripture. This happened in the case of King Prācinabarhi, who was blessed with the association of Narada. In general, how- ever, fruitive workers have no information about the transcenden- tal Lord and His abode. This is because they remain engrossed in the ritualistic action prescribed in the Vedas. In the following section, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi continues to give scriptural evidence concerning the transcendental nature of the Vaikuntha world. To ang nd wife bevonat espole on on to colberg demony,bolsolated Shldw(indlayamadamata) nolisin 665 meminta barb to hang Entre of biteladi se o bodouts Saddal Friense bodring Roundy (head: To authen Anuccheda 72 mbrisonant adfuodeoHauront of all dow Dhruvaloka Is Also Transcendental Vaikuntha svigrot and loswien felishowmet or ७२ । एवं च (भा० ६।९।३३ ) - THE SAME POINT’ is made in the prose text, wherein the gods pray to Śrī Hari: ‘ॐ नमस्तेऽस्तु भगवन्” (भा० ६।९।३३) इत्यादिगद्ये “परमहंसपरिव्राजकैः परमेणात्म- योगसमाधिना परिभावितपरिस्फुटपारमहंस्यधर्मेणोद्धाटिततमः कपाटद्वारे चित्तेऽपावृत आत्मलोके स्वयमुपलब्धनिजसुखानुभवो भवान्” । O Bhagavan! I bow down to You. You taste the bliss derived from Your own Self in Your own abode (atma-loke), which is discovered within the heart by the topmost wandering ascetics, when con- sciousness is uncovered after the gates of darkness (tamas) have been unlocked, through practice of the dharma of ultimate com- pletion (päramahamsya-dharma), which is revealed and realized in the highest state of yogic trance in the Self. (SB 6.9.33)2 I तमः प्रकृतिरज्ञानं वा । आत्मलोके स्वस्वरूपे लोके । “एष आत्मलोक एष ब्रह्मलोकः” (बृ० ४।३।३२) इति । “दिव्ये ब्रह्मपुरे ह्येष परमात्मा प्रतिष्ठितः” (मु०२।२।७) इत्यादिश्रुतौ । The word tamas (darkness), refers either to primordial nature or to ignorance. Atma-loke means that “abode which is His own svarupa,” as evidenced in Śruti statements such as, “This is ātma- 1 That the Lord resides in His own essential nature. 2 om namas te’stu bhagavan […] paramahamsa-parivrăjakaiḥ parameṇātma-yoga-samadhină paribhävita-parisphuța-paramahamsya-dharmenodghatita-tamaḥ-kapāṭa-dvāre citte’pāvṛta ātma-loke svayam upalabdha-nija-sukhanubhavo bhavan 666 72 Dhruvaloka Is Also Transcendental Vaikuntha loka, this is brahma-loka,” and, “This Paramātmā is situated in the transcendental brahma-pura.” Pippalada-śākha of the Veda states: hay e adr यत्तत् सूक्ष्मं परमं वेदितव्यं नित्यं पदं वैष्णवमामनन्ति । एतल्लोका न विदुर्लोकसारं विदन्ति तत्कवयो योगनिष्ठाः ।। २९३ ।। इति पिप्पलादशाखायाम् । 30 67095b al brol ad viholy V20 obod om That which is most subtle and supreme, the eternal state of Śrī Visņu, is to be known. The people of this material world do not know it, the essence of all worlds. Only the wise who are fixed in yoga know it.“s di “परेण नाकं निहितं गुहायां बिभ्राजते यद्यतयो विशन्ति (महा० ना० १२ । १४ ) इति परस्याम् । binding vonit In another Śruti text it is said, “That abode into which the ascetics enter is beyond heaven, yet it shines brilliantly within the pure heart” (MNU 12.14). souls unadini brim “तद् वा एतत्परं धाम मन्त्रराजाध्यापकस्य यत्र न दुःखादि न सूर्यो भाति यत्र न वायुर्वाि यत्र न चन्द्रमास्तपति यत्र न नक्षत्राणि भान्ति यत्र न मृत्युः प्रविशति यत्र न दोषस्तदानन्दं शाश्वतं शान्तं सदाशिवं ब्रह्मादिवन्दितं योगिध्येयं यत्र गत्वा न निवर्तन्ते योगिनः । तदेत- दृचाभ्युक्तम् तद्विष्णोः परमं पदं सदा पश्यन्ति सूरयः । दिवीव चक्षुराततम् । तद्विप्रासो विपन्यवो जागृवांसः समिन्धते । विष्णोर्यत्परमं पदम् " (नृ० ता० ५। १०) इति श्रीनृसिंहता- पन्याम् । Nrsimha-tapani Upanisad states: “The reciter of the sovereign [Nrsimha] mantra certainly attains that supreme transcenden- tal abode, beyond all miseries, where the sun, moon and stars do not shine, the wind does not blow, and death does not enter. eşa ātma-loka esa brahma-lokah BAU 4.3.32 divye brahma-pure hy eṣa paramātmā pratiṣṭhitaḥ MUU2.2.7 yat tat sükṣmaṁ paramam veditavyaṁ nityam padam vaibhavam amananti etal loka na vidur loka-säraṁ vidanti tat kavayo yoga-niṣṭhāh pareņa nākam nihitam guhāyām bibhrajate yad yatayo visanti 667 Śri Bhagavat Sandarbhavu That abode is blissful, eternal, peaceful, always auspicious, wor- shipable by devas like Brahma and meditated upon by yogis. It is devoid of all defects. The yogis who enter there, never come back. This is stated in the Ṛg Veda mantras:” “The devotees always see that supreme abode of Śrī Visnu, which extends all around like sunlight in the sky. The brahmanas, who always attentively glorify the Lord, render that abode even more brilliant. This is the supreme abode of Visnu”” (NTU 5.10)8 9 न त्वियमपि ब्रह्मपरत्वेनैव व्याख्येया वन्दितत्वेन यत्र गत्वा इत्यनेन च तदनङ्गीकारात् । यतः श्रीविष्णुपुराणे च श्रीविष्णुलोकमुद्दिश्य ऋगियमनुस्मृता । यथा (वि० पु० २।८।९८- १०३) – The supreme abode referred to in this statement of Nrsimha- tapani Upaniṣad should not be interpreted as indeterminate Brah- man, because this possibility is denied by phrases like, “It is wor- shipable by gods like Brahmā,” and, “yogis who enter there.” Fur- thermore, the same statement from RV 1.22.20 has been kept in mind in the Visnu Purana description of Sri Visņu’s abode: ऊर्ध्वोत्तरमृषिभ्यस्तु ध्रुवो यत्र व्यवस्थितः । एतद्विष्णुपदं दिव्यं तृतीयं व्योम्नि भास्वरम् ॥ २९४ ॥ निर्धूतदोषपङ्कानां यतीनां संयतात्मनाम् । स्थानं तत्परमं विप्र पुण्यपापपरिक्षये ॥ २९५ ॥ अपुण्यपुण्योपरमे क्षीणाशोषाप्तिहेतवः । यत्र गत्वा न शोचन्ति तद्विष्णोः परमं पदम् ।। २९६ ।। धर्मवाद्यास्तिष्ठन्ति यत्र ते लोकसाक्षिणः । ©४ तत्साष्ट्र्योत्पन्नयोगर्द्धास्तद्विष्णोः परमं पदम् ॥ २९७ ।। यत्रैतदोतं प्रोतं च यद्भूतं सचराचरम् । The 7 भव्यं च विश्वं मैत्रेय तद्विष्णोः परमं पदम् ।। २९८ ।। दिवीव चक्षुराततं विततं तन्महात्मनाम् । (BST inning-orde 92 inom [adridley I hoyad shodni विवेकज्ञानवृद्धं च तद्विष्णोः परमं पदम् ॥ २९९ ॥ इति । Nrsimha-tāpanī Upanisad quotes RV 1.22.20-21 here in full. an anida Jon 8 tad vā etat paraṁ dhama mantra-rajadhyapakasya yatra na duḥkhādi na suryo bhāti yatra na vayur vāti yatra na candramas tapati yatra na nakṣatrāṇi bhānti yatra na mṛtyuḥ praviśati yatra na dosas tad ānandaṁ śāśvataṁ śāntam sada-sivam brahmadi-vanditam yogi-dhyeyam yatra gatva na nivartante yoginaḥ, tad etad ṛcabhyuktam tad visnoḥ paramam padam sada paśyanti surayaḥ, diviva cakṣur atatam. tad-viprāso vipanyavo jāgrvāmsaḥ samindhate. vişnor yat paramam padam. 668 72 Dhruvaloka Is Also Transcendental Vaikuntha Above and to the north of the Seven Sages (sapta-rși), or Ursa Major, is Dhruva, the Pole Star. Therein exists the abode of Śrī Visņu, which is the third planetary system from the Earth, 75%effulgent and transcendental.pl-art instal O brāhmaṇa! The self-controlled recluses who are purified of all defects attain that supreme place after their pious and sinful reactions have come to an end. 1900 and In When their karma in the form of sin and piety, which is the cause of unending births and deaths, is terminated, they attain that supreme abode of Śrī Visņu, which upon reaching all lamentation stops. The witnesses of people’s action, such as Dharma and Dhruva, live in that supreme abode of Śrī Vişņu, being endowed with the per- fection called sărști (the Lord’s own divine opulence), which is attained by yoga practice. O Maitreya! That which pervades crosswise and lengthwise all these universes of the past, present and future, along with all the movable and immovable living beings they contain, know that to be the supreme abode of Śrī Viṣņu. Know that to be the supreme abode of Śrī Visņu, which is enriched with the all-discerning awareness of the great souls who dwell there, just as the effulgence of the sun is spread throughout the firmament. (VP 2.8.98-103)10 EM Sti ⚫ tad dhi vairājasya hṛdaya-nāḍī-sthanam atas tad antaryamino vişnoḥ sthānam itie Sridharah Śrīdhara Svāmi’s commented: losslaufis bairie Indw 10 urdhvottaram ṛşibhyas tu dhruvo yatra vyavasthitaḥ etad visņu-padam divyam tṛtiyam vyomni bhāsvaram nirdhüta-dosa-parkānāṁ yatinam samyatätmanām sthanam tat paramam vipra punya-papa-parikṣaye apunya-punyoparame kṣiņāsoṣāpti-hetavaḥpe for moundspris yatra gatva na śocanti tad vişnoḥ paramam padamy w hand dharma-dhruvädyās tiṣṭhanti yatra te loka-sākṣiṇaḥ tat-särṣṭyotpanna-yoga-rddhās tad-visnoḥ paramam padam yatraitad otam protam ca yad bhutam sa-caracaram bhavyam ca viśvam maitreya tad vişnoḥ paramam padam diviva cakṣur atatam vitatam tan mahātmanām viveka-jñāna-vṛddham ca tad visnoḥ paramam padam 669 Śri Bhagavat Sandarbhavan तापनी श्रुतौ तु “यत्र न वायुर्वाति” (नृ० ता० ५।१०) इत्यादिकं प्राकृततत्तन्मात्रनिषेधात्मकं तत्रापि तत्तच्छ्रवणात् । is ddried ad alg baldt sds In the mantra from Nrsimha-tapani Upanisad quoted above, it was said, “the wind does not blow there,” and so on. These phrases negate only the presence of material elements in that abode, because other mantras confirm the existence of transcendental elements in it. यत्तु (भा० ४।९।२९) – girl Maitreya said: inrild anibuang 20 stode मातुः सपत्न्या वाग्बाणैर्हृदि विद्वस्तु तान् स्मरन् । नैच्छन् मुक्तिपतेर्मुक्तिं तस्मात् तापमुपेयिवान् ॥ ३०० ॥ इति । । Dhruva Mahārāja’s heart was pierced by his stepmother’s arrow- like words. Being lost in their remembrance, he did not ask for liberation from the Master of Liberation, but regretted not doing so afterwards. (SB 4.9.29) 12 तथा (भा० ४।९।३१) – Dhruva thought: 2 lo sbods sque ed 3d phods squad of jad! wor gaiatorib-lls sdr difw banana Boada asted lawb odv y) Jusmamalady songuoids अहो बत ममानात्म्यं मन्दभाग्यस्य पश्यत । भवच्छिदः पादमूलं गत्वा याचे यदन्तवत् ॥ ३०१ ॥ Alas, just see my lack of self-knowledge! I am so unfortunate that when I arrived at the lotus feet of the Lord, who ends one’s material existence, I asked for something that comes to an end. (SB 4.9.31)13 इति श्रीध्रुवस्यापूर्णं मन्यता श्रूयते । तदुच्चपदकामनयैव तत्प्रार्थितवता तेन लब्धमनोरथा- तीतवरेणापि स्वसङ्कल्पमेव तिरस्कर्तुमुक्तमिति घटते 11 yatra na vayur vāti 12 mātuḥ sapatnya väg-bāṇair hṛdi viddhas tu tan smaran naicchan mukti-pater muktim tasmāt tāpam upeyivān 13 aho bata mamānātmyam manda-bhagyasya paśyata bhava-cchidaḥ pāda-mulaṁ gatva yāce yad antavat 67072 Dhruvaloka Is Also Transcendental Vaikuntha These verses indicate that [even though he had attained the Lord and had been awarded residence in Vaikuntha] Dhruva Mahārāja considered himself to be still incomplete. The proper understand- ing of this is that though he had been given a boon that surpassed his wish, he lamented that he had [originally] resolved to acquire a lucrative post in the material world. bods aidi riguod A तत्र ह्येवोक्तं श्रीविदुरेण “सुदुर्लभं यत्परमं पदं हरेः” (भा० ४।९।२८) इति । स्वयं श्रीध्रुवप्रि- येण ( भा० ४।९।२८) - vino abide yer…1) gnigard In the course of the same narration, Śrī Vidura said, “The sup- reme abode of Śrī Hari is a most rare achievement” (SB 4.9.28).14 The Lord, who is dear to Dhruva, had told him: ततो गन्तासि मत्स्थानं सर्वलोकनमस्कृतम् । ___ उपरिष्टादृषिभ्यस्त्वं यतो नावर्तते गतः ॥ ३०२ ।। इति । -VOS boviqah are कृता bo My dear Dhruva, you will come to My place, which is venerated by all the worlds and situated beyond the planets of the ṛsis. On going there, you will never return. (SB 4.9.25)15 gr 18 bús 01 श्रीपार्षदाभ्यामपि “आतिष्ठ जगतां वन्द्यं तद्विष्णोः परमं पदम्” (भा० ४।१२।२६) इति । श्री- सूतेन च “ध्रुवस्य वैकुण्ठपदाधिरोहणम्” (भा० ४।१३ । १ ) इति । Smedt mont The associates of the Lord said, “Go to the supreme abode of Śrī Viṣṇu, which is worshipable for all inhabitants of the entire cosmos” (SB 4.12.26). Śrī Sūta Gosvāmī spoke elsewhere of “the ascent of Dhruva Mahārāja to Vaikuntha” (SB 4.13.1).“H पञ्चमे ज्योतिश्चक्रवर्णने च “विष्णोर्यत्परमं पदं प्रदक्षिणं प्रक्रामन्ति” (भा०५।२२।१७) इति । “यद्विष्णोः परमं पदमभिवदन्ति” (भा० ५। २३ । १ ) इति च । In the Fifth Canto, while describing the positions of the luminar- ies, Śrī Śuka said, “The Seven Sages circumambulate the supreme 14 sudurlabham yat paramam padam hareḥ 15 tato gantāsi mat-sthanam sarva-loka-namaskṛtam upariṣṭad rṣibhyas tvaṁ yato navartate gataḥ 16 atiṣṭha jagatām vandyam tad visnoḥ paramam padam boc 17 dhruvasya vaikuntha-padädhirohanam 671 Śri Bhagavat Sandarbhavudu abode of Śri Visnu [Dhruvaloka]” (SB 5.22.17),18 and, “The wise call [Dhruvaloka] the supreme abode of Sri Visņu” (SB 5.23.1).19d b -basta поз प्रपञ्चान्तर्गतत्वेऽपि तद्धर्ममुक्तत्वम् “विकारावर्ति च तथा हि स्थितिमाह ” (ब्र० सू० ४।४।१९) इति न्यायेन । digito Although this abode is in the material world, it is free from mate- rial attributes. This is in accordance with the principle stated in Brahma-sutra, “The living liberated dwell not in the ever- changing [i.e., they abide only in the changeless], because such an existence has been declared as true by the Śrutis” (vs 4.4.19).20 अतोऽस्मिन् लोके प्रापञ्चिकस्य बहिरंशस्यैव प्रलयो ज्ञेयः । तस्य तु तदानीमन्तर्धानमेव । एतदालम्ब्यैव हिरण्यकशिपुनोक्तम् “किमन्यैः कालनिर्धूतैः कल्पान्ते वैष्णवादिभिः” (भा० ७ । ३ । ११) इति । Therefore, during the annihilation cycle, only the external cov- ering of this cosmically-situated Vaikuntha becomes dissolved and the internal portion remains unmanifest. Because he failed to distinguish between surface appearance and underlying essence, Hiranyakasipu said: “By the influence of time, except for Satyaloka, all other planets, such as Visnuloka, are destroyed at the end of Brahma’s day. What purpose do I have to achieve from them?“21 अतोऽद्यापि ये तथा वदन्ति तेऽपि तत्तुल्या इति भावः । 911379 of sideqidarow ai daidwuziv The import is that those who at present speak similarly are the same as Hiranyakasipu [i.e., whose perception and belief is tied to surface appearance only, rooted in non-awareness of God or Spirit]. अथ श्रीमहावैकुण्ठस्य तादृशत्वं तु सुतरामेव । यथा नानाश्रुतिपथोत्थापनेन पाद्मोत्तरख- ण्डेऽपि (पाद्मे ६।९१।५४-७७) प्रकृत्यन्तर्गतविभूतिवर्णनान्तरं तादृशत्वमभिव्यञ्जितं श्री- शिवेन- 18 vişnor yat paramam padam pradakṣinam prakramanti 19 yad visnoḥ paramam padam abhivadanti il 20 vikārāvarti ca tatha hi sthitim aha 21 kim anyaiḥ kala-nirdhūtaiḥ kalpänte vaiṣṇavādibhiḥ SB 7.3.11 672 72 Dhruvaloka Is Also Transcendental Vaikuntha So when this cosmically-situated Vaikuntha has been shown to be transcendental, it is certainly the case that the original Mahāvaikuntha is transcendental to the material world. After describing the opulence of the material world, Lord Śiva, while citing various statements from the Śruti, narrated the glories of Vaikuntha in a similar way: 22 एवं प्राकृतरूपाया विभूते रूपमुत्तमम् । त्रिपाद्विभूतिरूपं तु शृणु भूधरनन्दिनि || ३०३ || प्रधानपरमव्योम्नोरन्तरे विरजा नदी । वेदाङ्गस्वेदजनिततोयैः प्रस्राविता शुभा ॥ ३०४ || ddal pility isbition boun ninitged on and avofoigans al i aly aid esild 7152 lo shoda smsique O Bhudharanandini! In this way I have explained to you the most excellent splendors of the material world. Now hear the magnificence of the transcendental world, in which there exists threefold dimensionality of being (tripäda-vibhuti). Between the unmanifest primordial nature (pradhana) and the transcenden- tal sky is the Virajā river, which contains the pure flow of water from the perspiration of the Vedas personified.22 on a nues तस्याः पारे परव्योम त्रिपाद्भूतं सनातनम् । अमृतं शाश्वतं नित्यमनन्तं परमं पदम् ॥ ३०५ ।। शुद्धसत्त्वमयं दिव्यमक्षरं ब्रह्मणः पदम् । अनेककोटिसूर्याग्नितुल्यवर्चसमव्ययम् || ३०६ || सर्ववेदमयं शुभ्रं सर्वप्रलयवर्जितम् । असङ्ख्यमजरं नित्यं जाग्रत्स्वप्नादिवर्जितम् || ३०७ ।। हिरण्मयं मोक्षपदं ब्रह्मानन्दसुखावहम्। que Kamtore pg oman maydin matavil (morib समानाधिक्यरहितमाद्यन्तरहितं शुभम् ॥ ३०८ ॥ तेजसात्यद्भुतं रम्यं नित्यमानन्दसागरम् । एवमादिगुणोपेतं तद्विष्णोः परमं पदम् ॥ ३०९ ॥ N mind-law Beyond this river exists the transcendental sky, para-vyoma, which is unlimited and manifests threefold dimensionality of evam prakṛta-rupāyā vibhūte rūpam uttamam tripād-vibhūti-rūpam tu śrnu bhūdhara-nandini pradhana-parama-vyomnor antare virajā nadī vedāriga-sveda-janita toyaih prasrāvitā śubhā 673 Śri Bhagavat Sandarbhad being [later specified (in Anuccheda 78) as immortality, fearless-2 oness and all-auspiciousness]. It is immortal, changeless, eternal of 19 and unending, the supreme station. It is the transcendentalA Khabode of the Lord, consisting of pure sattva, and is immutable, To imperishable and equal in effulgence to billions of suns. It is the embodiment of all Vedic knowledge, pure, undecaying, incalcu- lable, free from dissolution, eternal and devoid of states such as ela wakefulness and sleep. It is pure, golden, the place of liberation, In and includes within itself the bliss of Brahman realization. It has no beginning or end, and nothing is equal or superior to it. It is auspicious, wonderfuly brilliant, eternal and an ocean of bliss. This place, the reservoir of all such qualities, is called the supreme abode of Śrī Visnu.23 65 न तद् भासयते सूर्यो न शशाङ्को न पावकः । यद् गत्वा न निवर्तन्ते तद्धाम परमं हरेः ॥ ३१० ।। तद्विष्णोः परमं धाम शाश्वतं नित्यमच्युतम् । न हि वर्णयितुं शक्यं कल्पकोटिशतैरपि ॥ ३११ ॥ The sun does not shine there, nor moon nor fire. Having attained it, no one returns. Such is the supreme abode of Śrī Hari. This supreme abode of Śrī Visnu is eternal, immutable and infalli- ble. It cannot be described even in billions of kalpas, or days of Brahma.24 हरेः पदं वर्णयितुं न शक्यं मया च धात्रा च मुनीन्द्रवर्यैः । यस्मिन् पदे अच्युत ईश्वरो यः सो अङ्ग वेद यदि वा न वेद ॥ ३१२ ॥ 23 tasyaḥ pāre para-vyoma tripad-bhūtam sanatanam amṛtam śāśvatam nityam anantam paramam padam suddha-sattva-mayam divyam akşaram brahmanah padam aneka-koți-suryagni-tulya-varcasam avyayam sarva-veda-mayam subhram sarva-pralaya-varjitam asankhyam ajaram nityam jāgrat-svapnādi-varjitam hiranmayaṁ mokṣa-padam brahmananda-sukhāvaham samānādhikya-rahitam ady-anta-rahitam subham एक tejasatyadbhutam ramyam nityam ananda-sagaram similau at bidw evam ādi-gunopetam tad visnoḥ paramam padam 24 na tad bhāsayate suryo na śaśānko na pavakaḥ yad gatva na nivartante tad dhama paramam hareḥ tad vişnoḥ paramam dhama śāśvataṁ nityam acyutam na hi varnayitum śakyam kalpa-koti-satair api PRIN 674 72 Dhruvaloka Is Also Transcendental Vaikuntha यदक्षरं वेदगुह्यं यस्मिन् देवा अधि विश्वे निषेदुः । यस्तं न वेद किमृचा करिष्यति य उ तद्विदुस्त इमे समासते ॥ ३१३ ॥ Se It is not possible for me, Śrī Brahma or the hosts of sages to describe the abode of Śri Hari. In that abode, Lord Acyuta is the ultimate controller, yet I cannot say whether or not even He knows the full extent of its glory. That abode is imperishable and confidentially described in the Vedas. The gods, who preside over cosmic functions, take shelter of it. If one does not know the truth of this abode, how can the Vedic mantras be of any use? Those who know this truth directly encounter that abode.25d तद्विष्णोः परमं पदं सदा पश्यन्ति सूरयः । अक्षरं शाश्वतं नित्यं दिवीव चक्षराततम् ॥ ३१४ ।। आ प्रवेष्टुमशक्यं तद्ब्रह्मरुद्रादिदैवतैः । ज्ञानेन शास्त्रमार्गेण वीक्ष्यते योगिपुङ्गवैः || ३१५ || अहं ब्रह्मा च देवाश्च न जानन्ति महऋषयः । सर्वोपनिषदामर्थं दृष्ट्वा वक्ष्यामि सुव्रते ॥ ३१६ ॥ The sages always see that abode of Śrī Viṣṇu, which is eternal, imperishable, undecaying and extends like the sun’s effulgence in the sky. Gods like Brahma and Rudra are unable to enter that planet, but the best of yogis envision it with the eye of knowl- Medge refined through scriptures. That abode is not known by me, Toll Brahma, the gods, or by the great sages. O Suvrată, I will explain it to you, for I have learned the meaning of all the Upanisads.26 hey The विष्णोः पदे परमे तु मध्य उत्सः शुभाह्वयः । यत्र गावो भूरिशृङ्गा आसते स्वसुखं प्रजाः || ३१७ ।। Bra 25 hareḥ padam varṇayitum na śakyaṁ maya ca dhătră ca munindra-varyaiḥlan yasmin pade acyuta iśvaro yaḥ so anga veda yadi va na veda yad akṣaram veda-guhyam yasmin deva adhi viśve nişeduḥ yas tam na veda kim ṛca kariṣyati ya u tad vidus ta ime samăsate 26 tad visnoh paramam padaṁ sadă paśyanti surayaḥ akṣaraṁ śāśvatam nityam diviva cakṣur atatam a praveṣṭum aśakyam tad brahma-rudrādi-daivataiḥ jñānena śāstra-margena vikṣyate yogi-pungavaiḥ aham brahmă ca devaś ca na jananti maharṣayah sarvopaniṣadām artham dṛṣṭvā vakṣyāmi suvrate 675 VeŚrī Bhagavat Sandarbhav । अत्र हि तत्परं धाम गीयमानस्य शार्ङ्गिणः । तद् भाति परमं धाम गोभिर्गेयैः शुभाह्वयैः ॥ ३१८ ॥ आदित्यवर्णं तमसः परस्तात् ज्योतिरुत्तमम् । अथातो ब्रह्मणो लोकः शुद्धः स ह सनातनः ॥ ३१९ ॥ In the center of the supreme abode of Śrī Visnu is a spring called Śubha. There are many long-horned cows accompanied by their calves sitting comfortably around it. That is the supreme abode of the glorious Śri Visņu. That supreme abode appears splendrous with the cows, and by the mantras called śubha. It is pure, eternal, beyond ignorance, effulgent and brilliant, like the sun. 27 सामान्यावियुते दूरे अन्तेऽस्मिन् शाश्वते पदे । तस्थतुर्जागरूकेऽस्मिन् युवानौ श्रीसनातनौ ॥ ३२० ।। The young, eternal, transcendental couple, Śrī and Visnu, reside there in this conscious, eternal abode, which is well above other planets and never deprived of its general characteristics.28 यतः स्वसारौ युवती भूलीले विष्णुवल्लभे । अत्र पूर्वे ये च साध्या विश्वदेवाः सनातनाः || ३२१ ।। ते ह नाकं महिमानः सचन्तः शुभदर्शनाः । vond ton si sboda ted
mely words beallar aghs. तत्पदं ज्ञानिनो विप्रा जागृवांसः समिन्धते ॥ ३२२ ॥ comed The two sisters Bhu and Lila, who are very dear to Śrī Visņu, live there. The eternal and beautiful devas, the Sadhyas and Vis- vadevas, recite the glories of this abode. The learned brāhmaṇas and jñānis always aspire for it.29 27 visnoḥ pade parame tu madhya utsaḥ śubhahvayaḥ yatra gavo bhuri-sṛngā āsate sva-sukham prajāḥ atra hi tat param dhama giyamanasya śärngiṇaḥ tad bhati paramaṁ dhama gobhir geyaiḥ śubhahvayaiḥ aditya-varṇam tamasaḥ parastat jyotir uttamam athāto brahmano lokaḥ śuddhaḥ sa ha sanatanaḥ 28 samanyaviyute dûre ante’smin säśvate pade tasthatur jāgaruke’smin yuvānau śri-sanātanau 29 yatah svasārau yuvati bhu-lile visnu-vallabhe atra pürve ye ca sădhyā viśva-devāḥ sanatanāḥ te ha nākam mahimanaḥ sacantaḥ śubha-darśanaḥ tat-padam jñānino viprā jāgrvāmsaḥ samindhate 676 72 Dhruvaloka Is Also Transcendental Vaikuntha तद्विष्णोः परमं धाम मोक्ष इत्यभिधीयते । तस्मिन् बन्धविनिर्मुक्ताः प्राप्यन्ते स्वसुखं पदम् ॥ ३२३ ॥ यं प्राप्य न निवर्तन्ते तस्मान् मोक्ष उदाहृतः । मोक्षः परं पदं लिङ्गममृतं विष्णुमन्दिरम् ॥ ३२४ ॥ अक्षरं परमं धाम वैकुण्ठं शाश्वतं परम् । नित्यं च परमव्योम सर्वोत्कृष्टं सनातनम् ॥ ३२५ ।। निवासी The supreme abode of Śrī Visnu is called Mokṣa. Those who cut asunder their bondage to the material world will attain that bliss- ful place. Having attained it, one never returns; therefore, this place is called Mokṣa, or liberation. That eternal, transcenden- tal, undecaying supreme sky is called moksa, param padam, linga, amrta, visnu-mandira, aksara, parama-dhāma, vaikuntha, śās- vatar param, nitya, parama-vyomā, sarvotkrsta and sanātana 30 पर्यायवाचकान्यस्य परं धाम्नोऽच्युतस्य हि । तस्य त्रिपाद्विभूतेस्तु रूपं वक्ष्यामि विस्तरात् ॥ ३२६ ॥ इत्यादि । These are all various synonyms for the supreme abode of Lord Acyuta. I will now delineate in detail the form of that tripăda- vibhūti. (PP 6.91.54-77) 31 In Shond एतद्रीतिकश्रुतयो वैदिकेषु प्रायः प्रसिद्धा इति नोदाह्रियन्ते । Mantras offering a similar description are commonly known to fश्रीनारदपञ्चरात्रे he Vedas; therefore, I will not cite them here. ad hae श्रीनारदपञ्चरात्रे च श्रीब्रह्मनारदसंवादे जितन्तेस्तोत्रे- sild visasique The following passage is found in the Jitante-stotra portion of Brahmā and Nārada’s dialogue in Nārada pañcarātra: 30 tad vişnoḥ paramam dhäma mokṣa ity abhidhiyate tasmin bandha-vinirmuktāḥ präpyante sva-sukham padam yam präpya na nivartante tasman mokṣa udahṛtaḥ mokṣaḥ paraṁ padam lingam amṛtam vişnu-mandiram akṣaram paramaṁ dhama vaikuntham śāśvataṁ param nityam ca parama-vyoma sarvotkṛṣṭam sanātanam paryaya-vacakany asya paraṁ dhamno’cyutasya hi tasya tripad-vibhūtes tu rūpaṁ vakṣyāmi vistarāt PP 6.227.57-65 in electronic edition it bak Sleepin 677 muvie Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbhavam ॥ ॥ लोकं वैकुण्ठनामानं दिव्यषड्गुणसंयुतम् । अवैष्णवानामप्राप्यं गुणत्रयविवर्जितम् ॥ ३२७ || नित्यसिद्धैः समाकीर्णं तन्मयैः पाञ्चकालिकैः । ि सभाप्रासादसंयुक्तं वनैश्चोपवनैः शुभम् ॥ ३२८ ॥ वापीकूपतडागैश्च वृक्षषण्डैः सुमण्डितम् । ॥ अप्राकृतं सुरैर्वन्द्यमयुतार्कसमप्रभम् ॥ ३२९ ॥ इति । The planet called Vaikuntha is endowed with six opulences. It is free from the three gunas and is unattainable by non-devotees. It is inhabited by the eternally perfect devotees of the Lord, who worship Him five times a day. It consists of beautiful forests, palaces, pleasure gardens and assembly houses. Lakes, ponds, wells and clusters of trees augment its beauty. The spiritual devas eulogize this abode, whose effulgence is equal to thousands of suns.32 ब्रह्माण्डपुराणे च- And Brahmaṇḍa Purāna states: तमनन्तगुणावासं महत्तेजो दुरासदम् । (09) dr अप्रत्यक्षं निरुपमं परानन्दमतीन्द्रियम् ॥ ३३० ॥ इति । ए Unto that abode which has unlimited qualities, which is efful- gent, difficult to obtain, imperceptible, devoid of material form, supremely blissful and beyond the material senses.33 इतिहाससमुच्चये मुद्गलोपख्याने nt bret at se garwallet ए Itihāsa-samuccaya describes. And the Mudgalopakhyāna of Itihasa-samuccaya describes: 32 lokam vaikuntha-nāmānam divya-sad-guna-sariyutam avaisnavānām aprāpyar guna-traya-vivarjitam nitya-siddhaih samākārnam tan-mayaih pāñca kālikaih sabha-prāsāda-samyuktam vanais copavanaiḥ śubham vāpī-kupa-tadāgaiś ca vrksa sandaih sumanditam aprākṛtam surair vandyam ayutarka-sama-prabham 33 tam ananta-gunāvāsam mahat-tejo durāsadam apratyakşam nirupamaṁ paranandam atindriyam 678 72 Dhruvaloka Is Also Transcendental Vaikuntha ब्रह्मणः सदनादूर्ध्वं तद्विष्णोः परमं पदम् । शुद्धं सनातनं ज्योतिः परं ब्रह्मेति यद् विदुः ।। ३३१ || निर्ममा निरहङ्कारा निर्द्वन्द्वा ये जितेन्द्रियाः । की ध्यानयोगपराश्चैव तत्र गच्छन्ति साधवः ॥ ३३२ ॥ येऽर्चयन्ति हरिं विष्णुं कृष्णं जिष्णुं सनातनम् । नारायणमजं देवं विष्वक्सेनं चतुर्भुजम् ॥ ३३३ ॥ ध्यायन्ति पुरुषं दिव्यमच्युतं च स्मरन्ति ये । लभन्ते तेऽच्युतस्थानं श्रुतिरेषा सनातनी ॥ ३३४ ॥ इति । The supreme abode of Śrī Visnu lies above the residence of Śril Brahma. It is pure, eternal, effulgent and is known as Parabrah-TV man. Only those saints who have perfect sense control, are free 915 from all duality, devoid of the sense of “I” and “mine,” and who y To always meditate on the Lord, reach that abode. Those who wor- We ship Śrī Hari, Visnu, Krsna, Jiṣṇu, Nārāyaṇa, Lord Aja, the four- enhanded Visvaksena, and those who meditate on the Supremed Person Acyuta and remember Him exclusively, attain the Lord’s infallible abode. This is the eternal verdict of the Śrutis.34 स्कान्दे श्रीसनत्कुमारमार्कण्डेयसंवादे- ad In Skanda Purana, in a dialogue between Śrī Sanatkumāra and Märkandeya, the following statement is found: blow odw यो विष्णुभक्तो विप्रेन्द्र शुद्धचक्रादिचिह्नितः । स याति विष्णुलोकं वै दाहप्रलयवर्जितम् ॥ ३३५ ॥ इति । nonensique ow) nel brow butt bostese end O best of brahmanas! The devotees of Śrī Visņu, who mark their bodies with the conch, disc, club and lotus, go to the abode of Śrī Visņu, which is free from the conflagration of final destruction.35 34 brahmaṇaḥ sadanad urdhvaṁ tad visnoḥ paramam padam suddham sanatanam jyotih param brahmeti yad viduḥ nirmamā nirahankärā nirdvandvä ye jitendriyāḥ dhyana-yoga-paraś caiva tatra gacchanti sadhavaḥ ye’rcayanti harim vişnuṁ kṛṣṇam jiṣṇum sanātanam nārāyaṇam ajam devam visvaksenam caturbhujam dhyayanti puruşam divyam acyutam ca smaranti ye labhante te’cyuta-sthanam śrutir eṣā sanātani yo vişnu-bhakto viprendra śuddha-cakrādi-cihnitaḥ sa yāti visņu-lokam vai daha-pralaya-varjitam BEN מrץ itreon sili 679 by Śri Bhagavat Sandarbha अत्र पदधामादिशब्देन स्थानवाचकेन स्वरूपे त्वरूढेन यदि कश्चित् कथञ्चित् स्वरूपमेव वाचयति तर्ह्यन्यत्र तत्प्रसङ्गे “तेऽभिगच्छन्ति मत्स्थानं यद्ब्रह्म परमं विदुः” इत्यादौ साक्षा- देव स्थानशब्दनिगदेन तन्निरसनीयम् । यदि तत्रापि चकाराद्यध्याहारादिदैन्येन पूर्वदर्शि- तेतिहाससमुच्चयस्य “परं ब्रह्मेति यद् विदुः” इति विशेषणविरुद्धं वाक्यभेदमेवाङ्गीकरोति तर्हि स्वमते तत्र तत्रोक्तलोकशब्दः सहायीकर्तव्यः । ततश्च पदधामस्थानलोकरूपाणां तेषां शब्दानामेकत्र वस्तुनि प्रयोगात् परस्परमन्यार्थं दूरीकुर्वन्तस्ते कं वा न बोधयन्ति स्वमर्थं यथा “भगवान् हरिर्विष्णुरयम्” इति । क In these verses, words like pada and dhama have been used in their primary sense to indicate “abode,” and not in the uncon- ventional sense of the Lord’s svarupa, i.e., His “form” or “nature.” Nevertheless, if someone somehow decides to pursue this uncon- ventional interpretation, then it should be refuted, as elsewhere in the same text there is direct use of the word sthāna (“place” or “location”), such as in “they attain My place called param brahma.“36 Someone may put forth the weak argument that one should read the phrase, “is known as param brahma,” [in the first verse of the passage] cited earlier from Itihasa-samuccaya,” as a separate sentence, by inserting the word “and.” This interpre- tation, however, separates the substantive pada from the imme- diately preceding adjectives that qualify it. Nonetheless, if this explanation is entertained, it would then be necessary to borrow the word loka (world), used in these other quotes. Who would not comprehend that just as the words bhagavan, hari and vişnu in a sentence like, “ This is Bhagavān, Visņu, Hari, ” speak of only one person, the words pada, dhāma, sthāna and loka are being used synonymously? Their usage together in one place makes other interpretation impossible.idno da bod any अथ हन्त तत्रापि चेत् स्वरूपमात्रवाचकतां भिक्ष्यते तर्हि स्फुटमेव पाद्मवैष्णवादिवचनै- र्विपक्षो हेपणीयः । कर्माद्यप्राप्यत्वादिप्रतिपादकवाक्यानि तु विशेषतो वेत्रपाणिरूपाणि सन्त्येवेति वक्तव्यम् । I Alas! If they still beseech one to accept that all these words carry the meaning of svarupa, then such disputants should be 36 tebhigacchanti mat-sthānam yad brahma paramam viduh 37 brahmaṇaḥ sadanad urdhvaṁ tad visnoḥ paramam padam śuddham sanatanam jyotiḥ param brahmeti yad viduḥ 68072 Dhruvaloka Is Also Transcendental Vaikuntha openly put to shame by citing the verses from texts like Padma Purāna and Viṣṇu Purana. In particular, Śruti statements that declare Vaikuntha unapproachable by means of karma stand with nightstick in hand [as if ready to chastise anyone who disagrees]. तस्मात् “ॐ नमस्ते” (भा० ६ । ९ । ३३) इत्यादिपद्यमपि साध्वेव व्याख्यातम् ॥ देवाः श्रीहरिम् ॥ youp In conclusion, it may be said that the correct explanation of the prose text SB 6.9.33 has been given. Commentary IN SECTION 71, Śrī Jīva Gosvāmi explained that the param padam, which the Radical Nondualists misinterpret as unqualified Brahman, actually refers to Vaikuntha. In the same section, he established that the Vedavādīs, who are bewildered by the flowery statements of the Vedas, mistakenly claim that heaven is the supreme desti- nation. Now he further substantiates his conclusion with numer- ous references from the Upanisads, Vedanta-sutra and the Purāņas. By citing these references, he also shows that atma-loka, brahma- loka, param padam, vaiṣṇava-pada, paramam dhama, mokṣa, tripada- vibhuti, hareḥ padam, mahā-vaikuntha, acyuta-sthāna, visņu-mandira and so on, are all synonyms for the abode of Bhagavan.ow seaf First, Śrī Jiva Prabhu refers to the prayers of the gods when they approached Śrī Visnu for protection from Vṛtrasura. The story goes that Indra, overcome by pride and opulence, once disrespected his guru, Bṛhaspati. Taking Indra’s insult to be worse than death, Brhas- pati left Indra’s kingdom. When the Daityas (or the “anti-gods”) heard that the gods had lost the protection of their guru, they real- ized that they were weakened and susceptible. They immediately attacked and were gaining the upper hand over the gods. When Śrī Brahma witnessed the plight of the gods, he felt compassion and sug- gested to them that they accept the son of Tvaṣṭā, Viśvarupa, as their guru. Viśvarupa taught Indra the protective incantations known as nārāyaṇa-kavaca, and as a result he was able to gather his forces and drive the asuras back. 681 Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha Later on, however, Viśvarupa secretly offered the Daityas obla- tions from a sacrifice. He did this because his mother, Racanã, was the daughter of a Daitya. Appalled by his treachery, Indra killed Viśvarupa. But this enraged Tvaṣṭā, who then created a powerful asura, named Vṛtrāsura, to kill Indra. Out of fear of this asura, the gods prayed to Śrī Visnu for protection. The prose passage (SB 6.9.33) quoted at the beginning of this section has been taken from those prayers. 9d1 dr bisa od vam ti halos al The gods state that the Lord is realized by the paramahamsa- parivrājakas. There are four types of sannyasis - kuṭicaka, bahudaka, hamsa and nişkriya. The nişkriya-sannyasi is also called paramahamsa, the most complete of the four divisions. There are two types of paramahamsas-jñānī and bhāgavata. The paramahamsa mentioned in this text is a bhāgavata-paramahamsa, and paramahamsya-dharma (the dharma of ultimate completion) here refers to pure devotional service, the process that aims at the Complete, Śrī Bhagavan. The word atma-loka (Your own abode) means the abode of the Lord (ātmā), Vaikuntha. When the devotee’s heart is purified by the culture of devotional service, he sees the Lord in Vaikuntha. Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmī cites two Upanisadic mantras to confirm that ātma- loka means Vaikuntha. In the first, atma-loka is glossed as brahma- loka, and the second states that the Lord is situated in brahma-pura. These two terms cannot be taken to mean unqualified Brahman, because Brahman cannot be a location like a loka (world) or pura (city). Brahma-pura has the same meaning as brahma-loka. Because the second mantra says that the Lord is situated in brahma-pura, it implies that brahma-loka is a place. Since brahma-loka has been given as a synonym for atma-loka (cf. BAU 4.3.32), it naturally fol- lows that ātma-loka in this passage should be read as Vaikuntha, the abode of the Lord. He Śrila Jiva Gosvāmi also quotes verses from Pippalada-śākhā, Mahā-nārāyaṇa Upanisad, and Nrsimha-tapani Upanisad to show that Vaikuntha is the eternal transcendental abode of the Lord. These mantras cannot be applied to unqualified Brahman, because they contain phrases and verbal elements that would make such an inter- pretation impossible. For example, the statement “worshipable by 682 72 Dhruvaloka Is Also Transcendental Vaikuntha gods like Brahma” cannot refer to Brahman, since Brahman, being unqualified, indescribable and inconceivable, cannot be the object of worship through words, or of meditation through mental focussing and concentration. Furthermore, the statement “the yogis who enter there never come back” also cannot apply to Brahman, since Brah- man, being devoid of divisions, such as interior and exterior, cannot be exited or entered into. Brahman, therefore, cannot be intended in these mantras, because it does not have any manifest characteristics that would make these actions possible in regard to it. eixa for In the Nrsimha-tapani mantra, the words mantra-rājādhyāpaka mean “teacher of the Vedas.” This is a reference to Śrī Visņu, or Kṛṣṇa, who originally gave the Vedas to Brahma-tene brahma hṛdā ya adikavaye (SB 1.1.1). Therefore, paramaṁ dhama refers to Vaikun- tha. Śrī Kṛṣṇa confirms the meaning of the first part of the mantra in Bhagavad Gitā: a Not illumined by the sun or moon, nor by fire, such is My supreme abode, reaching which one never returns to this material world. (GĪTĀ 15.6) 38 gives vd abrogaser vd abrogan naved The meaning is that the Lord’s abode is self-effulgent and does not depend upon sun or moon for illumination. To further confirm the meaning of this mantra, Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmi quotes a series of verses from VP 2.8.98-102, which were spoken by Śrī Parāśara to Maitreya Muni. Parāśara had explained the structure of the universe in the previous chapter and gave the measurements of the various planetary systems. These five verses describe Dhruva’s planet. Śrīdhara Svāmi comments in his Atma-prakāśa commentary that the last of these verses explains the meaning of two Vedic mantras beginning with tad vişnoḥ, namely RV 1.22.20. Dhruva’s planet is compared to the heart of the universal form,39 and thus it is the residence of Śrī Vişņu, because Śrī Kṛṣṇa 38 na tad bhasayate suryo na śaśānko na pavakaḥ 39 yad gatva na nivartante tad dhāma paramam mama orisur sill to fee tad dhi vairajasya hṛdaya-nāḍī-sthanam atas tad antaryamino vişnoḥ sthānam iti śridharah.antation Śrīdhara Svāmi’s comment 683 by Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbhavin says that Paramātmā resides in the heart of all beings (GĪTĀ 18.61). It is on the northern side, above the planets of the Seven Sages. Indeed, it is the Pole Star, which is also called the North Star. In Vedic astronomy, it is counted as the third planetary system from the earth. Devotees who are free from material contamination see this planet as effulgent as the sun. This implies that Dhruvaloka is transcendental, which is confirmed in Nrsimha-tapani Upanisad, where it is said that material objects, like the sun, moon or air, do not exist in Vaikuntha. But this does not mean there is no sun, moon or air in Vaikuntha. ho An objection may be raised. Verses SB 4.9.29 and SB 4.9.31, cited in this anuccheda, make it clear that Dhruva Mahārāja was not con- tent after Śrī Viṣṇu blessed him. He lamented that he had petitioned the Lord to grant him a finite boon (ayace yad antavat), rather than asking for liberation, which is the very thing that only the Lord Himself can grant (naicchan muktipate muktim). This would seem to imply that Dhruvaloka, the abode he attained, must be temporary and inferior to mukti. Otherwise, why would he lament? Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmī responds by saying that these verses depict Dhruva’s despondency for having desired material gain in the first place. His worship had been egotistically motivated, and it was only after he met the Lord that he came to realize his pettiness. Although the Lord blessed him with an eternal abode, Dhruva lamented, remembering his original intention. If this were not похода the case, Vidura’s question would make no sense:pin tox ді My dear brahmana, the supreme abode of Śrī Hari is a most rare eir achievement and can be earned only by worshiping the Lord’s lotus jav 90 feet, and not by those who have material desires. Dhruva reached/ Mathis abode in a single lifetime, and also knew its true value, yet he m was still unhappy, thinking himself to be as yet incomplete. Why was that? (SB 4.9.28)40 Dhruva is described here as artha-vit, or one who knows the true goal of life. Furthermore, he had achieved it, so why should he 40 sudurlabham yat paramam padam harer mayāvinas tac-caraṇārcanarjitam labdhvapy asiddhartham ivaika-janmanā kathaṁ svam ātmānam amanyatārtha-vit 684 72 Dhruvaloka Is Also Transcendental Vaikuntha lament? Were Vaikuntha not the topmost abode, his lamentation would have been justified and there would have been no need for Vidura to inquire into it. The previously cited verses were given in answer to Vidura’s question. Śrila Jiva Gosvāmi goes on to cite verses from Srimad Bhagavatam that clearly show that Dhruvaloka is the abode of Lord Visņu and beyond the material gunas, despite being situated within the mate- rial universe. How much more transcendental, then, is the original Vaikuntha that is beyond the material universe? od mrist dr ViJiva Gosvāmi confirms this by quoting vs 4.4.19. In his Govinda- bhāṣya, Śrīpāda Baladeva Vidyabhuṣaṇa comments that the word vikāra in the sutra means a material object that undergoes the six modifications. The Lord’s abode is free from such and is therefore called vikārāvarti, i.e., the changeless existence. Isip Whenever it is mentioned that the Lord’s abode within the mate- rial world is annihilated, like Dvārakā, it is to be understood that only the manifest external feature is destroyed. The Lord’s abode is neither created nor destroyed, but becomes manifest and unmani- fest just like the Lord. This is clear from the statements of Śrī Suka describing the Lord’s disappearance: O Mahārāja! Once abandoned by the Supreme Lord Śrī Hari, the entire city of Dvaraka was inundated by the ocean, with the single MS exception of the Lord’s personal residence. Lord Madhusudana eter- Hnally resides there, the simple remembrance of which destroys all inauspiciousness and bestows the greatest benefit to all.“no es baz ainams 812 10 9006 These two verses make it clear that the Lord’s abode, even when manifested in the material world, is eternal. In his Krama-sandarbha commentary on SB 11.31.23, Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmi explains that the man- ifest pastimes of the Lord contain or employ certain elements that belong to the material creation. The creation of Dvaraka by Vis- vakarma, the engineer of the gods, and the bringing of the Sudharma 41 dvārakāṁ harina tyaktām samudro’plavayat kṣaṇāt varjayitva mahā-rāja śrīmad-bhagavad-alayam nityam sannihitas tatra bhagavan madhusudanaḥ smṛtyäseṣāśubha-haram sarva-mangala-mangalam SB 11.31.23-24 685 Śri Bhagavat Sandarbhav assembly house from heaven illustrate this. It is only these material sectors that were destroyed by the ocean and not the eternal Dvārakā, which becomes unmanifest simultaneously. This is confirmed in Viṣṇu Purāṇa: The ocean submerged the empty Dvärakā, but it did not submergey the house of the Lord of the Yadus, Kṛṣṇa. (VP 5.38.9) 42 The term “house of the Lord” refers to the complete planet, as it is the abode of the Lord. The material part of Dvaraka was empty, because all the Yadavas had gone to Pindaraka Kṣetra for a picnic and, under “divine inebriation,” killed each other there. These Yadavas were actually gods who came to participate in His pas- times on His order and not His eternally liberated associates. On the destruction of their bodies, these gods returned to their celestial posts.3ftsb While going to perform austerities on Mandaracala Mountain, Hiranyakasipu claimed that Viṣṇuloka was temporary, and thus he had no interest in it. Because his self-identity was rooted in athe- ism, materialism and subject-object dualism, he could not under- stand Vaikuntha’s transcendental nature. Again, he had reference only to the material part, which is nevertheless connected with the abode of the Lord. Devotees, however, are never unsettled by such unfounded statements. Materialism reduces Reality to sur- faces only, like the outer shell of a coconut, without any inkling of the fruit and juice lying within. Statements based in ignorance or incomplete knowledge cannot affect those who know Reality. Subsequent to citing Hiranyakaśipu, Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī refers to verses from Padma Purāṇa, Nārada-pañcarātra, Brahmanda Purāṇa, Itihasa-samuccaya and Skanda Purana, all of which describe the transcendental and blissful nature of Vaikuntha. These verses confirm the Vedic mantras quoted earlier (tad vişnoḥ paramam 42 plävayāmāsa tām śünyaṁ dvārakam ca mahodadhiḥ yadu-śrestha-gṛham tv ekam naplavayata sagaraḥ 43 See SB 10.1.22. 686 72 Dhruvaloka Is Also Transcendental Vaikuntha padam).44 Therefore, it was confirmed from the Śruti, Smrti and nyāya-prasthānas that Vaikuntha is a transcendental abode, free from any material contamination. Sometimes Radical Nondualists try to interpret the words pada and dhama to mean Brahman. But such explanations are muddled because there are numerous places where the Lord refers to Vaikun- tha as mat-sthāna (My abode). Sthāna, loka and puri directly mean a place or world. There is no need to resort to a secondary meaning when the primary meaning is clear. When param brahma, which can in the appropriate context refer to Brahman, appears with any of the words loka, sthāna or pada, it is highly improper to divide the words into separate sentences. This is a defect called vakya-bheda. It is comparable to separating the word “lord” from the word hari in the statement, “This is Śrī Hari.” Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmī says that such people are put to shame by these puranic verses and recommends they be driven back with the weapon-like verses that establish Vaikuntha as a transcendental abode, and one that cannot be attained by karma, yoga or jñāna. Con- sidering the Lord’s body or His abode as material is a gross misinter- pretation of the Vedas and Vedic literature. Such explanations lead a person away from their real meaning and thus deny them the sibility of higher completion in Bhagavan, who by His very nature includes and transcends indeterminate Brahman. A Vaiṣṇava can never tolerate this. Śrī Jīva Prabhu thus uses harsh words against such misinterpreters. pos- In this way, Śrila Jiva Gosvāmi has shown the nine characteris- tics of Vaikuntha in the last twelve anucchedas. These attributes are again summarized below.
- It cannot be attained as an effect of result-oriented action of any kind.
- It is beyond the visible material world.
- No one falls from Vaikuntha. “There are a number of other references to Ṛg Veda mantras made in these lengthy quotes, e.g., te ha nākam sacante (RV 10.90.16), and tā vam vastuny uśmasi gamadhyai yatra gavo bhuri-śṛriga ayasaḥ (RV 1.154.24), etc. 687 daveŚrī Bhagavat Sandarbhad bin 4. It is attained only by those firmly established in freedom from the material gunas.h dotedan
- It is the seat of unalloyed being, free from the material gunas.mo 6. It is beyond material nature.
- It is eternal. ich decries even the bliss of
- It can be attained only by bhakti, which Brahman realization.
- It is by nature eternal, full of consciousness and bliss. 0592 601 In the next section, Jiva shows that Vaikuntha appears in the same manner as the Lord’s avatāras. do el y bwana nosimo i to will Lower Adrian asset Embabal /eir under vil ft weblog Hom elisballs bulu srb wore sad imao svit line w sumi 688 Tendon in 195 FOR bemal Anuccheda 73 Vaikuntha Has Numerous Manifestations de adT ७३ । तदेतच्छ्रीवैकुण्ठस्य स्वरूपं निरूपितम् । तच् च यथा श्रीभगवानेव क्वचित् पूर्णत्वेन क्वचिदंशत्वेन च वर्तते तथैवेति । बहवस्तस्यापि भेदाः पाद्मोत्तरखण्डादौ द्रष्टव्याः । येषु श्रीमत्स्यदेवादीनामपि पदानि वर्तन्ते तदेव सूचयति ( भा० ३ । १९ । ३१ ) - THIS CONCLUDES THE DESCRIPTION of the essential features of Śrī Vaikuntha. It should also be noted that Vaikuntha has many dis- tinct manifestations, in the same way that the Lord sometimes manifests fully and sometimes partially (amsa). These include the abodes of Viṣṇu’s different forms, like Matsyadeva, which are described in the Uttara-khanda of Padma Purana. Maitreya hints at this: EXE एवं हिरण्याक्षमसह्यविक्रमं स सादयित्वा हरिरादिसूकरः । जगाम लोकं स्वमखण्डितोत्सवं समीडितः पुष्करविष्टरादिभिः ।। ३३६ ।। adiaba โรส Having thus killed the oppressively powerful Hiranyākṣa, Śrī Hari, the primal boar, returned to His own abode, where cele- brations continue without interruption. All the while, He was praised by Śri Brahma and the other gods. (SB 3.19.31)1 सादयित्वा हत्वा । पवित्रारोपप्रसङ्गे चैवमाह बोधायनः Sādayitva means “having killed.” In the section describing the Pavitraropana festival, Śrī Bodhāyana similarly said: evam hiranyākṣam asahya-vikramam sa sadayitva harir ādi-sukaraḥ jagama lokam svam akhanḍitotsavam samiḍitaḥ puskara-viṣṭarādibhiḥms 689 Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha एवं यः कुरुते विद्वान् वर्षे वर्षे न संशयः । स याति परमं स्थानं यत्र देवो नृकेशरी ॥ ३३७ ॥ इति । In this way a learned man who observes this ceremony every year goes to that supreme abode where Śri Nrsimha resides? वायुपुराणे तु शिवपुरमपि तद्वत् श्रूयते । यथा- The abode of Lord Siva is also described in a similar fashion in Vāyu Purāna: ॐ अण्डौघस्य समन्तात् तु सन्निविष्टो घनोदधिः । समन्ताद् येन तोयेन धार्यमाणः स तिष्ठति ॥ ३३८ ॥ बाह्यतो घनतोयस्य तिर्यगूर्ध्वं च मण्डलम् । धार्यमाणं समन्तात् तु तिष्ठते घनतेजसा ॥ ३३९ ॥ अयोगूढनिभो वह्निः समन्तात् मण्डलाकृतिः । समन्ताद् घनवातेन धार्यमाणः स तिष्ठति ॥ ३४० ।। घनवातं तथाकाशो धार्यमाणस्तु तिष्ठति । 2900 dali भूतादिश्च तथाकाशं भूतादिं च तथा महान् ॥ ३४१ ॥ adi महान् व्याप्तो ह्यनन्तेन अव्यक्तेन तु धार्यते । mc bins fllad destinam अनन्तमपरिव्यक्तमनादिनिधनं च तत् ॥ ३४२ ॥balaborad तम एव निरालोकममर्यादमदेशिकम् । l-muttu sis at bodies तमसोऽन्ते च विख्यातमाकाशान्ते च भास्वरम् ॥ ३४३ ॥ मर्यादायामतस्तस्य शिवस्यायतनं महत् । त्रिदशानामगम्यं तु स्थानं दिव्यमिति श्रुतिः || ३४४ ॥ इति ॥ श्रीमैत्रेयः ॥ A deep ocean of water surrounds the universal egg (brahmaṇḍa). Beyond this water, above and on all sides, there is a spherical effulgence which holds the water. This fire is like a hot ball of iron, making a circular orbit, and is surrounded by dense air that suspends it. The dense air is held by the sky. The sky is surrounded by the tan-matras, which in turn are covered by the mahat. The mahat is upheld and pervaded by the unmanifest adia and limitless pradhana from all sides. This pradhana is bound- less, unmanifest, without beginning or end and is tamas, or dark. 2 evam yah kurute vidvän varṣe varṣe na samsayaḥ sa yati paramaṁ sthanam yatra devo nrkesari Cited in HBV 15.240pyb 69073 Vaikuntha Has Numerous Manifestations There is no light in it; it is limitless and not divided by direc- tions. Beyond the tamas and sky exists the great place of Lord Śiva, which is well-known and effulgent. This transcendental place cannot be attained by the gods. This is the verdict of the Śruti 7bo e biod od set HeaanbremslisV Cot 3 Tbrod ons med modes to a joliv obj asblog out y leheneng (e) wd andaughasya samantat tu sannivisto ghanodadhiḥ samantad yena toyena dharyamāṇaḥ sa tisthatial bahyato ghana-toyasya tiryag urdhvaṁ ca mandalam dharyamāṇam samantat tu tisthate ghana-tejasama ayo-güḍha-nibho vahniḥ samantat mandalakṛtih samantad ghana-vätena dharyamāṇaḥ sa tiṣṭhati ghana-vātaṁ tathākāśo dharyamāņas tu tişthati bhūtādiś ca tathākāśaṁ bhūtādim ca tatha mahān mahan vyāpto hy anantena avyaktena tu dharyate anantam aparivyaktam anadi-nidhanam ca tat tama eva niralokam amaryādam adesikam tamaso’nte ca vikhyātam ākāśānte ca bhāsvaram maryādāyām atas tasya sivasyāyatanam mahat tri-daśānām agamyam tu sthanam divyam iti śrutih समीप ए FURE FEIFkip song 691 Grith yd bakti don briestimil al di sini tugil nu al thod to salsale has oro sri noyalt Insboscaner aldransgluts but word-law a dolwyre ade to pile otal aid abogabad buntis dolg Anuccheda 74 Vaikuntha Self-Manifests like the Lord’s Body ७४ । एवं च यथा श्रीभगवद्वपुराविर्भवति लोके तथैव क्वचित् कस्यचित् तत्पदस्याविर्भावः श्रूयते (भा० ८।५।४-५ ) - THEREFORE, just as the Lord’s body self-manifests in this [mate- rial] world, similarly scriptures describe that at different times one of the various abodes of the Lord self-manifests somewhere in the world. As Śrī Sūta states: 1 पत्नी विकुण्ठा शुभ्रस्य वैकुण्ठैः सुरसत्तमैः । तयोः स्वकलया जज्ञे वैकुण्ठो भगवान् स्वयम् ॥ ३४५ || वैकुण्ठः कल्पितो येन लोको लोकनमस्कृतः । रमया प्रार्थ्यमानेन देव्या तत्प्रियकाम्यया ॥ ३४६ ॥ Vikuntha was the wife of the sage Subhra. From them, the Lord Himself appeared as Vaikuntha, a partial manifestation, along with gods who were also known as Vaikunthas. Being requested by the goddess Ramā (Lakṣmi), in order to please her, the Lord manifested a planet named Vaikuntha, to which all the universes bow down. (SB 8.5.4-5)1 यथा भगवत आविर्भावमात्रं जन्मेति भण्यते तथैव वैकुण्ठस्यापि कल्पनमाविर्भावनमेव न तु प्राकृतवत् कृत्रिमत्वम् । उभयत्रापि नित्यत्वादित्यभिप्रायेण तत्साम्येनाह – जज्ञ इति । patni vikuntha subhrasya vaikunthaiḥ sura-sattamaiḥ tayoḥ sva-kalaya jajñe vaikuntho bhagavan svayam vaikunthaḥ kalpito yena loko loka-namaskṛtaḥ ramaya prarthyamänena devyä tat-priya-kamyaya 692 74 Vaikuntha Self-Manifests like the Lord’s Body श्रीविकुण्ठासुतस्यैवेदं वैकुण्ठम् । मूलवैकुण्ठं तु सृष्टेः प्राक् श्रीब्रह्मणा दृष्टमिति द्वितीये ( भा० २।९।९-१६) प्रसिद्धमेव । Just as the self-manifestation of the Lord is called “birth,” simi- larly the “creation” of Vaikuntha signifies its self-manifestation only, and not that it is artificially produced like a material object. This is because both Bhagavan and His abode are eternal. Suka- deva spoke this verse with the intention of showing that Bhaga- vän and His abode are the same. This Vaikuntha refers only to that of the son of Vikuntha, for it is well known from the Sec- ond Canto (SB 2.9.9-16) that the original Vaikuntha was seen by Śrī Brahmā before he started the work of creation. “स तन्निकेतं परिमृश्य शून्यमपश्यमानः कुपितो ननाद” ( भा०८।१९।११) इत्युक्तम् । तत्स्थानं तु स्वर्गादिगतमेव ज्ञेयम् ॥ श्रीशुकः ॥ 10 og vinugnu It should also be known that the Vaikuntha referred to in Śrī Vamana’s statement, “Hiranyakasipu searched for the Lord throughout His abode and, not finding Him, roared out of anger” (SB 8.19.11), is in the Svarga region. Commentary 159750 100 A THE LORD’S BODY IS ETERNAL but self-manifests in the material world at certain times. Similarly, Vaikuntha planets also self- manifest at various times. In the Raivata-manvantara, the reign of the fifth Manu, Śrī Vaikuntha appeared from the sage Subhra and Śrīmati Vikuṇṭhā. His associates, who are also known as Vaikuntha, appeared along with Him. The Lord manifested His planet, Vaikun- tha, at the request of His consort, Lakṣmi Devi. This Vaikuntha is above Satyaloka and is different from the Mahāvaikuntha that Śrī Brahmã described in Anuccheda 13. yd na Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī confirms this in LBH 1.91, while describing Lord Vaikuntha, the Manvantarāvatāra. He quotes the two verses cited in this anuccheda and then writes: 693 Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha Mahāvaikuntha is all-pervading and imperishable in nature. Its self-e manifestation above Satyaloka is called kalpana (creation)?) Here Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmi clarifies the meaning of the word kalpita (used in SB 8.5.5). The common meaning of kalpita is “imag- ined,” or “created,” but because Vaikuntha is neither, the meaning must be taken as “manifested.” If Vaikuntha had either of these characteristics, it would be like any other planet. “Manifested” is not an unreasonable or far-fetched meaning of kalpita or kalpana, because kalpita comes from the verbal root √kṛpu sämarthye, which means “to be capable.” By His own power the Lord made Vaikuntha manifest above Satyaloka. In the same way that the Lord’s appear- ance is called “birth” (janma), the appearance of His abode is called kalpana. SIFP The Lord is not visible to the asuras. When He appears in the material world, ungodly persons, or in other words those con- tracted away from Spirit, cannot realize His nature because Bha- gavan covers Himself by maya. As stated in Bhagavad Gitä: V giban ion bus shods aiH odguon I am not revealed to all, for I remain concealed by yoga-maya. This bewildered world does not recognize Me as the unborn and inexhaustible. (GĪTĀ 7.25)3 Similarly, Bhagavan’s abode remains invisible to the asuras even if they consider it to be ordinary. This is evident from the state- ment of Hiranyakasipu quoted earlier, “Vaikuntha is also destroyed at the time of dissolution” (kim anyaiḥ kala-nirdhūtaiḥ kalpänte vaiṣṇavādibhiḥ, SB 7.3.11). This means that he was unable to real- ize the real Vaikuntha. The holy abodes of the Lord, like Vṛndāvana, which exist within the material world, remain concealed by a layer of material energy. The non-devotees cannot penetrate this layer and see the real abode. the Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi points out the difference between the Mahā- vaikuntha seen by Śrī Brahma and the one manifested by Śrī 2 mahā-vaikuntha-lokasya vyapakasyavyayātmanaḥ prakati-karanam satyopari kalpanam ucyate 3 näham prakāśaḥ sarvasya yoga-maya-samāvṛtaḥ mūḍho’yam nābhijānāti loko mām ajam avyayam 694 74 Vaikuntha Self-Manifests like the Lord’s Body Vaikuntha, by referring to the history of Hiranyakasipu. When Śrī Varaha killed Hiranyakṣa, his brother Hiranyakasipu was enraged and sought to take revenge on Śrī Viṣṇu. He went to Vaikuntha to look for Him, but when he could not find Him, he became even more angry. Since Hiranyakasipu did not go beyond the coverings of the universe, the place he visited was the Vaikuntha manifest in the material world. Therefore, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmī says that this Vaikuntha is within the upper planetary system, Svarga. Vada The principal verse in this section is spoken by Lord Vamanadeva when He went to beg three steps of land from Bali Mahārāja. It implies that one cannot attain the Lord simply by physical endeavor. Although Hiranyakasipu was able to reach Vaikuntha, he could not see the Lord. Thus, his reaching Vaikuntha was as good as not reach- ing. Similarly, there are many unfortunate people who come to Vṛndāvana but do not appreciate that it is the land of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s pas- times. Such people derive no benefit from residing in the dhama, rather they become more and more fallen. Some of these unfor- tunate people think that they will somehow obtain liberation by meeting death in Vṛndāvana. They want to extract the benefit of the dhama without showing any appreciation for it. This is their misfortune. In this section, Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī has shown that Vaikuntha is completely transcendental and belongs to the internal nature, or svarupa, of the Lord. It can manifest just like the Lord. Next he will show that the Lord’s associates are also part of His internal nature. sdsdrsbubno of to ad vidiaan fortn desow alooza ints a brod ad to biatce bid to den said of Isalinsbi naitr The 695 bogens.asw.glalayo bodord su casos bollbladene dunia new Humal ha no ginam solcom alguez ban Anuccheda 75 An how chantons Bhagavan’s Associates Are Transcendental like Him ७५ । तदेवं श्रीवैकुण्ठस्य स्वरूपभूतत्वे सिद्धे तदङ्गभूतानां श्रीपार्षदानां तादृशत्वं सुतरां सिद्धमेव । युक्तं चैव तत्सेवकानाम् “नादेवो देवमर्चयेत्” इति तत्सदृशताभावनामन्तरेणो- द्देशेनापि तत्सेवायामनधिकारात् साक्षात् तु साक्षादेव तत्सदृशत्वमिति । तदेवं नित्यपार्ष- दानां कैमुत्यमेवापतितम् । do-wortsmoz FW IT HAS THUS BEEN ESTABLISHED that Śrī Vaikuntha is part of the Lord’s essential nature (svarupa). It naturally follows that the associates of the Lord, who are His inherent parts, should also be the same. This is certainly befitting for His servants, for one who lacks the consciousness of being of the same nature as the Lord is not fit even to worship the Deity, according to the princi- ple, “One who is not of the nature of the Divine should not wor- ship the Divine” (nādevo devam arcayet). Certainly, then, direct worship of the Lord Himself requires the devotee to be directly of the same nature as the Lord. It is thus logical to conclude that the nature of the Lord’s eternal associates cannot possibly be other than identical to the divine nature of the Lord. अत एवाह “देहेन्द्रियासुहीनानां वैकुण्ठपुरवासिनाम्” (भा० ७।१।३४) इति । जन्महेतुभूतैः प्राकृतैर्देहेन्द्रियासुभिर्हीनानां शुद्धसत्त्वमयदेहानामित्यर्थः ।। युधिष्ठिरः श्रीनारदम् ॥ 1 Therefore, Śri Yudhisthira said to Śrī Nārada: “The residents of Vaikuntha are devoid of bodies, senses and life-force” (SB 7.1.34).” dehendriyasu-hinānām vaikuntha-pura-vasinām 696 75 Bhagavan’s Associates Are Transcendental like Him This means [according to Śrīdhara Svāmi] that the Vaikuntha residents have bodies consisting of suddha-sattva, or unalloyed being, and not material bodies, senses and life-force, which are causes for material birth. on ado Commentary resig Jud AFTER ESTABLISHING that Vaikuntha is part of the Lord’s essential nature, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmī goes on to say that His associates are also svarupa-bhūta, or part of the Lord’s essential nature. It was already established that Vaikuntha cannot be approached by mate- rial means - it can be attained only by pure devotional service. It has also been shown that Vaikuntha is completely free from the material gunas. This naturally implies that everything that exists in Vaikuntha is transcendental, including the associates of the Lord. The Lord has two types of associates - the eternally liberated (nitya-siddhas), and those who became liberated from cyclic exis- tence by performing devotional service (sadhana-siddhas). Both are transcendental to the material guņas. Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi says that those devotees in the material world who practice devotional ser- vice and thus worship the Lord in the form of the Deity, cannot do so properly unless they purify their consciousness. The body is made of material elements and the Lord is transcendental. Just as it would be inappropriate to serve food to a respected guest with soiled hands, the material body in and of itself, being a bundle of impurities, is an unfit instrument with which to render service to the transcen- dental Lord. Unless the body is transformed through consciousness, service by the body alone gives no pleasure to the Lord and hence cannot be counted as service. dd Zollefeld broad daw noi The general principle is nadevo devam arcayet - “One who is not of the Divine should not worship the Divine,” and, devam bhūtvā yajeta devam - “Worship the Divine after becoming divine.” Since all living beings in the material world have material bodies, it is necessary to first acquire divine qualities before performing deity service. In the upasana-śästra, or the scriptural division deal- ing with worship of the Lord, this process is called bhūta-suddhi, 697 milled lave Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha transformation of the material elements of the body through con- sciousness. The word upa-asana literally means “having a seat near to the Lord,” but this is not to be taken merely in a physical sense. To worship (upāsana) one has to be not only in physical proximity, but present in consciousness. “Become divine in order to worship the Divine,” does not mean that one should meditate upon oneself as the Deity. Such medi- tation is called ahangrahopasana and should be shunned by those who aspire to walk the path of devotion. Nor should one meditate upon oneself directly as being one of the eternal associates of the Lord, such as Nanda Mahārāja or Yaśodā Rāņi. This is also consid- ered ahangrahopasană. In his commentary on BRS 1.2.306, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmī has forbidden such meditation. The Tantras explain various types of bhūta-suddhi for various types of worshipers. Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmī explains that pure devo- tees should meditate upon themselves as having a suitable form for the service of the Lord (Bhakti Sandarbha, Anuccheda 285). This is in accordance with the famous verse by Śrī Caitanya Mahaprabhu: I am not a brāhmaṇa, nor am I a kṣatriya; I am not a vaiśya, nor śūdra. I am not a brahmacārī, nor a householder, a retired man or ba d a renunciate monk. But since Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the lover of the gopis and an overflowing ocean of nectar, is the sole source of supreme and immortal joy, I am simply a servant to the servant of the servant of His lotus feet. (Padyavali 74)2 The purport is that to serve the Lord one has to see beyond all ephemeral designations related to the material body, made of the pañca-bhūtas, and situate oneself in one’s eternal constitutional rela- tion with the Lord. This is called bhūta-śuddhi, or becoming free from bodily designations. This is the true meaning of “becoming divine.” Thinking oneself as a brahmana or a sannyasi is material because these are material designations. 2 nähaṁ vipro na ca nara-patir napi visyo na śudro naham varni na ca gṛha-patir no vanastho yatir vā kintu prodyan nikhila paramananda-pūrṇāmṛtābdher gopi-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dãsa-däsänudāsaḥ 698 75 Bhagavan’s Associates Are Transcendental like Him If such awareness is the necessary qualification to worship the deity form of the Lord, it naturally follows that direct service to Him requires that one be situated in one’s spiritual constitutional posi- tion. This proves unequivocally that the eternal associates of the Lord are transcendental. They render transcendental service to the transcendental Lord with their transcendental minds and senses. L. The verse referred to was spoken by Yudhisthira Mahārāja to Narada Muni, regarding the Lord’s associates, Jaya and Vijaya. King Yudhisthira was surprised to hear that the Lord’s gatekeepers could be cursed by the Kumāras. His question naturally proves that Jaya and Vijaya did not have material bodies, because such a possibility would violate the inherent nature of the transcendental abode. Their bodies were made of spirit. Some try to postulate from this that they could have been pure living entities belonging to taṭastha-sakti, or the intermediary potency, and not part of the antaranga-sakti, or the Lord’s own internal potency. This doubt will be cleared up in the following anuccheda. S Psi une sets 10 am a foot van Homes he e Visi 218 ed” sing d ehusnud alilastelaarxis brod oda yd 20 (indoanos) ensom alov de of the Lord samo adnyarty U-kops imeve evil sin sorgo even a antelaran woman-beamed unol adito astovanere odi as A detailed analysis of this episode can be found in Priti Sandarbha, Anuccheda 7, and some discussion is found above in Anuccheda 63. 699 muls of solvas taalbed swollol llama brod of lym Jagats Istoobrissens Anuccheda 76 baim Ig The Lord’s Associates Are like the Lord bluep abol art reds ad of be in notesup all Wild ad ७६ । तथा (भा० ६।९।२९) – vad tedi zid mod ŚRĪ SUKA said: gnignolo __आत्मतुल्यैः षोडशभिर्विना श्रीवत्सकौस्तुभौ । पर्युपासितमुन्निद्रशरदम्बुरुहेक्षणम् ॥ ३४७ ॥ aug ned aved blie They saw Him with eyes resembling a pair of full-blown autumn lotuses, surrounded by His sixteen associates, who appeared exactly like Him, only without the mark of Srivatsa and the Kaustubha jewel. (SB 6.9.29)1 षोडशभिः श्रीसुनन्दादिभिः ॥ श्रीशुकः ॥ The phrase “by His Sixteen” (soḍaśabhih) means by the Lord’s sixteen associates, like Sunanda. Commentary IN THE PREVIOUS SECTION, Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmi explained that the associates of the Lord are transcendental like Him. Now he explains that some of the Lord’s intimate associates have the same bodily fea- tures as the Lord, which is the liberated condition known as sārūpya- mukti. This increases the beauty of the Lord, for when people having 1 atma-tulyaiḥ ṣoḍaśabhir vină śrīvatsa-kaustubhau paryupasitam unnidra-sarad-amburuhekṣaṇam 70076 The Lord’s Associates Are like the Lord similar bodily features walk together, it appears elegant. The verse says they are atma-tulya, i.e., similar or equal to the Lord. Similarity is defined as the condition of having many of the qual- ities of another entity or object, yet still being different from it? The associates of the Lord are not equal to Him in every sense, as no one can be equal to or greater than the Lord. The verse says that the Lord’s associates look like Him, but they lack the Śrīvatsa mark on their chest and the Kaustubha gem around their neck. These two distinct features of the Lord are not to be found on anyone else. The mark of Śrīvatsa is a tuft of golden hair, having a clockwise turn, on the left side of the Lord’s chest? This mark represents the con- sort of the Lord, Śrī Lakṣmi Devi. The Kaustubha gem represents the living beings (cf. SB 3.28.28). Only the Lord holds both Lakṣmi Devi (antaranga-sakti) and the living beings (taṭastha-sakti) within Himself; therefore, these two insignia are found only on Him. According to Śrī Vamśīdhara, a commentator on Śrīmad Bhā- gavatam, the names of the Lord’s sixteen associates are as follows: Nanda, Sunanda, Prabala, Udbala, Jaya, Vijaya, Visvaksena, Garuda, Śrutadeva, Jayanta, Kumuda, Kumudākṣa, Niśatha, Satvata, Pus- padanta and Daruka. However, different lists of names are found in different scriptures. That given in Padma Purana was quoted by Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi in Anuccheda 10. Śrimad Bhagavatam also gives some of their names in the following verse: One should worship the Lord’s associates Nanda and Sunanda, Garuda, Pracanda and Canda, Mahabala and Bala, Kumuda and Kumudekṣaṇa. (SB 11.27.28)4 This verse describes these associates of the Lord as worshipable along with the Lord. It also implies that they are of the same nature as the Lord. In Śrīmad Bhagavatam the Lord made this point Himself when He said of His personal associate Uddhava: 2 tad-bhinnatve sati tadvad bhuyo dharmavattvam vakṣasi śukla-varna-dakṣiṇāvarta-lomāvalī Sabda-kalpa-druma nandam sunandam garudam pracandam candam eva ca mahabalam balam caiva kumudam kumudekṣaṇam 701 broad Śri Bhagavat Sandarbha Since he is master of his senses and never affected by material wilay nature or its gunas, Śrī Uddhava is in no measure less than I. Let hims therefore remain in the world to spread transcendental knowledge about Me. (SB 3.4.31)5 Similar descriptions can be found of the Lord’s other associates in Vraja as well as in Dvārakā. ΠΟ In the next anuccheda, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmī says that because the Lord’s associates are like Him, their association is the supreme goal to be achieved. inpavigat в gnivad au asblog mele rod abfor bind silvia ((ex midi (kosiliano) zyne mik no vino bavot -Brit homine no 209 stevie2 pritet d balomaswami of hevig all plan wwwdibat zovig shabuix at bestodeM bing bas aldhalilito a brod odio sono nach omeradlo sas yada tedi ang semlandiak der dic bid we drew grop Usamil Jatogel sabololmatomunda home & aliteres 5 noddhavo’nv api man-nyuno yad gunair narditah prabhuh ato mad-vayunam lokam grahayann iha tisthatu 702 Anuccheda 77 biol 961 to 29etova with A Devotee’s Highest Aspiration: To Be in the Company of the Lord’s Associates ७७ । अत एव कालातीतास् ते परमभक्तानामपि परमपुरुषार्थसामीप्याश्च इत्याह ( भा० ७।९।२४ ) - THEREFORE, the associates of the Lord are not influenced by time. So, to achieve the liberated condition of eternal existence in their company (samipya) is the highest possible good (puruşărtha) to be aspired for by conscious beings, and in particular for the topmost devotees. Prahlada Mahārāja prayed for this to Lord Nrsimha: d of bay ed algosa ylbogmu to nohtais तस्मादमूस्तनुभृतामहमाशिषोऽज्ञ आयुः श्रियं विभवमैन्द्रियमाविरिञ्च्यात् । नेच्छामि ते विलुलितानुरुविक्रमेण कालात्मनोपनय मां निजभृत्यपार्श्वम् ॥ ३४८ ॥ it od ot bortel sd tedi esilgmi doldwe 9H Therefore, now that I am in knowledge, I do not yearn for the w boboons desired by conditioned beings, such as long life, opu-d lence, worldy glory or sense pleasures, up to and including those enjoyed by Brahma. All these are destroyed by You in the form of powerful time. Just grant me the association of Your servants. (SB 7.9.24)1 स्पष्टम् ।। श्रीप्रह्लादः श्रीनृसिंहम् ॥ aw The meaning is clear. 1tasmād amūs tanu-bhṛtām aham āsiṣo’jña ayuḥ śriyaṁ vibhavam aindriyam āviriñcyāt necchāmi te vilulitan uru-vikrameņa kālātmanopanaya māṁ nija-bhṛtya-pārsvam 703 Commentary Śri Bhagavat Sandarbha AFTER EXPLAINING that the associates of the Lord are transcenden- tal, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi makes this same point in a different way. The devotees of the Lord do not desire anything material, nor even liberation: 3 One who has surrendered himself to Me does not desire anything A other than Me, not the position of Śrī Brahma or the kingdom of Indra, mastery over the Earth, or sovereignty over the netherworlds. He seeks not the paranormal powers of yoga, nor even liberation from birth and death. (SB 11.14.14)2 But these devotees most certainly desire the company of the Lord’s associates. This means that the Lord’s associates are sup- remely transcendental; otherwise, why would such exclusive devotees have any desire to associate with them? Ti Such a desire was cherished by bhakta Prahlada. One should not think that Prahlada Mahārāja desired to be relieved from material suffering. His only desire was to serve the Lord, but because he faced such severe obstacles to the performance of devotion in the association of ungodly people, he longed to be in the company of true devotees. The words nija-bhṛtya-pārśva are important. Bhṛtya means servant. Prahlada desired to live in the company of the Lord’s servants, which implies that he wished to be their servant. Other- wise, he would have prayed to be relieved from material misery. He had no material desire, however, as became apparent when the Lord tried to entice him with a boon apart from pure bhakti:ownl mol sdi ni wo? yd boyortasb 1 di Ad8 mde8 vd havojas O my Lord, I am Your desireless devotee and You are my eternal mas- ter. Neither of us have any expectation of each other, unlike the relationship between a king and his servant. If You wish to give me a boon, O Lord, best of those who offer blessings, then I ask na parameṣṭhyam na mahendra-dhiṣnyam na sarvabhaumam na rasadhipatyam na yoga-siddhir apunar-bhavam vā mayy arpitätmecchati mad vinänyat 704 77 A Devotee’s Highest Aspiration: To Be in the Company of the Lord’s Associates only for this from You: that no desires may ever arise in my heart. (SB 7.10.6-7)3 Prahlada had no material desires and prayed not to have any in the future. Yet he yearned for the association of the Lord’s asso- ciates. This indirectly shows that the Lord’s associates are not mate- rial, and so Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī says they are beyond the influence of time, kālātītāḥ. Prahlada Mahārāja is not an ordinary devotee, yet even he desires to serve the Lord’s associates. Therefore, Jiva here defines association with Bhagavan’s eternal associates as parama- puruṣārtha, the highest possible good that can be aspired for by conscious beings. In the next anuccheda, the transcendental nature of Bhagavan’s abode and His associates will be shown simultaneously. क फ d no tindly high adi agnisd bas zblow botimilau Potensinth blotsstard basristened sbode lesbasset helt amforgers-Ile bas zonales) viilatortail galed 30 yille lar to use a mi to IIA galoda ad to ulerow ebrahma awal se bore (ave adhha) galad boyol dots Hee yad nades de ett has goj oni odius gablog as yould be sowol si luidos bue Sidery ahaṁ tv akāmas tvad-bhaktas tvaṁ ca svāmy a anapaśrayaḥ nanyathehavayor artho raja-sevakayor iva yadi dasyasi me kämän varāms tvaṁ varadarṣabha kāmānāṁ hṛdy asamroham bhavatas tu vṛne varam 705 un bed Anuccheda 78nloses adi booyed The Residents of Vaikuntha Are Transcendental to the Material World iqes sd pso tedt hoog sld 78.1 ७८ । तथा च पाद्मोत्तरखण्डे- UTTARA-KHANDA OF PADMA PURANA Similarly states: त्रिपाद्विभूतेर्लोकास्तु असङ्ख्याः परिकीर्तिताः । शुद्धसत्त्वमयाः सर्वे ब्रह्मानन्दसुखाह्वयाः || ३४९ ।। सर्वे नित्या निर्विकारा हेयरागविवर्जिताः । सर्वे हिरण्मयाः शुद्धाः कोटिसूर्यसमप्रभाः || ३५० ।। सर्वे वेदमया दिव्याः कामक्रोधादिवर्जिताः । नारायणपदाम्भोजभक्त्येकरससेविनः || ३५१ ।। निरन्तरं सामगानपरिपूर्णसुखं श्रिताः । सर्वे पञ्चोपनिषत्स्वरूपा वेदवर्चसः || ३५२ ॥ इत्यादि । There are unlimited worlds and beings in the tripăda-vibhuti, or the transcendental abode characterized by threefold dimension- ality of being (i.e., immortality, fearlessness and all-auspicious worship of the Absolute). All of them are of the nature of unal- loyed being (suddha-sattva) and are known as brahmananda- sukha, the joy and bliss of Brahman. They are all eternal, immutable and devoid of the lower gunas; they are golden, pure and brilliant as a million suns. They are all full of Vedic knowl- edge, divine and free from the defects of lust and greed. They relish only the nectar of unalloyed devotional service to Śrī Nārā- yana’s lotus feet. They are always filled with the bliss of the sweet chanting of the Samaveda and are effulgent with the Vedic knowl- 706 78 The Residents of Vaikuntha Are Transcendental to the Material World edge. They are the personification of the fivefold worship of the Lord. (PP 6.228.1-4)1bod 97019750T अत्र त्रिपाद्विभूतिशब्देन प्रपञ्चातीतलोकोऽभिधीयते पादविभूतिशब्देन तु प्रपञ्च इति । यथोक्तं तत्रैव- Here tripada-vibhuti indicates the world beyond matter, since păda-vibhuti means the material world. This is stated in the same Purana: poved ॐ त्रिपाद्व्याप्तिः परं धाम्नि पादोऽस्येहाभवत् पुनः । त्रिपाद्विभूतेर्नित्यं स्यादनित्यं पादमैश्वरम् || ३५३ ।। नित्यं तद्रूपमीशस्य परं धाम्नि स्थितं शुभम् । अच्युतं शाश्वतं दिव्यं सदा यौवनमाश्रितम् । नित्यं सम्भोगमीश्वर्या श्रिया भूम्या च संवृत्तम् ॥ ३५४ ॥ इति । Threefold dimensionality of being (tripäd) [i.e., immortality, fearlessness and all-auspicious worship of the Divine] is inher- ent in the Lord’s own abode, whereas onefold dimensionality (pada) [i.e., mortal existence only, devoid of the awareness and bliss of the Real] is inherent here [in this world]. The dimension of threefold being (tripada-vibhuti) is eternal, but the dimension oof onefold being (päda-vibhuti) is ephemeral. The eternal, auspi- cious form of the Lord exists in the transcendental abode. That form is infallible, eternal, divine and the reservoir of ever newly ar manifesting youth. In this form, He forever enjoys His potencies, Śrī, Bhu and Iśvari. (PP 6.227.11-13)2 tripäd-vibhüter lokās tu asarkhyāḥ parikirtitāḥR śuddha-sattva-mayaḥ sarve brahmananda-sukhāhvayāḥ sarve nitya nirvikārā heya-rāga-vivarjitāḥ sarve hiranmayaḥ śuddhaḥ koti-surya-sama-prabhāḥ sarve vedamaya divyaḥ kama-krodhādi-varjitāḥ nārāyaṇa-padambhoja-bhakty-eka-rasa-sevinaḥ bnirantaram sama-gana-paripūrṇa-sukham śritāḥ sarve pañcopaniṣat-sva-rupa veda-varcasaḥ tripad-vyāptiḥ param dhamni pãdo’syehābhavat punah tripad-vibhüter nityam syat anityaṁ pādam aiśvaram nityam tad-rupam iśasya paraṁ dhamni sthitam subham acyutaṁ śāśvatam divyam sada yauvanam āśritam nityam sambhogam iśvaryā śriya bhūmyā ca samvṛttam iwandiola svoda 707 Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha अत एव तदनुसारेण द्वितीयस्कन्धोऽप्येवं योजनीयः । तत्र ( भा० २।६।१७ ) - Therefore, we will discuss the narration found in the Second Canto in the light of these ideas:fiftere spen 406 सोऽमृतस्याभयस्येशो मर्त्यमन्नं यदत्यगात् । ॐ महिमैष ततो ब्रह्मन् पुरुषस्य दुरत्ययः ॥ ३५५ ॥ bandy-l stetaal side blow Isins1pm danom iddiy uhne He is Lord of the immortal and of fearlessness, and is beyond mor- tality and food. O brāhmaṇa, this glory of the Supreme Person is therefore difficult to comprehend. (SB 2.6.17)3 to अमृतादिद्वयं तत्तृतीयत्वेन वक्ष्यमाणस्य क्षेमस्याप्युपलक्षणम् । श्रुतौ च “उतामृतत्वस्ये- शानः” (ऋग्वेद १०।९०।२) इत्यत्रामृतत्वं तद्युगलोपलक्षणम् । अत्र धर्मिप्रधाननिर्देशः श्रुतौ तु तत्र धर्ममात्रनिर्देशस्यापि तत्रैव तात्पर्यम् । In this verse the two terms, “the immortal” (amṛta) and “fearless- ness” (abhaya), are also indicative of a third item, namely, “wel- fare” (kşema), cited in the verse that follows, as will be discussed.* In the Śruti mantra also it is said, “He is the Master of immortality (amṛtatva)” (RV 10.90.2), so immortality is there indicative of the other two items. The distinction between the two statements is that in the above verse, amṛta denotes the Entity (or the place) to whom the attribute of immortality belongs, while the Śruti state- ment (amṛtatva) signifies just the attribute itself; nevertheless, it should also be taken to indicate, by extension of meaning, the Entity to whom such an attribute belongs.val bus ad h The 2 तत्रामृतम् “स्वदृष्टवद्भिर्पुरुषैरभिष्टुतम्” (भा० २।९।९) इति । “परं न यत्परम् ” ( भा० २ १९१९) इत्याद्युक्तानुसारेण परमानन्दः । अत एव " अमृतं विष्णुमन्दिरम् ” इति तत्पर्यायः । The word “immortal” means supremely blissful, as was shown in SB 2.9.9, “His personal abode, Vaikuntha, the supreme planet above all others, which is glorified extensively by the enlightened 3 so’mṛtasyabhayasyeso martyam annam yad atyagāt mahimaiṣa tato brahman puruṣasya duratyayaḥ Here again, the reference is to the three padas or qualitative aspects of the transcendental realm. 5 utamṛtatvasyeśānaḥ 708 78 The Residents of Vaikuntha Are Transcendental to the Material World sages who have been blessed with its vision.” Therefore, it was said that amṛta (the abode of immortality) and vişnu-mandira (the abode of Visņu) are synonymous (PP 6.227.79)? अभयम् “न च कालविक्रमः” (भा० २।९।१०) इत्यादि भयमात्राभावः । अत एव “द्विजा धामाकुतोभयम्” (भा० १२।११।१९) इत्युक्तम् । As for fearlessness, the statement, “Nor is there any influence of time there” (SB 2.9.10), indicates that there is absolutely no trace of fear in Vaikuntha. And so, Śrī Sūta said, “O brāhmaṇas, that abode is free of fear” (SB 12.11.19). iamless lexojam zali क्षेमम् “न यत्र माया” (भा० २।९।१०) इत्याद्युक्तानुसारेण भगवद्बहिर्मुखताकरगुणसम्बन्धा- भावाद् भगवद्भजनमङ्गलाश्रयत्वं ज्ञेयम् । तथा च नारदीयेamboo Pehle Kṣema is explained in SB 2.9.10, “There is no māyā in that world.”” According to this statement, kşema, or welfare, should be under- stood as Vaikuntha’s inherent quality of being the repository of all-auspiciousness, present unconditionally as all-consuming devotion and love for the all-encompassing Supreme Person, Śri Bhagavan. In that abode, such auspicious devotion is the natural state of being, since there is no contact with the material gunas that divert attention and awareness away from the simple and obvious, moment to moment, recognition of God. This is also stated in Narada Purāna: bas visommi as dage Sup busta सर्वमङ्गलमूर्धन्या पूर्णानन्दमयी सदा । द्विजेन्द्र तव मय्यस्तु भक्तिरव्यभिचारिणी ॥ ३५६ ॥ इति । mandal । O best of the twice born! May you be permeated with unalloyed devotional service unto Me, which is always supremely blissful and is the royal crown of all auspiciousness.10 The full verse is not quoted. Only the param na yat-param portion is intended here. The full verses SB 2.9.9-10 were quoted in Sections 10.1-2. 7 Verses quoted in full in Section 72. See also Section 23.4. 8 dvija dhāmākuto-bhayam 9 See Section 10.2. 10 dvijendra tava mayy astu bhaktir avyabhicāriņi sarva-mangala-murdhanyā pūrṇānanda-mayī sadā 30 709 Elrow InMs us Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha doble अत एव “क्षेमं विन्दन्ति मत्स्थानम् ” ( भा० ११ । २० । ३७) इत्युक्तम् ।ed [ordwangise ans (villahommi to abode adt) tum ter big Therefore, the Lord also said, “They obtain My auspicious abode” (SB 11.20.37).11 तत्र तत्तच्छब्देन लक्षणामयकष्टकल्पनया जनलोकादिवाच्यतां निषेधन् हेतुं न्यस्यति । मर्त्यम् “ब्रह्मणोऽपि भयं मत्तो द्विपरार्धपरायुषः” (भा० ११ । १० । ३०) इत्यादिन्यायेन मरणध- र्मकम् । 2A By an inappropriate stretch of imagination, one might indirectly interpret the above words as referring to Janaloka or other sim- ilar material realms in the upper stratum of the universe. To refute this possibility, Śrī Śuka says that abode is “beyond mor- tality and food” (martyam annam yad atyagat). The word martya means “mortality,” as the Lord Himself explains, “Even Brahma, who has a life span lasting a dvi-parardha [amounting to trillions of years], fears Me” (SB 11.10.30).12 अन्नम् – कर्मादिफलं त्रिलोक्यादिकं यस्मादत्यगात् । अतिक्रम्यैव तत्र विराजत इति । एषः– अमृताद्यैश्वर्यरूपः । दुरत्ययः ब्रह्मचर्यादिभिः केनचिन् मनसाप्यवरोद्धुमशक्यः । The word anna (lit., “food”) refers to the results of karma in the form of existence in the three divisions of mortal planetary systems. The Lord’s abode is situated beyond these three plane- tary systems. “This glory” (of Bhagavan) means the opulences referred to, such as immortality and fearlessness. Being “diffi- cult to understand” (duratyaya) means that Vaikuntha cannot be grasped by anyone through the mind or by following disciplines like brahmacarya. bia Commentary que yawla zi daid Mota sotune Ismoilovah qaus lie to owes you si z ba TO PROVE that the residents of the Vaikuntha planets are transcen- dental to the material world, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi refers to a series of verses Lord Siva spoke to Parvati while explaining the tripada- vibhūti, or the transcendental realm marked by the threefold quality 11 kşemam vindanti mat-sthānam ham 12 brahmano’pi bhayam matto dvi-parardha-parayuṣaḥ 71078 The Residents of Vaikuntha Are Transcendental to the Material World of being. The interesting point in these verses is that the word loka can mean not only a place, like a world, planet or region, but a per- son as well, so the description given here can be applied both to the spiritual region and to its inhabitants. -sida balle Śrī Jiva Prabhu first quotes these verses from Padma Purāņa in order to contextualize his explanation of four verses from the Second Canto. In fact, these verses and those from Bhāgavatam are a Puranic elucidation of the famous Purușa-sūkta of Rg Veda (RV 10.90). Previously in PP 6.223, Lord Siva gave a description of Lakṣmi Devi and said, “In this way, the great goddess Laksmi is glorified in Ṛk-samhita” (evam rk-samhitāyāṁ stūyamānā maheśvari, PP 6.223.31). This makes it clear that what follows there is also based on Ṛk-samhita. Similarly, while introducing his comments to chapter 6 of the Second Canto, Śrīdhara Svāmi says: stell The opulence of the virat form is described in the sixth chapter according to its divisions, such as adhyatma. Everything was previ- ously stated and is confirmed and supported by the Purusa-sukta.3 BoyFurthermore, in his comments to the verses cited in this section, Śrīdhara Svāmi identifies which Puruşa-sukta verses are being elab- orated on. The Purușa-sukta refers to the material world as pada (RV 10.90.3) and to the spiritual world as tripada. In chapter 5 of the Second Canto, Narada Muni approaches Śrī Brahma to inquire about the support, cause and controller of the universe. In response, Śrī Brahmã describes the material creation, which emanates from the Supreme Lord. He explains that the universe is the viraṭ-purusa, a form of the Lord. The verses beginning with SB 2.6.14 correspond to the first four Puruṣa-sukta mantras, given below: hershtib of Randers 12 sl The universal Lord, who is endowed with unlimited heads, eyes and feet, after having encompassed the entire universe, surpasses the cosmic creation by a distance of ten fingers. (RV 10.90.1)14 13 sasthe virad-vibhutiś ca proktādhyātmādi-bhedataḥ. dṛdhikṛtam ca purvoktam h sarvam purusa-suktataḥ. sahasra-sirṣa puruṣaḥ sahasrakṣah sahasra-pāt sa-bhūmim viśvato vṛtratyatiṣṭhad daśangulam 711 WM Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha This means that the Lord exists both within and without the uni- verse. The number ten signifies the seven coverings of the universe, each of which is ten times thicker than the preceding one. This is called the daśāngula-nyaya in Vedic terminology: This visible universe is the form of the virat-purușa. Whatever existed in the past, or will exist in the future, is also the form of the universal Lord. He is the Lord of immortality and beyond the law of ahe karma, which influences the living beings within the universe. All that is seen here is his greatness (mahima). And then, beyond it, is that Purusa, the oldest. All universes and beings are but one dimension (pada) of Him. His threefold dimensionality (tri-pad) is immortal (amṛta) in the sky (divi). The Lord’s threefold dimensionality of transcendental being is estab- wholished beyond the material world, whereas His onefold dimension- of ality is manifested in this material world. Then again the living beings here tread on the path of consumption [i.e., of pleasurable and painful experience] or of non-consumption [i.e., of liberation], yet the all-pervading Lord is beyond both. (RV 10.90.2-4)15 These verses of the Purușa-sūkta, as well as the corresponding description of the virat-puruşa, clearly describe two different cre- ations. The living beings are under the law of karma, which is com- pared to food (anna), but the Lord and His devotees are transcenden- tal. The Lord is the controller of immortality, which means that He has the power to award it to others. Sometimes heaven is referred to as a place of immortality. This immortality, however, is not real; it only appears so in comparison to the brief life span of the lower worlds. Thus, fear of death exists even in heaven. bod do orto To differentiate the immortality of Vaikuntha from that of the heavenly sphere, Śrī Brahma uses the adjective abhaya, or fearless- ness. Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi says that the immortality and fearlessness 15 puruşa evedam sarvam yad bhutam yac ca bhavyam utamṛtatvasyeśāno yad annenätirohati etävän asya mahimato jyäyämś ca purusah pado’sya viśvā bhūtāni tripād asyāmṛtaṁ divi tripad-urdhva udait puruṣaḥ pādo’syehābhavat punaḥ tato visvań vyakramat săśananasane abhi 712 78 The Residents of Vaikuntha Are Transcendental to the Material World mentioned in SB 2.6.17 (the principal verse under discussion) indi- cate the auspiciousness explicitly referred to in the following verse. Kṣema, or auspiciousness, means that time has no unfavorable influ- ence on the devotees. This means that the devotees residing eter- nally in Vaikuntha never come under the influence of the inauspi- cious material guņas. Therefore, the Lord’s abode is called kṣemam sthānam, or a place of auspiciousness. These three characteristics of Vaikuntha, amṛta, abhaya and kṣema, are discussed in great detail in chapter 9 of the Second Canto, which describes Śrī Brahma’s vision of Vaikuntha and was discussed in detail in Anuccheda 10. It is incorrect to interpret this verse or the tripada-vibhuti as referring to planets above heaven, like Janaloka, and not Vaikuntha. The verse says that the Lord is beyond death. In this world every- one is afraid of death, even Śrī Brahma, whose life span is known as a dvi-parardha. This is explained by Śrī Kṛṣṇa in His teachings to Uddhava: niedasonsfugo Ils seu Rused bas agniad gaivil lie to -dus sdi gnisd (nhng) 1991 aill of bensamos 299do larom bAll beings, including the gods, who live for the duration of a kalpa, blo fear fear Me. Even Brahma, who lives for a dvi-parardha, fears Me. (SB 11.10.30)16 pisivih sell 7093 Is Me. A kalpa means a thousand yuga cycles. A dvi-parardha is calcu- lated at some 311,040,000,000,000 years. S So even with such fantas- tic life spans, these higher beings are also faced with mortality and alicy onida Irplang babaed-swim adt become afraid. 918 2399229,765 bos sonaglaigans yillarrommi lo estudis (vabo) bedaildares yllen1979 78.2 Sm तदेवम् “अमर्त्यमैश्वर्यं त्रिपात् मर्त्यमेकपात्” इति तस्य चतुष्पादैश्वर्यं पुनर्विवृणोति (મા૦૨।૬।૮) - In this way, threefold being (tri-pat) is constituted of immortal opulence, whereas onefold being (eka-pāt) is mortal; together 16 lokānāṁ loka-pālānāṁ mad bhayam kalpa-jivinām brahmano’pi bhayam matto dvi-parardha-parāyuṣaḥ 713 bha Lohanisadi Sri Bhagavat Sandarbha best sir they comprise the Lord’s four-dimensional opulence (catuspāt), which śrī śūka further describes as follows:ools sam zuff पादेषु सर्वभूतानि पुंसः स्थितिपदो विदुः । - अमृतं क्षेममभयं त्रिमूर्ध्नोऽधायि मूर्धसु ॥ ३५७ || -iga pinigaismo Stev ai yllen The wise know that all living beings exist in the feet of the Purusa, the maintainer of all ( sthiti-pāt). Whereas, immore bm tality, auspiciousness and fearlessness are established in that 01 paramount abode, lying beyond the three-headed materiales haenature. (SB 2.6.18 ) musl jo rol तिष्ठन्त्यत्र सर्वभूतानि इति स्थितयो मर्त्याद्यैश्वर्याणि तानि पादा इवाधिष्ठानभूतानि यस्य तस्य स्थितिपदः । पादेषु चतुर्व्वेव ऐश्वर्यभागेषु सर्वभूतानि पार्षदपर्यन्तानि । पादान् दर्श- यति त्रयाणां सात्त्विकादिपदर्थानां मूर्द्धेव मूर्द्धा प्रकृतिस्तस्य मूर्द्धेसु तदुपरि विराजमानेषु श्रीवैकुण्ठलोकेषु अमृतं क्षेममभयं चाधायि नित्यं धृतमेव तिष्ठतीत्यर्थः । ITWOOD 900 The Lord is called sthiti-pät, because He is the shelter (sthiti) of all living beings, and because all opulences, beginning with mortal objects, are compared to His feet (pāda), being the sub- stratum (adhiṣṭhāna) of existence. All living beings up to and including His personal associates exist in, or as, this fourfold division of His opulence, or feet. These divisions ( pādas) are here described further : The Lord’s material nature (prakrti ) is symbolized as having three heads, representing the tendencies and products of the sättvic, rajasic and tāmasic gunas. Above the three-headed prakṛti shine the Vaikuntha planets, where the attributes of immortality, auspiciousness and fearlessness are eternally established (adhāyi). ततः पूर्वस्य मर्त्यान्नमात्रात्मकत्वादेकपात्त्वम् । उत्तरस्यामृतादित्रयात्मकत्वात् त्रिपात्त्व- मिति भावः । तदनेन “पादोऽस्य विश्वाभूतानि त्रिपादस्यामृतं दिवि” (ऋग्वेद १०।९०।३) इत्यस्यार्थो दर्शितः । अस्य पादस्तथास्यैव दिवि वैकुण्ठे यदमृताद्यात्मकं त्रिपात् तच् च विश्वाभूतानीत्यर्थः । अत्राधिष्ठानाधिष्ठेययोरैक्योक्तिः । The import is that the first-mentioned place is called eka-pāt because it is the place constituted of mortal food alone [i.e., of 17 pādeşu sarva-bhūtāni pumsah sthiti-pado viduh Hom amṛtam kṣemam abhayam tri-mürdhno’dhayi mürdhasu Unendant 714 78 The Residents of Vaikuntha Are Transcendental to the Material World mortality alone]. The latter is called tri-pat because it is the place constituted of three qualities of being, namely immortal- ity, auspiciousness and fearlessness. This verse thus explains the meaning of the Ṛk mantra, “All universes and created beings are but one dimension (pada) of Him. His threefold dimension- ality (tri-pāt) is immortal (amṛta) in the sky (divi)” (RV 10.90.3).18 The meaning should be understood in the following way: All uni- verses and all living beings exist in, or as, the total opulence of His being, consisting of the plane of onefold being, as well as the plane of threefold being, which is present in “the sky” (divi), or Vaikuntha, and constituted of immortality, fearlessness and all-auspiciousness. This statement is made considering the one- ness of identity between the support [i.e., the worlds] and the supported [i.e., the living beings]. 78.320 sideniers essay andingo) 21-bye has gone अथ चतुष्पात्त्वे त्रिलोकीव्यवस्थावत् पक्षान्तरं दर्शयति ( भा० २।६।१९ ) - ge outd mos lint any avode batxu Next, an alternate explanation of the four pädas, or divisions, as the universal arrangement of the three planetary systems is al bits Bolen afte given: edw sideblimio पादास्त्रयो बहिश्चासन्नप्रजानां य आश्रमाः । अन्तस्त्रिलोक्यास्त्वपरो गृहमेधोऽबृहद्व्रतः ।। ३५८ ।। The three pādas lie beyond the three general divisions of plan- ets (triloki) and [additionally] are achieved by brahmacāris, vānaprasthas and sannyasis respectively. The others, the house- holders, who do not take up the formidable vow of celibacy, remain within the triloki [Bhu, Bhuvar, Svar]. (SB 2.6.19) 19 18 etävän asya mahimāto jyāyāṁś ca puruṣaḥ pado’sya viśvā bhūtāni tripad asyāmṛtam divi pādās trayo bahis casann aprajānāṁ ya asramāḥ antas tri-lokyas tv aparo grha-medho’bṛhad-vratahy Lust mad eenied 715 how a sf of lŚrī Bhagavat Sandarbhashashaney चशब्दः उक्तसमुच्चयार्थः । प्रपञ्चाद् बहिः पादास्त्रय आसन्नेव प्रपञ्चात्मकस्य चतुर्थपाद- स्यैव विभागविवक्षायां तु त्रिलोक्या बहिश्चान्ये पादास्त्रय आसन्नित्येवं मन्त्रेऽपि हि तथैव (पुरुषसूक्तम् ४) “पुनः” शब्दः । agnisd bot 29819ving IPA vino 8 s to gainsam sdi The indeclinable ca (and) [which begins the phrase, “and addi- tionally”] implies all three padas combined [as the subject of that phrase]. In reality, the three padas exist beyond the material world, but to explain the fourth pada, which is materially consti- tuted, the three pādas are also said to exist within the cosmos, in the highest stratum of the universe, above the triloki, or the three general divisions of planets. This same point is also indicated in the Rk mantra by the word punah (“again,” Puruşa-sukta 4). ते के ? अप्रजानां ब्रह्मचारिवनस्थयतीनाम् । आश्रमाः प्राप्या ये लोकाः । अत एव धर्मत्रय- प्राप्यत्वाच् चतुर्णामपि त्रिपात्त्वम् । अपरस्तु चतुर्थः पादस्त्रिलोक्या अन्तरिति गृहमेधस्त- त्प्राप्यः । यस्मादबृहद्वतो ब्रह्मचर्यरहित इति । The What are these three padas? The planets attainable (āśramāḥ) by brahmacāris, vānaprasthas and sannyāsīs (aprajānām). Although there are actually four planets (Mahar, Jana, Tapa and Satya) sit- uated above the triloki grouping, because they are attained by adherence to these three religious disciplines, they are said to constitute the tri-pat. The fourth and remaining pada is made up of the triloki and is achieved by householders who perform reli- gious rituals for material prosperity (gṛha-medhis), but who do not undertake the formidable vow of celibacy (abṛhad-vrata). attributes of he eternally establi Commentary (adhay)) शु mily to anolith long avada ada hoyed all wabing sex sim The Lord’s threefold dimensionality of transcendental being has its counterpart within the material world. This is implied by the word punah (again) in the fourth mantra from the Puruşa-sukta: The Lord’s threefold dimensionality of transcendental being is estab- lished beyond the material world, whereas His onefold dimension- ality is manifested in this material world. Then again the living beings here tread on the path of consumption [i.e., of pleasurable 716 78 The Residents of Vaikuntha Are Transcendental to the Material World and painful experience] or of non-consumption [i.e., of liberation], yet the all-pervading Lord is beyond both. (RV 10.90.4) 20 Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi says that the full implication of this word (punah) is explained in SB 2.6.19. Beyond the heavenly planets (Svar- loka) are four planetary systems, Maharloka, Janaloka, Tapoloka and Satyaloka. These represent the tripada-vibhuti, and the three planetary systems below that, Bhūloka, Bhuvarloka and Svarloka, represent the ekapada-vibhuti. The ekapada-vibhuti is the place for the grha-medhi, or the person whose attention and awareness is anchored in the home (grha eva medha buddhir yasya sa gṛha-medhi). The word gṛha, though literally meaning “home,” implies a wife, as it is said, “A house alone is not a home; rather, a wife, or she who keeps the home, is what is called a home” (na grham gṛham ity ahur grhini gṛham ucyate). For a gṛhastha, a house or home has no mean- ing without a wife. Therefore, the real meaning of the above state- ment (SB 2.6.19) is that the ekapada-vibhuti is meant for those whose attention is anchored in the husband or wife, as the basis of psycho- sexual and emotional gratification. Such people rotate within the three material spheres. They cannot ascend beyond the heavenly planets. Śrīdhara Svāmī explains that although Maharloka is the place wherein gradual liberation (krama-mukti) is initiated, the hap- piness there is perishable, because at the end of Śri Brahma’s day, the residents feel the heat emanating from the mouth of Sankar- ṣaṇa, during the partial devastation. The happiness of people in Janaloka, however, is indestructible. They do not have to leave their abode at the end of Brahma’s day. Therefore, Janaloka represents amṛta, or immortality. The residents of Janaloka see people falling from Maharloka, and this brings them distress. However, that is the extent of their suffering. The residents of Tapoloka, on the other hand, are completely aloof from suffering. So Tapoloka represents kşema, or auspiciousness. Satyaloka, however, is the place of abhaya, or fearlessness, because its residents achieve liberation along with Brahmä: Kanamith 20 tripad-urdhva udait puruṣaḥ pãdo’syehabhavat punahme tato vişvan vyakrāmat sāśananasane abhi 717 bhow InfoM adoŚrī Bhagavat Sandarbha Torebi All those virtuous souls enter the abode of the Lord along with Śrī Brahma at the end of the duration called para, when it is time for the complete annihilation. (Kurma Purāņa 1.12.273)21 brow alt to nouatiqmt ut ad ft ayse van ava) vi ple? (or (Anish) 78.4 Bnerdal oled ammaya yaronale अत एवोभयथापि पुरुषश्चतुष्पादित्याह (भा० २।६।२०) –
Thus, the Purusa has four dimensions of being, manifest in these two ways, as explained in the next verse: सृती विचक्रमे विश्वङ् साशनानशने उभे । विद्या च विद्या च पुरुषस्तूभयाश्रयः || ३५९ ।। The living being moves either on the path of consumption (sāśana), or of non-consumption (anasana). But the all-pervad- ing Supreme Person is beyond both, because He is the shelter of both wisdom and nescience. (SB 2.6.20)22 Inng विष्वङ् सर्वव्यापी । पुरुषः पुरुषोत्तमः । एते सृती प्रपञ्चाप्रपञ्चलक्षणे जीवस्य गती । विचक्रमे आक्रम्य स्थितः । कथम्भूते ? साशनानशने कर्मादिफलभोगतदतिक्रमयुक्ते । तस्यैव तत्तदाक्रमणे हेतुः - यद्ययोर्जीवस्य सृत्योः । अविद्या मायैकत्र विद्या चिच्छक्तिर- न्यत्राश्रय इत्यर्थः । पुरुषोत्तमस्तु तयोर्द्वयोरप्याश्रयः । वक्ष्यते च “यस्मादण्डं विराड् जज्ञे” ( भा० २।६।२१) इत्यादिना । Visvak means all-pervading, and puruşa means the Supreme Per- son. The two paths, characterized by material entanglement and liberation, are the destinations of the living beings. But the Lord is beyond (vicakrame) both. Which two specifically? Both the path of consumption, which implies both suffering and enjoy- ment of the fruits of karma, and that of non-consumption, or in other words, the path of transcendence of karma. The reason the Lord is transcendental to both is that He is their shelter. These 21 brahmaṇā saha te sarve samprapte pratisañcare parasyante kṛtätmanaḥ praviśanti param padam 22 sṛti vicakrame viśvan sāśananasane ubhe yad avidya ca vidyă ca purusas tūbhayasrayaḥammad 718 78 The Residents of Vaikuntha Are Transcendental to the Material World two paths are for the jiva. For living beings on the path of con- sumption, nescience (avidya) or mayā is the shelter, and for liv- ing beings on the path of non-consumption, wisdom (vidya) or the Lord’s own internal conscious (cit) potency is the shelter. But the Supreme Lord is the shelter of both of these. This is stated later in verses such as, “From Him is generated the universal egg, along with His universal form” (SB 2.6.21).23 तस्मात् सर्वैश्वर्येणैकदेशैश्वर्येण च चतुष्पात्त्वमिति भावः ।। श्रीब्रह्मा श्रीनारदम् ॥ bhaysding The import is that whether from the point of view of His com- plete opulence [both infinite and finite potencies inclusive] or from that of His limited opulence [finite potency only, in the form of material nature and the cosmos], the Lord encompasses four dimensions of being (catuspättva), [namely, mortality, immortality, fearlessness and all-auspiciousness]. Commentary SB 2.6.20 describes two paths that conditioned beings traverse. Asana means to eat or consume, and thus sāśana implies the path of material experience. This is the path of avidya, or nescience. Anasana (non-consumption) means the path of detachment. This is the path of vidya, or wisdom. The Puruşa, or Lord, is the shelter of both, and so it is He who awards the results of both. It is not that the result is automatically assured by personal endeavor alone, or by following a particular method: In these ara ight perfected the According to eternal verdict, one may leave the world either through the path of light or through the path of darkness. One of the paths does not lead to return, whereas, the other brings one back again. (GĪTĀ 8.26)24 Brahma says that the Lord is the shelter of these two paths: 23 yasmād aṇḍam viräḍ jajne bhütendriya-gunātmakaḥ tad dravyam atyagad viśvam gobhiḥ surya ivātapan 24 śukla-krsne gati hy ete jagataḥ śāśvate mate ekaya yaty anavṛttim anyayavartate punaḥ 719 Show all sor laŚri Bhagavat Sandarbha Tandles ll 2 -no From Him is generated the universal egg, along with His universal w vil form, consisting of all material elements, the senses and the gunas sri of nature. He is beyond all these elements, just like the sun, which l cheats the world through its rays, while yet remaining distinct from it. (SB 2.6.21)25 clusion of the tod The conclusion of the above discussion is that to reach even the higher material planets beyond heaven, one must observe the bṛhad- vrata, the formidable vow of celibacy. This means that one has to adhere to the path of detachment. Certainly then, to go beyond the material world and reach Vaikuntha, one must be completely transcendental to the material gunas. This proves once again that Vaikuntha and its residents are transcendental. al 30 ferit mon) In the next anuccheda, Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī will describe the expe- rience of the four Kumāras to show that Vaikuntha and its residents are a manifestation of Bhagavan’s internal potency. ora.co Server gone bonoflibros lads and ow) sedo dieg erb silqunt not be around 10 765 92 ans A 码 sault Insmusub to dings arrest (noramento) an То ты чіа эц To drug sil teris ton 21 11 diod to elues sri ebrews or SH at i de bos do som. The two pails characteized bdsm slotine gruallot yo dysuit blow past year and 10 fugil To Loot is madingaw sad to hotlade sette by randevaliers yasmad aṇḍam viraḍ jajne bhūtendriya-guṇātmakaḥ tad dravyam atyagad viśvam gobhiḥ surya ivätapan 720॥६॥ venger is blessuno adt lo maws good no bol bolovan-el ural da Squatrons zwo diff to Anuccheda 79 dinem ads no gablie sout to abbed as yo The Threefold Spiritual Manifestation Is Part of the Internal Potency की 79.1 ७९ । एवं सान्तरङ्गवैभवस्य भगवतः स्वरूपभूतयैव शक्त्या प्रकाशमानत्वात् स्वरूपभूत- त्वम् । सा च शक्तिर्विशिष्टस्यैव स्वरूपत्वात् स्वरूपान्तःपातेऽपि भेदलक्षणां वृत्तिं भजन्ती तत्र प्रकाशविशेषं वैचित्रीवृन्दं च प्रकटयति । IN THIS WAY, because the transcendental opulence of the tripada- vibhuti is manifested by virtue of the internal potency (svarupa- śakti) of the Lord, it is also part of His essential nature. Because this opulence belongs to the essential nature of the complete Absolute, inherently self-endowed with all potency, it appears distinct from Him, though part of His svarupa, manifesting a uniqueness of its own and distinct varieties within that svarupa. तत्र तत्र तादृशत्वे ब्रह्मोपासनासिद्धगुरव एवास्माकं प्रमाणम् । तदेतदाह चतुर्दशभिः (भा० ३ । १५ । ३७-५० ) - 300 salesh juodtiw sw 29762 at dogodile tedningsm outro to In these matters, enlightened teachers who have perfected them- selves in the culture of Brahman will serve as our evidence, as shown in the following fourteen verses (SB 3.15.37-50)1 spoken by Śrī Brahmā: Though these verses appear together in all editions of Bhagavat Sandarbha, followed by the consecutive commentary for all the verses, we have placed the corresponding portion of Jiva’s comment, as well as Śri Jiva-toşani commentary, immediately after each individual verse. In the original arrangement, the opening words of Jiva’s comment, “These verses will now be explained in order, beginning with the first verse” (atha kramena vyakhyāyate evaṁ tadaiveti), served as a bridge to connect back to the starting point of the verses (here to the first quoted verse, 721 Śri Bhagavat Sandarbha एवं तदैव भगवानरविन्दनाभः स्वानां विबुध्य सदतिक्रममार्यहृद्यः । तस्मिन् ययौ परमहंसमहामुनीनामन्वेषणीयचरणौ चलयन् सहश्रीः ॥ ३६० ॥ On becoming aware of the offense committed to the sages by members of His own entourage, the lotus-naveled Lord, who is cherished by the noble, immediately went there, accompanied by the Goddess of Fortune, walking on the very feet that are so To eagerly sought by highly enlightened mystics and great sages. (SB 3.15.37)2 VD orataladi अथ क्रमेण व्याख्यायते “एवं तदैव” इति । टीका च - एवं स्वानां महत्सु अतिक्रममपराधं तत्क्षणमेव विबुध्य तस्मिन् यत्र ते सनकादयस्ताभ्यां जयविजयाभ्यां रुद्धाः । तं देशं ययौ । आर्याणां हृद्यः मनोज्ञः । चरणौ चलयन् इत्ययं भावः - मच्चरणदर्शनप्रतिघातजं क्रोधं तौ दर्शयन् शमयिष्यामीति त्वराव्याजेन पद्भ्यामेव ययौ । श्रीसाहित्यं च निष्कामानपि विभू- तिभिः पूरयित्वा क्षमापयितुमिति । इत्येषा । Śrīdhara Svāmi comments as follows: “Thus, becoming aware in that very moment that members of His own entourage (svānām) had committed an offense towards the sages (sad-atikrama), He went to the place where Jaya and Vijaya had restrained the four Kumāras. ‘Cherished by the noble’ (ārya-hṛdya) means that the awareness of those who are noble [by virtue of the life of Spirit] is captivated by Him. The import of the statement, ‘He came walking’ (caranau calayan), is as follows. [The Lord deliberated:] ‘By showing them My feet, I will alleviate their anger, which arose due to being denied that sight.’ Therefore, to show His urgency, He came on foot. He came along with śrī, the Goddess of Fortune, meaning that although the sages were without desire (nişkāma), He intended to make them complete by revealing His own internal opulence, and thus invoke their forgiveness.’ SB 3.15.37). These opening words have been omitted in the translation since they have become superfluous by placing verse and commentary side by side. 2evam tadaiva bhagavan aravinda-nabhaḥ svänäṁ vibudhya sad-atikramam arya-hṛdyah oved ow asy tasmin yayau paramahamsa-maha-muninām anveṣaniya-caranau calayan saha-śrīḥ evam svānāṁ mahatsu atikramam aparādham tat-kṣaṇam eva vibudhya tasmin yatra te sanakādayas tābhyāṁ jaya-vijayabhyam ruddhāḥ. tam deśaṁ yayau. āryāṇāṁ hṛdyaḥ manojñaḥ, caranau calayann iti. ayam bhavaḥ mac-carana-darśana-pratighātajam krodham tau darśayan samayişyāmīti 722 79 The Threefold Spiritual Manifestation Is Part of the Internal Potency अत्र तेषामात्मारामाणामप्यानन्ददानार्थं चरणदर्शनेन तस्य सच्चिदानन्दघनत्वम् । श्रीसा- हित्येन तच्छक्तिविलासस्यापि स्वरूपानितरत्वं विवक्षितम् । स्वानाम् इति बहुवचनं द्वयो- रप्यपराधः सर्वेष्वेव परिवारेष्वापततीत्यपेक्षया तयोर्बहुमानाद् वा । स्वशब्देन मुनीनां न तादृशं तदात्मीयत्वमिति विवक्षितम् । In this description, Bhagavan’s nature as the condensed essence of eternality, consciousness and bliss (sat-cit-ananda-ghana) is shown in His intent to give bliss to the Kumāras, even though they were already absorbed in the bliss of the Self, simply by showing His feet. That He appeared with Lakṣmi (Śrī) means that the manifestation of His conscious internal potency (cit-śakti) is nondifferent from His essential nature (svarupa). Though the offence was committed by two devotees only, the use of the plural (svānām) implies that His entire retinue was implicated. Alterna- tively, the use of the plural’ here may be a sign of respect to Jaya and Vijaya. The words “His own” (sva) [for Jaya and Vijaya] fur- ther indicate that the Kumāras were not included as part of His inner circle, as was the case for Jaya and Vijaya. Commentary m esbegiraib golob pa ni bac AFTER PROVING that Vaikuntha as well as the Lord’s associates are part of His svarupa, Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī fortifies his arguments still further by citing the experience of the jñāni-gurus, the Brahman- realized Kumāras. The four Kumāras were the first sons of Śrī Brahma, and are regarded as the foremost of the Brahmavādīs and paramahamsas; thus, their conclusion is considered definitive. The Kumāras are celebrated in Chandogya Upanisad as the spiri- tual teachers of the great sage Narada. When Narada approached Sanat Kumāra for instruction, the latter inquired about Narada’s tvara-vyajena padbhyam eva yayau. śri-sahityaṁ ca nişkämän api vibhutibhiḥ purayitva kṣamāpayitum iti. The use of the plural for an individual, or in this case a pair of individuals (which would normally be in the dual number), is a way of showing respect in the Sanskrit language. “Narada approached Sanat Kumara, saying, ‘Teach me, O venerable sir”” (om adhihi bhagava iti hopasasada sanat-kumāram nāradas tam, CHU 7.1.1). M 723 Send To Sri Bhagavat Sandarbha education so that he could begin his teachings from the appropriate point. In response, Śrī Nārada humbly stated that he had studied the four Vedas, Itihāsas, Purāņas, grammar, mathematics, mineral- ogy, logic, ethics, etymology and so on. Judging from the immense qualification of the student, one can only imagine the extent of the Kumara’s knowledge and realization. So, Śrī Brahma refers to them in this verse as paramahamsa-maha-munayaḥ, highly enlightened great sages. Moreover, Śrī Sūta Gosvāmī includes the Kumāras in his list of the prime avataras of the Lord (SB 1.3.6). They are also known as the original preceptors of one of the four most prominent Vaiṣṇava sampradayas. This is stated in Padma Purana: The four Vaiṣṇava disciplic successions, Śrī, Brahma, Rudra and Sanaka (or Kumāra), which all purify the earth, will arise from v du Jagannatha Puri in Orissa in the age of Kali. Lakṣmi Devi empowered ar zilŚrī Rāmānujācārya, Śrī Brahma empowered Madhvācārya, Rudra empowered Visņu Svāmī, and the four Kumāras empowered Śrī Nimbārkācārya, to each propagate their respective sampradayas. With all this in mind, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi recounts the experi- ence of the Kumāras in this section, and in so doing dismantles the dazzling Advaitavada edifice. To the Vaisnavas, this section, which establishes the transcendental and nondual nature of Bhaga- vān’s form and lila, and of unalloyed love for Him, is like soothing moonlight for their water lily like hearts? BaŚrīla Jiva Gosvāmī quotes fourteen verses from chapter 15 of the Third Canto, which describes the Kumāras’ visit to Vaikuntha. When the most formidable asuras, Hiranyākṣa and Hiranyakasipu, were in the womb of Diti, the brilliance of Surya and the other gods was sud- denly curtailed, exactly as a person’s vital energy is diminished prior to an attack of malaria. The gods approached Śri Brahma to find out " śrī-brahma-rudra-sanakā vaiṣṇavāḥ kṣiti-pāvanāḥ catvāras te kalau bhavya hy utkale purusottamat vit rāmānujam śrī svicakre madhvacāryam caturmukhaḥ śrī-viṣṇu-svāminam rudro nimbădityam catuḥ-sanaḥ Quoted by Śripada Baladeva Vidyabhuṣaṇa in Prameya-ratnavali 1.5-6. 7 Water lilies bloom in the moonlight.c 724 79 The Threefold Spiritual Manifestation Is Part of the Internal Potency the reason for this occurrence. At that meeting Brahma narrated the story of the Kumāras’ visit to Vaikuntha.goylashda asen Once upon a time, the Kumāras went to Śrī Visnu’s abode. They were most eager to see the Lord and successfully passed through six outer gates on the way to the Lord’s inner chambers. At the seventh and innermost gate, which signifies pure love, however, they were stopped by the two gatekeepers, Jaya and Vijaya. Although the Kumāras are the first, and hence the oldest, beings brought forth by Śrī Brahma in the creation, they appear to be just five-year-old boys. As they are completely absorbed in brahma- nanda, they are completely indifferent to their appearance and go everywhere naked. Their nakedness symbolizes not only that they are devoid of any tinge of materialism, but also of prema, the requisite qualification to see the Lord. Jaya and Vijaya were alarmed to see four children, clad only in their skin, approach the final entrance to the Lord’s abode, and so they blocked the Kumāras’ entry with stern expressions, brandish- ing wooden staves. This incensed the sages, who merited honor and reverence, and were at that moment unable to tolerate any obstruction to their meeting with the Lord.own adjednom so Since one of the characteristics of a Brahman-realized being is equanimity, the Kumāras were moreover surprised to discover that here before them were two residents of Vaikuntha who seemed to be devoid of such equal vision. Considering the two gatekeepers unfit to reside in Vaikuntha, the one place that is free from all duality, they cursed them to take birth in the material world. The Kumāras’ reac- tion shows that even Brahman-realized jñānīs are unable to compre- hend the behavior of a devotee of the complete Absolute, Bhagavan. Upon hearing the words of the Kumāras, which reverberated like thunderbolts, Jaya and Vijaya fell at their feet in an attempt to pacify them. The Lord, who was inside the palace, understood the whole situation and immediately walked to the gate. The first of the four- teen verses cited in this section describes how the Lord came on the scene. Each of the fourteen verses is pregnant with meaning, and Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi thoroughly explains each one (Anucchedas 79.1-14). At 725 paniel Kapsalo Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha Bintang the end of this group of verses (Anucchedas 79.15-16) he also sum- marizes the underlying themes. In the context of this discussion, Jiva Gosvāmi vehemently repudiates the radical Advaitavada posi- tion that the Lord has no transcendental form. He raises objections on their behalf that even they themselves would probably not be able to imagine. Śrī Jiva thus leaves no doubt regarding his conclusion. In this first verse, the word bhagavan indicates that the Lord, being omniscient, instantly understood the offense created by His servants, even though no one came to inform Him. Thus, He came to the scene immediately (tadaiva). The Lord was not at all confused about who was the wrongdoer, nor did He choose to favor His guests, the Kumāras, over His devotees, Jaya and Vijaya. Thus, He is called arya-hṛdyaḥ, “cherished by the noble,” meaning that His form and behavior captivates the awareness of those who are awake to Spirit. The word arya, or one grounded in Spirit, has a particular sense in Vedic culture. Amongst other characteristics, Aryans hold all guests to be worshipable. onŚrī Brahma used the term svänām (His own) to designate Jaya and Vijaya; this indicates that the Lord did not consider the Kumāras to be members of His own entourage. Thus, He came running to the spot, as a mistake committed by a dear subordinate implicates the master (bhṛtyāparādhe svamino dandyah): h When a servant commits a sin, people in general blame his master. Such notoriety ruins the master’s reputation, as much as white lep- rosy does a person’s skin. (SB 3.16.5) Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmī also points out that the pronoun svänām is in the plural number. If this term were being used to indicate Jaya and Vijaya only, the dual form (svayoh) would have been used. Use of the plural implies that the Lord considered all Vaikuntha residents to be implicated in the offense, indicating the unity among liberated devo- tees and the intense loving relation that exists among them. This is complete nonduality, advaya-jñāna, not radical or partial nonduality that can account for oneness only through mere negation of dualism. yan-namani ca grhnati loko bhrtye kṛtāgasi so’sādhu-vādas tat-kirtim hanti tvacam ivāmayaḥ got Snit to ro 726 79 The Threefold Spiritual Manifestation Is Part of the Internal Potency Since the Kumāras were angry owing to not being able to see the feet of the Lord, the Lord came to the scene by foot, thinking He would pacify them by allowing them to see His feet in action. This hints at His subtle wisdom. Alternatively, He might have gone bare- foot to show respect to the Kumāras, as one does in Vedic culture upon receiving honorable guests. It could also be that the Lord came outside the gate to uphold the gatekeepers’ decision not to let the Kumāras enter Vaikuntha - indeed, Bhagavatam nowhere indicates that they were ever able to do so. By then granting the Kumāras a vision of His lotus feet, He simultaneously defused the situation, thus fulfilling their main purpose in coming. In this way, everyone would be satisfied and no transgressions would be made. The Lord came with Śrī (Lakṣmi Devi) to show the Kumāras that He has nothing to hide. Śrīla Viśvanatha Cakravarti Thakura explains that He also wanted to bless the Kumāras who, up to that point, had experience only of the material Śrī. Or, the Lord brought Śrī with Him thinking that it would be easier for her to placate the angry boys than for Him. và t Śrī Vamsidhara also postulates that the Lord brought Śrī because the Kumāras were naisthika-brahmacaris and would bring their anger under control in her presence, since men, especially brah- macārīs, are generally better behaved when in the company of women. Or, Śrī simply followed out of curiosity to find out how the Lord would deal with such a complex situation. On the whole, Śrī is Bhagavan’s internal potency and can never be separated from Him. This is the principal meaning of Her coming with the Lord. That the Kumāras were enraged for being prohibited from see- ing the Lord, and then immediately delighted upon seeing Him, indicates that the Lord is sat-cit-ananda, as He could award bliss even to the Kumāras, who are paramahamsa-maha-munis-highly enlightened liberated sages. It also indicates that the bliss of realiza- tion of the complete Absolute, Bhagavan, surpasses, and hence also includes, the bliss of realization of Brahman. Thus, this verse’s purport is that the Lord’s feet are worshipable even by the Kumāras. 727 your larrison atto Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha Al 79.2 or bids gied on orgawde wow exten is of omobin sits (Blod si lo 1957 014 तं त्वागतं प्रतिहृतौपयिकं स्वपुम्भिस् तेऽचक्षताक्षविषयं स्वसमाधिभाग्यम् । हंसश्रियोर्व्यजनयोः शिववायुलोलच् छुभ्रातपत्रशशिकेसरशीकराम्बुम् || ३६१ ॥ They beheld Him as He arrived, the fulfillment of their trance Bhaving become apparent to their eyes, accompanied by His own no associates, who brought with them the paraphernalia for His ser- shovice. He was being fanned by two whisks, swan-like in beauty, the pleasing breeze of which shook the pearls that dangled from the white umbrella, appearing like drops of nectar falling from the full moon. (SB 3.15.38) तत्र तैर्दृष्टं देवमनुवर्णयति पञ्चभिः । “तं त्वागतम्” इति । ते सनकादयः । स्वसमधिना भाग्यं भजनीयं फलं यद्ब्रह्म तदेव अक्षविषयम् । In the next five verses Śrī Brahma describes the Lord as He was seen by the Kumāras. The word “they” here means the four Kumāras. The very Brahman that was the greatly auspicious outcome (bhagya), or in other words, the utter fulfillment of the sages’ meditative trance (samadhi), [though imperceptible to the senses] was now visible directly before their eyes. यद् वा स्वसमाधेः स्वस्य हृदि ब्रह्माकारेण परतत्त्वस्फूर्तेर्भाग्यं फलरूपम् । यतोऽक्षविषयं तदीयस्वप्रकाशकताशक्तिसंस्कृतनिखिलधीन्द्रियस्फुरितत्वेन सम्प्रति विस्पष्टमेवानुभूय- मानम् । अनेन पूर्ववत् तस्य शब्दस्पर्शरूपरसगन्धाख्यानां सर्वेषामेव धर्माणां सच्चिदान- न्दघनात्मत्वं साधितम् । Alternatively, the phrase sva-samadhi-bhagya here means that the Supreme Truth in the form of Brahman manifested in their own hearts, as the greatly auspicious outcome of their medita- tive trance. As a consequence of this, that Supreme Truth became 9 tam tv āgatam pratihṛtaupayikam sva-pumbhis te’cakṣatākṣa-viṣayam sva-samadhi-bhagyam hamsa-śriyor vyajanayoh siva-vayu-lolac- chubhratapatra-sasi-kesara-sikarambum 728 79 The Threefold Spiritual Manifestation Is Part of the Internal Potency directly visible to their eyes. This means that the sages were now clearly experiencing Him, because He made Himself perceiv- able to the total quantum of their mind and senses, which had been purified, and thus attuned to Spirit, by His self-illuminating potency. As before, this incident again illustrates that all the characteristics of Bhagavän, such as sound, touch, form, taste and smell, are completely transcendental, being of the essence of condensed eternity, consciousness and bliss (sat-cit-ananda). तथा नित्यमेव तथाविधसततोदित्वरमाधुरीवैचित्र्यानुभवपूर्वकं परमप्रेमानन्दसन्दोहेन सेवमानैस्तस्यात्मीयैः पुरुषैरानीतसेवौपयिकनानावस्तुभिः सेव्यमानं भगवन्तं कथञ्चित् क्वचित् कदाचिदेव तदानीं केनापि समाधिजभाग्योदयेन केवलमपश्यन्निति तेषां परमवि- दुषां स्पृहास्पदावस्थेषु तेषु श्रीवैकुण्ठपुरुषेषु कस्या अपि भगवदानन्दशक्तेर्विलासमयत्वं दर्शितम् । The personal associates of the Lord constantly ministered to the Lord with various paraphernalia they had brought with them for that purpose. They did so in great loving bliss, as they expe- rienced the varieties of sweetness that arose spontaneously, moment to moment, in Him. It was exactly at that moment, out of all possible moments, places and circumstances, that the Kuma- ras were somehow enabled just to see the Lord [yet not to render service], owing to some extraordinary fortune that arose from their trance. The Kumāras were already awake to the supreme wisdom of enlightenment, so the fact that they aspired there- after to attain the consciousness and existential disposition of a servant of the Lord shows that these liberated servants from Vaikuntha are manifestations of some particular bliss potency of the Lord. sas mada soled won ald अथ तेषां भगवद्रतेरुद्दीपनत्वेन चित्तक्षोभकत्वात् तत्परिच्छदादीनामपि तादृशत्वमाह हंसेति सार्वैस्त्रिभिः । केसरा मक्तामयपलम्त्वाः । ‘केसरा मुक्तामयप्रलम्बा Since the Kumāras’ minds were suddenly thrown into a frenzy, when their love for the Lord was aroused by seeing His dress, paraphernalia and entourage, this shows that all these are tran- scendental and blissful like Him. This will be explained over the 729 to lamint dilo Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbhartige bloot d next three and a half verses, beginning with the second half of this one. The word kesarāḥ means hanging pearl pendants. Wol Purinero Istot sds of side The Lord’s umbrella is metaphorically likened to the moon, and the hanging pearl pendants to drops of water. By drawing com- parison to the moon, the implication is that the water-drop-like pearls are ambrosial.10 30 gated,lansbasen yllymon allama bas ild has ersnaujo.co abgantin Commentary beansbnos When the Kumāras saw the majestic gait of the Lord, they completely forgot their anger. Their eyes were transfixed on Him, as they had never experienced such exquisite beauty and magnificence. The bliss of brahmananda was completely overwhelmed by the beatific vision of the Lord. The form they experienced will be described over i Lanz15 the next five verses. od brod ant The Kumāras saw the Lord being served by His personal asso- ciates, who had brought the appropriate paraphernalia for such service. This verse states that He became the object of their vision. The conventional rule is that all visible objects are material, but this does not mean that the Lord’s form is so. To make this clear, the verse says that they were enabled to behold the Lord as a result of their trance-sva-samadhi-bhagya. The Kumāras were previ- ously absorbed in Brahman realization and situated in the self- viditätma-tattvän (SB 3.15.30). signs to g They were able to recognize that their vision of the Lord was the result of their samadhi. This means that they considered Brah- man, which they were habituated to witness in trance, to be visi- ble now before them, as a trans-conventional person. The Lord can- not be considered material, as nothing of that nature could excite the Kumāras, who were completely free from all material desires — vigata-spṛhah (SB 3.15.12). 10 atra chatrasya saśitaya kesarānāṁ sikarambutvena rūpakam śasi-sambandhitvāc 12 chikara-rūpāṇām ambunam amṛtatvam labhyate. nadw This sentence has been added from Krama-sandarbha, though it likely was lost from the Bhagavat Sandarbha text, as there is little point in speaking of kesaraḥ without explaining the metaphor. Holil utazild ben istasbrise 73079 The Threefold Spiritual Manifestation Is Part of the Internal Potency Not only the Lord, but even the paraphernalia used in His ser- vice is transcendental. This is evident, as the Lord’s paraphernalia also caused upheavals of love in the hearts of the Kumāras. They could understand that the Lord and His paraphernalia were of the same transcendental nature as that they had previously experienced in trance. This recognition is signified in the phrase sva-samādhi- bhagya. Recognition has two features - remembrance of past experi- ence and simultaneous direct perception of the object. The combi- nation of these two is called recognition. Because the Kumāras’ past experience of Brahman in trance was not material, the Lord and all the objects used in His service could not be material. Therefore, by the process of elimination (anyathānupapatti-pramāna) we must conclude that the Lord had blessed the Kumāras with His internal potency so that they could see Him through their own eyes. Pre- viously they had been able to experience the Lord only in trance (arya-hṛdyah), but now He who is imperceptible became the object of their vision (acakṣatākṣa-viṣaya). Another important implication of the words acakṣatākṣa-viṣaya is that the Kumāras were permitted only to see the Lord being served by His devotees (sva-pumbhih), yet were not given the chance to serve Him personally. Sva-pumbhiḥ (by His own people) also implies that the Kumāras could sense that they were not part of the Lord’s intimate circle, as had already been intimated in the previous verse. The enchanting beauty of the Lord’s paraphernalia is described in the second half of the verse through the beautiful poetic ornament (alankara) called atiśayokti (hyperbole). The mention of this para- phernalia implies that it had caught the attention of the Kumāras. arlo grind abode all lo na 79.3 sdsons vfqmia al ram & daus H-2uisa soitashi omse nguodt an auoisigaus sbode as red beau si (dquodras) que virit nova gairobeer aw Avisario di gosh कृत्स्रप्रसादसुमुखं स्पृहणीयधाम स्रेहावलोककलया हृदि संस्पृशन्तम् । श्यामे पृथावुरसि शोभितया श्रिया स्वश् चूडामणि सुभगयन्तमिवात्मधिष्ण्यम् || ३६२ ॥ ॥ 731 Yount Lemanladio Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha qe blouffaff ey The Lord, smiling benevolently at all, being the abode of com- #ileplete desirability, touched their hearts with His glances of affec-Div vartion. By the presence of the Goddess of Fortune, Śrī, on His broad, alr black, beautiful chest, it appeared as though He were radiating well-being throughout His own abode, the crest-jewel of heavens. (SB 3.15.39)11 “कृत्स्रप्रसाद” इति कृत्स्रस्य द्वारपालमुनिवृन्दस्य प्रसादे सुमुखमिति स्पृहणीयानां गुणानां धाम स्थानमिति च तत्तद्गुणानां तादृशत्वं दर्शितम् । स्रेहावलोक इति विलासस्य । do sito noise terib 2009 The word “all” (kṛtsnasya) here refers to both the gatekeepers and the sages. The Lord smiled beautifully (sumukha) at all of them, as if to bestow grace upon all (prasāde). The phrase “the abode of complete desirability” (spṛhaniya-dhama) means that He is the ground and reservoir of all desirable attributes. This shows that these attributes are also of the same transcendental nature as Him. “Glances of affection” (snehavaloka) indicate that His actions are also transcendental.walt won Hid (doynoyin स्वः सुखभोगस्थानानि नित्यानन्तानन्दरूपत्वात् तेषां चूडामणिमात्मधिष्ण्यं स्वस्वरूप- स्थानं श्रीवैकुण्ठम् । “Heaven” (sva) refers here to the places of enjoyment. Śrī Vaikun- tha is the crest-jewel (cuḍāmani) among all such places because it is eternally and unlimitedly blissful in nature. By referring to it as “His own abode” (ätma-dhiṣnya), it indicates that Vaikuntha is the locus of His own essential nature (svarupa). Had bhos तादृशेऽप्युरसि शोभितया रेखारूपया श्रिया कृत्वा सुभगयन्तमिव तत्र भूषणविशेषं निदधानमिव । इवेति वाक्यालङ्कारे । By the beauty of Śrī, manifest as a line on His chest - even though such a mark is simply another feature of His abode, being of the same identical nature - He was rendering even this supreme abode auspicious, as though decorating it with an ornament. Iva (as though) is used here as a figure of speech. PRESID 11 kṛtsna-prasāda-sumukham spṛhaniya-dhāma snehavaloka-kalaya hṛdi samspṛśantam syame pṛthāv urasi sobhitaya śriya svaś-cũḍāmaṇim subhagayantam ivātma-dhiṣnyam 732 79 The Threefold Spiritual Manifestation Is Part of the Internal Potency अनेन श्रीवैकुण्ठस्य नित्यत्वं सर्वोत्कृष्टत्वम् । उक्तं च " तद्विश्वगुरु” (भा० ३।१५।२६) इत्यादौ “आपुः परां मुदम्” इत्यादि । वक्ष्यते च ( भा० ३ | १५।२७-२८) - । c ras All this confirms that Vaikuntha is of the nature of condensed eternality, consciousness and bliss. This was also expressed ear- lier in this chapter, where it was said, “They were extremely elated [upon seeing Vaikuntha]” (SB 3.15.26).2 [In the next chapter of Bhagavatam,] it is also said: quan aura se ne sorch said:quaqur vd batsoibni zi 28 अथ ते मुनयो दृष्ट्वा नयनानन्दभाजनम् । वैकुण्ठं तदधिष्ठानं विकुण्ठं च स्वयम्प्रभम् ॥ ३६३ ॥ भगवन्तं परिक्रम्य प्रणिपत्यानुमान्य च । प्रतिजग्मुः प्रमुदिताः शंसन्तो वैष्णवीं श्रियम् ॥ ३६४ ॥ इति most assl grid”,szenig Aguad After seeing the self-luminous Śri Vikuntha, the pleasure of the par eyes, and His abode Vaikuntha, the sages circumambulated the Lord, paid their obeisances and took His permission to leave. Feeling delight in their hearts, they left the Vaikuntha planet, eulogizing its transcendental magnificence. (SB 3.16.27-28)13 beat badbuot broad 16d1 8912 Tozzib shnu servod Commentary reint sonal lutiotem alli vd read any bones al solablad sedi silqmi oals 11 nove Here Śrī Jiva Prabhu says that the Lord was pleased (prasāda) on seeing both the Kumāras and the gatekeepers, and this made Him look enchanting (sumukha). In Krama-sandarbha, however, Śrī Jiva Prabhu says that the Kumāras were completely (kṛtsna) satisfied (prasāda) on seeing the Lord, but that the gatekeepers, Jaya and Vijaya, were not feeling so content, as is evident from the Lord’s own statement at the beginning of the next chapter: tied soi 12 tad-viśva-guru […] āpuḥ parāṁ mudam vd sorted 13 atha te munayo dṛṣṭvā nayanananda-bhajanam 15 no vaikuntham tad-adhiṣṭhānam vikuntham ca svayam-prabham bhagavantam parikramya pranipatyanumanya ca pratijagmuḥ pramuditāḥ śamsanto vaiṣṇavīṁ śriyam bun krtsnaḥ purno yo muniṣu prasādaḥ tena sumukham manohara-vaktram. pārṣadayos tu prasado na sphuṭaḥ etau dvau ity-adi vakṣyamāṇa-virodhāt. 733 alamandro Śri Bhagavat Sandarbhang2 blotas: IT T These attendants of Mine, Jaya and Vijaya by name, have committed a great offense against you due to ignoring Me. (SB 3.16.2) 15 S THE be Śrīla Viśvanatha Cakravarti Thakura also accords with this alter- nate line of interpretation. He writes that when the Kumāras saw the Lord approaching in all His majesty, they were at first sub- merged in an ocean of doubt. They had cursed the Lord’s dear asso- ciates and were thus unsure whether He would be upset with them or not. Their doubt was removed, however, as is indicated by the phrase, “being merciful to all” (kṛtsna-prasāda-sumukha, SB 3.15.39). The Lord was bestowing His mercy upon all, but not, apparently, on the gatekeepers. Though the Lord’s mercy did not here explicitly fall on the gate- keepers, internally He was pleased with them, as is clear from another statement He makes later on: mel V abods al The Lord said to His attendants, Jaya and Vijaya, “Go, but fear not. May peace be with you. Though I am capable of retracting the brāh- manas’ curse, I do not wish to do so. On the contrary, I approve of it. (SB 3.16.29)16 The verse under discussion further states that the Lord touched everyone’s heart by His merciful glances. This means that He blessed everyone. It also implies that the Lord’s glance is transcendental; otherwise, it could not have touched the heart of the Kumāras, who were paramahamsa-munis, fixed in Brahman realization. Jaya and Vijaya were feeling morose, anticipating separation from the Lord. Understanding the inner feelings of His dear devotees, the Lord affectionately glanced at them (snehavaloka-kalaya) and soothed their hearts (hrdi samspṛśantam). 19 degnilsel on sew The Kumāras received a glimpse of the Lord’s wonderful char- acter by witnessing Him extend His mercy to them, despite their having caused a disturbance by cursing His confidential servants and associates. On the other hand, they had been unable to tolerate 15 etau tau părṣadau mahyam jayo vijaya eva ca kadarthi-kṛtya mam yad vo bahv akrātām atikramam 16 bhagavan anugav äha yātaṁ mã bhaistam astu sam brahma-tejaḥ samartho’pi hantum necche matam tu me 734 79 The Threefold Spiritual Manifestation Is Part of the Internal Potency even a little disturbance. Thus, the Lord is called spṛhaniya-dhāma, the abode of all desirable qualities. This indicates that the Kuma- ras lacked such qualities, even though they were perfected beings (siddha-puruşa). Since it is the duty of gatekeepers to stop visitors and inquire about their purpose, the Kumāras had no real reason to be upset with them. Nevertheless, the Lord was far from being upset with the Kumāras for their prideful act, and was even very respectful and merciful to them. This is evident from the Lord’s words to the Kuma- ras in the following chapter, where He goes to the extent of saying that He Himself has acquired His auspicious qualities by serving sages like them. In this way, the Kumāras directly experienced the benign nature of the Lord. пото The second half of this verse and the two that follow describe the beauty of the Lord’s form. Bhagavan appeared like an abode of for- tune with the golden mark of Lakṣmi above the left breast on His broad black chest. Vaikuntha is the crest-jewel of all planets up to Satyaloka. The Lord appeared like a transcendental ornament that beautified even Vaikuntha. Thus, it is understood that the Kumāras realized the sweetness of the Lord’s mercy and His personal beauty. 2915 916 and 380 worla of 6860 lensmudenten 97600 79.4i neveword ireverde stansvar bns imeve saspbi el 92 ___पीतांशुके पृथुनितम्बिनि विस्फुरन्त्या काञ्च्यालिभिर्विरुतया वनमालया च गुप्रकोष्ठवलयं विनतासुतांसे विन्यस्तहस्तमितरेण धुनानमब्जम् ॥ ३६५ ॥ He was adorned with a girdle that shone brightly over the yel- low cloth covering His broad hips, and He wore a garland of fresh flowers that resonated with the humming of bees. His lovely wrists were graced with bracelets. One of His hands VAV rested on Garuda’s shoulder and in the other He twirled a lotus. me(SB 3.15.40) as dew Nobre vb69tis “पीतांशुके” (भा०३।१५।४०) इति । “काञ्च्या वनमालया च” इत्यत्र इत्थम्भूतलक्षणे तृतीया । 17 pitāṁśuke pṛthu-nitambini visphurantyā kāñcyālibhir virutaya vana-malaya ca valgu-prakostha-valayam vinată-sutāmse vinyasta-hastam itarena dhunanam abjam 735 wolnenadio Śri Bhagavat Sandarbha bludositado In this verse, the use of the instrumental case for the words kañ- cya and vana-malaya is to show that the Lord is recognizable by these features. 979w vad duor Commentary gola of 21sgsaxetag to un on bed astmax of be tur-ndbhia) The Lord was sporting a fine silk dhoti on His broad hips, covered by a beautiful belt, and wore a garland of forest flowers (vana-mālā) around His neck. In his Durgama-sangamini commentary to Bhakti- rasāmṛta-sindhu, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmī says that a garland that hangs all the way down to one’s feet is called a vana-mālā. Bumblebees were buzzing around the Lord’s garland, making it appear to resonate. The Lord’s dhoti considered His hips to be her exclusive dominion. His belt imposed her supremacy over the dhoti, and the vana-mālā reigned over them both. But the humming bumblebees considered the vana-mālā to be their property. Thus, it appeared that the Lord had awarded supremacy to the bumblebees. It is no surprise, then, that they were humming in jubilation. 261 ligV nove boilutused Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī says that the words kāñcyā vana-mālayā, and so on, are in the instrumental case to show that they are characteris- tic features of Bhagavan. This is confirmed in PANINI 2.3.21.8 Accord- ing to Śrīdhara Svāmī and Viśvanatha Cakravarti, however, it could also be an indication that this verse is grammatically connected to the previous one, where it was said that the Lord beautified Vaikun- tha with the mark of Śrī on His chest. So, the implication is that this beautification of Vaikuntha is similarly conducted by all these other divine features of His appearance!” atiw boobs aɛw H The Lord rested His left hand on the shoulder of Garuda and play- fully twirled a lotus flower in His right. Viśvanatha says that by so doing the Lord was drawing the Kumāras’ lotus-like hearts away from brahmananda. It was as though He were joking with them, saying, “O sages! You have already previously concluded that My का 18 itthambhūta-lakṣaṇe The equivalent sutra is HNV 4.114 (viseṣaṇa-lakṣaṇāt tṛtiyā). TISTIE 19 tṛtiyäntānām ātma-dhiṣnyam subhagayantam iti purveṇaivānvayaḥng skotmatig Viśvanatha 736 79 The Threefold Spiritual Manifestation Is Part of the Internal Potency unqualified impersonal feature is the supreme reality. Why then have you now become so unsettled? Please remain fixed in your Brahman realization!” sds akmuo auto? Ja saab mol aid sa odwazild tur al navegade or eben 79.5 7537 विद्युत्क्षिपन्मकरकुण्डलमण्डनार्हगण्डस्थलोन्नसमुखं मणिमत्किरीटम् । दोर्दण्डषण्डविवरे हरता परार्ध्यहारेण कन्धरगतेन च कौस्तुभेन || ३६६ || His cheeks enhanced the beauty of His alligator-shaped ear pen- dants, which were more brilliant than lightning. He had a promi- nent nose, and His head was covered with a gem-studded crown. A charming necklace hung between His stout arms, and His neck was adorned with the Kaustubha gem. (SB 3.15.41) 20 Isarola “विद्युत्” इति । हरता मनोहरेण । TELOPER Shing axselss1 92 97olsredi bus abique to anoillid To In this verse, harată [qualifying the Lord’s necklace] means enchanting. 9H timing it to sanalogo di diiw bowobne yllamis ei SH 181 no da bas astudiT STED and Commentary This verse further describes the Lord’s ornaments and bodily fea- tures. The Lord’s cheeks are so beautiful that they appear to decorate His earrings, which are still more dazzling than lightning. He wore a precious necklace that appeared to steal the hearts of the Kumāras. 79.6 ward wod nodi brow sib diw gatunged अत्रोपसृष्टमिति चोत्स्मितमिन्दिरायाः स्वानां धिया विरचितं बहुसौष्ठवाढ्यम् । मह्यं भवस्य भवतां च भजन्तमङ्गं नेमुर्निरीक्ष्य न वितृप्तदृशो मुदा कैः || ३६७ ॥ २8) sigosy of 20 vidyut-kṣipan-makara-kundala-manḍanarha- ganda-sthalonnasa-mukham manimat-kiritam dor-danda-sanda-vivare harată parardhya- harena kandhara-gatena ca kaustubhena 737 In zansion fristal od Śri Bhagavat Sandarbha rya That The exquisite beauty of the Lord seemed to create a doubt in the hu Stomind of His devotees, who thought that it subdued the pride of the Goddess of Fortune. The Kumāras, their eyes unsated, bowed their heads to Bhagavan in great bliss, who had taken this form for my [Śri Brahma’s] sake, and for Śiva, and for all you gods. (SB 3.15.42)21 तदेवं परिच्छदादीनामपि तादृशं वर्णयित्वा पुनस्तस्यैवातिमनोहरत्वमाह “अत्रोपसृष्टम्” इति । इन्दिराया उत्स्मितं गर्वः । अत्र भगवति उपसृष्टमस्य मदनार्बुदसुन्दरकान्तस्य नित्येन लाभेन नित्यमेवाधिकमाविर्भावितमिति तदीयानां धिया वितर्कितम् । अत्र हेतुः बहुसौष्ठवाढ्यमनन्तस्वरूपरूपगुणसम्पद्भिर्युक्तं बहुसौन्दर्यसम्पन्नमिति । After explaining the transcendental nature of even the parapher- nalia of the Lord, Brahma again describes His exquisite loveliness in this verse. The phrase utsmitam indirāyāḥ means “Lakṣmi’s pride.” The Lord’s devotees conjectured that Lakṣmi is in eternal association with the Lord, Her husband, whose beauty exceeds that of billions of Cupids, and therefore, She feels excessive pride for Him. The reason for this is expressed in the statement that He has exquisite beauty (bahu-sauṣṭhaväḍhya), which is to say that He is eternally endowed with the opulence of His unlimited forms, nature, attributes and so on. птод नन्वेवम्भूतस्य लक्ष्म्या अपि रहस्यमहानिधिरूपस्य परमवस्तुनः कथं प्रकाशः सम्भवती- त्यत आह मह्यम् इति । मदादीनां भक्तानां कृते अङ्गं भजन्तं मूर्तिं प्रकटयन्तम् । अस्मद्वि- षयकमङ्गीकारं भजन्तमित्यर्थः (श्रीयमुनाचार्यविरचितस्तोत्ररत्ने १३). A doubt may be raised. If the Lord is of this nature, in other words, if He is the supreme Existent and the most highly con- 79 The Threefold Spiritual Manifestation Is Part of the Internal Potency उल्लङ्घितत्रिविधसीमसमातिशायिसम्भावनं तव परिव्रढिमस्वभावम् । land मायाबलेन भवतापि निगुह्यमानं पश्यन्ति केचिदनिशं त्वदनन्यभावाः || ३६८ ॥ इतिवत् । 3028 en bibd art to O Lord! Your most influential and powerful nature is beyond the limits of the three gunas, and there is no object that can equal or excel it. Although You keep it concealed by Your māyā, yet some unalloyed devotees always see it. (Stotra-ratna 16)22 “भक्तिरेवैनं नयति भक्तिरेवैनं दर्शयति” (ब्र० सू० ३।३।५४ मध्वभाष्यधृतमाठरश्रुतिः) इत्या- दिश्रुतेः । Mathara-śruti, quoted by Śri Madhvācārya in his commentary on VS 3.3.54, declares, “Only devotion carries one to the Lord; only devotion reveals Him.“23 adi gnida yhod (DETE तथाभूतं तमचक्षतेति । निरीक्ष्य च मुदा कैः शिरोभिर्नेमुः । न विशेषेण तृप्ता दृशो नेत्राणि येषां ते । The Kumāras saw the Lord with such attributes. After seeing Him, they delightfully bowed their heads, but their eyes remained unsatiated. 66 6705-1603 allt ant dsiw baxim Jenli to sixils ad given ins and Commentaryo Jal dol abrol bays-sinf ads to th gas gsdoellation on (1) avowedag leva all you In this verse, Śrī Brahma again describes the matchless beauty of the Lord, as perceived by the Kumāras. The words utsmita and upasṛsta are understood differently by the various commentators. Accord- cealed unfathomable treasure, then how can He become manifest ing to Sridhara Svāmi, the devotees thought that Laksmi had become Aprons [to others], even through the agency of Laksmi? This is answered excessively proud of Her own beauty, but when She was placed next pom in the third quarter of the verse, beginning with the word mahya, to the Lord, this pride was obscured or eclipsed (astam-qata). Śrī “He manifests His form for the sake of His devotees, like myself Viśvanatha Cakravarti expands on that idea: Laksmi’s pride in the (Brahma).” This means that He chooses to make Himself visible thought that she alone was the source of all beauty was broken. Śri to people like us. As Yamunācārya describes in His Stotra-ratna: Jiva Prabhu does not accord with this view, however, and says that 21 atropasṛṣṭam iti cotsmitam indirāyāḥ svānāṁ dhiyā viracitam bahu-sauṣṭhavadhyam mahyam bhavasya bhavatam ca bhajantam angam nemur niriksya na vitṛpta-dṛśo muda kaiḥ Lakṣmi’s pride was due to having such a wonderful husband as the 22 23 ullanghita-trividha-sima-samätiśäyi-sambhavanaṁ tava parivradhima-svabhāvam māyā-balena bhavatapi niguhyamānam paśyanti kecid anisam tvad-ananya-bhāvāḥ bhaktir evainam nayati bhaktir evainam darśayati 738 739 youale! Jarstal sali Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbhahabang ter The exquisite beauty of the Lord seemed to create a doubt in the nu mind of His devotees, who thought that it subdued the pride of d the Goddess of Fortune. The Kumāras, their eyes unsated, bowedni their heads to Bhagavan in great bliss, who had taken this form for my [Śri Brahma’s] sake, and for Śiva, and for all you gods. (SB 3.15.42)21 तदेवं परिच्छदादीनामपि तादृशं वर्णयित्वा पुनस्तस्यैवातिमनोहरत्वमाह “अत्रोपसृष्टम्” इति । इन्दिराया उत्स्मितं गर्वः । अत्र भगवति उपसृष्टमस्य मदनार्बुदसुन्दरकान्तस्य नित्येन लाभेन नित्यमेवाधिकमाविर्भावितमिति तदीयानां धिया वितर्कितम् । अत्र हेतुः बहुसौष्ठवाढ्यमनन्तस्वरूपरूपगुणसम्पद्भिर्युक्तं बहुसौन्दर्यसम्पन्नमिति । After explaining the transcendental nature of even the parapher- nalia of the Lord, Brahma again describes His exquisite loveliness in this verse. The phrase utsmitam indirāyāḥ means “Lakṣmi’s pride.” The Lord’s devotees conjectured that Lakṣmi is in eternal association with the Lord, Her husband, whose beauty exceeds that of billions of Cupids, and therefore, She feels excessive pride for Him. The reason for this is expressed in the statement that He has exquisite beauty (bahu-sauṣṭhavadhya), which is to say that He is eternally endowed with the opulence of His unlimited forms, nature, attributes and so on. नन्वेवम्भूतस्य लक्ष्म्या अपि रहस्यमहानिधिरूपस्य परमवस्तुनः कथं प्रकाशः सम्भवती- त्यत आह मह्यम् इति । मदादीनां भक्तानां कृते अङ्गं भजन्तं मूर्तिं प्रकटयन्तम् । अस्मद्वि- षयकमङ्गीकारं भजन्तमित्यर्थः (श्रीयमुनाचार्यविरचितस्तोत्ररत्ने १३ ) -
2 975 doidw A doubt may be raised. If the Lord is of this nature, in other words, if He is the supreme Existent and the most highly con- cealed unfathomable treasure, then how can He become manifest [to others], even through the agency of Lakṣmi? This is answered in the third quarter of the verse, beginning with the word mahya, “He manifests His form for the sake of His devotees, like myself (Brahma).” This means that He chooses to make Himself visible to people like us. As Yamunācārya describes in His Stotra-ratna: 21 atropasṛṣṭam iti cotsmitam indirāyāḥ a hu svānāṁ dhiyā viracitam bahu-sausthavadhyamim man mahyam bhavasya bhavatam ca bhajantam angam nemur niriksya na vitṛpta-dṛśo mudā kaiḥ 738 79 The Threefold Spiritual Manifestation Is Part of the Internal Potency उल्लङ्घितत्रिविधसीमसमातिशायिसम्भावनं तव परिव्रढिमस्वभावम् । मायाबलेन भवतापि निगुह्यमानं पश्यन्ति केचिदनिशं त्वदनन्यभावाः || ३६८ ॥ इतिवत् । onterbrod aft to O Lord! Your most influential and powerful nature is beyond the limits of the three gunas, and there is no object that can equal or excel it. Although You keep it concealed by Your maya, yet some unalloyed devotees always see it. (Stotra-ratna 16)22 “भक्तिरेवैनं नयति भक्तिरेवैनं दर्शयति” (ब्र० सू० ३ । ३ । ५४ मध्वभाष्यधृतमाठरश्रुतिः) इत्या- दिश्रुतेः । Mathara-śruti, quoted by Śri Madhvacārya in his commentary on VS 3.3.54, declares, “Only devotion carries one to the Lord; only gui devotion reveals Him.“23 beseg तथाभूतं तमचक्षतेति । निरीक्ष्य च मुदा कैः शिरोभिर्नेमुः । न विशेषेण तृप्ता दृशो नेत्राणि येषां ते । The Kumāras saw the Lord with such attributes. After seeing Him, they delightfully bowed their heads, but their eyes remained unsatiated.E ali addow Faxim tanlin to rixda sdi At W Commentary ol serio chrob-sintal sift betw al election sd In this verse, Śri Brahma again describes the matchless beauty of the Lord, as perceived by the Kumāras. The words utsmita and upasṛsta are understood differently by the various commentators. Accord- ing to Śrīdhara Svāmi, the devotees thought that Lakṣmi had become excessively proud of Her own beauty, but when She was placed next to the Lord, this pride was obscured or eclipsed (astam-gata). Śrī Viśvanatha Cakravarti expands on that idea: Lakṣmi’s pride in the thought that she alone was the source of all beauty was broken. Śrī Jiva Prabhu does not accord with this view, however, and says that Laksmi’s pride was due to having such a wonderful husband as the 22 ullanghita-trividha-sima-samātiśāyi-sambhavanaṁ tava parivraḍhima-svabhavam māyā-balena bhavatapi niguhyamānam pasyanti kecid anisam tvad-ananya-bhāvāḥ 23 bhaktir evainam nayati bhaktir evainam darśayati 739( silo Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbhavi nytt Lord. He takes the word upasṛṣṭa as meaning āvirbhāvita (manifest), and not as “destroyed.” she can on Bahu-sausthavadhya means “the beauty of His bodily limbs.” One of the Lord’s sixty-four qualities is suramyanga, or “attractiveness of the limbs”: 1 sido ou si sydt hasaning When the bodily limbs are exquisitely formed, it is known as attrac- tiveness of the limbs. (BRS 2.1.45)24 gawin kotovob bayniland Seeing such beauty, the Kumāras fell on the ground to offer respect to the Lord out of joy. This also indicates that they gave up the concept of the supremacy of Brahman; otherwise, there would be no need to offer respect to any distinct individual. The beauty of the Lord’s body is so ravishing that the Kumāras were not satiated, though they repeatedly gazed at Him (avitṛpta-dṛśa). 79.7 तस्यारविन्दनयनस्य पदारविन्दकिञ्जल्कमिश्रतुलसीमकरन्दवायुः । _अन्तर्गतः स्वविवरेण चकार तेषां सङ्घोभमक्षरजुषामपि चित्ततन्वोः ॥ ३६९ ॥ forms When the air carrying the elixir of tulasi mixed with the fila- ments25 of the lotus-eyed Lord’s lotus feet entered within them through its own natural gateways [i.e., the nostrils], they experi- enced a commotion both in mind and in body, even though they nt were established in the bliss of the Imperishable. (SB 3.15.43)26) " तस्य” इति । टीका च - स्वरूपानन्दादपि तेषां भजनानन्दाधिक्यमित्याह - तस्य पदार- विन्दकिञ्जल्कैः केशरैर्मिश्रा या तुलसी तस्या मकरन्देन युक्तो यो वायुः स्वविवरेण नासा- च्छिद्रेण अक्षरजुषां ब्रह्मानन्दसेविनामपि सङ्घोभं चित्तेऽतिहर्षं तनौ रोमाञ्चम् । इत्येषा । Śridhara Svāmi comments on this verse as follows: “This verse demonstrates that the bliss of unalloyed service and relation in 24 slaghyanga-sanniveśo yah suramyanga sa kathyatew ablm mad 25 According to Viśvanatha Cakravarti, the filaments represent the Lord’s toenails, pink in color. tasyaravinda-nayanasya padaravinda-kiñjalka-miśra-tulasi-makaranda-vayuḥ antar-gataḥ sva-vivarena cakara teṣām sankṣobham akṣara-juṣām api citta-tanvoḥ 740 79 The Threefold Spiritual Manifestation Is Part of the Internal Potency devotional love (bhajanananda) is superior to the bliss of mere abidance in one’s original state of unqualified being (svarūpā- nanda). When the air mixed with the fragrance of tulasi leaves, smeared with the filaments from the lotus feet of the Lord, entered through its own natural gateways’ (sva-vivarena), namely the nostrils of the Kumāras, they experienced a ‘com- motion’ (sankṣobha) both in mind, manifested as extreme joy, and in body, that is, their hairs stood on end, even though they delighted in the imperishable (aksara-jusa), which is to say, they were absorbed in the bliss of Brahman realization.” अत्र पदयोररविन्दकिञ्जल्कमिश्रा या तुलसीति व्याख्येयम् । अरविन्दकिञ्जल्कतुलस्यौ च तदानीं वनमालास्थिते एव ज्ञेये । अस्तु तावद् भगवदात्मभूतानां तेषामङ्गोपाङ्गानां तेषु क्षोभकारित्वं तत्सम्बन्धिनो वायोरपीति भावः । It should be explained here that the tulasi leaves from His lotus feet were mixed with lotus filaments. The lotus filaments and tulasi leaves were woven into the forest flower garland that the Lord was wearing at the time. The intent here is that, what to speak of the Lord’s bodily limbs and parts, which constitute His very self, even the air that contacted them had the power to cause a commotion in the Kumāras’ minds and bodies. na sad अत्र श्रीरामानुजशारीरके हि दर्शितमिदम् – “सोऽश्रुते सर्वान् कामान् सह ब्रह्मणा विपश्चिता” (तै०२।१।१) इति ब्रह्मवेदनफलमवगमयद् वाक्यं परस्य विपश्चितो ब्रह्मणो गुणानन्त्यं ब्रवीति विपश्चिता ब्रह्मणा सह सर्वान् कामानश्रुते । काम्यन्त इति कामाः कल्याणगुणाः । परब्रह्मणा सह तद्गुणान् सर्वाननुते इत्यर्थः । दहरविद्यायाम् “तस्मिन् यदन्तस्तदन्वेष्टव्यम्” ( छा० ८।१।१) इतिवद गुणप्राधान्यं वक्तुं सहशब्दः (ब्र० सू० १।१।१) इति । 5208 In his commentary on vs 1.1.1, Śrī Rāmānujācārya explains the passage TU 2.1.1, “The wise self enjoys everything desirable along with the all-knowing Brahman,“27 as follows: “This statement, explaining the fruits of Brahman realization, speaks of the unlim- ited qualities of the Supreme Brahman. The wise person enjoys everything desirable along with the all-knowing Brahman. The word kāma here means all that is desirable, or in other words, 27 so’śnute sarvän kämän saha brahmaṇā vipaścitā 741 ns204 farestal to Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha auspicious qualities. The significance is that the liberated being enjoys all these qualities with the Supreme Brahman. The word saha (along with) expresses the preeminence of these attributes, just as [they were similarly specified] in the Dahara-vidya chap- ter of Chandogya Upanisad, ‘One should seek out that which is within this sky” (CHU 8.1.1).28 st to all on ad vloman team brim at rod Adderne) hohom has no boots arian riads al sariybod ni bus Commentary Roussiles asmend to alldady hadrozda stow Śrī Brahma here explains that not only did the Lord’s beauty attract the hearts of the Kumāras, but even the air that was in contact with the tulasi and saffron touching His body created a turmoil in the bod- ies and minds of these Brahman-realized beings. This verse explains the pinnacle of the Lord’s beauty. The Kumāras were not dreaming, as they experienced a change in heart. This implies that the Lord’s body was not a manifestation of some upadhi, or in other words, it was not any kind of material imposition on Spirit. The main point is that if even the air in contact with the Lord’s body indirectly made the Kumāras completely indifferent to the bliss of Brahman, then how much more blissful must the Lord’s own form be? Śrīdhara Svāmi therefore says that this verse confirms that the bliss of bhakti is superior to that of Brahman - svarupānandad api teṣām bhajananandadhikyam. Śrīla Viśvanatha Cakravarti Thakura expands on Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi’s observation that “what to speak of the Lord’s bodily limbs and parts, which constitute His very self, even the air that contacted them had the power to cause a commotion in the Kumāras’ minds and bodies.” He says that the air simply contacted an object, situ- ated on just one of the Lord’s limbs, yet it created such a wonder and inundated the Kumāras with bliss. This being the case, one can- not possibly imagine the sweetness of the Lord’s body itself. That fragrant air entered and conquered their hearts. bat It was improper for the Kumāras to intrude on the Lord, and one might say that it is similarly improper for air to trespass into 28 tasmin yad antas tad anveṣṭavyam 742 79 The Threefold Spiritual Manifestation Is Part of the Internal Potency the inner chambers of one’s heart. But the verse says sva-vivarena, “through its [i.e., the air’s] own natural gateways.” Since the nostrils are the natural passageways for the air, no permission was required for it to enter. Upon entering their bodies, this fragrant air churned their hearts and forcibly submerged them into a whirlpool of bliss. It shook their bodies and manifested in them loving ecstatic symptoms, such as trembling, tears, horripilation and perspiration (kampā, aśru, romāñca and sveda). In this world, it is observed that when one country invades another, its army first arrests and harasses the defeated country’s leaders before going on to subdue its people. Here, the air, imbued with the fragrance of the Lord’s tulasi, simi- larly first captured and caused a commotion in the heart, the con- trolling seat of all the body’s functions, before going on to pervade the senses and create an upheaval there. In this verse, the phrase, “even though they were established in the bliss of the Imperishable” (aksara-juṣām api), is very signif- icant. Such liberated beings are without attachment to the body or to any objects related to the body and senses, and thus it is not possible to unsettle their hearts with material sense objects. Nor- mally, such Brahman-realized beings display an absence of taste for bhakti-rasa, but this breeze coming from Śrī Nārāyaṇa was so pow- erful that it completely captivated the Kumāras’ hearts. This demon- strates that even the air that comes in contact with Bhagavan’s per- sonal form, because it is saturated with His mercy, bestows feelings of such incomparable bliss that it makes one indifferent even to the delight of Brahman realization. 1 bnA Tylano Balles 79.8 ogaib 170 mming bas Isnotamot alone be mool alodi badaron dairie orte)avol lo ते वा अमुष्य वदनासितपद्मकोशमुद्वीक्ष्य सुन्दरतराधरकुन्दहासम् । लब्धाशिषः पुनरवेक्ष्य तदीयमङ्ग्रिद्वन्द्वं नखारुणमणिश्रयणं निदध्युः ।। ३७० ।। After looking up at the Lord’s face, which appeared like the chal- ice of a blue lotus, its beauty enhanced by His laughing lips resem- bling the kunda flower, the sages certainly felt fulfilled. Then 743 sofinsta Śri Bhagavat Sandarbhageblatovila they lowered their eyes and began to meditate on the Lord’s lotus st all feet with their reddish, ruby-like nails. (SB 3.15.44)29 हर्षकारितं सम्भ्रममाह– द्वाभ्याम् “ते वा” इति । ते वै किल वदनमेव असितपद्मकोष ईषद्विकसितं नीलाम्बुजं तम् । उत् ऊर्ध्वं वीक्ष्य लब्धमनोरथाः सन्तः । नखा एव अरुण- मणयस्तेषां श्रयणमाश्रयभूतं अङ्घिद्वन्द्वं पुनरवेक्ष्य अधोदृष्ट्या वीक्ष्य amorqmy I a) nottanigars bas mosligimon zest vildas sq as dous The next two verses describe the reverence felt by the Kumāras, which arose out of their elation. The emphatic particle vai [short- ened to vă in the verse] implies certainty [i.e., they certainly felt fulfilled]. The Lord’s beautiful face appeared like the chalice of a blue lotus flower, or in other words, like a slightly opened blue lotus. The Kumāras looked up at His face and felt that their heart- longing had been fulfilled. Then, they lowered their gaze and looked down again at His two lotus feet, which sheltered reddish, ruby-like nails. batenadil dop2 पुनः पुनरेवं वीक्ष्य युगपत् सर्वाङ्गलावण्यग्रहणाशक्तेः पश्चान् निदध्युश्चिन्तयामासुः युगपदेव कथमिदमिदं सर्वं पश्येम इत्युत्कण्ठाभिः स्थायिभावपोषकं चिन्ताख्यं भावमापुरित्यर्थः । ખો Velgalb zgnied best doda They looked again and again, as they were unable to capture the loveliness of His whole body all at once. Doing so, they became contemplative (nidadhyuh), which is to say, they became thought- ful (cintayāmāsu). This means they became immersed in think- ing, “How can we behold the whole body of the Lord simultane- ously?” And by these feelings of longing, they experienced the particular ecstatic transitory emotion (vyabhicari-bhāva) called cintă (anxiousness at the non-fulfillment of one’s heart-longing), which nourished their foundational and permanent disposition of love (sthayi-bhāva). 29 te va amuşya vadanäsita-padma-kośam udvikṣya sundaratarādhara-kunda-hasamada se qugnising fa labdhäsiṣaḥ punar aveksya tadiyam anghri- ssd utolsuld los dvandvaṁ nakhāruṇa-mani-śrayanam nidadhyuḥ wolt obituary grit 744 79 The Threefold Spiritual Manifestation Is Part of the Internal Potency Commentary of gue hoof agad nadru While the Kumāras’ hearts were thus imbued with love, their eyes enjoyed the beautiful smiling lotus face of the Lord. They were trying to assimilate the Lord’s beauty in all its fullness, and so they shifted their gaze from His face to His beautiful lotus feet with its ruby-like nails. Again they raised their eyes and marveled at the sweetness of the Lord’s face. Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī says that the word nidadhyu (they contemplated) signifies that the Kumāras manifested a vyabhicārī- bhāva called cintă (anxiousness). This is described by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī as follows: 25 Pel When thought becomes concentrated due to non-attainment of one’s heart-longing, or due to attainment of that which is unde-d desired, it is called cinta, or anxiousness. The symptoms of this emo- tion are sighing, lowering the head, scratching the earth with the Ytoes, change of bodily hue, sleeplessness, moaning, inflammation, od loss of weight, tears and depression. (BRS 2.4.136) 30 dad onli byna tub Tugay mo nemudain meds awoda brud The Kumāras were not able to relish the complete beauty of the Lord simultaneously, and thus they manifested the symptoms of cintă. rols worla ton m oq) Śrila Viśvanatha Cakravarti Thakura says that labdhāsiṣa (feel- ing blessed) implies that because the Kumāras had previously been blessed by their father and brother Narada, who are both great devo- tees, they were able to receive the mercy of the Lord. In Bhakti San- darbha, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi explains that generally the Lord doesn’t bestow His mercy independently, but blesses those specifically who have received the mercy of His devotees. 100 to via dynoch bestupas 79.9 sibs innois 30 19uten kenovas pist पुंसां गतिं मृगयतामिह योगमार्गैर्ध्यानास्पदं बहुमतं नयनाभिरामम् | dinnis पौंस्रं वपुर्दर्शयानमनन्यसिद्धैरौत्पत्तिकैः समगृणन् युतमष्टभोगैः ।। ३७१ ।। dhyānam cinta bhaved iṣṭānapty-aniṣṭapti-nirmitam śväsädhomukha-bhülekha-vaivarṇyonnidrată iha vilāpottāpa-kṛśatā-bāṣpa-dainyādayo’pi ca 745 vans fatal sito Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha aige blasoff her The Kumāras then began to offer perfect praises to the Lord, who had shown them His human form, which is the final goal for those 25y seeking ultimate truth through the paths of yoga, the most highly sul esteemed object of meditation, the greatest joy for the eyes, and which is naturally endowed with eight inherent supramundane opulences that have not been acquired through any other source. (SB 3.15.45)31 vati niega alien पुंसाम् इति । बहुमतं ब्रह्मणोऽपि घनप्रकाशत्वादत्यादरास्पदं बहूनां तत्त्वदृशां सम्मत- मिति वा । पौंस्रं वपुर्दर्शयानमिति । पुरुषस्य गर्भोदशायिनो गुणावताररूपं श्रीविष्ण्वाख्यं यद् वपुस्तदभिन्नतया स्वं वपुर्दर्शयन्तं न तु ब्रह्मादिवदन्यथात्वेनेत्यर्थः । The compound word bahu-mata (highly esteemed) here implies that the Lord’s form is the ultimate object of reverence because it is highly condensed luminosity, exceeding even that of Brah- man [which is unconsolidated luminosity]. Alternatively, the compound means that the Lord’s form is highly esteemed by those who have seen the truth (tattva-drk). The phrase, “who had shown them His human form” (paumsnam vapur darśaya- nam), here means that the Lord showed His own form, named Vişņu, which is nondifferent from the guṇāvatāra form of Garb- hodakaśāyi Purușa. In other words, He did not show a form such as that of Brahma, which is different from His own.ry the 1998 (bbezald bed अनन्येन स्वेनैव सिद्धैः स्वरूपभूतैरित्यर्थः । अत एव औत्पत्तिकैस्तद्वदेवानादिसिद्धैरित्यर्थः । अणिमाद्यष्टैश्वर्ययुतं विशिष्टं न तूपलक्षितम् । अनेन तेषां स्तुत्यास्पदविशेषणत्वेन ऐश्वर्यो- पलक्षितसमस्तभगानां तादृशत्वं व्यञ्जितम् । समगृणन् सम्यगस्तुवन्नित्यर्थः । The adjectival phrase ananya-siddhaiḥ (that have not been acquired through any other source) means that the attributes of the Lord’s form are self-existent, being inherent components of His essential nature. Therefore, the additional adjective autpat- tikaiḥ (lit., “of the same nature as their origin”), means that these attributes are eternally existent, exactly as the Lord Himself. 31 pumsăm gatim mṛgayatam iha yoga-märgair dhyānāspadaṁ bahu-matam nayanābhirāmamm paumsnam vapur darśayanam ananya-siddhair autpattikaiḥ samagrnan yutam aṣṭa-bhogaiḥ 746 79 The Threefold Spiritual Manifestation Is Part of the Internal Potency The eight supra-mundane opulences refer to the eight paranor- mal powers, such as animā (atomization). In Him, these powers are not mere external characteristics, but are intrinsic to His form. Since the opulence of the Lord, indicated by these supra- mundane powers (aiśvarya), was the Kumāras’ object of rever- ence, it indicates that all opulences (bhaga) of the Lord are iden- tical in nature to Him. Samagrṇan means they offered perfect (samyak) praises. topelia orlw sod 100 asdw to sd) dguards es un to S700 Commentaryoy up to mod key odwa In this verse, Śrī Brahma states that the Lord’s body is highly rev- erenced by all transcendentalists and yogis who seek Ultimate Real- ity. The word puṁsām (lit., “of men”) carries the broader connota- tion of all human beings, and hence includes both men and women, as those who seek the truth through the path of yoga. Bhagavan’s form is described as paumsna, which indicates the form of Garbho- dakaśāyi Viṣṇu, the puruṣāvatāra. Brahma is also an avatara of the Lord but has a different form, which does not resemble that of Visnu. The phrase ananya-siddhaiḥ, “which have not been acquired through any other source,” implies that Bhagavan’s qualities are not extrinsic or acquired, but part of His svarupa. Therefore, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi says that they are not upalakṣita. An upalakṣaṇa is an indi- cator or incidental distinguishing mark that does not inhere in the object or entity indicated, and thus may not always be present. An upalakṣaṇa may function, however, to distinguish one object from another. If, for example, someone points out that the Kadamba tree is the one with the peacock perched in it, the peacock is considered the upalakṣana, or indicator of the Kadamba tree. Although the pea- cock distinguishes that particular Kadamba tree, it is not part of its svarupa, or essential being, because it can fly away at any time. The point is that the Lord’s attributes are not upalakṣaṇas; otherwise, they could vanish and He would lose His supremacy. This was dis- cussed in detail in Anuccheda 3 where Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmī defined the word bhagavan. 747 Vardo Jamstoff to Śri Bhagavat Sandarbhad blood l 79.10 enq duyarlamasiago nebaum-mique idgindl simone) e do dopalawoq dem ai श्रीकुमारा ऊचुः - योऽन्तर्हितो हृदि गतोऽपि दुरात्मनां त्वं सोऽद्यैव नो नयनमूलमनन्त राद्धः । यहॊव कर्णविवरेण गुहां गतो नः पित्रानुवर्णितरहा भवदुद्भवेन ॥ ३७२ ॥ 5009 139 The Kumāras sang: “O unlimited Lord, Ananta, although Your are situated in the hearts of those who misconstrue the self, Youn) remain invisible. But now You have come directly before our eyes, for You entered the core of our hearts through the ears when our father, who was born of You, described to us Your mysteries.” (SB 3.15.46)32 word bulu The comp अथ श्रीभगवतस्तादृशभावव्यञ्जिनीं निजामूर्तिं तेषामेव स्वहार्दाभिव्यक्तिकरेण स्तुति- वाक्येन प्रमाणयति श्रीकुमारा ऊचुः इति । स्तुतिमाह “यः” इति पञ्चभिः । अत्र “अक्षरजु- षामपि” इत्यनुसृत्य व्याख्यायते । The Lord’s own form had evoked these feelings in the Kumāras. Now Śrī Brahma offers further evidence of this form by citing their prayers, in which they revealed their heartfelt emotions. The prayer has five verses and we will explain them in reference to the words, “even though they were established in the bliss of the Imperishable” (akṣara-juṣām api), from SB 3.15.43 above.oard नित्यं ब्रह्मरूपेण प्रकाशसे न तच्चित्रम् । इदानीं तु विशुद्धसत्त्वलक्षणेन स्वरूपशक्तिवृत्ति- विशेषेण प्रकाशितया घनप्रकाशपरतत्त्वैकरूपया मूर्त्या प्रत्यक्षोऽसि । अहो भाग्यमस्मा- कमित्याहुः – हे अनन्त । यस्त्वं हृद्गतोऽपि दुरात्मनामन्तर्हितो न स्फुरसि स त्वं नोऽस्मा- कमन्तर्हितो न भवसि नयनमूलं त्वद्यैव राद्धः प्राप्तोऽसि ।
The Kumāras were thinking, “You eternally exist as Brahman, but that is nothing extraordinary. Indeed, just now You are present directly before our eyes in Your personal form, which is the very form of the Absolute Truth, of highly condensed luminosity. This form is manifested by a special function of Your internal potency, tvaml 32 yo’ntarhito hṛdi gato’pi duratmanām tvam low so’dyaiva no nayana-mülam ananta räddhah yarhy eva karna-vivarena guham gato naḥ pitrānuvarnita-raha bhavad-udbhavena ir dainty bluos vars mAra listo a 748 79 The Threefold Spiritual Manifestation Is Part of the Internal Potency which is characterized by unalloyed being (viśuddha-sattva). This is our great fortune.” To express this thought, the Kumāras said, “O Ananta, O Unlimited One! Although You have taken up resi- dence in the hearts of those who misconstrue the self, You remain invisible, which means, You do not make Yourself visible to them. You are not invisible to us, yet it is on this very day only that You have become apparent before our eyes.“alb A तथा च “अपि संराधने प्रत्यक्षानुमानाभ्याम्” (ब्र० सू० ३।२।२४) इत्यस्य विषयवाक्यम् । कठ २।१।१- Brahma-sutra says, “By complete devotion, even the Supreme Lord is perceived, directly as well as indirectly” (vs 3.2.24).33 This sutra is based on the following verse from the Śruti: av yd bom 97 de पराञ्चि खानि व्यतृणत् स्वयम्भूस्तस्मात् पराङ् पश्यति नान्तरात्मन् । कश्चिद् धीरः प्रत्यगात्मानमैक्षदावृत्तचक्षुरमृतत्वमिच्छन् || ३७३ ॥ इति । Jon ob The Self-born Creator designed the sense faculty to be directed externally, and therefore, human beings look outward and do not see the Self within. Desiring immortality, the wise self has turned his gaze inward and seen the indwelling Atman. (KU 2.1.1)34 अन्तर्धानाभावे हेतुः – भवदुद्भवेन ब्रह्मणा तेनास्मत्पित्रा यर्हि यदा एव अनुवर्णितरहा उद्दि- ष्टब्रह्माख्यरहस्यः । तदैव नः कर्णमार्गेण तद्रूपतया गुहां बुद्धिं गतोऽसीति । तदुक्तम् अक्ष- रजुषामपि इति । to ptin Next, the Kumāras explain the reason why the Lord did not con- ceal Himself from them: “When our father, Śrī Brahma, who was born of You, described Your mysteries, i.e., instructed us in the confidential knowledge of Brahman, at that very time, You entered the core of our hearts (guha) through the ears. This means that You pervaded our intelligence, in that particular form [as Brahman].” Thus, it was said, “Even though they were estab- lished in the bliss of the Imperishable.” 33 api samradhane pratyakṣānumānābhyammatesh mungesa urth 34 parāñci khāni vyatṛṇat svayambhus tasmāt parān paśyati nāntarātman kaścid dhiraḥ pratyag-ātmānam aikṣad avṛtta-cakṣur amṛtatvam icchan 749act lensial saldo Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha bola by Commentary bhutiv) gaied bevollsau yd basinsdei dold bisa asramulladt adgodt aid sex of trol Jasi 200 ai The next five verses are prayers offered to the Lord by the Kumāras. The Kumāras had been instructed by Śrī Brahma in the science of the Absolute, and thus the Lord had entered their hearts. Now that He was visible to them directly in His personal form, they remem- bered their father. A disciple never forgets his spiritual teacher and considers everything to be his mercy. Factually, what this means is that the form they saw was not dif- ferent from the Brahman that had been described to them in the Vedas by Śrī Brahma. Although the Lord is the all-pervading Brah- man, He manifests His personal form to His devotees. This is con- firmed by vs 3.2.24, cited by Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi. Although the senses do not have the power to perceive the Lord, who remains hidden to conventional awareness, He can be seen by bhakti. Śrī Kṛṣṇa said to Arjuna: The Ne I cannot be seen in the same manner that you have seen Me simply The through a study of the Veda, nor through serious penances, charity The or worship. O Arjuna, it is only through undivided devotional ser- vice that I can be known in this way, that I can be seen, and indeed, be entered into. (GĪTĀ 11.53-54)35 to the Bhakti can be received only by the mercy of a devotee. The Kuma- ras had received the auspicious fortune to associate with Śrī Brahmā, a great bhakta of the Lord. nsdW” misiqxs zimu ada пой odwadasa hè no new met mort smil Iss 79.11ac aleyhauer bodisaab (or to mod how तं त्वां विदाम भगवन् परमात्मतत्त्वं सत्त्वेन सम्प्रति रतिं रचयन्तमेषाम् । यत् तेऽनुतापविदितैर्दृढभक्तियोगैरुद्गन्थयो हृदि विदुर्मुनयो विरागाः ॥ ३७४ ॥ gouls m eldeda 35 näham vedair na tapasa na danena na cejyaya mi sdr to zaildad ni badatt śakya evam-vidho draṣṭum dṛṣṭavan asi mam yatha mandy bhaktyā tv ananyaya sakya aham evam-vidho’rjunam jñātum draṣṭum ca tattvena praveṣṭum ca parantapam 750 79 The Threefold Spiritual Manifestation Is Part of the Internal Potency 158O Lord, through this form of Yours, constituted of unalloyedot tro being (sattva), You are at present inducing love in these devo-m tees. We know You, in this very form, to be the supreme truth of d To the Self (atma-tattva), which great sages realize within their hearts, after cutting asunder the knots of ego and becoming Pirg free from material attachment, through firm devotional service, understood through mercy (anutapa). (SB 3.15.47)36 ननु पित्रोपदिष्टं भवतामदृश्यमात्मतत्त्वाख्यं रहः । अहं त्वन्य एव स्यां दृश्यत्वात् । The Lord raises an objection, “But the mystery that your father instructed you in, and which is known as the truth of the Self (ätma-tattva), is invisible. Since I am visible, I must be something different from it.” sw of vino नैवम् । अस्मत्प्रत्यभिज्ञया भेदनिरासादित्याहुः “तं त्वाम्” इति । हे भगवन् । परं केवल- मात्मतत्त्वं ब्रह्मस्वरूपं त्वां विदाम विद्मः प्रत्यभिजानीमः । 1939 ni benslewe asad svad rs991 The Kumāras reply, “That is not so, for by recognizing You, any idea [we had] that You are different from Brahman has been elim- inated.” To this end they speak this verse: “O Supreme Lord, we know You, which is to say, we recognize You as the supreme or exclusive truth of the Self, the very embodiment (svarupa) of h of the Self, the very embodiment ser Brahman.” केन प्रत्यभिजानीथ Todo no son 18 gbesibai (ovrint 6 on vad alanylostmodi asblend Question: “How did you recognize Me?” avtin-amas ar odio) सम्प्रति अधुना सत्त्वेन । अस्मास्वेतद्रूपाविर्भावेन । एतावन्तं कालं न ज्ञातवन्तो वयम् । अधुना तु साक्षादनुभवेन निश्चितवन्तः स्म इत्यर्थः । त्वं शुद्धचित्तवृत्तो ब्रह्मवत् नेत्रेऽप्यस्माकं स्फुरसि न तु दृश्यत्वेनेति भावः । Show snels benim yd boodenso ai dold (lopor Answer: “Through this manifestation of unalloyed being (sat- tva), or in other words, through the manifestation of this very 36 tam tvām vidāma bhagavan param atma-tattvam sattvena samprati ratim racayantam eṣām yat te’nutapa-viditair drdha-bhakti-yogair udgranthayo hṛdi vidur munayo virāgāḥ SB 3.15.47 hom nad blow ibidw 751 ass leialdi 3 Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha Ment form [constituted of sattva] that is present before us at this exact moment. In other words, for all this time we did not know You, but now we have come to know You clearly, through direct expe- rience. Just as You manifest internally as Brahman in the state of pure awareness, free from mental modifications (citta-vṛtti), You are now also manifest to our eyes.” The sense is that the Kuma- ras recognized the Lord because He Himself manifested Himself before them through His internal potency, and not because He can be seen by the eyes [like other visible forms]. di tua maido as aszien byo न केवलं प्रत्यभिज्ञामात्रमित्याहुः - एषामस्माकं रतिं रचयन्तम् । अन्यथा रतिरपि त्वय्य- स्माकं नोद्भवेदिति भावः । They further state: “Not only do we recognize You, but we also perceive that you are inducing love (ratim racayantam) in these devotees, or more precisely, in us. Otherwise, love for You would never have been awakened in us.” VHE HOY gnisingosos vd 701,02 Jon el Tiger zemu sit निरहम्मानादित्वेनान्येषामप्यात्मारामाणामन्यतो रत्यभावमेव द्योतयन्तस्तदात्मतत्त्वम् आहुः । तत्रैव साधनवैशिष्ट्यात् किमपि वैशिष्ट्यं चाहुः - यत् त्वद्रूपत्वेनाविर्भवदात्मतत्त्वं तेऽनुतापः कृपा तेनैव विदितैर्दृढभक्तियोगैर्विदुः । DOY Word and 30 (aturova) Insmibodms visy sdf 1192 or to duen oviauloxe The Kumāras addressed the Lord as the truth of the Self (atma- tattva), indicating that not only they, but other ātmārāmas besides themselves also have no attraction for anything else [other than ātma-tattva], since they are free of material ego pride. Nevertheless, they also state that this atma-tattva appears in a distinct way according to the particular practice (sādhanā) one follows: “The atma-tattva that appears as Your personal form can be known only by staunch devotional service (drdha-bhakti- yogaiḥ), which is understood by anutapa alone, which here means by Your ‘mercy’ (kṛpā).” onlinem aldr Hguod rew dr dywords abrow 191to al to att यद् वा अनुतापो दैन्यं तेन विदितैस्ते तव दृढभक्तियोगैः । Alternatively, the word anutapa can be understood as “humility,” which would then mean that Your devotion is known through humility. 752 79 The Threefold Spiritual Manifestation Is Part of the Internal Potency कीदृशः ? [The Lord asks:] “What kind of people can know Me?” ddess svij उद्द्बन्थयो निरहम्मानाः । अत एव विरागाः । तदेवम् “पित्रानुवर्णितरहाः” इत्यत्र रहः शब्दश्च- तुःश्लोकीरीत्या प्रेमभक्तेरेव वाचक इति व्यञ्जितम् । To ano al vilimono.pl The Kumāras answer, “Those who have cut asunder the knots in their hearts” (udgranthayah), or in other words, “those devoid of material ego and pride” (nirahammānāḥ), and who are thus “free from material attachment” (virāgāḥ). As such, the word raha (mystery) in the phrase from the previous verse, “the mysteries described by our father” (pitrāṇuvarnita-rahaḥ), implies loving devotion, as it also does in the context of the four seed verses of Srimad Bhagavatam.37 Commentary The Lord raises a doubt: “Brahma instructed you in the philosophical truth of the Self (atma-tattva), or Brahman. But since that truth is beyond the senses, whereas I am visible, I must be different from it. So how can you claim that you are now directly seeing the mystery (raha) that Brahma described to you?” In response, the Kumāras say that they recognize the Lord as the same ātma-tattva. In addition, however, they mention that this manifestation has two particularities: It has a form constituted of unalloyed being (sattvena), and it induces love (ratim racayantam). Not only the Kumāras, but other sages who are free from material attachment (munayo virāgāḥ) attain the Lord through firm devotion, performed with humility (anutapa-viditaiḥ). The popular meaning of the word anutapa is remorse, or peni- tence, and it has been understood as such in SB 3.14.44 and SB 3.15.36. In the latter verse, directly connected to the events being narrated, Śrīdhara Svāmi glosses it as kṛpā-nimitto’nutāpaḥ, or “the remorse that was induced by the Lord’s mercy.” It is for this reason that Śrī 37 See Section 96. 753 astollensat sdo Śri Bhagavat Sandarbha Jiva Prabhu has given mercy as the first meaning of anutapa here in this context. In fact, for the ordinary jiva lost in the material world, an awareness of the deluded nature of conditioned life leads to pen- itence or humility. This comes about only by the grace of the Lord and His devotees. Dainya, or humility, is one of the six components of saraṇāgati, or surrender to the Lord, which are the first steps in devotion. In this case, the Kumāras were expressing remorse for their act of cursing the two gatekeepers. An example of dainya, given in BRS 2.4.21, is that of Mucukunda, who prayed as follows: O Supreme Self! For so long I have been pained by miseries in this world and have been burning with remorse (anutapa) for my sins. The six enemies are never satisfied, and so I can find no peace. Please protect me, O giver of shelter, for I am in danger and have approached Your lotus feet, the source of fearlessness, immortality and freedom from sorrow. (SB 10.51.58)38 In the verse under discussion, the Kumāras are once again indi- cating that Brahman is a feature of Bhagavan, and that Bhagavan is the more complete, or in other words, the more inclusive Reality. Śrī Kṛṣṇa says that He is the basis of Brahman (brahmano hi pratiṣṭhā- ham); otherwise, it would not have been possible for the Kumāras to recognize the Lord as the same Brahman. 79.12 bui svollsm नात्यन्तिकं विगणयन्त्यपि ते प्रसादं किन्त्वन्यदर्पितभयं भ्रुव उन्नयैस्ते । येऽङ्ग त्वदङ्गिशरणा भवतः कथायाः कीर्तन्यतीर्थयशसः कुशला रसज्ञाः ॥ ३७५ ॥। JO Lord! Those who have taken shelter of Your feet, who are skill- ful in narrating Your stories, and who relish the aesthetic beauty of such topics, which are worthy of recitation and capable of 38 ciram iha vrjinārtas tapyamano’nutāpair avitṛsa-sad-amitro’labdha-santiḥ kathañcit asarana-da samupetas tvat-padãbjaṁ parätman abhayam amṛtam aśokam pahi mapannam iśa 754 79 The Threefold Spiritual Manifestation Is Part of the Internal Potency no transporting us across [the ocean of samsara], do not regard evenvob ultimate liberation as Your mercy, what to speak of any [other h rewards], all of which are rendered fearful by the mere raising of Your eyebrows. (SB 3.15.48)39g अथ पूर्वमभेदमतयोऽपि सम्प्रति स्वरूपानन्दशक्तिविलासैर्विचित्रितमतयो भूयोऽपि भेदा- त्मिकां भक्तिमेव प्रार्थयितुं भक्तानां सुखातिशयमाहुः “नात्यन्तिकम्” इति । आत्यन्तिकं मोक्षलक्षणं तव प्रसादमपि किमुतान्यदिन्द्रादिपदम् । Burford Although the Kumāras had previously adopted the doctrine of absolute non-distinction [also known as Radical Nondualism], they had now become aware of [transcendental] varieties within the Absolute, manifested by the actions of the internal potency of bliss. So, in this verse, they glorified the abundance of bliss felt by devotees. In doing so, their intention is to pray for the boon of devotional service alone, which accommodates distinction within the nondual unity. The devotees do not consider even the “ultimate” (atyantika), namely liberation, as the Lord’s mercy, what to speak of anything else, such as the post of Lord Indra. Piere of Twistor Commentary Ad balla bun boold Moore to ful In this verse, the Kumāras’ intention is expressed even more explic- itly. Atyantika (the ultimate) refers to liberation. Devotees who have been blessed with a taste of the Lord’s pastimes give no importance to liberation, rather they abhor it, because liberation is devoid of tran- scendental variety and hence does not afford one the possibility of rendering service to the Lord. As such, it cannot compare even to a drop of the bliss of devotion. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmi confirms this in Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: “If the bliss of Brahman realization were to be multiplied billions of times, it still could not compare even to a drop from the ocean of bliss that is bhakti” (BRS 1.1.38). 39 natyantikam viganayanty api te prasadam kintv anyad arpita-bhayam bhruva unnayais te ye’niga tvad-anghri-sarana bhavataḥ kathāyāḥ kirtanya-tirtha-yaśasaḥ kuśalā rasa-jñāḥ 40 brahmanando bhaved esa cet pararddha-gunikṛtaḥ naiti bhakti-sukhambhodheḥ paramāņu-tulām api the 755 yonato lastul so Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbhaige blond devotees do not accept liberation, even if the Lord offers it to them. Śri Kapila said:lang gobeles g Without devotional service, pure devotees do not accept any kind of liberation - salokya, sārṣṭi, sāmipya, sarūpya or ekatva - even if 15offered by the Supreme Lord Himself. (SB 3.29.13)41 Śrīla Viśvanatha Cakravarti Thakura says that the bliss of being in the direct presence of the Lord is, of course, superior to brahma- nanda, but the point of this verse is to show that so too is the experi- ence of hearing hari-katha, even when not in the direct presence of the Lord.42 Thus, the Kumāras say that only those blessed with aware- ness of the aesthetic relish of such katha (rasajñāḥ) are truly expert (kuśalāḥ). Moreover, śravana is the first step in devotional service. If even those dedicated to hearing the Lord’s pastimes have no regard for lib- eration, then it goes without saying that those who are firmly estab- lished in a personal relationship with the Lord care nothing for it. It is observed that people in general take great interest in gossiping about ephemeral, “so-called” beauty, and show no interest in spir- itual life. If one can become absorbed in hearing about dead bod- ies, full of stool, urine, blood and bones, which have no real beauty in them, then one can only imagine the deep meditation of those who hear about the super-excellent dealings of the transcendentally beautiful Lord with His wonderful loving devotees. w bazald -ns to biovsh al noitredil sausood Jizorda vadi/disto 16 yillidizzoq edi uno biofis ton asub sansi bn ys Jonas Juz 2A big art of spit 79.13 ni Intosh gonsbest कामं भवः स्ववृजिनैर्निरयेषु नः स्ताच् चेतोऽलिवद् यदि नु ते पदयो रमेत । •••वाचश्च नस्तुलसिवद् यदि तेऽङ्गिशोभाः पूर्येत ते गुणगणैर्यदि कर्णरन्ध्रः ॥ ३७६ ॥ adt We will gladly accept birth in any hell because of our sins, if only our minds can take pleasure, like bees, in Your lotus feet, if our 41 sälokya-särṣṭi-samipya-särūpyaikatvam apy uta diyamanaṁ na grhnanti vină mat-sevanam janaharul a 42 tvat-sākṣātkārasya kā katha tvat-parokṣe’pi tvat-katha-kirtanānando’pi brahmanandad adhikaḥ 756 79 The Threefold Spiritual Manifestation Is Part of the Internal Potency words may beautify Your feet, like tulasi, and if our ears be filled with the glorification of Your virtues. (SB 3.15.49) 43 इदानीं स्वापराधं द्योतयन्तो भक्तिं प्रार्थयन्ते “कामम्” इति । हे भगवन् । अतः पूर्वमस्माकं वृजिनं नाभवत् । इदानीं तु सर्वाण्यपि जातानि यतस्त्वद्भक्तौ शप्तौ । अतस्तैर्वृजिनैर्निरयेषु कामं नोऽस्माकं भवो जन्म स्यात् । fue lo lley br br edi of no go too% Next the Kumāras speak of their offense and pray for devotion: “O Lord, prior to this we had never committed any sin, but now we have committed them all because we have cursed Your two devotees. Therefore, let us be born in hell for these sins.” अनेन “तदधिगम उत्तरपूर्वार्धयोरश्लेषविनाशौ तद्व्यपदेशात्” (ब्र० सू० ४।१।१३) इति न्या- येनासम्भवतद्भावानां ब्रह्मज्ञानिनामपि स्वेषां बहुनरककारिवृजिनापातक्षमापणेन तयोः “इत्थम्भूतगुणो हरिः” (भा० १।७।१०) इतिवत् सर्वाद्भुतमहत्तमत्वं सूचितम् । Jon bus Brahma-sutra states, “Upon awakening to knowledge of the Abso- lute, sins performed in the present life do not cling to one, and those committed in the past are completely destroyed. This is declared in the Upanisads” (vs 4.1.13).44 According to this princi- ple, sin is impossible for Brahman-realized beings, even if they may be devoid of devotion to the Lord. And yet the Kumāras asked for forgiveness from enormous sins that would consign them to hell for a long time. This points to the most astonishing glories of the Lord and the Kumāras, as expressed in the ātmārāma verse (SB 1.7.10), that “All varieties of atmarāmas, especially those estab- lished on the path of self-realization, though freed from all kinds of material bondage, desire to render unalloyed devotional ser- vice unto the Supreme Lord. Indeed, such are the transcenden- tal qualities of the Lord that He can attract everyone, including liberated beings.“45 43 kamam bhavaḥ sva-vrjinair nirayesu naḥ stac ceto’livad yadi nu te padayo rameta Bibs Juozining servi vacaś ca nas tulasivad yadi te’nghri-sobhah bed atm od vlanivor püryeta te guna-ganair yadi karna-randhraḥ dvd beatum rothenade tad-adhigama uttara-pūrvärghayor asleṣa-vināśau tad-vyapadeśāt 45 ātmārāmāś ca munayo nirgrantha apy urukrame kurvanty ahaitukim bhaktim ittham-bhūta-guno hariḥed blob yori bably 757 yanston lacessad to Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha e bibomm अहो निरया अपि भवेयुरेव न तावतापि पर्याप्तं तेभ्यश्च नास्माकमपि भयम् । अत्र तु मूलं दुष्फलं भगवत्पराङ्मुखीभाव एव स त्वस्माकं माभूदिति सकाकु प्रार्थयन्ते । So, the Kumāras prayed with great emotion in their voices, “Alas! Let us glide down to hell, though even that punishment is insuf- ficient. Moreover, we have not the least bit of fear of it. The root cause and end result of suffering in hell is aversion to the Supreme Person. Kindly let us not become non-devotees.” M नु । वितर्के । यदि तु नश्चेतस्ते पदयो रमेत तत्राप्यलिवदेव केवलतन्माधुर्यास्वादापेक्षया न तु ब्रह्मात्मानुभवापेक्षया । एवं वाचश्चेत्यादि । The indeclinable nu is used in the sense of conjecture. “If our minds should take pleasure in Your lotus feet, may it be only with the intent of tasting their sweetness, as a bee tastes honey, and not with the intent of experiencing the bliss of the self as Brahman. May the same apply to our speech and so on.” 078 अत्र भक्तापराधस्य भगवता क्षमा तदिच्छामात्रकृततत्क्रोधजननात् तेषामपराधाभासत्वे- नेति ज्ञेयम् । श्लोकद्वयेऽस्मिन् कैवल्यान् नरकेऽपि त्वद्भक्तिमात्रं कामयमानानामस्माकं तदविरोधत्वात् श्रेयानिति स्वारस्यलब्धम् । diagogo It should be understood that this incident of the Lord forgiv- ing His devotees’ transgression, came about from the mere sem- blance of an offense resulting from the sages’ anger, which the Lord orchestrated out of His own will. The self-evident conclu- sion of these two verses is that even dwelling in hell is superior to liberation in the form of extinction in Brahman, because at least residence in hell is not antagonistic to devotional service, which was the Kumāras’ one and only aspiration. mosque star sol gaihalani qoray Commentary This verse points out the difference between a jñānī and a bhakta. Previously the Kumāras had become incensed by just a slight obstruction, caused by the gatekeepers, but since they had been blessed by bhakti, they were prepared even to suffer in hell, pro- vided they could hear and chant about the Lord. The implication is 758 79 The Threefold Spiritual Manifestation Is Part of the Internal Potency that the Kumāras had realized that the root cause of all problems is the state or condition of being unfavorably disposed towards the Lord. Thus, they declared that they were ready to suffer any amount (kāmam), yet also prayed that they would not be afflicted by the disease of non-devotion. Devotees fear only one thing: committing offenses that would cause their devotion to be covered. They consider heaven and hell to be equal. Śrī Rudra said: bit wat post The devotees who are completely dedicated to Śrī Nārāyaṇa do not fear anything at all. They regard all circumstances as equal, whether it be promotion to heaven, liberation from material existence, or dwelling in hell. (SB 6.17.28)46bros al The Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmī points out that for jñānis like the Kumāras, there is no possibility of sin, quoting vs 4.1.13. The Lord’s qualities, however, are so wonderful that they humbled and captivated the hearts of these great sages, so much so that they were willing to go to hell if it afforded them the opportunity to remember Bhagavan. A famous brahma-jñāni of medieval times experienced the importance of bhakti and was moved to write: We were revered by the adherents of the path of monism, and had been placed on the throne of the joy of impersonal realization. Yet we were forcibly transformed into maidservants by some cheater, that roguish lover of the gopis. (BRS 3.1.44)*7 The verse under discussion indicates that the Kumāras would rather be in hell as devotees than to gain liberation as extinction in Brahman, devoid of devotion. It also implies that they would have preferred to be in hell where they would never commit offenses to devotees, thus safeguarding their devotion. Or, they might have 46 nārāyaṇa-parāḥ sarve na kutaścana bibhyati Svargapavarga-narakeşv api tulyartha-darsinah 47 advaita-vithi-pathikair upäsyäḥ svarajya-simhasana-labdha-dikṣaḥ sathena kenapi vayam hathena p dāsīkṛtā gopa-vadhu-viṭena Attributed to Bilvamangala Thakura. 759Ensto lasand stoŚrī Bhagavat Sandarbha hq and sit qu thought that if they suffered in hell, they would be inspired to remember the Lord, as people in general remember Him when suf- fering, but forget Him when intoxicated by wealth, position, or non-theistic knowledge. Śrī Narada confirms this: bil For the wicked, who are blinded by the intoxication of wealth, for poverty is the best medicine. A poverty-stricken man sees very clearly how others suffer by reference to his own experience. (SB 10.10.13) 48 The Kumāras preferred to be in hell as devotees than in Vai- kuntha as offenders. This accords with the principle of surren- der - to accept everything favorable to bhakti and reject everything unfavorable (HBV 11.676).491 to aton Śrīla Viśvanatha Cakravarti Thakura says that the Kumāras were praying to engage their mind, speech and ears in the service of the Lord, but not with the purpose of attaining brahmananda. Just as the bumblebee never relinquishes its attachment to flowers, despite often being pierced by thorns, similarly the Kumāras were deter- mined to serve the Lord’s lotus feet in spite of all impediments. Such an attitude is evidence of prema, or unconditional love. Viśvanatha says that the first implication of the Kumāras’ prayer is that their ears should be filled completely with the Lord’s qualities. According to the Nyaya philosophy, however, the sense (indriya) of hearing is understood as the sky enclosed within the ear hole. Sound is a quality of the sky or ether (sabda-guṇakam ākāśam, Tarka- sangraha 2.5). Since qualities are formless and the sky is unlim- ited, the sense of hearing, or in other words, the ear, can never be filled completely. This means that one can go on hearing about the qualities of the Lord and never be satiated. This is the underlying implication of this prayer. den inb 48 asataḥ śri-madāndhasya däridryam param añjanam 49 atmaupamyena bhūtāni daridraḥ param ikṣate anukülyasya sankalpaḥ prätikülya-vivarjanam 760 79 The Threefold Spiritual Manifestation Is Part of the Internal Potency 79.14/0 elesve baum broved 900 29 to feog dan motoroparía ham ad tadi bisz Yeom With प्रादुश्चकर्थ यदिदं पुरुहूत रूपं तेनेश निर्वृतिमवापुरलं दृशो नः । 10 तस्मा इदं भगवते नम इद् विधेम योऽनात्मनां दुरुदयो भगवान् प्रतीतः ॥ ३७७ ॥ fo O Lord of unlimited glories! You have manifested this charming form before us, and our eyes have achieved much bliss by seeing it. This form, O Lord, rarely appears to those devoid of aware- ness of the true Self. We offer our humble obeisances unto (SB 3.15.50)50 You. तथापीत्थं कृतार्थत्वमस्माकमतिचित्रमित्याहुः “प्रादुः” इति । अनात्मनामात्मनस्तव एकान्तभक्तिरहितानामप्रकटोऽपि इत् इत्थं यः प्रतीतोऽसि तस्मै तुभ्यं नम इदं विधेमेति । The Kumāras sang this verse to express their amazement upon attaining such perfection: “You remain concealed to those devoid of awareness of the true Self (anatmanām), or in other words, who are devoid of unalloyed devotion to You, the true self, and yet You have become visible to our eyes. We offer our obeisance unto You.” ग) Commentary Ishige sit szex a noizzusalb adi awollo? wol In this final verse of their prayers, the Kumāras marvel at the mercy of the Lord, who showed His beautiful form even to offenders like them. Thus, they simply offer their obeisances to Him. Just as an owl does not see the sun, those devoid of devotion to the true Self (anatmanām) very rarely see the Lord (durudayaḥ). Since the Kumāras were brahma-jñānis and then prayed for devotional ser- vice, this indicates that bhakti, or loving devotional service, is the pañcama-puruṣārtha - the fifth and topmost goal of human life. This unique paradigm is found specifically in Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava philosophy. Before the advent of Śrī Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the majority of Indian philosophers considered liberation (moksa) to Endos 50 prāduścakartha yad idam puru-hūta rūpam teneśa nirvṛtim avapur alam dṛśo naḥ tasmā idaṁ bhagavate nama id vidhema yo’natmanām durudayo bhagavan pratitaḥ 761 posto letalo Śri Bhagavat Sandarbha in blidend be the ultimate goal of life. Śrī Caitanya Mahaprabhu, however, said that Srimad Bhagavatam carries one beyond mukti and reveals the most confidential secret (rahasya) - love of Kṛṣṇa. Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmi is systematically divulging this secret in his analysis of Srimad Bhagavatam. The stories of Srimad Bhagavatam are pregnant with pertinent philosophical conclusions. This description of the Kumāras’ attempt to enter Vaikuntha is especially included by Śrīla Vyasa to enable brahma-jñānis to see beyond the a priori assumptions that limit the Absolute to Brahman, thus providing them with the possibility of further completion through devotion. It is very interesting that Brahma sent his own sons, the best of the jñānis, to Vaikuntha and made them experience the superiority of bhakti-ānanda over brah- mānanda. The discerning jñāni should learn a lesson from this. ebrow 1910 i 10 (manaretāna) le sunt ad to sws to 79.1592 901 and joy of notovah hayollana to hloveh our ow do suo 1910 SW asys 100 of aldias omoand oved woy Jay अत्रैतदुक्तं भवति - एते ब्रह्मविद्यासिद्धानां परावरगुरूणामपि गुरवः । अत एव “परमहंस- महामुनीनाम् " ( भा० ३।१५।३७) इत्युक्तम् “तं त्वामहं ज्ञानघनं स्वभाव प्रध्वस्तमायागुण- भेदमोहैः । सनन्दनाद्यैर्हृदि संविभाव्यम्” (भा० ९।८।२४) इति श्रीमदंशुमद्वाक्यादौ । Vistasmimoo Now follows the discussion. The Kumāras were the spiritual teachers even of all other spiritual teachers past and present, who had attained completion in knowledge of Brahman. There- fore, it was stated that they were “highly enlightened liberated sages” [paramahamsa-maha-muninām, SB 3.15.37]. This is popu- larly known from such statements as: “King Amśuman said, ‘O my Lord, sages free from the influence of the three gunas of mate- rial nature, like the four Kumāras, are able to think of You, who are highly condensed unadulterated awareness; but how can an ignorant person like me think of You” (SB 9.8.24)?51 edi uddargadaM synetis me lo imovbe 51 tam tvām ahaṁ jñāna-ghanaṁ svabhava-sdoozol pradhvasta-maya-guna-bheda-mohaiḥ sanandanadyair hṛdi samvibhavyam Vrgoralidg hojam This verse will be discussed in its context more extensively in Section 102.3. 762 79 The Threefold Spiritual Manifestation Is Part of the Internal Potency “इहात्मतत्त्वं सम्यग् जगाद मुनयो यदचक्षतात्मन् ” ( भा० २।७।५) इति ब्रह्मवाक्यादौ । bad odwodas According to Śri Brahma: “In the beginning, out of a desire to cre- ate various worlds, I underwent austerities and penances. From that unbroken penance, the Lord became the four Sanas [i.e., the four Kumāras]. At the time of the universal inundation in the pre- vious kalpa, spiritual knowledge had been devastated, but [in this form] the Lord explained it so perfectly that the sages could see it within themselves” (SB 2.7.5).52 bad roads vlagou emmat tad navor el 11 d “तस्मै मृदितकषायाय तमसः पारं दर्शयति भगवान् सनत्कुमारः " ( छा० ७।२६।२) इत्या- दिश्रुतौ च तथा प्रसिद्धम् । Jo zaild sit ni badelldies EVER HOY eldivat duod Lena ni ba The Śruti states: “The venerable Sanatkumāra showed what lies beyond darkness to Nārada, who had become free from all impurities” (CHU 7.26.2).53 आसन्नानुभवस्यैव तु सिद्धस्याणिमादिभिर्विघ्नोऽपि सम्भाव्यः । न तु सिद्धानुभवस्य । A person who has had a peak experience of transcendence can still be impeded by paranormal powers, like animă, but not one who is permanently established in transcendence. “तं सप्रपञ्चमधिरूढसमाधियोगः स्वाप्नं पुनर्न भजते प्रतिबुद्धवस्तुः” (भा० ३।२८।३८) इति श्रीकपिलदेववाक्यात् । This is confirmed by Śrī Kapiladeva: “The yogi in samadhi has no more interest in the material body and its by-products than a person awaking from sleep has for the products of a dream” (SB 3.28.38).54 अत एव तेषां प्रध्वस्तमायागुणभेदमोहानां क्रोधादिकमपि दुर्घटघटनाकारिण्या श्रीभगव- दिच्छयैव जातमिति तैरपि व्याख्यातम् । 52 taptam tapo vividha-loka-sisṛkṣaya me ãdau sanat sva-tapasaḥ sa catuḥ-sano’bhūt prak-kalpa-samplava-vinaṣṭam ihātma-tattvam samyag jagada munayo yad acakṣatätman 53 tasmai mṛdita-kaṣāyāya tamasaḥ pāraṁ darśayati bhagavan sanat-kumāraḥildl 54 deho’pi daiva-vasagaḥ khalu karma yāvat svarambhakam pratisamikṣata eva sasuḥ tam sa-prapancam adhirudha-samadhi-yogaḥ sväpnaṁ punar na bhajate pratibuddha-vastuḥ 763 const Iral do Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha tha et Consequently, Śrīdhara Svāmi has also explained that the anger displayed by the Kumāras, who had shattered the bonds of māyā and the products of her various gunas, such as delusion, was due to the supreme will of the Lord, which makes possible even the impossible. 910 903 tebauni larving sdt to तदेवं तेषां सततब्रह्मानन्दमग्नत्वं सिद्धम् । तदुक्तम् “अक्षरजुषामपि ” इति । “योऽन्तर्हितः” इत्यादि च । Thus, it is proven that the Kumāras were continuously absorbed in the bliss of Brahman, as was stated in SB 3.15.43, “They were established in the bliss of the Imperishable” (akṣara-juṣām api), and in SB 3.15.46 [Section 79.10], “Though invisible, You have now become visible to us” (yo’ntarhitaḥ). zeb broyed asil श्रूयते चान्यत्र ब्रह्मजुषामविक्षिप्तचित्तत्वम् । यथा सप्तमे ( भा० ७।१५ ३५) श्रीनारदवा- क्यम्- 1513510 In other places also it is stated that the mind of the Brahman- realized being is never disturbed. For example, Śrī Nārada’s statement in the Seventh Canto: कामादिभिरनाविद्धं प्रशान्ताखिलवृत्ति यत् । चित्तं ब्रह्मसुखस्पृष्टं नैवोत्तिष्ठेत कर्हिचित् ॥ ३७८ ॥ इति । Now orw Eat That consciousness which is no longer pierced by lust and other W such impulses, whose every function has become calm and peace-on Tful, and which has been touched by the joy of Brahman, would never rise up [to materialistic action] again. (SB 7.15.35)55 तथापि तेषां भगवदानन्दाकृष्टचित्तत्वमुच्यते । एवमन्येषामप्यात्मारामाणां तादृश- त्वं श्रूयते “स्वसुखनिभृतचेतास् तद् व्युदस्तान्यभावोऽप्यजितरुचिरलीलाकृष्टसारः” (भा० १२।१२।६८) इत्यादिषु । Yet it was narrated that the Kumāras’ hearts became attracted to the bliss of Bhagavan. The same is also said of other ātmārāmas, such as in the following verse, “I bow down to the son of Vyasa, 55 kämädibhir anăviddham praśäntäkhila-vṛtti yat cittam brahma-sukha-sprstaṁ naivottistheta karhicit 764 79 The Threefold Spiritual Manifestation Is Part of the Internal Potency who though fully situated in his own bliss and completely free of any conception of duality, was attracted in his very essence by the enchanting pastimes of the invincible Lord” (SB 12.12.68).56ddin of अथ लोकसङ्ग्रहार्थैवैषा तेषां भक्तिप्रक्रिया प्राचीनसंस्कारवशात् वा ? 1002100 200h Objection: “But is it not possible that the Kumāras’ acts of devo- tion were performed either in order to set an example for people in general, or just as a result of their previous habits?” नैवम् । उभयत्रापि “वासो यथा परिकृतं मदिरामदान्धः” (भा० ३।२८।३७) इतिवत् तत्रावे- शासम्भवात् । Response: “Not so. They could not have been impelled for either of these two reasons, as is stated, “The Brahman-realized being has no conception of his bodily movements, just as an intoxicated person is oblivious of his dress” (SB 3.28.37).57 दृश्यते तन्यत्रानावेशः (भा० ३।१५।१२ ) - Śrī Brahma also informed the devas about the Kumāras’ detach- ment from other things: Moo [220] 9285 adf oals asw air मानसा मे सुता युष्मत्पूर्वजाः सनकादयः । चेरुर्विहायसा लोकान् लोकेषु विगतस्पृहा ।। ३७९ ।। v zid ni (a.si.si az) “band In My sons, Sanaka, Sanatana, Sanandana and Sanatkumāra, who were born from my mind, are your elder brothers. Being free from all desire, they travel to the worlds, wandering amongst them throughout space. (SB 3.15.12)58 इत्यभिधानात् । भगवति त्वावेशः “परमहंसमहामुनीनामन्वेषणीयचरणौ ” ( भा० ३।१५।३७) इत्यत्र यादृच्छिकताविरोध्यन्वेषणीयत्वाभिधानात् । 56 58 sva-sukha-nibhṛta-cetas tad-vyudastanya-bhavo’py ajita-rucira-lilākṛṣṭa-sāras tadīyamad linnat See also Section 47. vaso yathā parikṛtaṁ madirā-madāndha mănasă me sută yuṣmat-purvajäḥ sanakādayaḥ cerur vihāyasā lokān lokeṣu vigata-spṛhā 765 yasin lepsial to Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha Molsosan at But the Kumāras’ awareness was fully absorbed in the Lord, since it was said in SB 3.15.37, “The Lord’s feet are to be sought out by highly enlightened liberated sages.“59 The use of the word anveṣaṇīya, “are to be sought out,” with regards to the Lord’s feet does not contradict the idea that [their attraction to the Lord] was spontaneous (yadṛcchika).60 ldiazog don ržaj j पञ्चमे तु “असङ्गनिशितज्ञानानलविधूताशेषमलानां भवत्स्वभावानामात्मारामाणां मुनी- नामनवरतपरिगुणितगुणगणः” (भा० ५। ३ । ११) इत्यत्र गद्ये तदेकनिष्ठत्वमप्युक्तम् । The following prose paragraph from the Fifth Canto also states that ätmäräma sages become fixed in single-minded devotion to Bhagavan: “O Lord, sages who delight in the Self alone inces- santly glorify Your attributes. They have burnt all impurities in the fire of wisdom, coupled with renunciation, and have imbibed Your pure nature. Glorification of Your attributes is the source of supreme auspiciousness even for such ātmārāma sages” (SB 5.3.11).61 “अजितरुचिरलीलाकृष्टसारः” (भा० १२।१२।६८) इत्यत्रैव च an oals s This was also the case for Sukadeva Gosvāmī, who “was attracted in his very essence by the enchanting pastimes of the invincible Lord” (SB 12.12.68).62 अत्रापि “तेनेश निर्वृतिमवापुरलं दृशो नः” इत्यादौ सुखदत्वमपि साक्षादेवोक्तम् । 59 paramahamsa-maha-munīnām anveṣaṇīya-caranau 60 The word yadṛcchikatävirodhi is ambiguous, as it could mean, “contradicting the accidental nature of events” or “not contradicting them.” The word yādṛcchikatā, which means, “spontaneity,” “independence,” “accidentalness,” or med “unexpectedness,” has been interpreted differently according to how the different commentators read -(a)virodhi. In the present context, Jiva is arguing that the Kumāras were attracted to the Lord and that the use of the word anveṣaniya (to be sought out) in the above quote indicates that it was not accidental, or in other words, that it was purposeful. Nevertheless, this does not mean that they did so either with the deliberate intent to set an example for others, or out of previous habit. The fact that their attraction to the Lord’s feet was purposeful does not contradict its spontaneity. ver bow dow 61 asanga-nisita-jñänänala-vidhutäśeşa-malänäṁ bhavat-svabhāvānām ātmarāmāṇāṁ muninām anavarata-parigunita-guna-ganah 62 Already cited. 766 79 The Threefold Spiritual Manifestation Is Part of the Internal Potency In the present narration also it was directly stated that the Lord bestowed joy upon the Kumāras: “You have manifested this charming form before us, and our eyes have achieved much bliss by seeing it.“63 अत्र पूर्वोक्तहेतोश्च स्तुतौ प्रत्युतोपालम्भप्रसङ्गाच् च “नेहावलोककलया हृदि संस्पृशन्तम्” (भा० ३ | १५ | ३९) इति साक्षादुक्तेश्च दृशामेव सुखं जातमित्यनासक्तिरेव व्यञ्जितेत्यपि न व्याख्येयम् । तस्मादात्मारामाणां रमणास्पदत्वाद् ब्रह्माख्यमात्मवस्त्वेव श्रीभगवान् । For the reasons given above, and because of the self-censure found in their prayers, and also from the direct statement, “The Lord touched their heart by His glances of affection” (SB 3.15.39),64 it should not be concluded that only the eyes of the Kumāras [and not the Kumāras themselves] felt bliss, and that this description thus indicates only their detachment from material life. There- fore, since He is the locus of pleasure even for those who delight in the self alone (ātmārama), the transcendental existent called Brahman is verily Śrī Bhagavan. alkotni vo beballd nee bod sin mobe तत्रापि “चकार तेषां सङ्क्षोभमक्षरजुषामपि चित्ततन्वोः” ( भा० ३।१५।४३) इति श्रवणात् ततोऽपि घनप्रकाशः । तत्तद्विचित्रश्रीभगवदङ्गोपाङ्गाद्यभिनिवेशदर्शनानन्दवैचित्री चोपल- भ्यते । सा चान्यथानुपपत्त्या स्वरूपशक्तिविलासरूपैवेति । ut bns brod Jamst I подо Moreover, since it was said, “He created a commotion even in the minds and bodies of the Brahman-realized Kumāras” (SB 3.15.43),65 it is understood that Bhagavan is the Absolute in its most highly condensed essence, more substantial even than Brahman. This is so because Bhagavan additionally grants the variegated bliss of seeing and being absorbed in His unsurpassed, beautiful bodily limbs and features. Because it cannot otherwise be accounted for, it is to be inferred that this wonderful bliss is also a manifestation of His svarupa-sakti. 63 teneśa nirvṛtim avapur alam dṛśo nah SB 3.15.50 64 snehävaloka-kalaya hṛdi samspṛśantam 65 cakāra teṣāṁ sankṣobham akṣara-juṣām api citta-tanvoḥtha 767 jot laistal art to Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha blautfly Commentary aura lotembeasty sdsonl Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmī gives several references to prove that the Kumā- ras were completely free from the gunas of material nature and were continuously absorbed in the bliss of Brahman, so much so that they did not even care to wear a loincloth. Anger is a manifestation of the gunas of passion and ignorance, and it leads to the fortification of ignorance. Śrīdhara Svami therefore explains that their anger arose neither to teach common men a lesson, nor as a result of old impres- sions, but because of the supreme will of the Lord. Owing to the ele- vated state that the Kumāras were established in, it was not possible for them to be subject to anger. Śrī Kapila explains this: u bzol Chlupdy Because of establishment in his true identity (svarupa), the high-or 10 est liberated being does not even notice whether, due to the natu- deral course of events, the body he occupies is seated or standing, or whether it has moved to a different location or returned, just as per- son blinded by intoxication does not perceive whether the clothes that adorn his body are still present or not. (SB 3.28.37)66 It is crystal clear from this description that the Kumāras became overwhelmingly drawn to the service of the Lord and considered the form of the Lord and the bliss of bhakti superior even to Brahman. Nevertheless, some proponents of Radical Nondualism may attempt to explain these verses in a way that contradicts the above obser- vations. Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmi presents some of their arguments and refutes them. B Those who propound the conception of the Absolute as formless may argue that the Kumāras did not become attached to the form of the Lord because of His beauty or mercy, and that the happiness the Kumāras derived from seeing the Lord was only an external pleasure for their eyes and did not touch or transform their hearts, as under- stood by the Vaisnavas. This argument has some apparent merit, 66 deham ca tam na caramaḥ sthitam utthitaṁ vā siddho vipaśyati yato’dhyagamat svarupam daivad upetam atha daiva-vaśād apetament vāso yathā parikṛtam madira-madāndhaḥ 768 79 The Threefold Spiritual Manifestation Is Part of the Internal Potency since the fact that a person may enjoy seeing beautiful scenery does not necessarily mean that he or she becomes attached to it, or gives up all previous conceptions of pleasure. Nevertheless, such an explanation is quite impertinent, because the Kumāras said in their prayers, “You are inducing love in them” (samprati ratim racayantam, SB 3.15.47). Love indicates a feeling of joy arising from the heart and not just from the eyes. Moreover, had the Kumāras not become attached to the Lord’s service, they would not have prayed for their minds to be fixed on His feet, as they did in SB 3.15.49. The statement, “They experienced a commotion both in mind and in body, even though they were established in the bliss of the Imper- ishable” (Section 79.7), clearly shows that the Kumāras derived sub- stantial joy from the personal form of the Lord. Thus, the inference is that the Lord’s personal form surpasses in completeness even the completion of unqualified Brahman. Since the Lord’s body is tran- scendental, it should be understood that the bliss derived from see- ing Him surges from the internal potency and not from the gunas of be fogy nature. F6 79.16 ि ननु भवतु तेषामानन्दाधिक्यात् तस्मिन् निर्विशेषस्वरूपानन्दस्यैव घनप्रकाशता उपाधि- वैशिष्ट्यात् । यतः विशुद्धसत्त्वसम्भावितायां चित्तवृत्तौ यद् ब्रह्म स्फुरति तदेव घनीभूता- खण्डविशुद्धसत्त्वमये भगवति स्फुरत् तदध्यस्ततया तदैक्यमापन्नायां तस्यां विशेषत एव स्फुरति । अत एव श्रीविग्रहादिपरब्रह्मणोरभेदवाक्यमपि तदत्यन्ततादात्म्यापेक्षयैव । A Objection: Let us consider for a moment that the Kumāras’ expe- rience of extreme bliss, upon witnessing the Lord’s form, was simply a condensed manifestation of the bliss of unqualified being (nirvisesa-svarupa-ānanda), its density being due to the imposition on Brahman of certain distinguishing characteristics, known as upadhis. [According to this view, Bhagavan is Brah- man qualified with upadhis]. In other words, the Brahman that appears in the mind states (citta-vṛtti) that arise out of just a por- tion of pure being (viśuddha-sattva), also manifests in Bhagavan, 769Pansio? IammanlaŚrī Bhagavat Sandarbha Allem who is condensed and undivided pure being (viśuddha-sattva). Then through superimposition (adhyasa) of Brahman as Bhaga- vän, the mind states are modified into exact conformity with Bhagavan, and so the Brahman that appears in the mind states, does so in qualified form. Hence, the statement that there is no difference between the Lord’s form and Parabrahman is made only from the perspective that such a form acquires complete oneness with Brahman [in the citta-vrtti]. अत एव तत्र तत्रोपाधावेक एव निर्भेदपरमानन्दः समुपलभ्यते न तु विशेषाकारगन्धोऽपि । तत्तदुपाधेरपेक्षणं तु प्रतिपदतदानन्दसमाधिगतकौतुकनिबन्धनम् । तस्मात् कथमनेन प्रमाणेन तत्तदुपाधीनामपि परतत्त्वाकारत्वं साध्यत इति ? Therefore, in the various limiting adjuncts (upādhis), only one nondifferentiated supreme bliss is realized, without even a trace of any kind of form. These adjuncts are required only for the sake of providing interesting experiences in each arising moment in the bliss of trance. So, by this evidence how can you try to establish even these upadhis as forms of the Absolute Truth? g उच्यते – भवन्मते तावद् यच् छुद्धचित्तवृत्तौ परब्रह्म स्फुरति तत् सम्यगेव स्फुरति भेदां- शलेशपरित्यागेनैव ब्रह्मविद्यात्वाङ्गीकारात् । असम्यग्ज्ञानस्य तत्त्वानङ्गीकारात् तेन कैवल्यासम्भवाच् च । अतो न श्रीविग्रहादावधिकाविर्भावाङ्गीकारो युज्यते । किं च शुद्धसत्त्वमया विग्रहादिलक्षणोपाधय इति वदतस्तव कोऽभिप्रायः ? किं तत्परिणामास्ते तत्प्रचुरा वा ? नाद्यः । रजोऽसद्भावेन परिणामासम्भव इति ह्युक्तम् । न चान्त्यः । येषु विग्रहादिषु तत्प्राचुर्यं ते मिश्रसत्त्वस्य कार्यभूता इत्यर्थापत्तौ “सत्त्वं विशुद्धं श्रयते भवान् स्थितौ” (भा० १०।२।३४) इत्यादिवचनजाते विशुद्धपदवैयर्थ्यमिति चोक्तमेव । का Answer: According to your doctrine, the Supreme Brahman that manifests in the pure mind states (citta-vṛtti) is a complete man- ifestation, since it is agreed that brahma-vidya is established only by abandoning all trace of differentiation, because incom- plete jñāna is not accepted as the Absolute Truth, and because it is impossible to attain oneness by such incomplete knowledge. Therefore, it is improper to accept that Brahman has an extra manifestation in the Lord’s form. Moreover, what is your inten- tion in claiming that the upadhis that characterize the Lord’s forms, attributes and so on, are pure sattva in nature? Do you 770 79 The Threefold Spiritual Manifestation Is Part of the Internal Potency mean that they are transformations of pure sattva alone, or that they are replete with sattva [i.e., having a predominance of sattva]? The first option is not possible because, as was made clear earlier, there can be no transformation without rajo-guna. Nor is the second option possible, since by accepting that these forms are replete with sattva, it implies that they are manifesta- tions of mixed sattva, and so the word “pure” (viśuddha) would become meaningless in statements cited earlier such as, “You accept viśuddha-sattva for maintenance” (SB 10.2.34).67 अस्तु वा विमिश्रत्वं तथापि तादृशे ब्रह्मस्फुरणयोग्यतैव न सम्भवेत् किं पुनर्विशेषेणेत्युद्दे- श्यविस्मृतिश्च स्यात् । Or, if it is granted that these upādhis are a mixture of the gunas, then they would not have the ability to bestow any kind of expe- rience of Brahman, what to speak of Brahman qualified by form. Those who put forth such ideas have forgotten the purpose of their own argument. अथाखण्डविशुद्धसत्त्वाश्रयत्वेन तेऽपि तद्रूपतयैवोच्यन्ते । ततश्च ते स्वनुभूताखण्डशुद्धस- त्त्वे तस्मिन् ब्रह्मानुभवन्तीति चेत् । तदयुक्तं कल्पनागौरवात् “तेऽचक्षताक्षविषयं स्वसमा- धिभाग्यम्” इति साक्षादेव गोचरीकृतत्वेनोक्ततया परम्परादृष्टत्वप्रतिघाताच्च । Now these upadhis, being supported by undifferentiated viśuddha- sattva, are also said to be of the same nature. So, if it is claimed that the Kumāras experienced Brahman through the Lord’s form of undifferentiated viśuddha-sattva, a state of being they had already previously realized, this also is inappropriate, because it is marred by the defect of cumbrous assumption (kalpana- gaurava), or in other words the needless multiplication of causes. Moreover, the Kumāras directly saw the Lord, as was stated, “The fulfillment of their trance became apparent to their eyes” (SB 3.15.38).68 This contradicts the idea that they saw Him through a succession of causes or upadhis. तस्मात् तस्य शुद्धसत्त्वस्य प्राकृतत्वं तु निषिद्धमेव । तस्मान् न ते प्राकृतसत्त्वपरिणामः । न वा तत्प्रचुराः किन्तु स्वप्रकाशतालक्षणशुद्धसत्त्वप्रकाशिता इति प्राक्तनमेवोक्तं व्यक्तम् । 67 odtiw sidera te’cakṣatakṣa-viṣayam sva-samadhi-bhagyam hinar bits lasitashi nasd sattvam viśuddham śrayate bhavan sthitau 771 stofan salto Sri Bhagavat Sandarbhaften In this way, it is completely refuted that there can be any material influence in the state of suddha-sattva. So, the Lord’s forms are neither a transformation of material sattva, nor are they replete with it. Rather, they are manifestations of the suddha-sattva, in which self-luminosity is an inherent characteristic. This was stated earlier and has been further clarified here.gs अत एव तेषामुपाधित्वनिराकृतेस्तत्तदनुभवानन्दवैचित्री च सम्पद्यते । When the suggestion that the Lord’s forms are a product of upãd- his is negated, it naturally follows that the Kumāras experienced wonderful bliss by witnessing the Lord’s form. तथैव तमेवमेवम्भूतम् अचक्षत इति तत्तद्विषयसौन्दर्यवर्णनं प्रस्तुतोपकारित्वात् सार्थकं स्यात् । अखण्डशुद्धसत्त्वमयमात्रेणैवाभिप्रेतसिद्धेः । अत एव “निरीक्ष्य च न वितृप्तदृशः " इति दृक्सम्बन्धित्वाद् रूपकृतैवातृप्तिरुक्ता । Similarly, when the Lord’s form and qualities are understood in this way, the Kumāras’ direct vision of Bhagavan and His beauty, as described in this section, becomes meaningful, because it con- firms the overall topic under discussion, the intention of which can be satisfied only if Bhagavan’s form is constituted of undif- ferentiated pure sattva. So, the statement, “Their eyes were not satiated by seeing His form” [SB 3.15.42], since it was made in rela- tion to the Kumāras’ sense of sight, shows that their unsatedness was caused [objectively] by the Lord’s form. तथैव च शब्देनैवाक्षरजयित्वं पदारविन्दपरिमलात्मकवायुलक्षणस्य तद्विशेषस्य दर्शि- तम् । अन्यथोभयत्रापि ब्रह्मानन्दस्यैव निर्विशेषतयोपलभ्यमानत्वे विद्याजुषामपीत्युपा- धिप्रधानमेवोच्येत । उपाधियुगलस्यैव मिथःस्पर्धित्वप्राप्तेः । silton 10 (DVD Similarly, by the specific words akṣara-juṣām api, “although situ- ated in the bliss of the Imperishable,” used here, it is shown that the Lord’s specific qualities, namely the aroma from His lotus feet, were able to surpass [the bliss of] Imperishable Brahman. Other- wise, if in both instances [both in the experience of the Imperish- able and that of Bhagavan], they had experienced only the bliss of Brahman without attributes, [then both experiences would have been identical, and it would be impossible for one to surpass the 772 79 The Threefold Spiritual Manifestation Is Part of the Internal Potency other]. In that case, instead of akṣara-juṣām api, it would have been necessary to say, “although situated in knowledge” (vidya- juṣām api), so that upadhis would then become the focus of the comparison. In that case, [instead of comparing two degrees of completion of the Absolute, i.e., Brahman and Bhagavan] the com- parison would be reduced to no more than the mutual contention between the upadhi of knowledge and the upadhi of form. elg liv अनेनाक्षरानुभवसुखजयित्वकथनेन वशिष्ठादीनां पुत्रशोकादिकमिव तदावेशाभास एवायमित्यपि निरस्तम् । अत एवमेवोक्तं श्रीस्वामिभिरपि “स्वरूपानन्दादपि तेषां भजना- नन्दाधिक्यमाह” इति । By stating that the bliss of beholding the Lord’s form defeats that of Brahman realization, it is precluded that the Kumāras’ absorp- tion in the Lord’s form was a mere semblance, like the great sage Vasistha’s behavior of mourning for his sons. And so Śrīdhara Svāmī commented, “This verse demonstrates that the bliss of unalloyed service and relation in devotional love (bhajanananda) is superior to the bliss of mere abidance in one’s original state of unqualified being (svarupananda).“69 di tossed by Jaume Seib avisams तस्मादस्ति वैचित्र्यमपि । अत एव तैरपि विचित्रतयैव प्रार्थितम् “चेतोऽलिवद् यदि नु ते पदयो रमेत” इत्यादौ । “अक्के चेन् मधु विन्देत किमर्थं पर्वतं व्रजेत्” इति न्यायेन तदुपाध्य- न्तरान्वेषणवैयर्थ्यात् तेषामतदन्वेषणकौतुकाभावाच् च । Therefore, variegatedness also exists in the Lord. For this reason, the Kumāras took account of this variety in their prayers, when they said, “only if our minds can take pleasure, like bees, in Your lotus feet […],” [SB 3.15.49]. If the bliss of Brahman experienced by the Kumāras were topmost, to search for any special bliss in mere upādhis would have been pointless. After all, “If honey is avail- able in the kitchen corner, why hunt for it in the mountains?”” Nor did they have any interest in seeking out anything material. 70 svarupanandad api teşăm bhajananandadhikyam āha Bhāvārtha-dipikā 3.15.43 akke cen madhu vindeta kim artham parvataṁ vrajet a inhiga 773 Śri Bhagavat Sandarbhanje mojeeded किं च न तेषामभेदात्मकोऽनुभवो वा दृश्यते प्रत्युत “नेमुर्निरीक्ष्य न वितृप्तदृशो मुदा कैः” “कामं भवः स्ववृजिनैर्निरयेषु नः स्यात् ” इत्यादावभेदस्य तत्प्रतियोगिनमस्काराद्युपलक्षि- तभेदात्मकभक्तिसुखमेव दृश्यते । Moreover, we observe that their experience was not one of abso- lute non-distinction. Rather, we see that in statements like, “The Kumāras, their eyes unsated, bowed their heads to the Lord” [SB 3.15.42] and, “We will gladly accept birth in any hell because of our sins” [SB 3.15.49], they experienced the bliss of devotion, which is rooted in the awareness of distinction, as indicated by acts, such as paying obeisances, which stand in contrast to the principle of abheda, or absolute non-distinction. 7 ad Bowalld Javaild odi tut तस्मान् मायिकोपाधिनिर्हीनत्वाद् धेयांशतया प्रतिभातत्वाच् च न तज्जातीयं सुखमप्यन्य- जातीयं कर्तुं शक्नोतीति सन्त्येवान्यथानुपपत्तिसिद्धायाः स्वरूपशक्तेरेव विलासाः Idol #dbine og brА anos ald Tolverlod & H V It is therefore impossible to claim that this happiness [if based on the experience of upãdhis] is of another kind [namely tran- scendental bliss], since the upadhis produced by maya are base by nature, and because of the apparent existence of elements in that happiness [i.e., in the upadhis themselves] that must be rejected. Thus, by the process of elimination, it must be acknowledged that these features [i.e., the Lord’s forms] are manifestations of svarupa-śakti. 00289 at 107_brod silt aisteix als aanbodagsrisy 87015/12/1 Commentaryo ni visma zid to Jaloos ΠΟΥ ΔΕ A further objection is proposed by the Advaitavadi interpreters: They admit that the pleasure derived by the Kumāras was certainly superior to brahmananda, but that it resulted from concentrated Brahman (i.e., the form of the Lord) and not from anything other than Brahman, such as the svarupa-sakti of the Lord. They say that just as Brahman is experienced in the pure heart, the form of the Lord, which is nothing but solidified Brahman, can also be experi- enced in the pure heart. The extra pleasure derived is due to the upadhi present in the concentrated form. 774 79 The Threefold Spiritual Manifestation Is Part of the Internal Potency There is no actual difference between water and ice, but in cer- tain circumstances, like in the heat of summer, ice gives more plea- sure. Similarly, there is no difference between Brahman and the Lord, but His personal form may sometimes appear more attractive. Let However, water becomes solid owing to the upadhi of coolness - it is not its natural state. Similarly, when a jñāni has a soft heart, Brahman appears to him in a personal form, but the ultimate reality remains as unqualified Brahman. This, the Advaitavādīs claim, is the significance of the scriptural statements that propound the identity of Brahman and Bhagavan. This explanation has the beauty of philo- sophical brevity: there is no need to accept any complicating factor or extra item, like the svarupa-sakti. 20 In response, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmī says that it is impossible for Brahman to manifest as Bhagavan with the help of upadhis. The question is, “What is an upadhi?” Jiva says that according to the Advaitavada doctrine, an upadhi, or limiting adjunct, can be either a modification of suddha-sattva or be replete with sattva. Of course, for Advaitavādīs, it goes without saying that this sattva is material. However, according to Sankhya as well as Vedanta, no modifi- cation is possible without rajo-guna. Therefore, upadhis cannot be transformations of pure sattva-guna, because there is no rajo-guna present in pure sattva to bring about a transformation, and because the sattva of which the upadhi is constituted would, in any case, no longer be pure. Similarly, the upadhis could not simply have an abun- dance of sattva, because it has been proven that the Lord’s form is śuddha-sattva and free from any mixture of the gunas. Abundance would indicate a predominance of sattva, but would still allow for a mixture with the other gunas, rajas and tamas. In that case, the adjec- tive “pure” (viśuddha) would be devoid of sense. Moreover, if it were to be accepted that upadhis arise from an abundance of sattva, then it cannot apply to Brahman, as Brahman is completely free from rajas and tamas. Were this the case, there would be no possibility of the Kumāras experiencing bliss and certainly no experience of anything beyond that, because the Kumāras were fixed in Brahman. In answer, Advaitavādīs might say that the Kumāras experienced Brahman in viśuddha-sattva while seeing the form made of upādhis. 775 of fermatol adrŚrī Bhagavat Sandarbhar blotterpil Alt v Young This is certainly a very cumbersome explanation. Moreover, it is to be noted that these arguments are given assuming śuddha-sattva to be material sattva, free from passion and ignorance. But this is impossible, as the gunas are always mixed, as was shown in Anu- ccheda 13. Thus, there is no possibility of the guna of pure material goodness. When the scriptures say that the Lord’s body is made of viśuddha-sattva, or pure goodness, this does not mean that it is con- stituted of material goodness, but of the transcendental cit potency or vasudeva-tattva. The Advaitavādīs also claim that, just as Vasistha’s lamentation over the demise of his sons was not real, so the attraction of the Kumāras to the Lord’s form was not real. The story of Vasistha is described in Mahabharata. His one hundred sons were eaten by King Kalamāṣapāda, who had been possessed by a demonic Kinkara by the arrangement of Visvamitra. Vasistha was overcome by grief and tried to commit suicide many times, but failed. The Advaitavādīs say that since Vasistha was Brahman-realized, his grief could not have been real. Similarly, the attraction of the Kumāras to the Lord’s form could not be real, since Brahman-realized beings are beyond attachment, lamentation and delusion.ow ding sproti This explanation certainly contradicts the direct experience of the Kumāras. They prayed that their minds remain attached to the Lord’s lotus feet, just as a bumblebee is to flowers. If the Lord’s form had been only a product of upādhis, they would not have prayed in this manner, as they had no attraction to material objects. Their prayers do not indicate that they experienced impersonal realiza- tion by seeing the Lord. Were it so, they would not bow down before Him and pray for devotion. Obeisances are offered only when one considers oneself distinct from and inferior to the object of worship. 79.17 bus अपि च अस्तु तावज् जीवन्मुक्तदशायां तन्मते विद्योपाधिप्रतिफलितस्यैव सतो ब्रह्मणः सकाशात् श्रीभगवतो घनप्रकाशता सर्वोपाधिविनिर्मुक्तमुक्तिदशायामपि साक्षात् तादृश- तास्त्येवेति सुव्यक्तम् “नात्यन्तिकं विगणयन्त्यपि ते प्रसादम्” इत्यादौ । 776 79 The Threefold Spiritual Manifestation Is Part of the Internal Potency Furthermore, let us acknowledge for a moment the view that it is specifically in the state of “living liberation” (jivan-mukti) that the Lord’s form, which is reflected in the upadhi of knowledge, is more densely luminous than Brahman. Yet statements, such as, “[they] do not regard even ultimate liberation as Your mercy”” explicitly reveal that even in the state of final liberation [known as videha-mukti or liberation from embodied existence], which is completely free from all upädhis, the Lord’s form is considered superior. अत एव यः कश्चिदपि जल्पति - ज्ञानाकारायां प्रेमाकारायां च चित्तवृत्तौ ब्रह्म प्रकाशते तत्र तूत्तरस्यामुपाधिवैशिष्ट्यात् प्रकाशवैशिष्ट्यमित्यत्रैव पुरुषार्थसारत्वं तत्र तत्रोच्यत इति तदपि स्वयमेव बहिष्कृतम् । तस्मान् नोपाधितारतम्यचिन्ता “भवतः कथायाः” इत्यनेन निरुपाधिब्रह्मभूयादुपरि च वैचित्री स्फुटमेवासौ स्वीकृता । [From this it must be concluded that the superiority of the Lord’s form cannot at all be accounted for on the basis of upādhis.] There- fore, if someone makes the absurd claim that Brahman appears both in the mind states shaped by knowledge and in those shaped by love, but that the latter manifestation is superior due to the superiority of the upadhi, which is the same reason why scrip- tures sometimes refer to prema as the essence of human goals, such claims are inherently without validity. Consequently, there is no question of a gradation in the upadhis. In SB 3.15.48, diversity existing beyond the upadhi-free state of Brahman realization has clearly been accepted. Gender smoed ar तस्मात् सान्तरङ्गवैभवस्य भगवतः सुखैकरूपत्वं तद्रूपत्वेऽपि ब्रह्मतोऽपि घनप्रकाशत्वं स्वरूपशक्तिविलासवैचित्री चेति विद्वदनुभवप्रमाणेन निर्णीतम् । In conclusion, therefore, on the authority of the experience of these learned sages, we can say:
- Bhagavan and His internal opulences are purely blissful.
- Being so, they are condensed luminosity, surpassing even that of Brahman. “natyantikaṁ viganayanty api te prasadam SB 3.15.48 777 your dead to Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha
- This transcendental variety is a manifestation of Bhagavan’s svarupa-sakti. noite तत्र - sansh stor A few supportive scriptural references are given here: ht] “मुक्ता अपि लीलया विग्रहं कृत्वा भगवन्तं भजन्ते” (भा० दी० १०।८७।२१ भाष्यकृतः सर्व- ज्ञस्य वचनम्) इति । “यं सर्वे देवा आमनन्ति मुमुक्षवो ब्रह्मवादिनश्च” (नृ० ता० १।२।४) इत्यत्र श्रुतावद्वैतवादगुरवोऽपि । In his commentary on NTU 1.2.4, “[Bhagavan] Who is worshiped by all the gods, by all those desiring liberation and by all adher- ents of Brahmavāda,””” even the guru of the Advaitavadīs [Sarva] says, “Liberated beings also take suitable forms to worship the Lord.“73 “कृष्णो मुक्तैरिज्यते वीतमोहैः” इति महाभारते । sd fe From Mahabharata: “Śrī Kṛṣṇa is worshiped by the liberated beings who are free from delusion.“74 गीता १८ । ५४ – drod 8148sque al obashi def se sed vold ne sd el doin Bhagavad Gita says: ब्रह्मभूतः प्रसन्नात्मा न शोचति न काङ्क्षति । madai समः सर्वेषु भूतेषु मद्भक्तिं लभते पराम् ॥ ३८० ॥ इति श्रीभगवद्गीतोपनिषत्सु । One who has become Brahman, who is fulfilled in the self, who neither laments nor desires anything, and who is equally dis- posed toward all living beings, attains the highest devotion to Me. (GĪTĀ 18.54)75 72 yam sarve devā āmananti mumukṣavo brahma-vādīnaś ca 73 mukta api lilaya vigraham kṛtvä bhagavantam bhajante This verse is quoted by Sridhara Svami in Bhāvārtha-dīpikā to SB 10.87.21. He credits Sarvajña, whereas Śrī Jīva credits the authorship of this statement to Sankarācārya. This is probably due to a mistaken attribution of the Nrsimha-tapani Upanisad commentary to Sankarācārya, which is unlikely. 74 kṛṣṇo muktair ijyate vita-mohaiḥ Not found in the extant edition of Mahabharata. 75 brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kārkṣati samaḥ sarveṣu bhuteṣu mad-bhaktim labhate param da 778 79 The Threefold Spiritual Manifestation Is Part of the Internal Potency “मुक्तानामपि भक्तिर्हि नित्यानन्दस्वरूपिणी” इति भारततात्पर्ये प्रमाणिता श्रुतिश्च । तथा “आप्रायणात् तत्रापि हि दृष्टम् ” ( ब्र० सू०४ । १ । १२ ) इत्यत्र च माध्वभाष्यप्रमाणिता सौपर्ण- श्रुतिः“सर्वदैनमुपासीत यावन्मुक्ति मुक्ता ह्येनमुपासते " इति । Śrī Madhvācārya quotes the following Śruti in his Bhārata- tätparya, “Even for liberated beings, bhakti alone is the embodi- ment of eternal bliss.””” He also quotes in his bhāṣya to vs 4.1.12” Sauparna-śruti, “It is seen that the Lord is worshiped both before and after liberation,” “Always worship Him until liberation,” and, “He is worshiped particularly by the liberated beings.’ 978 अत एव श्रीप्रह्लादबलिप्रभृतिमहाभागवतसम्बन्धमभिप्रेत्य श्रीविष्णुपुराणेऽप्युक्तम् “पाताले कस्य न प्रीतिर्विमुक्तस्यापि जायते” (वि० पु०२/५/७ ) इति ॥ श्रीब्रह्मा देवान् ॥ Therefore, with reference to the association of great devotees, such as Prahlada and Bali Mahārāja, VP 2.5.7 also states, “Who is that liberated person who would not feel love for Pätāla [the lower planet, where such great devotees reside]?”” visg e Commentary lord o In this section, Jiva examines a line of argument put forth by the Advaitavada interpreters. They claim that it is only in the state of living liberation (jivan-mukta) that Bhagavan is perceived as con- densed Brahman, because He is a manifestation of Brahman in the upadhi of vidya (knowledge). When one gives up the body, however, and realizes himself to be Brahman, there is no such pronounced attraction for Bhagavan. The Kumāras were certainly jīvan-muktas; thus, it was possible for them to be attracted to the Lord. au This argument is soundly defeated by the Kumāras’ statement that they do not consider ultimate liberation as the mercy of the Lord (natyantikam viganayanty api te prasādam, SB 3.15.48). They consider bhakti as the only real mercy of the Lord. They are willing to suffer in hell, but do not care for impersonal liberation. 76 muktānām api bhaktir hi nityananda-svarupinis 77 79 aprāyaṇät taträpi hi dṛṣṭam sarvadainam upāsīta yāvan-mukti mukta hy enam upăsata pätäle kasya na pritir vimuktasyäpi jāyate 779yousic leromladlo Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbhaplonder og IPEŚrī Jīva Prabhu counters yet another argument presented by the Advaitavādīs: Brahman manifests in the pure heart when it is imbued either with love (premākāra) or with knowledge (vidyākāra). This position is presented by Śri Madhusudana Sarasvati, who writes: When the heart melts and the mind is molded into the shape of the Lord, that determinate state of mind is called bhakti. But when one the experiences nondual Brahman without the melting of the heart, that indeterminate state of mind is called brahma-vidya. (Śri-bhagavad- bhakti-rasayana 1.1, Svopajña-ṭīkā) 80 The import is that the one Brahman appears differently in the hearts of different people, with and without upadhis. Such a proposal is refuted by the earlier categorical repudia- tion of upadhis as a basis for Bhagavan realization. This definition of bhakti is purely a mental speculation and not supported by any scripture. Bhagavan realization is not a change in the material mind, nor is bhakti a particular mental state. Śrī Kṛṣṇa says that mental states (citta-vṛttis) are modifications in the material body (GĪTĀ 13.7). On the other hand, bhakti is devoid of all upadhis: Bhakti is unalloyed service to the Lord and master of the senses, conducted through the medium of the senses, which is free from all types of upadhis, and devoid of all impurity, through complete hodedication to Him. (Narada-pañcaratra, quoted in BRS 1.1.11)81 tenblum nov Thus, it is clear from the prayers of the Kumāras that the Lord is inherently self-endowed with internal potency, and the bliss experienced from that internal potency is superior to brahma- nanda. Śrī Sarvajña Muni, a prominent teacher in the line of Sankarācārya, thus wrote in his commentary on Nrsimha-tapani 80 dravi-bhāva-pūrvikā hi manaso bhagavad-akarata sa-vikalpaka-vṛtti-rupa-bhaktiḥ. dravi-bhāvānupeta’dvitiyātma-mätra-gocară nirvikalpaka-mano-vṛttir brahma-vidyă. 81 sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam tat-paratvena nirmalam hṛṣikena hrṣikesa-sevanam bhaktir ucyate 780 79 The Threefold Spiritual Manifestation Is Part of the Internal Potency Upanisad, “Liberated beings also take suitable forms to worship the Lord.“82 Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmī concludes with a number of quotations to show that even liberated persons take pleasure in devotional service to Bhagavan. In conclusion, the following points have been made in this section: dina
- Bhakti-änanda is superior to brahmananda. al service.
- Even liberated beings are attracted by devotional service.
- Bhagavan’s body, abode, attributes, ornaments, associates and paraphernalia are transcendental and manifestations of His svarupa-sakti.
- Bhagavan’s form is not a product of upãdhis in Brahman.
- Viśuddha-sattva means the cit potency.
- Bhakti is not a mental state, but the internal potency of the Lord. sd Tiberiue) 277smalte nemud 7 saptanms de naved on to wal/T bol dod least storesmibod falabebis fhawods doidw.song Wisebni brs oth 8 82 $2 muktapi lilaya vigraham kṛtva bhagavantam bhajante le box bel 781 art ofierow of erol de bold aged media” hangu Anuccheda 80 a 80 The Lord Is the Embodiment of All Human Attainments ८० । अत एवाशेषपुरुषार्थस्वरूप एवासाविति स्फुटमेवाहुर्गद्येन (भा० ५।३।७-८ ) - IN THE FOLLOWING PROSE PASSAGE, the Ṛtviks clearly stated to Lord Yajñapuruşa that the Lord is the personification of all human attainments (puruşartha): अथानयापि न भवत इज्ययोरुभारभरया समुचितमर्थमिहोपलभामहे ।। ३८१ ।। आत्मन एवानुसवनमञ्जसा व्यतिरेकेण बोभूयमानाशेषपुरुषार्थस्वरूपस्य || ३८२ ॥ Therefore, we do not perceive that even this grandiose worship serves any beneficial purpose for You. By Your constitutional nature, You are at every moment, directly and indirectly, and to an abundant extent, the embodiment of the supreme goal of unlimited human pursuits […]. (SB 5.3.7-8) टीका च - आत्मनः स्वत एवानुसवनं सर्वदा अञ्जसा साक्षाद् बोभूयमाना अतिशयेन भवन्तो ये अशेषाः पुरुषार्थास्ते स्वरूपं यस्य परमानन्दस्य । इत्येषा । श्रुतिश्च “सर्वकामः सर्वगन्धः सर्वरसः” (छा० ३ । १४ । २) इत्यादौ । ऋत्विगादयः श्रीयज्ञपुरुषम् ॥ Śrīdhara Svāmi comments: “The unlimited goals of human exis- tence, which abound in and of themselves, at every moment, both directly and indirectly, are the embodiment of Him, the Supreme Bliss.” The Śruti declares, “He is the embodiment of all desires, all fragrances and all tastes […]” (CHU 3.14.2). 782 80 The Lord Is the Embodiment of All Human Attainments Commentary to you dw nieso tund at adaos mun fardhosmibody AFTER EXPLAINING that the Lord’s form, abode, attributes, asso- ciates and actions are manifestations of His svarupa-sakti, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi concludes that He is the personification of all human pur- suits. Everyone, in whatever they pursue, is searching for Him only, either directly or indirectly, as Śrī Kṛṣṇa says in GĪTĀ 4.11, “Everyone follows My path in all respects, O son of Pṛtha.” Mon But the Lord has no need to seek out or follow anyone. This means that He is perfect in and of Himself. He does not depend on anything or anyone, but as the personification of all goals, others necessarily depend on Him. This also implies that He is completely transcenden- tal and blissful in nature; otherwise, He could neither be the person- ification of all goals nor independent. Everyone is ultimately search- ing for happiness or loving reciprocation. The essence of all goals is bliss or love, and thus He is the personification of bliss. To substantiate this, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmī cites a prose passage from the prayers of King Nabhi’s sacrificial priests. The king had no progeny and worshiped Lord Yajñapuruşa with the hope of obtain- ing a son. The Vedas prescribe different sacrifices to attain different goals. Because the Lord is the personification of all goals, He grants them to His worshipers. The Lord was pleased with Nabhi’s sacrifice and appeared in the sacrificial arena to offer benediction. At that time the priests recited prayers to the Lord. Since the Lord appeared in the sacrifice upon being satisfied, one may contend that He derived pleasure from the sacrifice, implying that He was lacking it beforehand. This doubt is dispelled by the priests who say that it was the king and not the Lord who had a purpose to achieve. The Lord simply appeared out of His causeless mercy to bless the king. Being independent and fully satisfied does not mean being indifferent, rigid or hard-hearted. Chandogya Upanisad says that the Lord is the embodiment of all tastes, desires, fragrances and so on. This shows He does not lack anything - that He is complete. When the words sarva-kāma (all desires) are used in reference to the Lord, it does not mean that He has base desires. In GĪTĀ 7.11, Śrī Kṛṣṇa says, “O Arjuna, I am that 783 Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha desire which is not opposed to the way of truth.” Kṛṣṇa is not the embodiment of desire that runs counter to truth. In the same context, Kṛṣṇa also says, “I am the fragrance of the earth” (punyo gandhaḥ prthivyam ca). According to Amara- kośa 3.3.160, punya means beautiful. Thus, the Lord is not the stench. Consequently, sarva must be taken to mean all with the exception of the detestable. Arloni In various places in Bhagavad Gita, Kṛṣṇa speaks about His opu- lences in the material world. They are the best of its qualities, objects or people. Actually, His taste, desire, fragrance and so on, are tran- scendental. As far as the Lord is concerned, even the good qualities in this material world have defects. Otherwise, He would be the per- sonification of all good material qualities. But that would contra- dict the statement of the priests that He is the personification of all goals - puruṣārtha-svarupa. Material good qualities are not absolute in nature. For example, the taste or fragrance that human beings enjoy are not the same for a pig, and vice versa. It was earlier explained that the Lord’s qualities are all transcendental. But the Lord’s qualities are absolute, which means that they are satisfactory to all beings, humans as well as pigs. 210 In the next anuccheda, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi will once again explain that one Absolute Reality manifests in three ways and that, of the three, Bhagavan is the most complete manifestation. fot garigini bad odwy brod ad son has guid to Heithrash bodimorist dino su saft ave Mo Hajcomme bowed new 671 1 dharmaviruddho bhuteṣu kamo’smi bharatarsabha 784 Anuccheda 81 affing av fasad это отолт is readge 10 notaly dosesjon Bhagavan Is the Most Complete Manifestation здо of Brahman 81.1 ८१ । तदेवं ब्रह्मणोऽपि यत् श्रीभगवति प्रकाशसम्यक्त्वं व्यञ्जितं तत् पूर्वमेव विद्वदनुभव- वचनप्रचयेन सिद्धमपि विशेषतो विचार्यते । तत्रैकमेव तत्त्वं द्विधा शब्द्यत इति न वस्तुनो भेद उपपद्यते । आविर्भावस्यापि भेददर्शनात् । न च सञ्ज्ञामात्रस्य किन्तु स्वस्वदर्शनयो- ग्यताभेदेन द्विविधोऽधिकारी द्विधा दृष्टं तदुपास्त इति । I IN THIS WAY, even though it has been clearly shown with mul- tiple references to the testimony of realized sages that the most complete manifestation of Brahman is in Bhagavan, this matter shall here be considered again in further detail. The one Absolute Truth is described in two ways, but there is no difference in its essence, even though a difference exists not only in name, but in appearance also. However, two types of eligible seekers, accord- ing to their individual perceptual abilities, see the one Absolute in these two ways and worship Him accordingly. molovogona तत्राप्येकस्य दर्शनस्य वास्तवत्वमन्यस्य भ्रमजत्वमिति न मन्तव्यम् - उभयोरपि याथा- र्थ्येन दर्शितत्वात् । न चैकस्य वस्तुनः शक्त्या विक्रियमाणांशकत्वादंशतो भेदः । विकृत- त्वनिषेधात् तयोः । One should not misconstrue that the realization of one is factual while the other is delusive, because the reality of both [manifes- tations] has been established. Nor is it that there is a partial dif- ference, due to the One Substantive being partially transformed by its own energy, since neither [Brahman nor Bhagavan] can undergo transformation. 785 Śri Bhagavat Sandarbha तस्माद् दृष्टेरसम्यक्षम्यक्त्वात् सत्यपि सम्यक्त्वे तदननुसन्धानाद् वा एकस्मिन्नधिकारि- ण्येकदेशेन स्फुरदेको भेदः परस्मिन्नखण्डतया द्वितीयो भेदः । Therefore, either due to the completeness or incompleteness of vision, or in the case where vision is complete but the person does not search out a specific [manifestation of the Lord], there will be a difference, and one candidate will see a partial manifestation, whereas another will see the complete undivided manifestation. These are the two different manifestations [of the one Absolute]. एवं सति यत्र विशेषं विनैव वस्तुनः स्फूर्तिः सा दृष्टिरसम्पूर्णा यथा ब्रह्माकारेण । यत्र स्वरू- पभूतनानावैचित्रीविशेषवदाकारेण सा सम्पूर्णा यथा श्रीभगवदाकारेणेति लभ्यते । This being the case, when the substantive appears without attributes, that vision is incomplete, as when it appears in the form of Brahman. And when that substantive manifests in a form with attributes that demonstrate the varieties inherent in its essential nature, then that vision is complete, as when it appears in the form of Sri Bhagavān. तदेतदभिप्रेत्य प्रथमं दृष्टितारतम्येन तदभिव्यक्तितारतम्यं तन्महापुराणाविर्भावकारणा- भ्यां प्रश्नोत्तराभ्यां प्रतिपाद्यते षड्भिः । stuload A gmn. berubjanos ad aned Ver. With this intention, it will first be established that the Abso- lute Truth manifests in accordance with the vision of the aspir- ing practitioner, using six verses that contain questions and answers regarding the appearance of the great Purāṇa, Śrīmad Bhāgavatam.libro mi qi Commentary - Frid AFTER ANALYZING the experience of the Kumāras and proving that Bhagavan is the complete manifestation of the Absolute, inclusive of, and superior to, Brahman, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi further fortifies his conclusions. This is called applying the logic of driving in a post, or sthūņa-nikhanana-nyaya. To drive a post or peg into the ground, one must hammer it again and again. The more it is ham- mered, the more firmly it stands. Because the Brahman doctrine 786 81 Bhagavan Is the Most Complete Manifestation of Brahman was very prominent at the time Sat Sandarbhas were written, Śrila Jiva Gosvāmi endeavors meticulously to establish Bhagavan as the complete Absolute. To naidi sila ni all soft agnads He wants to leave no room for doubt in the mind of his reader. The more firmly he establishes the transcendental and nondual nature of Bhagavan, the weaker becomes the Brahmavādī’s inher- ently limiting claim that the Absolute must be without variety or distinction in order to preserve its nonduality. Such a position obliges the Absolute to conform to conventional laws of rationality and thus totally fails to accommodate the possibility of transcenden- tal variety. Bhagavan is inclusive of such transcendental variety, without in any way compromising His nondual essence, and the fact that He does so is beyond logic (acintya-bheda-abheda).shamonix dao In this anuccheda, Śrī Jiva Prabhu again explains the concept of advaya-tattva or nondual reality. In Tattva Sandarbha, he concluded that this advaya-tattva is the subject of Srimad Bhagavatam. In the first section of this Bhagavat Sandarbha, he began by saying that the one Absolute Reality manifests in three ways, as Brahman, Param- ātmā and Bhagavan, according to the qualification of the worshiper. Now, Śrī Jiva discusses the Absolute in reference to Brahman and Bhagavan. Earlier he said that if Bhagavan is understood, being the more inclusive Reality, then Brahman is automatically revealed (See Anuccheda 7). This does not imply the converse, however, that Brahman-realization is the same as knowing Bhagavan. Both are dis- tinct, and the difference is not in name alone, but in the way the Absolute appears to the worshiper. Furthermore, it is not that the realization of one aspect is fac- tual and the other imaginary. When the Kumāras saw the Supreme Lord in Vaikuntha, they did not conclude that Brahman was unreal, but they understood that Brahman was of the nature of Bhagavan and that devotional service to Him resulted in a more complete realization of the Absolute. It is also incorrect to think that one manifestation of the Abso- lute is a transformation or effect of one of the other manifestations. vyanjite bhagavat-tattve brahma ca vyajyate svayam ato’tra brahma-sandarbho’py avantarataya mataḥ 787 montend is polo Śri Bhagavat Sandarbhaigeri In other words, it is not that Bhagavan transforms into Brahman or vice versa. Both are the One Absolute Reality and are not subject to change. The difference lies in the vision of the experiencer. When Reality manifests without attributes, it is called Brahman. One who realizes this aspect as the Ultimate Reality has incomplete realiza- tion. When the Absolute manifests with attributes, He is called Bhagavan, and one who realizes Him in this way has complete real- ization. Mathematically speaking, Bhagavan is the superset and Brahman its subset. An example would be that of the sun and sunshine. One who can see only the rays of sunshine coming in through the window has a partial realization of the sun. One who sees the sun orb, however, automatically sees the sunshine as well. His realization is more com- plete. But one who sees the Sun God within the orb has the most complete vision. 81.2 श्लोका अमी बहुभिः सम्मिश्रा अप्यविस्तरत्वाय झटित्यर्थप्रत्ययाय च सङ्क्षिप्यैव समुद्धृ- ताः । Although many verses are interspersed among the six that will be quoted in this section, for the sake of brevity and quick comprehension only these have been cited? श्रीनारद उवाच (भा० १।५।४) - Śri Narada said: 69ing asw namda8 जिज्ञासितमधीतं च ब्रह्म यत् तत् सनातनम् । तथापि शोचस्यात्मानमकृतार्थ इव प्रभो ॥ ३८३ ॥ In the original text, the verses are grouped together at the beginning of the section and the commentary of all the verses follows. In order to facilitate comprehension, as in earlier sections, the verses, Jiva’s remarks, and Śri Jiva-toşani commentary are grouped together and numbered separately as subsections. 788 81 Bhagavan Is the Most Complete Manifestation of Brahman You have fully inquired into and studied the eternal Brahman. Yet, O Master, you lament for yourself as though you were a failure. (SB 1.5.4)3 have क्रमेणार्थो यथा “जिज्ञासितम्” इति । टीका च - यत् सनातनं नित्यं परं ब्रह्म तच् च त्वया जिज्ञासितं विचारितम् । अधीतमधिगतं प्राप्तं चेत्यर्थः । तथापि शोचसि तत् किमर्थमिति शेषः । इत्येषा । Śrīdhara Svāmi comments: “You have inquired into (jijñāsita), or in other words deliberated upon, the Parabrahman, which is eternal; and you have studied (adhita) it, meaning that you have understood and realized it. Yet you lament. In order to complete the sense of the verse, one has to infer that Narada is asking the question, “Why?”” Commentary किलि fians Epher To prove that gradations exist in the realization of the Absolute Truth, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmī alludes to the appearance of Srimad Bhaga- vatam, which is narrated in the First Canto. Sūta Gosvāmī explained to Saunaka Rsi how, after compiling the four Vedas and compos- ing the Purānas, Mahabharata and Vedanta-sutra, Vyasadeva’s mind was still not satisfied. He had realized Brahman and explained it in Brahma-sutra, and yet he was still filled with lamentation. He admitted to Narada Muni that, despite compiling Mahabharata for the welfare of those who are not eligible to study the Vedas, he felt as though he had something left to accomplish. Narada Muni asked him the cause of his dejection. This ques- tion itself indicates that Brahman realization is not the ultimate in transcendence, and does not offer the highest fulfillment. Nārada addresses Śrīla Vyasa as “master” (prabhu) in recognition of his achievements, for he had thoroughly studied and experienced Brah- man. In spite of this, the fact that he felt unfulfilled indicates that Brahman realization is incomplete in comparison to that of Bhagavan. 3 jijñāsitam adhitam ca brahma yat tat sanatanampa tathāpi śocasy ātmānam akṛtārtha iva prabho and 789babities je wokie Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha le 81.3 na mata ada beibus be pro boufupi wa ma duoda se sexuoy 101 animal dog parace Oly A श्रीव्यास उवाच (भा० १/५/७ ) - Śrī Vyasa replied: त्वं पर्यटन्नर्क इव त्रिलोकीमन्तश्चरो वायुरिवात्मसाक्षी । परावरे ब्रह्मणि धर्मतो व्रतैः स्रातस्य मे न्यूनमलं विचक्ष्व ।। ३८४ ॥ Wandering throughout the three worlds like the sun, and pervad- 97sing within like the vital breath, you are the witness of all ātmās. 97 So please assess the deficiency in me, despite my being immersed, mu 9 through yogic discipline and vow, in transcendental Brahmanf and immanent Brahman in the form of the Veda. (SB 1.5.7)4 “त्वम्” इति । त्वमर्क इव त्रिलोकीं पर्यटन् तथा वैष्णवयोगबलांशेन च प्राणवायुरिव सर्व- प्राणिनामन्तश्चरः सनात्मनां सर्वेषामेव साक्षी बहिरन्तर्वृत्तिज्ञः । अतः परे ब्रह्मणि धर्मतो योगेन निष्णातस्य । तदुक्तं याज्ञवल्क्येन- tuloadA to nortesison and mi bo 21 You are like the sun, wandering throughout the three worlds; and also, on the partial strength of your performance of Vaisnava yoga, you are like the vital breath, moving in the interiority of all living beings, and thus you are the witness of all selves, the knower of their external and internal states. I have been fully immersed in transcendental (para) Brahman through abidance in truth (dharma), which is to say, through the practice of yoga. As sage Yajnavalkya says: इज्याचारदयाहिंसादानस्वाध्यायकर्मणाम् । अयं परमो लाभो यद् योगेनात्मदर्शनम् ॥ ३८५ ॥ इति । The supreme benefit of practices like worship, virtuous behav- fior, mercy, non-violence, charity and study of scriptures, is that Hone directly apprehends the self by the power of yoga. (Yoga- yājñavalkya 11.35)5 4tvam paryaṭann arka iva tri-lokim antaś-caro vayur ivātma-sākṣi paravare brahmani dharmato vrataiḥ snätasya me nyūnam alam vicakṣva 5 ijyäcära-dayahimsa-dana-svädhyāya-karmaṇām ayam paramo labho yad yogenatma-darśanam Also Yajnavalkya-smrti 1.8. 790 81 Bhagavan Is the Most Complete Manifestation of Brahman अवरे च ब्रह्मणि वेदाख्ये व्रतैः स्वाध्यायनियमैर्निष्णातस्यापि मे अलमत्यर्थं यन् न्यूनं तत् स्वयमेव विचक्ष्व वितर्कय । ubiy blo “Through ‘vows,’ such as the study of scriptures, I have also become fully immersed in immanent (avara) Brahman, known as the Veda. Even so, I feel a great deficiency within. Please assess what it is.“solymer eller glebaim zalge 81.4 90 श्रीनारद उवाच (भा० १/५/८) - Then Śri Narada answered: 300 भवतानुदितप्रायं यशो भगवतोऽमलम् । येनैवासौ न तुष्येत मन्ये तद्दर्शनं खिलम् ॥ ३८६ ॥ formats behang for y || ho You have left the sublime and spotless glories of the Lord practi- cally unexplained. I hold any wisdom teaching incomplete if its does not please the Lord. (SB 1.5.8)6 “भवता” इति । भगवद्यशोवर्णनोपलक्षणं भजनं विना येनैव रुक्षब्रह्मज्ञानेन असौ भगवान् न तुष्येत तदेव दर्शनं ज्ञानं खिलं न्यूनं मन्ये । The Lord is not pleased by arid knowledge of Brahman that is devoid of the descriptions of the Supreme Lord’s glories, and by extension, all forms of worship. I consider such wisdom teachings, i.e., such knowledge, to be incomplete (khilam). 899 ជូនព The Commentary After hearing Vyasa’s response, Narada pinpointed the cause of his problem. Narada asserted that Vyasa had only incidentally glori- fied the Lord. The purpose of Mahabharata is to direct the common bhavatānudita-prayam yaso bhagavato malam yenaivāsau na tuşyeta manye tad darśanam khilam 791 pearly to rebra Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha baad 18 man’s mind to the Lord, but the Lord’s pastimes do not appear promi- nently among the various other parables and histories that Vyasa told. Vidura ora stated the same thing to Maitreya: be to ybune 97 ES DUERO duond Your friend, the sage Kṛṣṇa [Vyasa], has spoken the Mahabharatad 220 with the intention of describing the Lord’s qualities. In Mahab- hārata, he captured people’s minds by telling them pleasurable sto-w ries of a mundane nature, in order to draw them towards Hari-katha. (SB 3.5.12) This verse indicates that Śrī Vyasa had to discuss many mundane topics (gramya-sukhanuvada) to entice materialistic people to listen to the Lord’s pastimes. People in general are interested in sense pleasure and liberation (bhukti and mukti). It is extremely rare to find a person who is interested in hearing about the Lord’s pastimes without any ulterior motives. The ultimate test of any wisdom teaching is whether it is ful- filling to the true self. Since Śrī Vyasa himself was not satisfied with his work, how would others be satisfied? Sense gratification. can only grant flickering pleasure. Lasting satisfaction comes only through devotion, yayātmā samprasidati (SB 1.2.6). Narada Muni indicates that glorification of the Lord, which includes all the limbs of devotional service, is superior to the culture of brahma-jñāna. This naturally means that Bhagavan realization is the most perfect and complete realization. The remainder of Śrī Narada’s answer elab- orates this theme. So as not to increase the size of the book, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi quickly states the conclusion without citing all the verses. For a detailed understanding, one should study the complete chapter 5 of the First Canto of Śrīmad Bhagavatam. 81.5 भा० १।५।१२ – vistasbinai ylao had a Śrī Nārada further clarifies this: 7 munir vivakṣur bhagavad-gunānāṁ sakhāpi te bhāratam āha kṛṣṇaḥ yasmin nṛṇām gramya-sukhānuvadair matir grhitä nu hareḥ kathāyām 792 81 Bhagavan Is the Most Complete Manifestation of Brahman नैष्कर्म्यमप्यच्युतभाववर्जितं न शोभते ज्ञानमलं निरञ्जनम् । do कुतः पुनः शश्वदभद्रमीश्वरे न चार्पितं कर्म यदप्यकारणम् ॥ ३८७ ॥ abo motorbik royal maso broads ehrswot bathanth Even knowledge that is pure and free from bondage to action is e without beauty, if devoid of devotion to the infallible Lord. What, then, can be said of action, which is always inauspicious when 5 not offered to the Lord, even if performed without any motive? (SB 1.5.12)8 VILE Juontiw as तदेव स्पष्टयति“नैष्कर्म्यम्” इति । टीकाच - निष्कर्म ब्रह्म तदेकाकारत्वान् निष्कर्मतारूपं नैष्कर्म्यम् । अज्यतेऽनेनेत्यञ्जनमुपाधिस्तन्निवर्तकं निरञ्जनम् । एवम्भूतमपि ज्ञानमच्युते भावो भक्तिस्तद्वर्जितं चेतलमत्यर्थं न शोभते । सम्यगपरोक्षत्वाय न कल्पत इत्यर्थः । I Śridhara Svāmi comments: “The word nişkarma (devoid of action or the consequences of action) means Brahman; and the jñāna that is characterized by freedom from bondage to karma, because it is of the same nature as Brahman, is known as naiskarmya (lib- eration). The word añjana (lit., tincture) is that by which one is colored or corrupted. It is used here in the sense of upadhi or an artificial designation of the self. The jñāna that eliminates all such artificial designations is known as nirañjana. Even this type of jñāna is without beauty, if devoid of devotion to the infallible Lord. This means that it cannot give complete and direct appre- hension of the Truth that lies beyond the purview of the senses. तदा शश्वत् साधनकाले फलकाले च अभद्रं दुःखस्वरूपं यत् काम्यं कर्म यदप्यकारणमका- म्यं तच् चेति चकारस्यान्वयः । तदपि कर्म ईश्वरे नार्पितं चेत् कुतः पुनः शोभते ? बहिर्मुखत्वेन सत्त्वशोधकत्वाभावात् । इत्येषा । รายล “This being the case, how can karma have any beauty in it, if unoffered to the Lord? The adverb śaśvat (always), qualifying the word abhadra (inauspicious), means that kamya-karma (goal- oriented action) is always inauspicious, both in the stage of prac- tice and upon achieving the result. The word akāraṇa (without motive) refers to akamya-karma, or action that is free of material desires. The word ca (also) is connected with the word akāraṇa 1290 bsalesh 29ysidan smo naişkarmyam apy acyuta-bhava-varjitaṁ na śobhate jñānam alam nirañjanam kutaḥ punaḥ śaśvad abhadram iśvare na carpitaṁ karma yad apy akaraṇams? 793 medal in noster Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha AW16 A and indicates that even karma that is free of material motive is without beauty, if unoffered to the Lord. Because it is not directed towards the Lord, it cannot purify the heart.” Here ends Śrīdhara Svāmi’s comment. bas stug ei sedi halwank nav यद् वा निरञ्जनम् इति निरुपाधिकमपीत्यर्थः । परमादरणीयत्वादेव द्वादशान्ते ( भा० १२।१२।५२) श्रीसूतेनापि पुनः स्मृतमिदं पद्यम् । Alternatively, nirañjana means “knowledge even without any upādhis.” As this verse is highly regarded, Śrī Sūta repeats it in the concluding section of the Twelfth Canto (SB 12.12.52). Commentary in brow brow an ins In this verse, Narada Muni discredits knowledge devoid of devo- tional service. Acyuta-bhāva means bhakti. Even knowledge that is completely devoid of sense gratification, material attachment or envy (niranjana-jñāna) is incomplete. Moreover, since Brahman is all-pervading, there are no actions in it, and thus it is called nişkarma. So the knowledge of oneness with Brahman is also called naişkarmya- jñāna.dnotovah to blovs Even unmotivated knowledge is not beautiful - na śobhate - as it cannot give perfect realization of the Absolute. It is like a servant who has knowledge of his master, but renders no practical service. This certainly will not please the master, nor will he open himself up to or even take care of such a servant, who in the final analysis will surely remain distressed. If such is the case with knowledge, then certainly fruitive action (kamya-karma) can never satisfy the self, for it is miserable from beginning to end. There are many rules and regulations that must be meticulously observed to achieve the result of kamya-karma, and most such endeavors end in defeat. The examples of King Anga acquiring the evil-natured Vena as a son through sacrifice, and Tvaṣṭā creating Vṛtrasura to kill Indra, are prominent. Even if one achieves the desired result, he will not be satisfied because his See the section above. 794 81 Bhagavan Is the Most Complete Manifestation of Brahman desires will simply increase more and more. Moreover, whatever he does attain will ultimately be taken away by time. King Yayati’s experience and words confirm this: imalo molos radio mol on ou Sense desires are never quietened through sense enjoyment, rather they are intensified all the more, just as pouring ghee on a fire only causes it to flame up more and more. (SB 9.19.14) 10 The conclusion of Narada’s verse, then, is that only bhakti bestows complete realization of the Absolute.dat 81.6 तस्मादुक्तिरेव सम्यग्दर्शनहेतुरित्युपसंहरति द्वाभ्याम् “नमः” इति । mo Therefore, only devotion can bestow complete vision of the Lord. This Śri Narada concludes in the final pair of verses: ॐ ॐ नमो भगवते तुभ्यं वासुदेवाय धीमहि । a प्रद्युम्नायानिरुद्धाय नमः सङ्कर्षणाय च ॥ ३८८ ॥ इति मूर्त्यभिधानेन मन्त्रमूर्तिममूर्तिकम् । यजते यज्ञपुरुषं स सम्यग्दर्शनः पुमान् ॥ ३८९ ॥ badauderes THOM “I meditate upon and offer obeisances unto You, O Supreme Lord, who are Väsudeva, Pradyumna, Sankarṣaṇa and Aniruddha.” A person’s vision attains completion, by reciting this mantra, and thus worshiping the Lord of Sacrifice, who is without mate- rial form, but who does have the inherent forms invoked in the mantra. (SB 1.5.37-38)11 navegada mon as iq has ru adt meat bensely od 07 3nlog मन्त्रमूर्तिं मन्त्रोक्तमूर्तिं मन्त्रोऽपि मूर्तिर्यस्येति वा । अमूर्तिकं मन्त्रोक्तव्यतिरिक्तमूर्तिशू- न्यं प्राकृतमूर्तिरहितं वा मूर्तिस्वरूपयोरेकत्वात् । प्राकृतवन् न विद्यते पृथक्त्वेन मूर्तिर्य- स्य तथाभूतं वा । स पुमान् सम्यग्दर्शनः साक्षाच्छ्रीभगवतः साक्षात्कर्तृत्वादिति भावः ॥ श्रीसूतः ॥ 10 na jātu kāmah kāmānā पुमान् सम्यग्दर्शन yati haviṣā kṛṣṇa-vartmeva bhūya evabhivardhate 11 om namo bhagavate tubhyam vasudevaya dhimahi pradyumnäyäniruddhaya namaḥ sankarṣaṇāya ca iti mürty-abhidhänena mantra-murtim amurtikam yajate yajña-puruşam sa samyag-darśanaḥ pumandhataret old mont 795 and to see Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha Mantra-murti (having mantra form) means either having the inherent forms invoked in the mantra, or that the mantra itself is also a form of His. Amurtika (who has no material form) means who has no form other than the one stated in the mantra, or who is without any material form. Alternatively, since the Lord’s form (murti) is nondifferent from His svarupa, amurtika simply means that the Lord’s form (murti) does not exist separate from Him, as is the case with material objects [such as a statue of a per- son]. The person who worships the Lord with this understand- ing is awarded complete vision, because the complete Absolute, Bhagavan, is the sole cause of His own complete self-revelation. Commentary In the next two verses, Śrī Nārada explains the process of bhakti. He says that one can attain complete vision (samyag-darśana) by the process of chanting the Lord’s names, which is indicative of other limbs of bhakti. Earlier he said that any system without bhakti is incomplete (khila). As such, bhakti is naturally the complete darśana. Mantra-murti means that the Lord’s form is described in the mantra, and by chanting, one can realize it. It has already been established that the mantra that contains the name of the Lord is not material. Amurtika means that the Lord does not have a material form. Conse- quently, the deity forms of the Lord, such as those established in tem- ples for the purpose of worship, are not material objects like statues but nondifferent from Bhagavan. Another significant and practical point to be gleaned from the dialogue between Śrī Vyasa and Narada is that one cannot come to perfect realization of Bhagavan without the mercy of a spiritual teacher. Even a person like Vyasa, who was learned both in kamya- karma (Brahman as immanence in the form of fruitive action) and brahma-jñāna (Brahman as transcendence), could not solve his prob- lem. Therefore, Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī advises that one should take shelter of a genuine guru, receive initiation and study under him: “Therefore, one should take shelter of a true guru, receive initiation from him in kṛṣṇa-mantra and then study under him. One should 796 81 Bhagavan Is the Most Complete Manifestation of Brahman render service respectfully to one’s guru and follow in the footsteps of the saintly” (BRS 1.2.74)12 Śrī Nārada described the Lord as mantra-murti, or one whose form is invoked in the mantra. But this mantra must be received from a genuine guru, otherwise it will not be effective. If the above process is undertaken, one will be awakened to samyag-darśana, or complete vision of the Absolute. In the following anuccheda, Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmi will continue to show that Bhagavan exhibits the highest degree of completion, including yet transcending Brahman, on the basis of the former’s attractive qualities. The mohol non lo galerts work was And JE NOW RIDE KE and pot fi land air moderows to notavad: o esmenaly bus to the box de bordados todio euord boulades ad won flow side grizubal de in evans/slomon sill bodiceably one be anotasul & comovanto as do nove notiontie stateviiqes si vtilide ziH ole lisad trigilabadw.gaid headil ries epis take B ट are (sta fempersonate fantas guru-pādāśrayas tasmät kṛṣṇa-dikṣādi-sikṣaṇam viśrambhena guroḥ seva sadhu-vartmanuvartanam प 797 eng Garms involved in Anuccheda 82 Ātmārāmas Render Service to Bhagavan the pers nolisiquos, to 90 Evenziol adi to sa Bhagavat, 18 the ८२ । तदेवं दृष्टितारतम्यद्वारा तदभिव्यक्ततारतम्येन श्रीभगवत उत्कर्ष उक्तः । अथ लिङ्गान्तरैरपि दर्श्यते । तत्रात्मरामजनाकर्षलिङ्गेन गुणोत्कर्षविशेषेण तस्यैव पूर्णतामाह (भा० १।७।१०) - IN THIS WAY, it has been shown that the degree of completion in the manifestation of the Absolute is determined by the com- pleteness of the vision of the worshiper. On this basis, it has been established that Bhagavan exceeds Brahman in completion and inclusivity. This will now be further discussed through other indicators. Śrī Sūta Gosvāmi described the completeness of Bha- gavan on account of the excellence of one specific quality, namely His ability to captivate the attention even of an ātmārāma, a liberated being, who delights in the self alone: आत्मारामाश्च मुनयो निर्ग्रन्था अप्युरुक्रमे । कुर्वन्त्यहैतुकीं भक्तिमित्थम्भूतगुणो हरिः || ३९० || The sages, though freed from the knot of ego, and though delight- ing in the Self alone, engage in causeless devotion to Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the majestic player. Such are the entrancing qualities of Śrī Hari. (SB 1.7.10)1 टीका च-निर्ग्रन्था ग्रन्थेभ्यो निर्गताः । तदुक्तं गीतासु “यदा ते मोहकलिलं बुद्धिर्व्यतित- रिष्यति । तदा गन्तासि निर्वेदं श्रोतव्यस्य श्रुतस्य च ” ( गीता २।५२) इति । 1 ātmārāmāś ca munayo nirgrantha apy urukrame kurvanty ahaitukim bhaktim ittham-bhūta-guno hariḥ 798 82 Ātmārāmas Render Service to Bhagavan Śrīdhara Svāmi comments: “Nirgranthaḥ means ‘beyond the rules and regulations of the scriptures,’ as stated in GITA 2.52, ‘When your intelligence has passed beyond the impenetrable fortress of delusion, you shall become indifferent to all that has been heard and all that is to be heard.’ Alternatively, grantha means ’the knots of attachment’ (granthi), and nirgrantha means ‘whose knots of attachment have been severed.’ यद् वा ग्रन्थिरेव ग्रन्थः निर्वृत्तहृदयग्रन्थय इत्यर्थः । ननु मुक्तानां किं भक्त्येत्यादिसर्वाक्षेप- परिहारार्थमाह “इत्थम्भूतगुणः” । इत्येषा ॥ श्रीसूतः ॥ “A doubt is raised, ‘But why do such liberated beings perform devotional service?’ To answer all such doubts once and for all, Śrī Sūta said, ‘Indeed, such are the qualities of the Lord” (ittham- bhūta-guna). Here ends Śrīdhara Svāmi’s comment. Commentary IN THE PREVIOUS SECTION, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmī supported his expla- nation that Bhagavan is superior to Brahman by describing the his- tory of the appearance of Srimad Bhagavatam. In fact, Srimad Bha- gavatam appeared specifically to prove this point. This is evident from the experience of Śrīla Vyasa, as described in the previous anuccheda. This being the case, one can expect many such histo- ries in Bhagavatam. In this anuccheda, the author refers to one such episode. Vyasa’s son, Sukadeva Gosvāmi, who is the prime speaker of Śrī- mad Bhagavatam, also experienced that Bhagavan is the most com- plete manifestation of the Absolute. He was a Brahman-realized being even before his birth, whose story is described in Tattva Sandarbha, Anuccheda 29. 10 20/wol It is said that Suka remained in the womb for many years because he had no desire to come out and face the distractions that might take him away from his absorption in Brahman realization. When he finally did come out from the womb, he was a fully formed ado- lescent. Nevertheless, he was so absorbed in realization of the 799Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha unqualified that he left his father’s house immediately, not even bothering to cover his naked body. sdi la anoitelugs bas estr ald Vyasadeva was mortified to see this. He knew well from his own experience that his son did not yet have the highest realization of the Absolute. Every parent desires to offer the best to his children; thus, Vyasadeva wanted to teach Śrimad Bhagavatam to Suka so that he would take to devotional service. With this intent he followed him, calling him to come back. But Suka paid him no heed. was: Bhagavatam describes just how far beyond material dualities he riotis galed bateredil done ob yaw 108 bodies at durch A While Śrī Vyasadeva was following his son, some maidens who were bathing covered their bodies out of modesty, even though he himself was not naked. But they had not done so previously when his son had passed by. Noticing this curious behavior, the sage inquired as to the reason, and the young ladies replied, “You still maintain a dis- tinction between male and female, but your son has no such duality of vision.” (SB 1.4.5)2 Understanding the depth of Sukadeva’s spiritual awareness, Śau- naka Ṛși was curious to know why he had gone on to study Śrīmad Bhāgavatam. Śrī Sūta Gosvāmī answered by reciting the principal verse of this section, which explains that the Lord’s qualities are such that they attract even Brahman-realized beings, or ātmārāmas, whose attention cannot be diverted from unbroken absorption in the Self. For their attention to be drawn to Bhagavan is possible only if His qualities are transcendental and more highly captivating than Brahman.ga of u2 noa asa Nirgrantha means, “a person who, having attained the goal of the scriptures, has transcended the binding injunctions (grantha) of scripture.” Such a person no longer has any purpose to attain by fol- lowing or flouting scriptural injunctions. Thus, they are called nir- grantha (free from granthas). Alternatively, granthi means “knot,” 15dobet bns 306 2 dṛṣṭvānuyantam ṛşim atmajam apy anagnam devyo hriya paridadhur na sutasya citram tad viksya prcchati munau jagadus tavāsti Distri-pum-bhida na tu sutasya vivikta-drsteḥ 800 82 Atmārāmas Render Service to Bhagavan and thus nirgrantha also refers to one whose heart is free from the knot of ego, or in other words, a liberated being. Knots in the heart refer to the false identification of the self with the body-mind, and claiming the extensions of the body as one’s own. The word “knot” may also refer to the knots in the sacred thread and in the kaupina (the loincloth). So in this case, nirgrantha could mean an avadhuta like Sukadeva, who did not bother to adorn himself even with a sacred thread or kaupina. dal poississЯ švagada If a liberated being is without extraneous desire, why would he engage in the service of the Lord? In answer to all such doubts, Śrī Sūta Gosvāmī said, itthambhūta-guno hariḥ - “Indeed, such are the qualities of Sri Hari.” An ordinary person acts because he has desires to fulfill, but a liberated being serves the Lord with no such personal motives. His heart is forcibly captivated by the Lord. To signify this, Sūta Gosvāmī used the name Hari, or one who steals the hearts even of those whose hearts have been extinguished in Brahman. This proves the superiority of Bhagavan over Brahman.bruswor Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who is Śrī Kṛṣṇa in the guise of a devotee, gave sixty-one explanations of this verse to Śrīla Sanatana Gosvāmi, uncle of the author. In those explanations, He showed how Śrī Hari has the power to attract everyone. In the following anuccheda, the author further depicts the superi- ority of Bhagavan realization by showing the practitioner’s various levels of realization. lo blush a distanty advise Lausevah hardlog-ane vd gloo basi al doide, b Subot and c buva by yd amas (bold a piva notovoltou s nom slyddunud onihar) sorang Istrollsysb gatav fuori sania Joemdera to] “polisie 1b has ins250” hvordan ada salsy to gnidion octovab For details one can read cc, Madhya-lila, chapter 24. 801 addedwce of lelang b he brim gbod adi dire si lo de daphnebesatoladonister Coral brow p Anuccheda 83 daw my sa Bhagavan Realization Is the Highest Rung on the Ladder of Transcendenced b sdt og date hast 83.12shalsd ८३ । आरोहभूमिकाक्रमेणापि तस्यैवाधिक्यमाह (भा० ३ । २४ । ४३) - aruan sit issue ori WHILE DESCRIBING THE STAGES of a practitioner’s progress towards perfection, Śri Maitreya Muni proclaims the superiority of Bhagavan: udde मनो ब्रह्मणि युञ्जानो यत् तत् सदसतः परम् । गुणावभासे विगुण एकभक्त्यानुभाविते ॥ ३९९ ॥ EuroKardama fixed his mind on Brahman, which is beyond cause and effect, which is devoid of the gunas and yet illuminates them, and which is realized only by one-pointed devotional service. (SB 3.24.43)1 एकभक्त्या अव्यभिचारिण्या साधनलक्षणया भक्त्या अनुभाविते निरन्तरमपरोक्षीकृते तां विना कस्यचिदप्यर्थस्यासिद्धेः । “One-pointed devotional service” (eka-bhaktyā) means by unde- viating devotional practice (sadhana-bhakti). Anubhavite means “incessant and direct realization” [of Brahman], since without devotion nothing of value can be achieved. 1 mano brahmani yuñjāno yat tat sad-asataḥ param guṇāvabhäse viguna eka-bhaktyänubhavite 802 83 Bhagavan Realization Is the Highest Rung on the Ladder of Transcendence Commentary Bass boy boxitary IN THIS SECTION, Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmi demonstrates Bhagavan’s supe- riority over Brahman by explaining the various levels of realization of a devotee. He shows that devotees who follow the path of jñāna- miśra-bhakti, or devotion mixed with knowledge, attain Bhagavan after realizing Brahman. Every devotee who has realized Bhagavan is naturally endowed with brahma-jñāna, just as a person having a million dollars automat- ically has one cent. Pure devotees, however, attain Brahman real- ization without consciously striving for it through adherence to the rules of the jñāna-marga. Therefore, their Brahman realization is momentary, which is to say that it is subsumed within the more com- prehensive realization of Bhagavan. Because they have no particular interest in Brahman per se, they do not linger upon it. When a stack of paper is stapled, each sheet is actually pierced individually, but it happens so quickly that it appears to happen simultaneously. This is called the śata-patra-bhedana-nyaya. Traversing the different stages of mixed devotion on the way to full God realization is compared to the passing of the staple through a stack of paper one sheet at a time. From this perspective, one can see that the stapling occurs gradually. Śrila Jiva Gosvāmī cites this nyaya to account for gradual upliftment and to show that since Bhagavan realization occurs after Brahman realization, the former is superior. He also shows that Brahman realization cannot be attained without devotional service. This further proves the superiority of Bhagavan over Brahman. Śrī Brahma ordered Prajapati Kardama Muni to perform penance and create progeny, so Kardama married the daughter of Svayamb- huva Manu, Śrīmati Devahūti. Śri Kapila, who propounded the Sankhya philosophy, appeared as their son. Śrī Kapila ordered Kar- dama to renounce everything and apply himself to realization of the self (SB 3.24.38).. Kardama followed His instructions and left home. The five verses cited in this section explain his gradual progress to bhagavati gatiḥ, or attainment of the Lord’s feet. These verses describe that he first 803 have to be Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbhallastlove realized Brahman, which is beyond cause and effect, by the means of one-pointed devotion, eka-bhaktyā. No spiritual endeavor can be truly successful without the help of bhakti. Śrī Kṛṣṇa affirmed this to Uddhava: vd as on orw lo dsq edi wollot or Religious life consisting of truthfulness and mercy, and learn- ing accompanied by self-discipline are incapable of completely purifying the being of someone who is bereft of devotion to Me. (SB 11.14.22)2 lobe Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī also confirms this in Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: agh The goals of jñāna and vairagya, however, are perfected only through mobhakti, not otherwise. (BRS 1.2.251)3 83.2 998 alayoqua Chouroug निरहङ्कृतिर्निर्ममश्च निर्द्वन्द्वः समदृक् स्वदृक् । प्रत्यक्प्रशान्तधीर्धीरः प्रशान्तोर्मिरिवोदधिः ।। ३९२ ।। Being bereft of ego, possessiveness and all forms of dualism, and being established in the vision of equanimity, Kardama wit- synessed his true self. Being inwardly centered, with his mind To stabilized in unfluctuating peace, He became sober, like an ocean duo without waves. (SB 3.24.44)*esilegs isque adu निरहङ्कृतित्वादेव निर्ममः । तद्द्याभावादेव मनआदीनामप्यभावः सिद्ध्यति । समदृक् भेदा- ग्राहकः । स्वदृक्त्वस्वस्वरूपाभेदेन ब्रह्मैव पश्यन् । प्रत्यकन्तर्मुखी । प्रशान्ता विक्षेपरहिता धीर्ज्ञानं यस्य सः । odw Because he had become free from the misidentification of the self with the body-mind (nirahankṛti), Kardama was naturally free 2 dharmaḥ satya-dayopeto vidya va tapasānvită mad-bhaktyäpetam ātmānam na samyak prapunāti hi 3 kiṁ tu jñāna-virakty-ādi-sādhyaṁ bhaktyaiva sidhyati Anirahankṛtir nirmamaś ca nirdvandvaḥ sama-drk sva-drk pratyak-prasanta-dhir dhiraḥ praśāntormir ivodadhiḥ 804 83 Bhagavan Realization Is the Highest Rung on the Ladder of Transcendence from the associated feelings of possessiveness (nirmama). When these two patterns are absent, even the mind recedes into absence. The phrase “the vision of equanimity” (sama-drk) means non- apprehension of difference. “Witnessing his true self” (sva-drk) means he saw Brahman as nondifferent from his essential self. Pratyak means “inwardly centered;” praśānta-dhi means “one whose intelligence or consciousness is free from fluctuation.” Jo -lus and to digne di no 11 ba unan-omford nb to sout herb Jay sadryt hins (bg) voligainis Commentary When Kardama Muni realized Brahman, he became completely free from material ego and consequently free from the concept of “my- ness.” My-ness subsists on I-ness. This means that his subtle body was dissolved. Ahankara, or material ego, is the knot that binds the living entity to matter. When one is Brahman-realized, he does not identify himself with the body and things related to it, but considers himself one with Brahman. Therefore, he is freed from duality and becomes equipoised. Nothing can disturb him anymore. Just as material ego exists in the conditioned state, real ego, or in other words, real “I-awareness,” exists in the post-liberated state of devotion. Just as in the conditioned state one cannot be a doer without the ego of being an agent, similarly on the liberated platform one cannot engage in service without a suitable self-identity in rela- tion to Bhagavan. Because Kardama practiced devotion and did not consider Brahman his ultimate goal, he transcended Brahman and attained a transcendental “I-awareness” and mind. At that time he saw the Lord in everything and everything in the Lord. At this stage there is no further bondage. alb snow ug sa has butar og lei Transcendental self-concept and mind bind one to the Lord, just as the material ego binds one to matter. Impersonalists are afraid of ego, but they do not know that pure I-awareness is transcendental and that it liberates a devotee eternally. Once a devotee has attained this state, he is never bound to the material ego. 805 sons besome 10 Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha nobene ques 83.3 W(amamin) wanaviassero lo against besinos ad mon तदेवं ब्रह्मज्ञानमिश्रभक्तिसाधनवशेन ब्रह्मानुभवे जातेऽपि भक्तिसंस्कारबलेन लब्धप्रेमादे- Bib lo noiensdags स्तदूर्ध्वमपि श्रीभगवदनुभवमाह “वासुदेवे” इति । 3lsa latin ain mont 979nibon as nemde wee sil anom In this way, even after Kardama had awakened to the experience of Brahman by the influence of devotional service mixed with brahma-jñāna, he advanced beyond it on the strength of his cul- ture of devotion, attaining love (prema), and further yet, direct experience of Bhagavan. This experience of Bhagavan realization is explained in the subsequent verse: वासुदेवे भगवति सर्वज्ञे प्रत्यगात्मनि । परेण भक्तिभावेन लब्धात्मा मुक्तबन्धनः ॥ ३९३ ॥ y to iganes silt mont 997 ye WhoWith his mind fixed on Bhagavan Vasudeva, the omniscient, dimmanent Self, through supreme devotion, Kardama attained his true self-identity, becoming free from all material bondage. (SB 3.24.45)5 orbitiw Usamid प्रत्यगात्मनि सर्वेषामाश्रयभूते परेण प्रेमलक्षणेन भक्तिभावेन तत्सत्तयैव लब्धा आत्मान- स्तदीयात्मका अहङ्कारादयो येनेति । ब्रह्मज्ञानेन प्राकृताहङ्कारादिलयानन्तरमाविर्भूतान् प्रेमानन्दात्मकशुद्धसत्त्वमयान् लब्धवानित्यर्थः । Pratyag-atmani (the immanent Self) means the shelter of every- one. Kardama attained to his true self-identity (labdhātmā), which is to say that he obtained transcendental I-awareness, mind and so on, all of the nature of the pure self (tadiyātmakā), owing to his all-consuming disposition of devotion (bhakti- bhāvena), which was “supreme” (parena), meaning that it was characterized by love (prema). The import is that after his mate- rial ego, mind and so on were dissolved, as a result of brahma- jñāna, he attained their post-liberated counterparts, which are of the nature of unalloyed being (viśuddha-sattva), and one in essence and constitution with the bliss of love. 5 vasudeve bhagavati sarva-jñe pratyag-atmani parena bhakti-bhāvena labdhātmā mukta-bandhanaḥ 806 83 Bhagavan Realization Is the Highest Rung on the Ladder of Transcendence ननु त एव प्रत्यावर्तन्तां किंवा पूर्ववदमी अपि बन्धहेतवो भवन्तु ? An objection is raised: “What if the material mind, ego and so on re-assert themselves again? Or what if the transcendental I- concept, mind and so on, also result in bondage, just like their material correlates?” नेत्याह – मुक्तबन्धनः । “अनावृत्तिः शब्दात्” (ब्र० सू० ४।४।२२) इति न्यायात् । This is not the case, because it is said that the transcendental self- identity emerges in the state of freedom from all bondage (mukta- bandhana). This principle is stated in Brahma-sutra, “The scrip- tures declare that a liberated being never returns to material consciousness” (anāvṛttiḥ śabdāt, vs 4.4.22). Commentary listed Birth row ad), sanov aids l In the Bhāgavatam verse cited here, the word labdhātmā is signifi- cant. It means that when a practicing devotee attains perfection, he becomes detached from the material ego and attains a spiritual ego, or in other words, a transcendental self-identity in relation to Bhagavan, the complete Whole, of which he is a conscious, inte- grated part. Just as in the materially conditioned state, a person has a material body and senses, the perfected devotee has a spiritual body and senses, which are manifestations of pure or transcendental sat- tva. A devotee engages in service to the Lord through these pure instruments, one in essence and constitution with unalloyed sattva. Being thus established in truth, one never becomes influenced by the material ego. The very last of Brahma-sutras, anavṛttiḥ śabdāt, is cited here, con- firming that once having attained the pure I-concept, or in other words, the true self-identity in relation to Bhagavan, a person does not return to material consciousness. Po sprov teel sin Jesmaistini 807 83.4 to mbbed Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha realestate. भक्त्यतिशयेन लब्धात्मत्वमेव प्रतिपादयति “आत्मानम्” इति । Ha । no In the previous verse, it was said that Kardama attained his true self-identity (labdhātmā) through profuse love. The next verse elucidates the exact nature of this realization of the self (ātmā): brah आत्मानं सर्वभूतेषु भगवन्तमवस्थितम् । अपश्यत् सर्वभूतानि भगवत्यपि चात्मनि ॥ ३९४ ।। Lal He realized that Bhagavan is situated as the Self in all beings, and that all beings exist in the Self that is Bhagavan. (SB 3.24.46) आत्मात्र परमात्मा सर्वथा तस्य भगवानेवास्फुरदिति वाक्यार्थः । In this verse, the word ātmā (the self) refers to the Supreme Self, Paramātmā. The meaning of this verse is that it was specifically Bhagavan, who appeared to Kardama everywhere.smil Ja Isutitige aanistis bas oge laistsmal of noitaly’s foneti Commentary abrove After realizing Brahman, Kardama came to realize the Self of all beings, Paramātmā, the awareness of which exceeds that of indeter- minate Brahman. He saw Paramātmā in every being and everything within Paramātmā. owing to hi 83.5 and ततः साक्षादेव तत्प्राप्तिमाह “इच्छाद्वेष” इति । In the last verse of this series, Maitreya Muni explains Kardama’s direct attainment of the Lord: ⚫ ātmānaṁ sarva-bhūteṣu bhagavantam avasthitam apasyat sarva-bhūtāni bhagavaty api catmani 808 83 Bhagavan Realization Is the Highest Rung on the Ladder of Transcendence Albass many od wollo ano 1 Hom भगवद्भक्तियुक्तेन प्राप्ता भागवती गतिः । ३९५ ।। bluruw gnd ale Devoid of all hatred and desire, and being situated in the vision of bequanimity towards all things, Kardama Muni attained the abode A of the Lord through devotional service to Him. (SB 3.24.47)” तदेवं तेन भागवती गतिः प्राप्ता । हेयत्वादन्यत्र इच्छाद्वेषविहीनेन तस्मादेव हेतोः सर्वत्र समचेतसा । तदुक्तम् (भा० ६।१७।२८) - Kardama thus attained the abode of the Lord, bhagavati gatiḥ. Because he considered everything else as worthy only of indiffer- ence, he was empty of attachment and repulsion, and therefore situated in the vision of equanimity (sama-cetasa). This is also stated elsewhere in Bhāgavatam: नारायणपराः सर्वे न कुतश्चन बिभ्यति । स्वर्गापवर्गनरकेष्वपि तुल्यार्थदर्शिनः ॥ ३९६ ॥ इति । The स्वर्गापवर्गनरकेष्वपि तुल्यार्थदर्शिनः dedicated to Śrī Nārāyana do not fear anything at all. They regard all circumstances as equal, swhether it be promotion to heaven, liberation from material existence, or dwelling in hell. (SB 6.17.28) gaiso यद् वा “मया लक्ष्म्या सह वर्तते इति समः” इति सहस्रनामभाष्यात् (शाङ्कर० १०९) भगवच्चेतसेति । has Another meaning of sama-cetasă is bhagavat-cetasă, or “one whose consciousness is fixed on Bhagavan.” As Sankarācārya writes, “Sa means ‘with,’ and ma is a name of Lakṣmi; since the Lord is always with Lakṣmi, He is known as Sama” (Sahasra- nama-bhāṣya 109). 1odw bas tad.dou । प्राप्तो भागवतीं गतिमिति पाठे - स कर्दम एव तां गतिं प्राप्तः । अत्र भगवद्भक्तियोगेने- त्येव विशेष्यमिति । एवमेवोक्तं श्रीभगवद्गीतोपनिषत्सु (गीता १८ । ५१-५५ ) - sation iccha-dveṣa-vihinena sarvatra sama-cetasă bhagavad-bhakti-yuktena präptā bhāgavati gatiḥ nārāyaṇa-parāḥ sarve na kutaścana bibhyati svargāpavarga-narakeşv api tulyartha-darsinah 809lo sbb Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbhanging absence If one follows the variant reading, prapto bhagavatim gatim, then the meaning would be, “He [Kardama] attained that destina- tion.” In that case, the phrase bhagavat-bhakti-yogena - “by the yoga of devotional service to the Lord” - would then be quali- fied (viseşya) in turn by another adverbial phrase [sama-cetasă, “by devotion […] characterized by mental fixity in the Lord”]? A similar progression is described in Bhagavad Gitā: gafar uscendon) parslination बुद्ध्या विशुद्धया युक्तो धृत्यात्मानं नियम्य च । शब्दादीन् विषयांस्त्यक्त्वा रागद्वेषौ व्युदस्य च ॥। ३९७ ॥ विविक्तसेवी लघ्वाशी यतवाक्कायमानसः । 51 berstis and smal * ध्यानयोगपरो नित्यं वैराग्यं समुपाश्रितः ॥ ३९८ ॥ 970 gal अहङ्कारं बलं दर्पं कामं क्रोधं परिग्रहम् । विमुच्य निर्ममः शान्तो ब्रह्मभूयाय कल्पते ।। ३९९ ।। ब्रह्मभूतः प्रसन्नात्मा न शोचति न काङ्क्षति । समः सर्वेषु भूतेषु मद्भक्तिं लभते पराम् ॥ ४०० ॥ भक्त्या मामभिजानाति यावान् यश्चास्मि तत्त्वतः । 5775 digits alw stars noiely add ni boiule opada i isdwaela batez ततो मां तत्त्वतो ज्ञात्वा विशते तदनन्तरम् ॥ ४०१ ॥ इति । Endowed with pure intellect; controlling the mind with forti- tude; forsaking sense objects such as pleasing sound; giving up attachment and hatred completely; living in a solitary place and eating little; controlling the body, speech and mind; being ever devoted to the yoga of meditation on the Lord; fully taking refuge in dispassion; giving up egotism, the force of material desires, miarrogance, desires for sense pleasures, anger and possessions; an and being free from the notion of ownership and serene at heart, one becomes qualified to realize Brahman. Having realized Brah- adman and being peaceful, one neither grieves nor hankers for any- thing. Being equal to all beings, one attains supreme devotion to Me. Through that supreme devotion, one fully realizes Me in truth, what and who I am. Then, after knowing Me in reality, one enters into Me [achieves sayujya liberation]. (GITA 18.51-55)10 In other words, in the first reading sama-cetasã and bhagavat-bhakti-yogena are adjectives describing Kardama in a passive construction. The second reading is as an active construction, in which case, bhagavat-bhakti-yogena is the means by which Kardama attained the ultimate destination, and the word sama-cetasă modifies this bhakti-yoga. 10 buddhyā viśuddhaya yukto dhṛtyātmānam niyamya ca 810 83 Bhagavan Realization Is the Highest Rung on the Ladder of Transcendence अत्र विशतिर्मिलनार्थः । यथा “दुर्योधनं परित्यज्य युधिष्ठिरं प्रविष्टवानयं राजा” इति । Jeansba In the last verse [of this quotation from Bhagavad Gitā], the verb visati (lit., “he enters”) means “he joins,” as in the statement, “This king, abandoning Duryodhana, has joined (praviṣṭavān, lit., ’entered’) King Yudhisthira.” श्रीदशमेऽपि (भा० १० | २८ ।१५-१७) श्रीगोपैर्ब्रह्मसम्पत्त्यनन्तरमेव वैकुण्ठो दृष्ट इति श्रीस्वा- मिभिरेव च व्याख्यातम् ॥ श्रीमैत्रेयः ॥ In the Tenth Canto, Śrīdhara Svāmī has also explained that the cowherd men saw Vaikuntha only after gaining a vision of the Brahman effulgence (SB 10.28.15-17). Commentary hy The final realization of Kardama is that of Bhagavan, which is supe- rior to the earlier two realizations. Kardama is called sama-cetasă, one meaning of which is, “situated in the vision of equanimity,” similar to the word sama-drk in SB 3.24.44. Yet there is a difference between these two. In the Brahman-realized state one experiences Brahman without a second. But in the distinctive liberated state made accessible specifically through devotion, one perceives the Lord everywhere, while still maintaining his own identity. Thus, Jiva prefers to interpret sama-cetasã as bhagavat-cetasă (whose con- sciousness is established in God). Sa means with, and mã means Lakṣmi Devi; and so sama means the one who is with her, Śri Visņu. Cetasă means conscious (of Him). cadet sabdadin viṣayāms tyaktvā rāga-dveṣau vyudasya ca vivikta-sevi laghv-āśī yata-vāk-kaya-manasaḥ dhyana-yoga-paro nityaṁ vairagyaṁ samupäśritaḥ ahankaraṁ balam darpaṁ kāmaṁ krodham parigraham vimucya nirmamaḥ śanto brahma-bhūyaya kalpate brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kārkṣati samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteşu mad-bhaktim labhate param bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yävän yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ Etato mam tattvato jñātvā viśate tad-anantaram 811 solsengbbs Śri Bhagavat Sandarbha allenavigat If In this verse, bhagavat-bhakti-yoga is the qualified subject. Iccha- dveșa-vihinena and sama-cetasă are its modifiers. A transcendental- ist, because of direct apprehension of, and absorption in, a more profound reality, does not desire anything material, which also implies that he does not hate anything material. Therefore, it is said iccha-dveṣa-vihinena, such a person is devoid of attachment and aversion. Some neophytes think that by aversion to material objects they can progress in spiritual life, but hatred is also attachment in the negative sense. Lord Śiva, in the verse cited above (SB 6.17.28), describes how devotees of Śrī Nārāyaṇa are situated in the vision of equanimity (sama-cetasā). This is a reference to King Citraketu, who did not feel morose even after being cursed to become an asura. An analogous evolutionary unfoldment from Brahman to Bhaga- vän is described by Śrī Kṛṣṇa to Arjuna (GĪTĀ 18.51-55). These verses describe how a jñāna-miśra-bhakta attains perfection. Of the five verses, the first three explain how he attains Brahman realization, and the last two explain His experience of Bhagavan. The verb visate in verse 55 literally means “he enters.” The Radi- cal Nondualists interpret this to mean that he merges into Brahman. Such a meaning is inappropriate, however, because a devotee never loses his identity as a servant of the Lord. Furthermore, if visate meant merging in Brahman, which is the prior state of attainment referred to in the first group of verses, then the words tad-anantaram (thereafter), which follow it, would become meaningless. am he tho The prior verse said that this devotee is brahma-bhūta, mean- ing that he has attained Brahman. The use of the word “thereafter” implies awakening to a yet more comprehensive Reality. Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmi, therefore, explains visate as “he joins” (milana). He gives an example to show that this use of the word visate is not unusual. He refers to the word praviṣṭavan, which comes from the same root, as used in Mahābhārata. It is described that just before the battle began, King Yudhiṣṭhira announced that anyone who would like to join his army could do so. At that time, a certain king gave up his affiliation to Duryodhana 812 83 Bhagavan Realization Is the Highest Rung on the Ladder of Transcendence and joined (praviṣṭavan) the Pāṇḍavas. Therefore, when Kṛṣṇa says viśate, it does not mean that the yogi merges into Brahman, but simply that he joins the Lord in Vaikuntha. To further substantiate this conclusion, Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī alludes to Kṛṣṇa’s pastime of revealing Vaikuntha to the cowherd men. Once Nanda Mahārāja mistakenly bathed in the Yamuna at an inappropriate time. He was thus arrested by the servants of Varuna and taken to Varunaloka. When Kṛṣṇa came to rescue Nanda Mahā- rāja, Varuņa offered the Lord a grand welcome and worshiped Him. Nanda Mahārāja was quite astounded to see this. Then, when he returned to the village with Kṛṣṇa, he narrated all that had hap- pened, also mentioning how Varuna had worshiped Kṛṣṇa. Hearing this, the cowherd men could understand that Kṛṣṇa is God, and so became eager to see the Lord’s abode. They requested the Lord to show it to them. He took them to the Brahma-hrda pond in the Yamuna and asked them to take a dip. While in the water, the cowherd men saw the Brahman effulgence and then the abode of the Lord: Śrī Kṛṣṇa revealed the indestructible spiritual effulgence, which is unlimited, conscious and eternal. Sages see that spiritual existence in trance, when their consciousness is free of the gunas of mate- rial nature. The cowherd men were brought by Śrī Kṛṣṇa to the Brahmahrada, made to submerge in the water, and then lifted up. From the same vantage point from which Akrura witnessed the spir- itual world, the cowherd men saw the abode of the Absolute Truth. (SB 10.28.15-16)11 From these two verses it is clear that the gopas first realized Brah- man and then the Lord’s abode. This is also confirmed by Śrīdhara Svami in his Bhāvārtha-dipikā commentary. In the next anuccheda, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi will give further proof that bhakti includes and therefore transcends the jñāna-marga, satyam jñānam anantam yad brahm-jyotiḥ sanātanam yad dhi pasyanti munayo guṇāpaye samāhitāḥ te tu brahma-hradaṁ nītā magnāḥ kṛṣṇena coddhṛtāḥ dadṛśur brahmano lokaṁ yatrakruro’dhyagāt pură 813 sasazerosabb Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbhaile parade a thereby showing once again that Bhagavan exceeds Brahman in completion and profundity. all teem too sm Biswedb Bnd this darent Mebne sono sm fl boyuthow bur smoolow busy bio gut gutto spine s ad hedd Sheerald 99 en bébauotes stop ew batede sй ВИ it bad wife le beepen and palliy adf of body nano Erat bahan blondes d of biod adr fiato al dd ons uid Wiha set of man cindere da modino 6% loboda anda bisaragi nimile olle was in bangs BELLO B e vd rdquod brew cam badwal in Ism sandba v bolno bale kaldaodbolds hereb 814 Anuccheda 84 Śrī Krsna Advises Uddhava to Transcend Brahma-jñānas Intellon al didam alw han se si moparw famt 25to bloody ८४ । तथा (भा० ११ ।१९।५) - SIMILARLY, Śri Krsna instructed Uddhava: gui K तस्माज् ज्ञानेन सहितं ज्ञात्वा स्वात्मानमुद्भव । ज्ञानविज्ञानसम्पन्नो भज मां भक्तिभावितः ॥ ४०२ ।। are ad bestisd Brows art booth Bluede ano pant To Therefore, My dear Uddhava, knowing your true self through to direct awareness, and equipped with such knowing and realiza-dr tion, worship Me in devotion, through the totality of feeling and awareness. (SB 11.19.5)1 Iwon Jau dr la farleyse step has Arion) vd benistic liason 928 absV art to sgba स्वात्मानं जीवस्वरूपम् । ज्ञानं विज्ञानं च ब्राह्म्यम् । किं बहुना ? अत्र श्रीचतुः सनशुकादय एवोदाहरणमिति ॥ श्रीभगवान् उद्भवम् ॥ The term “the true self” (svātmā) means the essential nature of the jiva. The knowing (jñāna) and realization (vijñāna) men- tioned here are related to Brahman. What more can we say? In this regard, persons like the four Kumāras and Śrī Śuka are befitting examples. tasmaj jñānena sahitaṁ jñātvā svātmānam uddhava jñāna-vijñāna-sampanno bhaja mäṁ bhakti-bhävitah 815 Śri Bhagavat Sandarbha Commentary once in a adity IN THIS SHORT SECTION, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi refers to Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s teachings to Uddhava, wherein He implies that devotional service is the subsequent and more comprehensive praxis, subsuming brahma-jñāna within its fold. The Lord explains that jñānis should leave aside their jñāna-sādhana, using it as a springboard, rather, into the total feeling and awareness of devotion. He says that jñāna is not the final destination, but only a means to become free from material attachment: A person who has imbibed the truth of scripture, who has realized the self, and whose wisdom is not based merely upon inference, should offer that wisdom (jñāna) to Me, knowing well that this world is a manifestation of māyā. (SB 11.19.1)2 Śrīdhara Svāmi comments that such relinquishment of jñāna is called vidvat-sannyāsa. But Śrī Kṛṣṇa never recommends that one should renounce bhakti. Jñana is the sword with which one can behead the snake of illusion and get free of its snare. After killing the snake, one should discard the sword and eternally repose one- self in the shelter of bhakti, which is like a mother. The killing of the snake does not nourish one, but simply enables the possibility of nourishment. To visto da dguards dohovshi M gidnow old In GĪTĀ 2.46, Śrī Kṛṣṇa says that all the purposes served by knowl- edge of the Vedas are necessarily attained by a realized devotee, just as all the purposes served by small reservoirs of water are assuredly served by a vast lake. The best examples of vidvat-sannyasa are the Kumāra brothers and Sukadeva Gosvāmī. They set aside jñāna and took to devotion, being captivated by the Lord’s qualities. Giving up jñāna means shift- ing the context of awareness from indeterminate Brahman to the distinct transconventional Entity, Bhagavan, equipped with infinite potency. The recommendation in this verse is specifically for those 2 yo vidya-śruta-sampanna ātma-vän nänumānikaḥ māyā-mātram idaṁ jñātvā jñānaṁ ca mayi sannyaset 816 84 Śrī Kṛṣṇa Advises Uddhava to Transcend Brahma-jñāna who follow the path of jñāna. As far as devotees are concerned, they take shelter of Śrī Kṛṣṇa from the very beginning. In the next anuccheda, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmī cites the personal expe- rience of Dhruva Mahārāja regarding the superiority of Bhagavān over Brahman. 67d&M Evurda nemrista of equa RAHAM AVUR astrol or Vater dioda aloha od vode lauf adstow and all adds and Lobos bhod str92 sdr ni memlerdaldu? ao nortelsyysthe amo moliating Breaild rondzincias 2ba6J sdi to nabati sitt ydyw air 67 vino zgnoled nohalghion stemtler Inds balsta ad estudiant alvageda the by all repte en magistrs 15 BETH Postaless tha Just wling zobis én guidetholion yndallridendeD H Silob to thedral vd (arhaluy she lofdw Valja sitt 817 Varta 97 298 2 AborUeg en wollolandw gninnised yov gift mot ang 120 de sobe navegada ao yanaque wit guthasgar de o lo sen Anuccheda 85 (5 Dhruva Mahārāja Accepts Bhagavan as Superior to Brahman The ८५ । श्रीभगवता शब्दब्रह्ममयकम्बुस्पृष्टकपोलस् तत् प्रकाशितयथार्थनिगदो ध्रुवो बालकोऽपि तथा विवृतवान् इत्येवमानन्दचमत्कारविशेषश्रवणाद् अपि तस्यैव पूर्णत्वमाह ( भा० ४।९।१० ) - DHRUVA MAHĀRĀJA ALSO TESTIFIED TO THIS, for though he was just a boy, he spoke the truth as it was revealed to him when the Supreme Lord touched his cheeks with His conch, which is the personification of the Vedic revelation or Sabdabrahman. In this way, by the description of the Lord’s astonishingly blissful attributes, he stated that ultimate completion belongs only to Bhagavan: 1 या निर्वृतिस्तनुभृतां तव पादपद्म ध्यानाद् भवज्जनकथाश्रवणेन वा स्यात् । सा ब्रह्मणि स्वमहिमन्यपि नाथ माभूत् किं त्वन्तकासिलुलितात् पततां विमानात् ॥ ४०३ ।। The bliss relished by embodied beings through meditation on Your lotus feet or by hearing the stories of Your devotees is not available even in Brahman, although it is Your own magnificence. How then can this be enjoyed by the devas, who fall down from their airplanes, which are pulverized by the sword of death? (SB 4.9.10)1 ya nirvṛtis tanu-bhṛtām tava pada-padma- 818 85 Dhruva Mahārāja Accepts Bhagavan as Superior to Brahman स्वमहिमन्यसाधारणमाहात्म्येऽपि मा भूत् न भवतीत्यर्थः । अन्तकासिः कालः ॥ ध्रुवः श्री- ध्रुवप्रियम् ॥ moit insbiva ai e brug ditw 798 risid of Prole rod volg) Bminal/ The phrase “in Your own magnificence” (sva-mahimani) means, “even in [Your] extraordinary glory.” Ma bhut [though an imper- ative form, “it should not be”] simply means, “It [such bliss] is not [available].” Antakäsi (the sword of death) means time. Commentary S 08 ob 100 blue and brod ad vtisolg or 910 KING UTTANAPADA HAD TWO WIVES, Sunīti and Suruci, and was more attached to the latter. As a result, she was very haughty in her dealings with her co-wife. One day while Suruci’s son, Uttama, sat on the king’s lap, Suniti’s five-year-old son, Dhruva, tried to climb up and join him. When his proud stepmother saw this, she rebuked him. This angered Dhruva, who immediately ran, crying, to complain to his mother. Leontends the doombsto Sunīti tried to pacify Dhruva, but being the son of a ksatriya, the boy could not tolerate the insult. He wanted to take revenge, and so asked his mother whether there was anyone in the universe more powerful than his father. She advised him to take shelter of Śrī Nārā- yana. Dhruva took his mother’s words seriously, left home at night, and went to the forest in search of the Lord. There he met Narada Muni, who initiated him into a Visņu mantra. Dhruva performed severe austerities for six months, after which the Lord appeared before him and blessed him. Upon seeing the Lord, Dhruva fell to the ground and offered respects. Though he wanted to glorify Him, he did not know how to proceed, being just a little boy with no education. The Lord then touched his cheek with His conch shell, which is the personification of transcendental knowledge (brahma-mayena kambuna, SB 4.9.4). It acted like a touch- stone, and Dhruva began to recite prayers, being fully realized in knowledge. dhyanad bhavaj-jana-katha-śravanena vā syāt să brahmani sva-mahimany api natha mābhūt kim tv antakäsi-lulität patatām vimānāt 819kado solo Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha davrda In the verse cited, Dhruva compares the bliss of devotional service with brahmananda and says the former is much superior. Mahima (glory) here refers to Brahman, as is evident from the statement of Śrī Matsya to King Satyavrata: “My mahima is called Parabrahman” (SB 8.24.38)2 og visaibion a These prayers by Dhruva represent the Vedic conclusion. They are not his own mental concoction or hearsay. He is not merely repeating something he has heard from somewhere, nor is he speak- ing in this way just to flatter the Lord. Otherwise, Maitreya would not have said that he wanted to glorify the Lord but could not do so. Dhruva received knowledge by contacting the Lord’s conch, which represents Vedic knowledge. Just Als of biform10m 152 Dhruva said that even hearing the activities of the Lord’s devo- tees is much superior to brahmananda. This is because in brahma- nanda there is no positive bliss from engaging in service. There is only a feeling of bliss due to the cessation of material miseries. Any amount of ciphers cannot compare to the numeral one. There- fore, brahmananda is no match for the bliss derived from Bhagavan realization. besmet 900 The following anuccheda explains that bhakti is superior to mukti or the liberated state of merging in Brahman, and therefore, Bhagavan is superior to Brahman. brol odsto dis umivaoni mid bstebini ork M esfiadfrom stand asthaus ansvar batolog on and gnises nogulante berasid boed soled boys hd sds dout dgund goid,bescony of word wank ton bih od tog in hotnew lando aid bodood and find sul nottub de welltilaisu ni bos grisd 2 See Section 89. 820 Anuccheda 86 Madi yadro gnidr Domol blow Devotees Do Not Desire Liberatione 125 ८६ । परमसिद्धिरूपाद् ब्रह्मणि लयादपि तद्भजनस्य गरीयस्त्वेन तस्यैव गरीयस्त्वमुपदि- शति “अनिमित्ता भागवति भक्तिः सिद्धेर्गरीयसी ” ( भा० ३ । २५ । ३२ ) इति । ŚRI KAPILA FURTHER INDICATES the superiority of Bhagavan over Brahman by stating that the Lord’s devotional service is superior to the supreme perfection of merging in Brahman: “Causeless devotional service unto the Supreme Lord is of greater significance than siddhi” (SB 3.25.32). Es gied to us “सिद्धेर्मुक्तेरपि” इति टीका च । “सिद्धेर्ज्ञानात् मुक्तेर्वा” इति श्रीभगवन्नामकौमुदी ॥ श्रीक- पिलदेवः ॥ tquot non são amoob Śrīdhara Svāmi glosses siddhi here as “liberation.” Bhagavan- näma-kaumudi also states, “Siddhi means either knowledge or liberation.” ystem vs soos nood,solvisa lanottovah noob aid Commentary masdil radiaaloob eroled slagňamavita and ad feel mid svrse of her ebned hablo dtiw navagede D TO PROVE THAT BHAGAVAN EXCEEDS BRAHMAN in completion, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmī now shows that devotional service is endowed not only with all the significance of mukti, or merging into Brahman, but something of still greater eminence. Thus, devotees do not desire lib- eration if it denies them the possibility of engagement in devotional service. Śrī Kṛṣṇa says: 821 Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha One who has surrendered the true self unto Me does not desire any- thing other than Me- not the position of Śri Brahma or the king- dom of Indra, mastery over the Earth, or sovereignty over the nether- worlds. He seeks not the paranormal powers of yoga, nor liberation from birth and death. (SB 11.14.14)1 A pure devotee of the Lord considers hell, heaven and liberation all the same. This is confirmed by Lord Siva: O 2593oved от ng The devotees who are completely dedicated to Śrī Nārāyaṇa do not bot fear anything at all. They regard all circumstances as equal, whether Dhrit be promotion to heaven, liberation from material existence or dwelling in hell. (SB 6.17.28)2 Factually speaking, a devotee considers hell superior to imper- sonal liberation. In hell he can maintain his true identity as an inte- grated conscious part, one in essence yet distinct from the Lord, who is the Conscious Whole. With this vision, he can hope still that one day he may become a true devotee. But impersonal liberation entails the state of being eternally merged in an undifferentiated mass of pure awareness. This condition dissolves altogether the possibility of exploring the post-liberated development of the whole-part rela- tion through transcendental love, and thus, in a paradoxical sense, dooms one eternally. When the above verse says that a devotee con- siders both liberation and hell to be the same, the meaning is that he neither hankers for liberation nor abhors hell. If he can engage in devotional service, he can accept any circumstance. noisesedil Bilvamangala Thakura declares that liberation stands at his door with folded hands ready to serve him, but he has no interest in her: O Bhagavan, if ever my devotion for You should attain steadiness, El then by divine grace Your form as a supernaturally beautiful boy will yin appear before me. When that happens, liberation will stand at my door with folded hands, waiting to serve me, while all the other goals na parameṣṭhyam na mahendra-dhiṣnyaṁ na sarvabhaumaṁ na rasadhipatyam na yoga-siddhir apunar-bhavaṁ vă mayy arpitätmecchati mad vinānyat 2 nārāyaṇa-parāḥ sarve na kutaścana bibhyati svargāpavarga-narakeşv api tulyartha-darśinaḥ 822 86 Devotees Do Not Desire Liberation of life, Dharma, Artha and Kama personified, patiently await their turn. (Kṛṣṇa-karṇāmṛta 107)3 Devotees embrace this perspective because they relish the sweet- ness of the Lord and His pastimes, which far exceed the bliss of merging in Brahman. Bhagavan-nama-kaumudi mentioned in this anuccheda is an authoritative book by Pandita Lakṣmidhara of the Śrī Sampradaya on the science and philosophy of chanting the Holy Name. While commenting on the present verse, he writes, “Causeless devo- tional service unto the Supreme Lord is of greater significance than brahma-jñāna” (chapter 3). In the next anuccheda, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmī will cite Śrī Kapila to show that Brahman is the incomplete realization of Bhagavän. bna arketing 16 ple ob Wade son vero ssiles of ara balina si molly stigaoand teds owl at aid analges offering to e 6 M ab has al exposar hy moet owed Vaude gati dal bath is at odd sibal Handy his hotel rupos laurav se veld seus halle astianp bhaktis tvayi sthiratara bhagavan yadi syad daivena naḥ phalati divya-kiśora-mürtiḥ muktiḥ svayam mukulitäñjali sevate’sman bo dharmartha-käma-gatayaḥ samaya-pratikṣaḥ e uma pilte Amal sa bhagavati bhaktiḥ să ca siddher jñānād garīyasī 823 30 hidiwa vitusing botimers to how adr email Ste than Me dalloweds Anuccheda 87 us APs aids hi beroam th Brahman Is Not Independent of Bhagavan alidWamsИ vioн -ovah zabaus ८७ । तदेवं श्रीभगवानेवाखण्डं तत्त्वं साधकविशेषाणां तादृशयोग्यत्वाभावात् सामा- न्याकारोदयत्वेन तदसम्यक् स्फूर्तिरेव ब्रह्मेति साक्षादेव वक्ति द्वाभ्याम् (भा० ३ । ३२ । ३२- ३३) - IN THIS WAY THE SUPREME LORD, Bhagavan, is the complete Abso- lute Truth (akhanda-tattva). For some practitioners, who are ineligible to realize Him fully, He manifests in a generic way, and that incomplete vision is called Brahman. Śri Kapiladeva clearly explains this in two verses: ज्ञानयोगश्च मन्निष्ठो नैर्गुण्यो भक्तिलक्षणः । द्वयोरप्येक एवार्थो भगवच्छब्दलक्षणः || ४०४ ॥ यथेन्द्रियैः पृथग्द्वारैरर्थो बहुगुणाश्रयः । एकोनानेयते तद्वद् भगवान् शास्त्रवर्त्मभिः || ४०५ ।। Both the jñāna-yoga that is free from the gunas, and the yoga that wlt is focused on Me and characterized by devotion, have one aim, which is indicated by the word bhagavan. A single object is appre- ciated differently by the different senses due to its having many qualities. Similarly, the one Bhagavan appears variously accord- ing to the different paths found in the scriptures. (SB 3.32.32-33)1 1 1 jñāna-yogaś ca man-nistho nairgunyo bhakti-lakṣaṇaḥ dvayor apy eka evartho bhagavac-chabda-lakṣaṇaḥ yathendriyaiḥ pṛthag-dvärair artho bahu-guṇāśrayah eko naneyate tadvad bhagavan sastra-vartmabhiḥ 824
87 Brahman Is Not Independent of Bhagavan टीका च अनेन च ज्ञानयोगेन भगवानेव प्राप्यः यथा भक्तियोगेनेत्याह नैर्गुण्यो ज्ञानयोग- श्च मन्निष्ठो भक्तिलक्षणश्च यो योगः तयोर्द्वयोरप्येक एवार्थः प्रयोजनम् । कोऽसौ ? भगवच्छ- ब्दो लक्षणं ज्ञापको यस्य । तदुक्तं श्रीगीतासु “ते प्राप्नुवन्ति मामेव सर्वभूतहिते रताः” (गीता १२ ।४) इति । THRIE Comment by Śrīdhara Svami: “The purpose of this verse is to show that Bhagavan alone is the Entity to be attained by jñāna-yoga, just as He alone is the Entity to be attained by bhakti-yoga, Jñāna- yoga, which is free from the gunas, and the yoga that is character- ized by devotion unto Me, both have the same aim, i.e., the same ultimate end.’ What is that end? That which is expressed by the word bhagavan. This is stated in GITA 12.4, ‘Engaged in the welfare of all beings, [the followers of the jñāna path] attain only Me.“3 ननु ज्ञानयोगस्यात्मलाभः फलं शास्त्रेणावगम्यते भक्तियोगस्य तु भजनीयेश्वरप्राप्तिः । कुतस्तयोरेकार्थत्वम् । “An objection is raised: ‘But from scriptures we learn that the result of jñāna-yoga is attainment of the self (atma-lābha), whereas that of bhakti-yoga is attainment of Ïśvara, who is meant to be worshiped. So how can both be said to have the same goal?’ इत्याशङ्क्य दृष्टान्तेनोपपादयति यथा बहूनां रूपरसादीनां गुणानामाश्रयः क्षीरादिरेक एवार्थो मार्गभेदप्रवृत्तैरिन्द्रियैर्नाना प्रतीयते चक्षुषा शुक्ल इति रसनेन मधुर इति स्पर्शेन शीत इत्यादि । तथा भगवानेक एव तत्तद्रूपेणावगम्यते । इत्येषा । “Anticipating this doubt, Śrī Kapila offers the following exam- ple: ‘Though milk is one substance, it is the repository of many qualities, such as form and taste, and thus appears differently when perceived by the different senses.’ For example, to the eyes it appears white, to the tongue it appears sweet, and to the touch, no et daldw 2 Śrīdhara Svāmi’s primary purpose here is to clarify the syntax of the first line, associating nairgunya with jñāna and man-nistha with bhakti. This is not immediately apparent, as the prima facie reading would associate man-nistha with jñāna-yoga, and nairgunya with bhakti-lakṣana. The given translation already reflects Śrīdhara Svami’s understanding. Śrī Jīva applies both adjectives to both in his commentary, while Viśvanatha explains according to the prima facie reading: man-nistha iti mamaiva brahmatvad iti bhavaḥ. nairgunyo nirguno bhakti-lakṣaṇaś ca yo yogaḥ […]. 3 te präpnuvanti mam eva sarva-bhūta-hite ratāḥ 825 Śri Bhagavat Sandarbhades, ye cool. In the same way, Bhagavan is one, yet is experienced dif- ferently in accordance with the viewing capacity.” Here ends Śrīdhara Svämi’s comment. Berat ल अत्र भगवानेवाङ्गित्वेन निगदितः । अतः सर्वांशप्रत्यायकत्वाद् भक्तियोगश्च मनःस्थानीयो ज्ञेयः ॥ श्रीकपिलदेवः ॥ madh banisite od of vilnasib al sole navsedd Here Bhagavan is singled out as the complete manifestation, inclusive of all parts. Therefore, in this example, bhakti-yoga is compared to the mind, in its capacity to fully ascertain an object through analysis and integration of each of its parts. adial begegna Commentary hild brow IN SECTION 81, ŚRILA JIVA GOSVĀMI EXPLAINED that Bhagavan is the complete and Brahman the partial manifestation of Absolute Reality. These two manifestations appear according to the specific qualifications of the worshiper. Here again Śrī Jiva Gosvāmi con- cludes that Brahman is the incomplete realization of Bhagavan, by referring to the teachings of Śrī Kapila. wod o2 baqidarow sd of Every object has manifest characteristics that can be perceived by some or all of the knowledge-acquiring senses - eyes, ears, nose, tongue and sense of touch - and appears differently depend- ing upon which sense perceives it. Two blind men were asked to describe what an elephant is like after having touched it with their hands. The one, who felt the elephant’s leg, likened it to a pillar; the other, who felt its tail, compared it to a thick rope. Of course, a man with complete vision would describe it quite differently. Similarly, the viewing capacity of the worshiper is what determines how the Absolute Reality, which is one only, is perceived. Those who are drawn towards the indeterminate feature of Abso- lute Reality will perceive only Brahman, which is formless and qual- ityless. Those whose vision is able to pierce through this undiffer- entiated luminosity, behold the transcendental person, Bhagavān, who is its source. To them, who are drawn into a loving relation with the Lord, He appears as a person. As He says: 826 87 Brahman Is Not Independent of Bhagavan O Partha! I reveal Myself to all who surrender unto Me, exactly in accordance with the essential nature of their surrender. (GĪTĀ 4.11)4 Although the Lord is supremely independent, He presents Him- self to His worshipers in the feature that appeals to them the most. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmi confirms this truth in his Laghu-bhāga- vatāmṛta: There are innumerable essential forms existing in Bhagavan. He manifests particular forms to particular worshipers in accordance with their mode of worship. (LBH 1.5.200)5 Therefore, Śri Kapila says that Bhagavan alone is the Entity to be attained, both by jñana-yoga and by bhakti-yoga. Knowledge of the Absolute divested of manifest qualities and knowledge of the Abso- lute inherently endowed with qualities, both relate to Bhagavan. In GĪTĀ 12.4, Kṛṣṇa says that those who worship His unmanifest, inde- scribable, impersonal feature also attain Him. This is because Brah- man is nondifferent from Kṛṣṇa. In this verse, măm (Me) refers to Bhagavan, i.e., Kṛṣṇa, and the indeclinable eva (only) stresses the identity of Brahman and Kṛṣṇa.ad According to logic, an object that is yet unqualified is not differ- ent from the same object when qualified, śuddho visiṣṭän nätiricyate. A man is the same, whether or not he is wearing shoes. Ordinary human beings cannot be with and without shoes simultaneously. But the omnipotent, unlimited Lord can manifest different aspects to different worshipers simultaneously. All the descriptions of Brah- man are perfectly reconciled in the personal form of the Lord. For example, while describing the various Visņu forms seen by Brahmā, Śri Suka says: The Visņu forms were embodiments of the one Absolute Essence, constituted of unalloyed being, consciousness and infinite bliss ye yatha mam prapadyante tams tathaiva bhajamy aham mama vartmanuvartante manusyaḥ pārtha sarvaśaḥ tat tat śri-bhagavaty eva svarupaṁ bhuvi vidyate upāsanānusāreņa bhati tat-tad-upāsake h 827 avaga Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha less alone. Their infinite glory was certainly untouched even by those Ver who see with vision refined by study of the Upanisads. (SB 10.13.54) Svāmi Śrī Brahmā addresses Kṛṣṇa as the complete Brahman: 190 How fortunate! How fortunate are the residents of Nanda’s cowherd community, for their friend is the supreme bliss, the eternal and the complete Brahman. (SB 10.14.32)” While glorifying Kṛṣṇa, Mother Devaki says: [The Vedas] say that this form is the unmanifest, the original; the effulgence of Brahman (brahma-jyoti), beyond the material qualities, and without transformation. It is pure existence, without attributes ads and without action. Verily, it is You, Visņu Himself, the flame of spiritual truth. (SB 10.3.24) als These verses clearly describe Krsna as the complete indivisible Brahman. Thus, Śrī Kṛṣṇa says that He is the foundation of Brah- man-brahmano’hi pratiṣṭhāham (GĪTĀ 14.27). Moreover, the qual- ities of Brahman, such as jñāna, ananda and satya, cannot exist by themselves without any substratum, as logic states that qualities must reside in a substance (Nyaya-siddhānta-muktāvalī 86)?
Therefore, Brahman cannot exist independent of Bhagavan. Śrī Kapila explains this with an example: An object is perceived differ- ently by the different senses. There are five cognitive senses - eyes, ears, nose, skin and tongue - and they each perceive one quality of the five material elements. The eyes see form, the ears hear sound, the nose smells fragrance, the skin feels texture and the tongue tastes flavor. Not all species of life are equipped with all five senses. Thus, the same object can be described differently based on the expe- rience of each of the senses. But all the senses are linked to the mind, • satya-jñānānantānanda-mātraika-rasa-mūrtayaḥ aspṛṣṭa-bhūri-māhātmyā api hy upaniṣad-dṛśām “aho bhagyam aho bhagyam nanda-gopa-vrajaukasām yan-mitram paramanandam pūrṇam brahma sanatanam rupaṁ yat tat prahur avyaktam adyam brahma jyotir nirgunam nirvikäram satta-mātrāṁ nirviseṣam niriham sa tvam säkṣad vişnur adhyatma-dipah 9dravya-sāmānya-matra-vṛttitvam guna-sāmānya-lakṣaṇam 828 87 Brahman Is Not Independent of Bhagavan which receives data from the senses and forms as complete a picture as possible of the perceived object. noliqonaq att hävilsh no sense Similarly, the Lord has various qualities, such as jñāna, ananda, sat, form and so on. Vedic scriptures describe various paths, such as bhakti, yoga or jñāna, which lead either to partial realization of some particular aspect of Bhagavan, or to complete realization of Bhaga- van in His totality. Of these paths, bhakti is the most comprehensive because it leads directly to realization of the Complete. All other pro- cesses are likened to maidservants of the queen (i.e., bhakti), who alone can lead one to proximity of the Lord, who is compared to an emperor. The knowledge and experience held by these maidservants about the king is also valid, but incomplete. The experience of the queen, however, whose intimate relation with her husband gives her access to all his secrets, is the most complete. So, the Lord says: Whatever may be attained by performing karma, penances, jñāna, renunciation, yoga, charity, pilgrimage, vows and so forth, is easily attained by My devotee, simply by engagement in bhakti-yoga to Me. Although My devotee does not desire anything except Me, if at any time he should somehow desire heaven, liberation or residence in My abode, he can very easily attain them. (SB 11.20.32-33)10 Śrī Sukadeva comes to the same conclusion. In the Second Canto, he describes which of the various devas should be worshiped to fulfill particular desires. But in concluding, he asserts that all desires can be fulfilled simply by the worship of Śrī Kṛṣṇa: the Tou Lam the the enjoyer All people of refined discrimination should worship the Supreme Person through fervent devotion, whether they are unalloyed devo- tees without any personal desire, whether filled with all desires or whether seeking liberation. (SB 2.3.10)” 10 yat karmabhir yat tapasă jñāna-vairāgyataś ca yat yogena dana-dharmeņa śreyobhir itarair api sarvam mad-bhakti-yogena mad-bhakto labhate’ñjasā svargāpavargam mad-dhama kathañcid yadi vāñchati akāmaḥ sarva kāmo vā mokṣa kama udara dhiḥ tivrena bhakti yogena yajeta puruşam param 829avaya Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbhail Therefore, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi compares bhakti to the mind. No sense can deliver its perception without the help of the mind; con- sequently, the mind is the king of all the senses. The mind supplies the complete picture of an object, not the individual senses. Simi- larly, no process is able to bring forth its result without the grace of bhakti, and only bhakti can bestow complete realization of the Abso- lute Reality. Therefore, Bhagavan is the Absolute in its feature of highest completion, whereas Brahman is the same Absolute in its partial aspect. as The following anuccheda will show that Brahman is subordinate to Bhagavan, like a part to its whole. esvig breden ved dile moin CG SM by book Hold 615 vid vigia об met reddifc6-58.00 821 mudy in liess w nad bit sbods M Inlod of hogidangwad bluoda aysbapore.dorotandimesha 830 Lods to vollart To te iw be all test lance Why senqul ing leyless 9 hs notesimulli di nedeniabis son bjde Sands bannosmiullaljod nam barsian 20 Anuccheda 88 Brahman Is Part of Bhagavan drawers food bur Brod ansam neve cadbis? 65-19 FRE Lenobs (1148) — ८८ । अत एव तदंशत्वेनैव ब्रह्म श्रूयते ( भा० ६ । १६।५१) agila to nolhort THEREFORE, Lord Sankarṣaṇa told Citraketu that Brahman is but a fraction of Bhagavan: अहं वै सर्वभूतानि भूतात्मा भूतभावनः । b. शब्दब्रह्म परं ब्रह्म ममोभे शाश्वती तनू ॥ ४०६ ॥ ।। I expand as all living beings, I am the immanent Self dwelling in all beings and I am the cause of all living beings. Both sabda- brahma and param brahma are My eternal forms. (SB 6.16.51)1 !! टीकाच – सर्वभूतान्यहमेव । भूतानामात्मा भोक्ताप्यहमेव । भोक्तृभोग्यात्मकं विश्वं मद्व्य- तिरिक्तं नास्तीत्यर्थः । यतोऽहं भूतभावनः भूतानां प्रकाशकः कारणं च । Comment by Śrīdhara Svāmi: “[Lord Sankarṣana told Citraketu,] ‘Verily, I am all living beings. Verily, I am also the immanent Self dwelling in all beings, which is to say that I am the enjoyer of every living being. This implies that the cosmos, which is founded on the mutual co-existence of enjoyer and enjoyed, is not something distinct from Me. This is so because I am the cause of all living beings (bhūta-bhavana), or in other words, their illuminator and source.’ ननु शब्दब्रह्म प्रकाशकं परब्रह्म कारणं प्रकाशकं च ? 1 aham vai sarva-bhātāni bhātātmā bhūta-bhāvanah sabda-brahma param brahma mamobhe śāśvati tanū mona) gaidi 831 Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha “Objection: ‘Is not Sabdabrahman the illuminator, and Parabrah- man both illuminator and cause?’ सत्यं ते उभे ममैव रूपे इत्याह शब्दब्रह्म इति । शाश्वती शाश्वत्यौ । इत्येषा ॥ “[The Lord answers,] ‘That’s true, but both are My forms, as stated in the line beginning with śabda-brahma.’ Śāśvati [singular form] means both are eternal [śāśvatyau, the dual form].”2 Here ends Śrīdhara Svämi’s comment. अत्र शब्दब्रह्मणः साहचर्यात् परब्रह्मणोऽप्यंशत्वमेवायाति ॥ श्रीसङ्कर्षणश्चित्रकेतुम् ॥ In this verse, it is concluded that param brahma is also a fractional portion of Bhagavan, because it has been described along with śabda-brahma [which is also a fraction]. Commentary COLOR, WHICH IS ONE OF THE FEATURES OF MILK, can be referred to as part of milk. One who has knowledge only of the color of milk has incomplete knowledge of milk; whereas the knowledge of one who knows the milk’s taste, color, smell and so on, is complete. Sim- ilarly, Brahman, being an incomplete manifestation of Bhagavan, is sometimes referred to as His part. Phy To illustrate this point, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi alludes to Śrī Sankar- şana’s instructions to King Citraketu. In this verse the Lord says that sabda-brahma, or the sound-revelation of the Vedas, as well as param brahma, the unqualified aspect of Bhagavan, are His body. That is to say that the sound-revelation of the Vedas and His personal form are nondifferent from each other. The word śāsvati (eternal) is used to counter the idea that these may be material. Bhagavan manifests as Parabrahman and as the sound that reveals Him, which means He is the source of both. He says in GITĀ 10.8, “I am the source of every- thing” (aham sarvasya prabhavaḥ). This verse is an elaboration on the Vedantic mahā-vakya, “Everything is Brahman” (sarvam khalv idam brahma, CHU 3.14.1). 2 Here Śrīdhara Svami is simply clarifying a grammatical irregularity.ford 832 88 Brahman Is Part of Bhagavan Sabda is the only valid means of knowledge in regard to tran- scendence, and hearing from realized beings is the first step in God- realization. Thus, the Śruti declares, “The Lord is the one to be real- ized. For this, one should hear of Him, reflect on Him and medi- tate on Him” (BAU 2.4.5). This mantra not only concludes that the purpose of human life is to realize Bhagavan, but also specifies the process. Brahma-bindu Upanisad also recommends: Two types of knowledge are worthy of investigation - sabda- brahma and param brahma. After thoroughly imbibing the truth of sabda-brahma, one attains paraṁ brahma. (Brahma-bindu Upanisad 17)* It is easy to understand that sabda-brahma is part of Bhagavan. Sometimes it is described as His breath. Because the word tanu (form) is used both for sabda-brahma and the transcendental Brah- man, it is to be understood that both are parts or aspects of Bhaga- vān. This is called the rule of combining likes together, or sahacarya- nyaya. Although the word tanu generally means body or form, here it means energy. The noun tanu is derived from the verbal root √tan, which means to spread or extend. Because both sabda and Brahman have no form, here tanu would mean that both extend as energies of the Lord, and therefore, both are parts of the energetic Supreme Lord, Bhagavan. When the Lord says aham vai sarva-bhūtāni, “I am all living beings,” it does not mean that the living beings and Bhagavan are absolutely one. That would be ridiculous. The meaning is that Bhaga- van is immanent in all living beings. Though mangoes are wrapped in paper and packed in a wooden crate, they are still referred to as mangoes. The Smrti says: Śrī Hari is all living beings because He is within every being 3ătmă vă are draṣṭavyaḥ śrotavyo mantavyo nididhyäsitavyaḥ
- dve vidye veditavye tu sabda-brahma paraṁ ca yat sabda-brahmani niṣṇātaḥ param brahmadhigacchati haris tu sarva-bhūtāni tad-antaryam vyāpekṣayā 833 nky Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha Kṛṣṇa says, “The jñāni is My very Self” (jñāni tv ätmaiva me matam, GĪTĀ 7.18). Here again this does not imply that the jñāni and Bhagavan are absolutely one without distinction, but that the jñāni is very dear to the Lord because he is established in awareness of Him. Here the word ātmā is used to indicate the oneness of love and not indiscriminate identity of being. The following anuccheda explains that because Brahman is part of Bhagavan, it is considered to be His vibhuti or magnificence. uhvid-no-8) In this portion of th unny brow brit sausos lend wal roos Indray add rond aanb algrams za braks thod tarbeam Blow than tot om over gnil the me I hold ride her than even of Brody en vegale bar and givit silt milyon gera er ef glassinadavol as or borister [fite se vodi ter nanowny babe bagi 834
- A small spathantong away 30 sterli am to sonsque ad id habulom at hendes to song Easledioro Many story colrounb dyno The Jinilg enrages of bear on thilggs be to asinsgas boibadia s axa os daw blunde og sve Anuccheda 89 ghusl dreams sds to sastal sift ei ait upo6 Brahman Is the Attributeless Magnificence of Bhagavan Lisa uvedbi 2 Mizalimiz oh sel B ८९ । अतो भगवतोऽसम्यक्प्रकाशत्वाद् विभूतिनिर्विशेषमेव तदित्यप्याह (भा० ८।२४।३८) THEREFORE, since Brahman is the incomplete manifestation of Bhagavan, Śrī Matsyadeva described it to King Satyavrata as the attributeless opulence of Bhagavan: मदीयं महिमानं च परब्रह्मेति शब्दितम् । •••वेत्स्यस्यनुगृहीतं मे सम्प्रश्नैर्विवृतं हृदि ।। ४०७ ।। lgibroming You will know My glory, which is celebrated as Parabrahman, for it will be thoroughly revealed to you within your heart, both as a oncresult of your own profound inquiry and My mercy. (SB 8.24.38)1 महिमानमैश्वर्यं विभूतिर्निर्विशेषमिति यावत् । अत एव मे मया अनुगृहीतमनुग्रहेण प्रका- शितं हृद्यपरोक्षं वेत्स्यसि । त्वया कृतैः सम्प्रश्नैर्मया विवृतमिति । स तु यद्यपि मदनुभवान्त- र्भूत एव स तु ब्रह्मानुभव इत्यतो नास्ति मत्तः पृथगनुभवापेक्षा तथापि भक्तिप्रकाशितसा- क्षान्मदनुभवे तन्मात्रानुभवो न स्फुटो भवति । यदि तदीयस्फुटतायां तवेच्छा कथञ्चिद् वर्तते तदा सापि भवेदिति भावः । Mahima means aiśvarya, that is, opulence without manifest attributes (nirviśesa). Therefore, by My mercy (anugrhita), it will manifest in your heart (hrdi), meaning you will experience it directly (vetsyasi) in the trans-egoic state (aparoksa). Because madīyaṁ mahimānaṁ ca para-brahmeti sabditam vetsyasy anugṛhitam me sampraśnair vivṛtam hrdi 835 Śri Bhagavat Sandarbha of your profound inquiry, I will explain it to you. As the experi- ence of Brahman is included within the experience of Me, there is no need to experience anything other than Me. Nevertheless, in the direct experience of Me, made explicit through devotion, the singular perception of Brahman is not very explicit. Still, if ever you should wish to experience it clearly, then that will also occur. This is the intent of the passage. अत एव (भा० १० । ४६।३१) — Similarly, Śri Uddhava said: एतौ हि विश्वस्य च बीजयोनी रामो मुकुन्दः पुरुषः प्रधानम् । अन्वीय भूतेषु विलक्षणस्य ज्ञानस्य चेशात इमौ पुराणौ ॥ ४०८ ॥ (इति श्रीमदुद्धववाक्यम् । To noitstast REVERED8 These two Lords, Mukunda and Balarama, are each the life-giving seed [i.e., the efficient cause] and the womb [i.e., the material cause] of the cosmos, both conscious creator (purusa) and inert primordial nature (pradhana). They enter the hearts of living beings and regulate them as well as unqualified Brahman. They are the primeval Supreme. (SB 10.46.31)2 ज्ञानस्येत्येकवचनातेकं ब्रह्मैवोच्यत इति ॥ श्रीमत्स्यदेवः सत्यव्रतम् ॥ ses diod w Loy os bal ES In this verse, the term jñānasya, of knowledge, refers to one Brahman because it is in the singular. Commentary ESTR SECTION 7 DESCRIBED BRAHMAN as indeterminate knowledge of Bhagavan. Śrī Matsyadeva here confirms this in speaking to King Satyavrata. The Lord refers to Brahman as His glory or opulence (mahima). Just as fire has brilliance or sugar has whiteness, the Lord has Brahman as His quality. Logically, qualities do not contain biogs-anssi sda ni (iznyar 2 etau hi viśvasya ca bija-yonī rāmo mukundaḥ puruṣaḥ pradhanam anviya bhūteṣu vilakṣaṇasya jñānasya ceśāta imau puraṇau 3 See also Section 3 for more on indeterminate knowledge. 836 89 Brahman Is the Attributeless Magnificence of Bhagavan other qualities. Similarly, Brahman, being a quality of Bhagavan, is nirviseșa, without attributes. Though the whiteness in sugar is not different from the sugar, one nevertheless cannot experience it independently; similarly, Brahman is not independent of Bhagavan. Thus, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmī comments that the experience of Brahman is not independent of the experience of Bhagavan. A man who is overly attached to eating sugar candy may not pay any heed to its whiteness. Though he is aware that it is white, he may remain quite oblivious to it, because he is not drawn to that fea- ture. In fact, diverting attention to its color would be considered an obstruction to his deep absorption in its taste. Similarly, when the self is drawn through devotion to the complete personal Absolute, Bhagavan, he becomes disinterested in Brahman. He not only has no interest in it, but even considers it distasteful, because it deprives one of the taste of devotion. If, however, a devotee should somehow develop a desire to realize Brahman, owing to the association of an ātmārāma, the Lord may provide him this experience at some time. When Śrī Kṛṣṇa sent Uddhava to Vraja with a message for the gopis, he spoke to Nanda and Mother Yasoda the verse quoted in this section (SB 10.46.31), which states that Brahman is controlled by Krsna and Balarama. 6179180 In this verse, jñāna, being in the singular, does not refer to the liv- ing beings, since they are many. Therefore, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmī says that jñāna here means Brahman. This is also confirmed by its adjec- tive vilakṣaṇa, or that which is distinct from the living beings. Brah- man is sometimes called jñāna, as in the Śruti, “Brahman is truth, awareness and infinity” (satyam jñānam anantaṁ brahma, TU 2.1). In the following section Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi will cite further references to show that Brahman is the vibhuti of Śrī Kṛṣṇa. 10 (sy
- निमनि S 837 obedn of magiddoniauptgoed had the updo ence of Brahman is incluiled schon solo Hayeren metsath some lingurit sini adigunt Anuccheda 90 gade to mobi Brahman Is the Opulence of Bhagavān od sildw ai ti tet as bonshianos ad blow tolos all of noi ९० । तथा च विभूतिप्रसङ्ग एव (भा० ११ । १६ । ३७ ) - arulbad A 08190 SIMILARLY, while describing His opulences, Śrī Kṛṣṇa said:d Wor ПЕ ni पृथिवी वायुराकाश आपो ज्योतिरहं महान् । विकारः पुरुषोऽव्यक्तं रजः सत्त्वं तमः परम् ॥ ४०९ ।। aud dini vent br I am earth, water, fire, air and sky, the empirical “I-principle” [the material ego], the mahat-tattva, the causal elements, the liv- ing entity, material nature, the gunas of illumination, dynamism and inertia, and the transcendental Brahman. (SB 11.16.37)1988 टीका च - परं ब्रह्म च । इत्येषा । g at guiod snbnis Śrīdhara Svāmi also comments: “[Śrī Kṛṣṇa said,] ‘And I am para,’ which means Brahman.” अत एव श्रीवैष्णवसाम्प्रदायिकैः श्रीमद्भिरालबन्दाराचार्यमहानुभवचरणैरप्युक्तम्– ndai bis CADD Therefore, the reverend Śrīmān Alabandāra Acārya (Yamunācā- rya) of the Śrī Vaiṣṇava sampradaya has sung: wadeshing यदण्डमण्डान्तरगोचरं च यद्दशोत्तराण्यवरणानि यानि च । गुणाः प्रधानं पुरुषः परं पदं परात् परं ब्रह्म च ते विभूतयः ॥ ४१० ॥ इति । 1 pṛthivi vayur ākāśa apo jyotir ahaṁ mahān vikäraḥ puruso’vyaktam rajaḥ sattvam tamaḥ param 838 90 Brahman Is the Opulence of Bhagavan O Lord, the universal egg, everything inside it, its ten coverings, the three gunas, the unmanifest primordial nature (pradhana), ov the conscious beings (purusa), the supreme destination (param padam) and Parabrahman, which lies behind the beyond, are all Your opulences? पैङ्गश्रुतावपि तद्गणपातित्वेन श्रूयते “एष पुरुष एष प्रकृतिरेष आत्मैष ब्रह्मैष लोक एष अलोक एष योऽसौ हरिरादिरनादिरन्तोऽनन्तः परमः पराद् विश्वरूपः” इति ॥ श्रीभगवान् ।। Painga-śruti also counts Brahman as part of Bhagavan: “This puruşa, this prakṛti, this ātmā, this Brahman, this world and the worlds beyond sight, are Śrī Hari, who has no beginning and no end, who is within everything, beyond everything and also manifests the universal form.“3 Commentary IN THIS SECTION, ŚRILA JIVA GOSVĀMI cites Śruti (Painga), Smrti (Srimad Bhagavatam) and sadhu-pramāņa (Śrī Yamunācārya) to prove that Brahman is the opulence of Bhagavan and thus subor- dinate to Him. In chapter 16 of the Eleventh Canto, Śrī Kṛṣṇa enumerates His opulences while speaking to Uddhava. The verse quoted above is a summary, which explains that everything from the grossest element (earth) up to Brahman is an opulence of Bhagavan. He is the source of everything, including Brahman. Alabandārācarya, popularly known as Yamunācārya, is the parama-guru of Śrī Rāmānujacārya. He wrote a famous prayer glo- rifying Bhagavan, called Stotra-ratna. Painga-śruti is not available yad andam andḍäntara-gocaram ca yad daśottarany avaraṇāni yani ca gunaḥ pradhanam puruṣaḥ param padam parat param brahma ca te vibhutayaḥ Stotra-ratna 14 eşa purusa esa prakṛtir eşa atmaiṣa brahmaiṣa loka eṣa aloka eşa yo’sau harir ādir anadir anto’nantah paramaḥ parād viśva-rupaḥ Quoted by Madhva in Brahma-sutra-bhāṣya. 839Preko Śri Bhagavat Sandarbha at present. All that is known of it are those passages quoted in the works of previous ācāryas.ming linemasdang sendi adi ason) nolanaitesb satorque ads() is also ad Il mehnoyed as halded soild derde bite (mahing air” navegada to 11sq es name is als tunt-opning eds bas blow side smiles and an aids frolongat ang bas gninaiged on end odwal 2 sa adgie broyed abltow oale bus goldwavs braved goidtgrave nidhiwa odw bars on mol Izenay Irma Jeghics) und esti IMAуou made purp selovode haroup by on dbb0 of anislasqa olid ascusiun insulo 129220 di mol guidtydziale dovremmo adeltava ton al hud-opioida bolas La 840 aterina al some mod did all seme ano kayo THỐI TÁ -gos Jnemeln Anuccheda 91 Brahman Is the Lord’s Bodily Effulgence 99 Hond all bac ९१ | अतो ब्रह्मरूपे प्रकाशे तद्वैशिष्ट्यानुपलम्भनात् तत्प्रभावत्वलक्षणमपि तस्य व्यपदि- श्यते “रूपं यत्तत् प्राहुरव्यक्तमाद्यं ब्रह्मज्योतिः” (भा० १० । ३ । २४) इत्यादि । BECAUSE THE VARIEGATEDNESS OF THE LORD is not evident in the Brahman effulgence, it is therefore also referred to as the glow of the Lord. As in Mother Devaki’s prayers to Kṛṣṇa: “This form is said to be the unmanifest, the original, the effulgence of Brahman (brahma-jyoti), beyond the material gunas and without transformation” (SB 10.3.24).sa ब्रह्मैव ज्योतिः प्रभा यस्य तथाभूतं रूपं श्रीविग्रहम् । तथा चोक्तं ब्रह्मसंहितायाम् (५।४०) - Brahman is the effulgence (brahma-jyoti) emanating from the Lord’s transcendental form. Brahma-samhita similarly states: यस्य प्रभा प्रभवतो जगदण्डकोटिकोटिष्वशेषवसुधादिविभूतिभिन्नम् । तद्ब्रह्म निष्कलमनन्तमशेषभूतं गोविन्दमादिपुरुषं तमहं भजामि ॥ ४११ ॥ इति ॥ श्रीदेवकी श्रीभगवन्तम् ॥ In th es descr ya I worship Govinda, the Original Person, whose effulgence is the nondifferentiated, unlimited, all-pervading Brahman, distinct from the infinity of glories of the mundane universe, containing planets such as the Earth. (Brahma-samhita 5.40)2 rupaṁ yat tat prahur avyaktam ādyaṁ brahma-jyotiḥ yasya prabha prabhavato jagad-anda-koti- kotiṣv aseṣa-vasudhadi-vibhuti-bhinnam tad brahma nişkalam anantam aśeṣa-bhūtam govindam ādi-puruşam tam aham bhajāmi 841 Commentary Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha AT NIGHT, WHEN ONE SEES a light bulb from a distance, it appears like a mass of light. When viewed up close, however, one recog- nizes its distinguishing features - the glass covering, the filament, the metal end and so on. In the same way, the Lord appears like an undistinguished mass of luminosity to the jñānis, and thus scrip- tures sometimes describe God-realization as the experience of the Lord’s bodily effulgence (brahma-jyoti). Bhagavan is dharmi or the Entity who encompasses attributes within His fold, and His brah- man effulgence is dharma or the encompassed attribute. Śrī Brahmā confirmed this in his prayers to Kṛṣṇa in the verse from Brahma- samhitä. Just as variety is not distinguished in a mass of light, similarly Brahman is nirviseṣa. Niskala means that Brahman has no parts. Because it is without limit, it is called ananta. Another point to be noted is that in the word “Brahman effulgence” (brahma-jyoti), the effulgence itself is Brahman and vice versa. It is not that the efful- gence is a quality of Brahman, which would imply that Brahman is separate from the effulgence. If Brahman is to be understood as the possessor of effulgence, then Brahman would mean Bhagavan. In the following anuccheda, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi will give numer- ous references to show that Bhagavan exceeds Brahman. th estste vlielimis 842 guiadas vian sochnum se lo estralyaniyda m Hos bidma mila) dext a aldst of brow to idrott ady to garraioasetas Anuccheda 92 Scriptures Describe Bhagavan As beyond Brahman Pellinia ९२ । अतो ब्रह्मणः परत्वेन श्रीभगवन्तं कण्ठोक्त्यैवाह (भा० ४ । २४ । २८) - que am THEREFORE, ŚRI RUDRA TESTIFIED explicitly to the Pracetas that Bhagavan is beyond Brahman: यः परं रहसः साक्षात् त्रिगुणाज् जीवसञ्ज्ञितात् । भगवन्तं वासुदेवं प्रपन्नः स प्रियो हि मे ॥ ४१२ ॥ A person who is surrendered directly to Bhagavan Vasudeva, who is transcendental to the living entity, to the three gunas and even and to the Mystery [i.e., the Supreme Brahman], is very dear to me. (SB 4.24.28)1 THE “पित्रानुवर्णितरहाः” (भा० ३ | १५ | ४६ ) इति श्रवणेन रहो ब्रह्म तस्मादपि परं ततः सुतरां त्रिगुणात् प्रधानाज् जीवसञ्ज्ञितात् जीवात्मनः परं भगवन्तं यः साक्षात् श्रवणादिनैव न तु कर्मार्पणादिना प्रपन्न इत्यन्वयः । In the phrase, “the mysteries described by our father” (pitrānu- varnita-rahāḥ, SB 3.15.46), the word rahas (mystery) meant Brah- man. Since Bhagavan is beyond even this Brahman, it naturally follows that He is transcendental to pradhana, consisting of the three gunas, and to the living entity (the jiva). One who surren- ders to Him “directly,” i.e., by engaging in acts of intrinsic devo- tion, such as hearing about Him, and not merely through the yah param rahasaḥ sākṣāt triguṇāj jiva-sañjñitāt bhagavantaṁ vasudevam prapannaḥ sa priyo hi mentr 843 Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha extraneous offering of the fruits of work [is dear to me]. This is the natural syntax of the sentence. तथा च विष्णुधर्मे नरकद्वादशीव्रते श्रीविष्णुस्तवः - Similarly, in Vişnu-dharma Purana, in the narration of the vow of naraka-dvādaśī, a hymn glorifying Śrī Visņu states: आकाशादिषु शब्दादौ श्रोत्रादौ महदादिषु । प्रकृतौ पुरुषे चैव ब्रह्मण्यपि च स प्रभुः || ४१३ || येनैक एव सर्वात्मा वासुदेवो व्यवस्थितः । तेन सत्येन मे पापं नरकार्तिप्रदं क्षयम् । प्रयातु सुकृतस्यास्तु ममानुदिवसं जयः ॥ ४१४ ॥ इति VIDE 166 (52) The one Supreme Lord Vasudeva, the Immanent Self of all selves, permeates the elements, such as the sky; the subtle elements, such as sound; the senses, like the ear; the mahat, prakrti, puruşa and also Brahman. Let my root sin [of non-awareness of Him], which is the cause of hellish misery, be undone by understand- ing this truth, and may I, who am harmonized with virtue, grow ever-victorious in Spirit with each passing day? अत्र प्रकरणानुरूप्येण सर्वात्मशब्देन चान्यथा समाधानं च पराहतम् । तथा च तत्रोत्तरं क्षत्रबन्धूपाख्याने– In the last verse of this selection, the word sarvātmā, “the Imma- nent Self of all Selves,” cannot be interpreted in any other manner because of the context. Similarly, later in the narrative of Ksatra- bandhu, it is stated: -unti asdist woo yo beding यन्मयं परमं ब्रह्म तदव्यक्तं च यन्मयम् । 4:11824 11 यन्मयं व्यक्तमप्येतद् भविष्यामि हि तन्मयः || ४१५ || इति । 2ākāśādiṣu śabdadau śrotradau mahad-ādiṣu prakṛtau puruşe caiva brahmany api ca sa prabhuḥ yenaika eva sarvātmā vāsudevo vyavasthitaḥ tena satyena me papaṁ narakārti-pradaṁ kṣayam prayātu sukṛtasyāstu mamänudivasam jayaḥ grain SH terti pwn int 844 92 Scriptures Describe Bhagavan As beyond Brahman [By performing devotional service,] I will attain the same natureAV as the Lord, who permeates the Parabrahman, the manifest cosmos and the unmanifest material nature.3 तत्रैव मासर्क्षपूजाप्रसङ्गे ततः परत्वं स्फुटमेवोक्तम्– In the same Viṣṇu-dharma Purana, in the description of the wor- ship of the lunar asterisms, it is clearly stated that Bhagavan includes and transcends Brahman: asabual to rin यथाच्युतस्त्वं परतः परस्मात् स ब्रह्मभूतात् परमः परात्मन् । (2) तथाच्युत त्वं वाञ्छितं तन् ममापदं चापहराप्रमेय ॥ ४१६ ॥ इति । at O immeasurable Lord Acyuta, O Supreme Self! You are transcen-d dental even to Parabrahman, which is beyond everything in the material world. O Acyuta, please fulfill my aspiration and dispel my misery.* श्रीविष्णुपुराणे च “स ब्रह्मपारः परपारभूतः” (वि० पु० १।१५।५५) इति ।“अक्षरात् परतः परः” ( मु० २।१।२) इति श्रुतेः ॥ श्रीरुद्रः प्रचेतसः ॥ VP 1.15.55 also declares, “You are beyond Brahman, the Supreme Transcendence,” and the Śruti instructs, “The Lord is beyond imperishable Brahman” (MUU 2.1.2). Commentary IN THIS SECTION, ŚRILA JIVA GOSVĀMĪ CITES more references that directly describe Bhagavan as inclusive of and exceeding Brahman. The principal verse is spoken by Śri Rudra to the Pracetas, who were ordered by their father, Prācīnabarhi, to create progeny. Lord Siva appeared and blessed them by teaching them to worship Bhagavan 3 yan-mayam paramam brahma tad-avyaktam ca yan-mayam yan-mayaṁ vyaktam apy etad bhaviṣyami hi tan-mayaḥ yathacyutas tvaṁ parataḥ parasmat sa brahma-bhūtāt paramaḥ parātman tathācyuta tvaṁ väñchitam tan mamapadaṁ capaharaprameya sa brahma-pāraḥ para-para-bhūtaḥ akṣarat parataḥ parah 845 main bŚri Bhagavat Sandarbha Vasudeva by reciting the Rudra-gītā, after which they performed aus- terities under the sea for ten thousand years. odw brod sda 26 In this verse, the word rahas (mystery) means Brahman. As we saw in Section 79.11, the Kumāras used the same term to indicate Brahman when they informed Śrī Viṣṇu that Brahma had instructed them in knowledge of Brahman (pitränuvarṇita-rahāḥ, SB 3.15.46). According to Medini lexicon, one meaning of rahas is Absolute Reality, “Rahas means tattva, conjugal relation and secret” (rahas tattve rate guhye, Medini 32.31). Therefore, the meaning of Rudra’s statement, param rahasaḥ, is that the Lord is beyond Brahman. The other meanings of rahas are not applicable here because Rudra states that the Lord is beyond the three gunas, triguṇāt. This means that the rahas referred to here does not belong to the three gunas, but is beyond them; otherwise, there would be no need to state it explicitly. Similarly, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmī gives numerous references from the Purānas and the Upanisads that confirm Rudra’s statement. Śrī Kṛṣṇa also told Arjuna: Since I am beyond both the perishable [the living beings] and the imperishable [Brahman], I am known both in the Vedic literature and among the people of the world as Purusottama, the Supreme browed Person. (GĪTĀ 15.18)” In Kṛṣṇa’s statement, the word kṣara refers to the conditioned liv- ing beings, and akşara refers to Brahman. This is clear from Kṛṣṇa’s earlier statement, “All living beings are called perishable, and Brah- man, which is changeless (kūṭastha), is imperishable” (GĪTĀ 15.16). Therefore, in his commentary on GĪTĀ 15.18, Śrīla Viśvanatha Cakravarti Thakura writes, “Śrī Kṛṣṇa is beyond the living beings, beyond the imperishable Brahman, and beyond even the unchanging Paramātmā, known as Purusa.” 8 9 In the verses cited from Vişņu-dharma Purāṇa, the words yasmat kṣaram atito ‘ham akṣarad api cottamah ato’smi loke vede ca prathitaḥ purusottamaḥ kṣaraḥ sarvāni bhūtāni kutaṣṭho’kṣara ucyate kṣaram puruṣam jivātmānam atitaḥ akṣarat puruṣāt brahmataḥ uttamat avikārāt paramätmanah puruşăd api uttamaḥ 846 92 Scriptures Describe Bhagavan As beyond Brahman sarvātmā and vasudeva can be misinterpreted to mean complete consciousness and all-pervading consciousness, respectively. But that would not fit the context, which is a description of the dvādaśī- vrata for the pleasure of Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Moreover, words such as sa (he) and prabhu (the Lord) directly refer to a person. The partial verse cited from Vişņu Purāņa was spoken by Soma, the moon god, to the Pracetas. The complete verse is as follows: e is as follows: Śrī Visnu is beyond the cosmos, beyond the totality of finite and infi- nite potencies, beyond cause, and the embodiment of the substan- tiality of the beyond. He is beyond Brahman for He lies perpetually behind the beyond. He is beyond all liberated beings and beyond even all-conquering Time. (VP 1.15.55)10 This verse clearly describes that Bhagavan is beyond everything, including Brahman. This is also confirmed by the statements of the Śruti, “Nothing is equal or superior to the Supreme Lord” (na tat- samas cabhyadhikaś ca dṛśyate, śu 6.8). In the following anuccheda, Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmi will analyze the Śruti-stuti prayers from the Tenth Canto. He begins with an analysis of the Bhrgu-valli section of Taittiriya Upanisad to show how it too establishes the supremacy of Bhagavan over Brahman. The Advai- tavādīs consider the Upanisads and the Vedanta-sutra as the highest authority and build their theory of Brahman based on them. There- fore, to quell all opposition and dispel all lurking doubts, he will now show how all the prasthana-trayi, namely, Vedanta-sūtra, Upanisads and Bhagavad Gitä, unanimously proclaim Bhagavan as Supreme. The The bow T abild of bailed 10 param param vişnur apărapära-pāraḥ paraḥ parebhyaḥ paramartha-rūpin sa brahma-pāraḥ para-para-bhūtaḥ paraḥ parāṇāmapi para-pāraḥ 847 dalgo males financim ad na babu bab tartoz Pohlich pro nobhasha dado altor of wow d doun abrow as 10Mam (sd) p Anuccheda 93 Bhagavan Is the Shelter of Everything, Including Brahman 93.1 ९३ । तदेवमेवाभिप्रायेण “स वा एष पुरुषोऽन्नरसमयः” ( तै०२।१) इत्यादावन्तरङ्गान्त- रङ्गैकैकात्म्यकथनान्ते “इदं पुच्छं प्रतिष्ठा” ( तै०२।१) “पृथिवी पुच्छं प्रतिष्ठा” ( तै०२।२) “अथर्वाङ्गिरसः पुच्छं प्रतिष्ठा” ( तै० २।३) “महः पुच्छं प्रतिष्ठा” (तै० २।४) “ब्रह्म पुच्छं प्रतिष्ठा” ( तै० २।५) इति श्रुत्युक्तायाः पञ्चम्या अपि प्रतिष्ठाया उपरि । IT IS WITH THE SAME INTENTION of showing that Bhagavan is superior to Brahman that Taittiriya Upanisad describes the puruşa as being one in essence with successively more and more subtle items, beginning with the statement, “This puruşa is com- posed of the essence of food” (TU 2.1). The concluding statements of this description are successively, “This is the supporting tail"1 (TU 2.1), “The Earth is the supporting tail” (TU 2.2), “Atharvāngi- rasa [the hymns of Atharva-veda] are the supporting tail” (TU 2.3), “Mahaḥ2 is the supporting tail” (TU 2.4), and finally, “Brahman is the supporting tail” (TU 2.5)3 Bhagavan is superior even to Brah- man, the fifth and last of these supports described in TU 2.5. 1 The word “tail” (puccha) here is a metaphor which compares different degrees of perception of the purusa to birds, whose head, right wing, left wing and tail are compared to different things. Translations of the Upanisads, such as that by Max Müller, often avoid puccha and simply use the word that succeeds it, pratiṣṭhā (“seat” or “support”), which indicates the metaphorical intent. 2 Mahaḥ is translated in various ways, as “the great,” “intellect” (Müller), and “the material world” (Aurobindo). sa vă eșa puruşo’nna-rasa-mayaḥ idam puccham pratiṣṭhāda prthivi puccham pratiṣṭhā 848 93 Bhagavan Is the Shelter of Everything, Including Brahman श्रीगीतोपनिषदो यथा “ब्रह्मणो हि प्रतिष्ठाहम्” (गीता १४ । २७ ) इति । अत्र ब्रह्मशब्दसन्नि- हितप्रतिष्ठाशब्देन सा श्रुतिः स्मर्यते । ALATID) Toy auoly Śrī Kṛṣṇa says in Śrī Gita Upanisad, “I am the support of Brah- man” (GĪTĀ 14.27). The placement of the word pratiṣṭhā in near succession of the word brahma in this Gītā verse reminds one of the aforementioned Śruti passage [in which a nearly identical placement of words is found, brahma puccham pratiṣṭhā]. ततश्चैवमेव व्याख्येयं हिशब्दः (गीता १४।२७) - Therefore, the word hi [in GITA 14.27, indicative of cause] should be explained as confirming the same conclusion [i.e., should be understood as showing the reason why Bhagavan is superior to Brahman], because it indicates a causal relationship to the immediately preceding verse: मां च योऽव्यभिचारेण भक्तियोगेन सेवते । स गुणान् समतीत्यैतान् ब्रह्मभूयाय कल्पते ।। ४१७ ।। divino A person who serves Me alone through unswerving devotion, completely transcends these gunas of nature and becomes qualified to realize Brahman. (GĪTĀ 14.26)5 इत्यस्य निरन्तरप्राचीनवचनस्य हेतुताविवक्षया । अतो गुणातीतब्रह्मणः प्रकृतार्थत्वात् प्राचीनार्थहेतुवचनेऽस्मिन्नुपचारेण तच्छब्दस्य ब्रह्मशक्तिरूपं हिरण्यगर्भरूपं वा अर्थान्तर- मयुक्तं किन्त्वेवमेव युक्तम् । qu The topic under discussion in this section of Bhagavad Gită is Brahman, which is beyond the gunas. The current verse que atharvãngirasah puccham pratisthadi badiresh nemder Jeds to mahah puccham pratistha aman used and neradsident silt souls brahma puccham pratisthă brahmano hi pratisthāham amṛtasyavyayasya cabo ylbstances poled peab śāśvatasya ca dharmasya sukhasyaikantikasya capa mam ca yo’vyabhicāreņa bhakti-yogena sevate sa gunan samatityaitan brahma-bhūyāya kalpate 849Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha (GĪTĀ 14.27) explains the reason why Brahman is attained by ren- dering service to Bhagavan, a fact that was mentioned in the pre- vious verse (GĪTĀ 14.26). Therefore, [in Kṛṣṇa’s statement, “I am the basis of Brahman”] it would be inappropriate to interpret Brahman reductively as, “the śakti of Brahman,” or as, “Hiranya- garbha” [as if to say that Kṛṣṇa is not the basis of Transcendental Brahman but only of the śakti of Brahman. This interpretation, however, would not explain how Brahman is attained by service to Bhagavan]. So, only the above meaning is fitting, as shall be elaborated below. bluoda paus यथा – ननु त्वद्भक्त्या कथं निर्गुणब्रह्मधर्मप्राप्तिः सा तु त्वदेकानुभवेन भवेत् ? An objection may be raised in regard to GĪTĀ 14.26: “How can one attain to the nature of qualityless Brahman by means of devo- tional service to You, Kṛṣṇa? Is not such an attainment possible only by the experience of oneness with Brahman?” तत्राह “ब्रह्मणो हि” इति । हि यस्मात् “ब्रह्मपुच्छं प्रतिष्ठा” ( तै० २।५।१) परमप्रतिष्ठत्वेन श्रुतौ यत् प्रसिद्धं तच् च तस्यामेव श्रुतौ आनन्दमयाङ्गत्वेन दर्शितम् । तस्य पुच्छत्वरूपितब्र- ह्मणः “आनन्दमयोऽभ्यासात्” (ब्र० सू० १ । १ । १२) इति सूत्रकारसम्मतपरब्रह्मभाव आनन्द- मयाख्यः प्रचुरप्रकाशो रविरितिवत् प्रचुरश्चानन्दरूपः श्रीभगवानहं प्रतिष्ठा । To answer this doubt, Śrī Kṛṣṇa speaks the next verse, “It is so because I am the support of Brahman.” In this statement, hi means because. That Brahman which is celebrated as the supreme support in the Śruti passage, “Brahman is the sup- porting tail” (brahma puccham pratiṣṭhā, TU 2.5.1), is shown in the very same Śruti to be [just one of] the limbs of the Bliss- ful One (anandamaya-puruşa). “I, Bhagavan, am the support of that Brahman,” described there metaphorically as a tail, since the Parabrahman has been named “the Blissful One,” in accordance with the author of Brahma-sutra, “Brahman is anan- damaya, being repeatedly referred to as such” (vs 1.1.12),” and “I “This is a reference to one of Sankarācārya’s interpretations of the verse. He calls it savikalpaka-brahma. “ananda-mayo’bhyasät 93 Bhagavan Is the Shelter of Everything, Including Brahman am the form of that abundant bliss, just as the sun is the form of abundant light.” यद्यपि ब्रह्मणो मम च न भिन्नवस्तुत्वं तथापि श्रीभगवद्रूपेणैवोदिते मयि प्रतिष्ठात्वस्य परा काष्ठेत्यर्थः – स्वरूपशक्तिप्रकाशेनैव स्वरूपप्रकाशस्याप्याधिक्यार्हत्वात् निर्विशेषब्र- ह्मप्रकाशस्याप्युपरि श्रीभगवत्प्रकाशश्रवणात् । The import of the above is that though I [Śrī Kṛṣṇa] and Brahman are not different in substance, the existential condition of being the support (pratiṣṭhā) for subsumed dimensions of being finds its ultimate expression only in Me, as I appear in the aspect of Bha- gavan. This is befitting, because it is only through the manifesta- tion of the “essential potency” (svarupa-śakti) that the “essential nature” (svarupa) too manifests its feature of highest completion. For this reason scriptures declare that the Bhagavan feature is superior even to that of unqualified Brahman. अत एकस्यापि वस्तुनस्तथा तथा प्रकाशभेदो रजनीखण्डिनो ज्योतिषो मार्तण्डमण्डलत- गतगभस्तिभेदवदुत्प्रेक्ष्यः । So, even a single object has different manifestations as such, just as the night-destroying luminous sun is metaphorically said (utprekṣya) to have different manifestations, such as its orb and the rays that emanate from it. अतो ब्रह्मप्रकाशस्यापि मदधीनत्वात् कैवल्यकामनया कृतेन मद्भजनेन ब्रह्मणि लीयमानो ब्रह्मधर्ममपि प्राप्नोतीत्यर्थः । Therefore, since the Brahman manifestation is dependent on Me, a person can attain the nature of Brahman by merging into it through devotion to Me, performed with a desire to attain to attain kaivalya, or oneness. This is the intent of the verse. अत्र श्रीविष्णुपुराणमपि सम्प्रवदते “शुभाश्रयः स चित्तस्य सवर्गस्य तथात्मनः” (वि० पु० ६/७/७५) इति । In this regard, Visņu Purana distinctly states: “He is the auspi- cious shelter of the all-pervading Self, which is pure conscious- ness” (VP 6.7.75) subhasrayaḥ sa cittasya sarvagasya tathātmanaḥ 850 851 mnes quibulon Śri Bhagavat Sandarbhatsgeld व्याख्यातं च तत्रापि स्वामिभिः “सर्वगस्यात्मनः परब्रह्मणोऽप्याश्रयः प्रतिष्ठा” । तदुक्तं भगवता “ब्रह्मणो हि प्रतिष्ठाहम्” (गीता १४ । २७ ) इति । Śrīdhara Svāmī comments: “The phrase ‘of the all-pervading ātmā’ means ‘of Parabrahman.’ He is the shelter (aśraya), or in other words, the support (pratistha) even of that Parabrahman. This is stated by the Lord Himself, ‘I am the support of Brahman’ (GĪTĀ 14.27). JOE 916 अत्र च तैर्व्याख्यातम् – ब्रह्मणोऽहं प्रतिष्ठा घनीभूतं ब्रह्मैवाहम् । यथा घनीभूतप्रकाश एव सूर्यमण्डलं तद्वदित्यर्थः इति । qqs 126 3M niylonal divino al ti saus Here too, Śrīdhara Svāmi comments: “[Śrī Kṛṣṇa said,] ‘I am the pratiṣṭhā of Brahman,’ meaning that ‘I am nothing but densely compacted Brahman,’ just as the sun orb is nothing but dense light.” 16 अत्र च्विप्रत्ययस्तु तदुपासकहृदि तत्प्रकाशस्याभूतत्वं ब्रह्मण उपचर्यते इतीत्थमेव । 10 The cvi suffix1o is used here [in the word ghani-bhūta] only figura- tively to signify that previously, Bhagavan was not yet manifest in the heart of the worshipers of Brahman, since at that time they were attentive only to Brahman. अत्रैव “प्रतिष्ठा प्रतिमा” इति टीका मत्सरकल्पिता । न हि तत्कृता असम्बन्धत्वात् । न हि निराकारस्य ब्रह्मणः प्रतिमा सम्भवति । न च तत्प्रकाशस्य प्रतिमा सूर्यः । न च " अमृतस्या- व्ययस्य " (गीता १४ । २७ ) इत्याद्यनन्तरपादत्रयोक्तानां मोक्षादीनां प्रतिमात्वं घटते । न वा श्रुतिशैलीविष्णुपुराणयोः संवादितास्ति । तस्मान् न सादरणीया । यदि वादरणीया तदा तच्छब्देनाप्याश्रय एव वाचनीयः । प्रति लक्ष्यीकृत्य माति परिमितं भवति यत्रेति । Some people read pratima (representation) in place of pratiṣṭhā in Śrīdhara Svāmi’s commentary. This is the product of imagina- tion spurred by hostility, and was certainly not written by him, 9 brahmano’ham pratistha ghanībhūtam brahmaivaham. yatha ghanībhūta-prakāśa eva surya-maṇḍalam tadvad ity arthaḥ. Śrīdhara Svāmi’s comment on GĪTA 14.27. 10 The cvi-pratyaya is used to indicate the transformation of one thing into another by adding the suffix -i to an existing noun or adjective and joining it to a form of the verb “to become” (bhu) or “to make” (kr). In this case, ghani-bhūta would mean “becoming dense,” and so it could be conjectured that Śrīdhara Svami’s intention is to say that Bhagavan is a transformation of Brahman. 852 93 Bhagavan Is the Shelter of Everything, Including Brahman as it does not fit the context. It is not possible for there to be a representational form of the formless Brahman, any more than the sun is a representational form of its own light. Nor is it pos- sible to say that the Lord is the representative image (pratima) of liberation, signified by immortality (amṛtatvasya), imperishabil- ity (avyayasya) and other terms appearing in the three remain- ing lines of the verse.” Such an explanation does not accord with the [earlier quoted] statements of the Śruti and Visnu Purāṇa. So this gloss of pratiṣṭhā as pratimă should not be regarded as valid. If it is to be so accepted, however, it should be interpreted only in the sense of aśraya, “the repository, or in other words, the per- son or form in whom Brahman subsists.” The word pratimă would then have to be understood according to its etymological deriva- tion, giving the sense of “measuring” (mati), i.e., delimiting the entity that is being designated (prati).“12 Commentary as bad foesb de Bite fw bild’s of bankr brinem adt dquodle,zzoladriveй list bis nod driveй list bas nodose bin griw ni IN THIS SECTION, ŚRILA JIVA GOSVĀMI QUOTES a verse from the prayers by the personified Vedas and uses it to analyze statements from Taittiriya Upanisad in order to prove that Bhagavān is the supreme shelter of Brahman. The second chapter of Taittiriya Upanisad is called Ananda-valli, or “The Creeper of Bliss;” it describes the Lord as the supreme mani- festation of joy. The first part of the chapter explains that Brahman is the support of everything, and the succeeding part describes the Lord as the shelter of the various levels of ananda. The Upanisad begins by defining Brahman through a gradual progression, first in terms of the gross body, followed by the vital-force (prāna), the mind (manas), the self or ātmā (vijñāna) and finally the blissful (ananda) sonitab (s. UT) bealr 11 brahmaṇo hi pratiṣṭhāham amṛtasyavyayasya caved ei doi śāśvatasya ca dharmasya sukhasyaikantikasya cativ sdu lo prati lakṣikṛtya mati parimitam bhavati yatreti In other words, “That by which the Lord, though immeasurable, becomes measured or contained.” enllo! 853 indian galbulan Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha agevo Supreme Self, which embodies the complete understanding of Brahman. monot stir to merol lenoiate9291091 30 This step-by-step method is called arundhati-pradarśana-nyāya, or “the technique of pointing out the star Arundhati.” It is customary in Vedic culture to show this star to a bride just after her marriage, as Arundhati is the protector of chaste womanhood. But it is not so easy to spot this star. To indicate it, the priest first points to the constella- tion called Saptarși (the Seven Sages), or Ursa Major. Next he points to one of the stars in Ursa Major, and finally to Arundhati, which is next to the star named Vasistha.vswod borganos o ad Similarly, it is not easy to grasp the concept of Brahman. Thus, the Śruti mercifully approaches the matter by drawing our atten- tion from gross matter, to subtle force and mind, to causal being, and beyond, till we are led, at last, to its complete manifestation, which encompasses all subsidiary levels of being. guisd af 18 ins In this analysis, as well as in the ones that follow, the body, mind and so on, are described as a purușa, or a person. The puruşa is com- pared to a bird, which consists of various parts: the head, left wing, right wing, mid-section and tail. Nevertheless, although the mantra apparently describes a bird’s body, the teaching must be applied to the human form, as it is meant for human beings. In this case, the left and right arms would represent the wings, and the posterior is compared to the tail. Just as the tail supports the bird, the lower body supports the upper. This is the meaning of pratiṣṭhā as used in the metaphor. The mid-section, referring to the chest, is the ātmā, because that is the most vital part of the body. The first mantra (TU 2.1) describes the puruşa as being made of the essence of food (anna-maya). The body is there described as the self, ayam ātmā. This understanding is for people who are attached to the body and consider it their very self. The body is neatly described as being made of food (anna-maya). Next, the Upanisad (TU 2.2) defines the purusa as the vital force (prāṇa-maya), which is beyond the anna-maya covering. The five divisions of the vital force that represent the five limbs are prāna, apāna, samāna, udana and vyāna. Their respective seats in the body are as follows: 854 93 Bhagavan Is the Shelter of Everything, Including Brahman Prāna is in the heart, apana in the anus, samana in the navel, udāna in the throat, and vyäna pervades the whole body! In the previous mantra, food was referred to as the basis of the body, but more important than food is the vital force, which is more subtle even than the breath. Life cannot be sustained even for a moment without the circulation of this force. Therefore, this mantra draws attention to the vital force that circulates within the subtle energy-matrix, interior to and hence beyond the physical body. 16 The next mantra (TU 2.3) describes the puruşa in terms of the mind (manas). The mind is interior to both the gross body and the vital force; it is like the ātmā for both of them, which is to say that they become animated through its influence. The word mano-maya refers to the mental body, which includes the mind, the material ego, intelligence and citta, or consciousness. The mayat suffix in mano-maya implies the predominance of the mind. Knowledge is attained by the action of the mind, or in other words, the mental body. Thus, śruti here refers to the knowledge found in these mental components. con absomal m But beyond the mental body is the vijñāna-maya self, which is conscious by nature and thus upholds knowledge. Therefore, the next mantra (TU 2.4) describes the puruşa as the self. The self is the ātmā (i.e., “the animating principle”) for all the previous purusas. Vijñāna-maya refers to the living being, the possessor of conscious- ness, and not just to consciousness proper. Its limbs, referred to by the words śraddha, ṛta, satya, yoga and mahas, are different aspects of knowledge. thened sdi The self is not self-supporting, rather its existence inheres in, and thus depends on, the Supreme Immanent Self, Paramātmā. The next mantra therefore describes the puruşa as the blissful Supreme Person (ananda-maya): a bhre Arth Apart from the individual self (vijñāna) there is another Self within, who is the embodiment of bliss. By this Self, the individual self is 13 hṛdi prano gude’panaḥ samano nabhi-mandale udanaḥ kantha-dese syad vyanaḥ sarva-sariragaḥ 855 da atbulo Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha egite Sapcompleted. He is immanent in the living being. He is also a per- son. Love (priya) is His head; amusement (moda), His right wing; and enjoyment (pramoda), the left. Bliss (ananda) is His self, and Brahman, His supportive tail. (TU 2.5)14 onmi srom tod The Upanisad has thus taught us about ultimate reality, lead- ing us from the gross body all the way to the Supreme Person, who is the innermost Self, encompassing all conscious selves and all dimensions of being. The word ananda-maya means full of bliss. It does not mean that the Supreme Person is merely a transformation of bliss. Thus, His head, wings and mid-section, i.e., moda, pramoda and so on, are also bliss. According to Śrī Ranga Ramanuja Muni, an ācārya in the Śrī Sampradaya, priya means the happiness of beholding the entity or object longed-for; moda, the joy of attaining that entity or object; pramoda, the joy of active engagement in regard to the entity or object, and ānanda means all-exceeding joy. This is the passage of the Upanisads referred to by the Vedanta-sutra when it says, “Brah- man is ananda-maya, being repeatedly referred to as such” (ananda- mayo’bhyāsāt, vs 1.1.12). This analysis from the Śruti describes each successive purusa as the ātmā of the previous purusa. But the ananda-maya-puruşa is the ātmā of them all, meaning that He is the one utterly complete Self in which everything else inheres. He is none other than Śrī Kṛṣṇa, as confirmed by Sukadeva Gosvāmi: You should know this Kṛṣṇa to be the original Self of all selves. For the benefit of the world, He has appeared here by His mercy, as though an embodied being. (SB 10.14.55)15-tonal Hoes Śrila Jiva Gosvāmī next turns to the phrase brahmano hi pratiṣṭhā- ham, found in GĪTĀ 14.27, and draws a connection between it and the 14 tasmad vā etasmad vijñānamayad anyo’ntara atma’nanda-mayah. tenaiṣa pūrṇaḥ. sa vă eșa puruṣa-vidha eva. tasya purusa-vidhatām anv ayam purusa-vidhaḥ, tasya priyam eva sirah. modo dakṣinah pakṣaḥ, pramoda uttaraḥ pakṣaḥ, ānanda ātmā. brahma puccham pratiṣṭhā. 15 kṛṣṇam enam avehi tvam ātmānam akhilātmanām jagad-dhitaya so’py atra dehīvābhāti māyayapa 856 93 Bhagavan Is the Shelter of Everything, Including Brahman Ananda-valli chapter of Taittiriya Upanisad that has just been sum- marized. As we have seen, the first five mantras of this chapter iden- tify five pratiṣṭhās, the last and most comprehensive of which was Brahman (brahma puccham pratistha). In the Gita verse, however, the Lord names a sixth pratiṣṭhā Himself, thus supplementing and completing Taittiriya Upanisad’s analysis. The Taittiriya mantra (TU 2.5) compares Brahman to the tail of the purușa. Like the other limbs of the blissful puruşa, Brahman is one of His parts. This means that Bhagavan is the Complete Whole and Brahman is subordinate to Him, being His limb or part. In a famous verse, Śankarācārya compares the Upanisads to a cow and Bhagavad Gita to its milk, or essence. Gopala Kṛṣṇa is the one extracting this immortality-giving nectar for the benefit of the whole cosmos. It is thus proper to say that Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s statement is a summary conclusion of the discussion found in the Ananda-valli chapter of Taittiriya Upanisad. As such, Lord Śri Krsna is superior to the fifth and topmost sup- port (pratistha), which is Brahman. Kṛṣṇa asserts this fact Him- self: “I am the support of Brahman” (brahmano hi pratisthäham, GĪTĀ 14.27). Here the Lord supplies the essence of the Taittiriya mantras cited above. Since Brahman is described as the supportive tail of the ananda-maya-puruşa, it cannot be considered material. But the Lord Himself is described as the whole, or in other words, as complete bliss, ananda-maya. Just as the sun has innumerable rays, but is itself a mass of light containing rays, similarly the Lord is the complete manifestation of bliss, and Brahman is a part of Him. There is no difference between Brahman and Kṛṣṇa, but Brah- man is without manifest energies. Therefore, Kṛṣṇa is a more encom- passing reality than Brahman, just as the sun is a more encompass- ing reality than its rays. Rays are dependent on and under the con- trol of the sun. Similarly, Brahman is dependent on and controlled by Śrī Kṛṣṇa. For this reason, one can attain Brahman realization through the worship of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, but it is never possible to attain 16 sarvopanisado gavo dogdha gopala-nandanaḥ partho vatsaḥ sudhir bhokta dugdham gītāmṛtam mahat 857 namama gullab Śri Bhagavat Sandarbhardc saluboŚrī Kṛṣṇa through meditation on Brahman. Indeed, one cannot even realize Brahman without the mercy of Śrī Kṛṣṇa.swa ber Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmī next goes on to discuss the meaning of brah- mano hi pratiṣṭhāham in the context of chapter 14 of Bhagavad Gitā. In GĪTĀ 14.21, Śrī Arjuna asked Śrī Kṛṣṇa how a person can become free from the three gunas of material nature. The Lord concluded his answer in GĪTĀ 14.26 by saying that through engagement in pure devotional service to Him, one can become free from the gunas and established in Brahman awareness. Kṛṣṇa then speaks the next verse in anticipation of the following doubt, “You are a person, and Brahman is a qualityless, energyless, imperceptible entity. How can one realize Brahman by worshiping You?” Krsna’s answer is that it is possible because He is the shelter of Brahman. To support this conclusion, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi refers to Śrīdhara Svāmi’s commentaries on both this Gītā verse and VP 6.7.75. In both these places, Śrīdhara Svämi accepts that Bhagavan encompasses the greatest vastitude of being, exceeding even that of Brahman, because He is the basis even of Brahman. However, in many editions of Sridhara Svāmi’s commentary on GĪTĀ 14.27, pratiṣṭhā is explained as the deity image, or pra- timă. This seems to be either an interpolation or the result of a scribal error, because unqualified Brahman cannot have a form. While commenting on VP 6.7.75, Śrīdhara Svāmī writes that pratiṣṭhā means shelter;” therefore, it is unlikely that he would translate it as “image” or “deity” in his Bhagavad Gita commentary when such an interpretation is completely inconsistent with the context. 93.2 तदेतत् सर्वमभिप्रेत्याहुः (भा० १० । ८७ ।१७) – note It is with the aforementioned intention that the personified Śrutis prayed: 17 sarva-gatasyatmanaḥ para-brahmano’py aśrayah pratiṣṭhā 858 93 Bhagavan Is the Shelter of Everything, Including Brahman दृतय इव श्वसन्त्यसुभृतो यदि तेऽनुविधा महदहमादयोऽण्डमसृजन् यदनुग्रहतः । पुरुषविधोऽन्वयोऽत्र चरमोऽन्नमयादिषु यः सदसतः परं त्वमथ यदेष्ववशेषमृतम् ॥ ४१८ ।। ladi blodaj Only those who are obedient to You are actually alive; otherwise, their breathing is like that of a bellows. By Your grace alone, the elements, such as mahat and ahankära, have created this egg-shaped body. As the ultimate form of the purușa, encom- Epassing all sub-levels of being, You have entered here, in these five sheaths, or in other words, in the five substratums of being, beginning with anna-maya. You are beyond both sat and asat and are, consequently, the remainder of all five substratums and the reality that supports them all. (SB 10.87.17) 18 असुभृतो जीवा दृतय इव श्वसदाभासा अपि यदि ते तव अनुविधा भक्ता भवन्ति तदा श्वसन्ति प्राणन्ति । तेषु तद्भक्तानामेव जीवनं जीवनं मन्यामहे इति भावः । कथम् ? यस्य तव अनुग्रहतः समष्टिव्यष्टिरूपमण्डं देहं महदहमादयोऽसृजन् अतः स्वयमेव तथाविधात् त्वत्तः पराङ्मुखानामन्येषां दृतितुल्यत्वं युक्तमेवेति भावः । The living beings (asu-bhṛtah) merely appear to be breathing, exactly like a bellows, but if they are obedient (anuvidha) to You, i.e., if they become Your devotees, then they are truly alive and breathing. The import is that amongst all living beings, it is the life led by Your devotees that we consider to be true living. How so? By Your mercy, elements like the mahat and aham create both the macrocosmic egg (anda), in the form of the universe, and the microcosmic egg, in the form of the body. So, if any living beings are averse to you when Your nature is inherently such [i.e., so merciful], it is only appropriate to consider their breathing to be of no greater significance than the movement of a bellows. अनुग्रहमेव दर्शयन्ति – अत्र महदहमादिषु अन्वयः प्रविष्टस्त्वमिति । Next the Śrutis point out the Lord’s mercy by saying, “You have entered here,” namely, in the elements like mahat and aham. 18 dṛtaya iva svasanty asu-bhṛto yadi te’nuvidhanay mahad-aham-adayo’ndam asrjan yad-anugrahataḥ 859 vagodati pathula Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha avan कथं मत्प्रवेशमात्रेण तेषां तथा सामर्थ्यं स्यात् ? [Should the Lord ask,] “How can these elements have such capa- bility [to create both macrocosmic and microcosmic bodies] simply because of My presence?” तत्राहुः– यद् यस्मात् सत आनन्दमयाख्यब्रह्मणोऽवयवस्य प्रियादेरसतस्तदन्यस्मादन्न- मयादेश्च यत् परं पुच्छभूतं सर्वप्रतिष्ठा ब्रह्म तत् खलु त्वम् । [The Śrutis answer,] “Because You indeed are that Brahman, the tail and support of all things, beyond both the sat, i.e., beyond the conscious states, such as love (priya) which inhere in ananda- maya-brahma, and the asat, i.e., beyond the inert coverings, such as anna-maya.” तत्रापि एषु प्रतिष्ठावाक्येषु अवशेषं वाक्यशेषत्वेन स्थितम् “ब्रह्मणो हि प्रतिष्ठाहम्” (गीता १४।२७) इत्यादावन्यत्र प्रसिद्धम् (भा० २।९।४) - Furthermore, among all the statements specifying the various supports (pratiṣṭhās) in the same section [of Taittiriya Upanisad], You are the remainder (avaśesa), or vakya-seṣa, i.e., the part needed to complete the definition of Brahman, such as the renowned statement found [in GITA 14.27], “I [Śrī Kṛṣṇa] am the support of Brahman.” Or elsewhere: Www आत्मतत्त्वविशुद्ध्यर्थं यदाह भगवान् ऋतम् । ब्रह्मणे दर्शयन् रूपमव्यलीकव्रतादृतः ।। ४१९ ।। (ab
gant [I shall now tell you] what the Lord told Brahma, being pleased by his sincere austerities, in order to clarify the true nature of the Self, while showing him His form of Truth (rta). (SB 2.9.4) इत्यत्र ऋतत्वेनापि प्रसिद्धं श्रीभगवद्रूपमेव तत् त्वम् । Here, Śrīla Sukadeva Gosvāmi states that the Absolute Reality, celebrated as Ṛta (or Truth personified), is nothing but the form of the Lord.19 19 Here the word ṛta is taken by Sridhara Svāmī to be in apposition to rupa. Viz. ṛtam satyam cid-ghanaṁ rupaṁ darśayan. All other Gauḍīya commentaries follow Śrīdhara Svāmī here. 86093 Bhagavan Is the Shelter of Everything, Including Brahman अतोऽन्नमयादिषु पुरुषविधः पुरुषाकारो यश्चरमः प्रियमोदप्रमोदानन्दब्रह्मणामवयवी आनन्दमयः स त्वमिति । So, amongst anna-maya, and so on [amongst the ascending sup- ports given in Taittiriya Upanisad], that which was stated to be the ultimate (carama) support, having the form of a purusa (purușa-vidha), is You, the Blissful One (ananda-maya), because You are the whole of which priya, moda, pramoda, ānanda and Brahman are the parts. तस्मान् मूलपरमानन्दरूपत्वात् तवैव प्रवेशेन तेषां तथा सामर्थ्यं युक्तमेवेति भावः “को ह्ये- वान्यात् कः प्राण्याद् यदेष आकाश आनन्दो न स्यात्” ( तै० २।७।१) इति श्रुतेः । The overall idea is, therefore, that it is certainly correct [to say] that by Your presence the elements, such as mahat and aham, attain their capacity [to create the universe], because You enter into them as the original supreme form of ananda. Taittiriya Upanisad also says: “If Brahman, the personification of bliss, were not in the sky [or in the heart], who else would infuse activity and maintain the vital force [in the universe or in the individual body]” (TU 2.7.1)?20 प्रकरणेऽस्मिन्नेतदुक्तं भवति - यद्यप्येकस्वरूपेऽपि वस्तुनि स्वगतनानाविशेषो विद्यते तथापि तादृशशक्तियुक्ताया एव दृष्टेस्तत्तत्सर्वविशेषग्रहणे निमित्तता दृश्यते न त्वन्य- स्याः । यथा मांसमयी दृष्टिः सूर्यमण्डलं प्रकाशमात्रत्वेन गृह्णाति दिव्या तु प्रकाशमात्रस्व- रूपत्वेऽपि तदन्तर्गतदिव्यसभादिकं गृह्णाति । एवमत्र भक्तेरेव सम्यक्त्वेन तयैव सम्यक् तत्त्वं दृश्यते । तच् च भगवानेवेति तस्यैव सम्यग्रूपत्वम् । olugo In this context the following is to be said: Although a single object may have many attributes in its essential nature, it is observed that only that vision which is equipped with appropriate capac- ity can be a suitable instrument for perceiving every one of those attributes, and no other. For example, the gross faculty of sight can perceive the sun orb only as a mass of light, whereas the celes- tial vision can discern the heavenly assembly and other objects within the sun, despite its being purely luminous in essence. Similarly, in this case, since devotion is the complete potency, 20 ko hy evanyat kaḥ prānyad yad eṣa ākāśa ānando na syat namdes lon 861 Sri Bhagavat Sandarbha it is only by devotion that one can perceive the Absolute in its completeness- and that is Bhagavan, because He alone is the complete manifestation of Absolute Reality. ज्ञानस्य तु असम्यक्त्वेन दर्शितत्वात् तेनासम्यगेव तद् दृश्यते । तच् च ब्रह्मेति तस्य असम्यग्रूपत्वम् ] add anived froggur stamil Since it has been shown that jñāna is an incomplete means, real- ization of the Absolute achieved by it is also incomplete. That [incomplete realization] is Brahman, which is the incomplete manifestation of Bhagavan. तत्र च सामान्यत्वेनैव ग्रहणे एकाकारस्य ज्ञानस्य तदन्तरीणावान्तरभेदपर्यालोचनेष्वसा- मार्थ्याद् बहिरेवावस्थितेन तेन भागवतपरमहंसवृन्दानुभवसिद्धनानाप्रकाशविचित्रेऽपि स्वप्रकाशलक्षणपरतत्त्वे प्रकाशसामान्यमात्रं यद् गृह्यते तत् तस्य प्रभारूपत्वेनैवोत्प्रे- क्ष्यते । ततश्चाघनत्वमंशत्वं विभूतित्वं च व्यपदिश्यते तस्य । तस्मादखण्डतत्त्वरूपो भगवान् सामान्याकारस्फूर्तिलक्षणत्वेन स्वप्रभाकारस्य ब्रह्मणोऽप्याश्रय इति युक्तमेव । Because one-dimensional jñāna apprehends the Absolute only in a generic way [as something beyond prakṛti without any specific form or qualities], it is unable to capture the inner and outer distinctions within it. It therefore remains only on the periph- ery. As such, though the devotee transcendentalists experience the wonderful variegatedness within the self-luminous Supreme Truth, jñāna captures only its light in a general way. And so Brah- man is understood metaphorically as Bhagavan’s effulgence. It is, moreover, also called the rarefied form, the portion, or the opulence of Bhagavān. Therefore, it is appropriate that Bhaga- van, who is the undivided [i.e., the complete] Absolute Reality (akhanda-tattva), is the shelter of Brahman, which is the glow of the Lord’s form, since Brahman is identified as but a generic manifestation of that same Absolute. Un aldetine dgia to valu 209 210 on bris 257 अत एव “यस्य पृथिवी शरीरं यस्यात्मा शरीरं यस्याव्यक्तं शरीरं यस्याक्षरं शरीरम् एष सर्वभूतान्तरात्मा अपहतपाप्मा दिव्यो देव एको नारायणः” (सुबाल ७।१) इत्येतच्छ्रुत्यन्तरं चाक्षरशब्दोक्तस्य ब्रह्मणोऽप्यात्मत्वेन नारायणं बोधयति । Therefore, the Śruti also recognizes Nārāyaṇa as the ātmā even of Brahman, referred to [in the following text] by the word aksara: 862 93 Bhagavan Is the Shelter of Everything, Including Brahman “He whose body is the earth, whose body is the Self, whose body is the unmanifest and whose body is the imperishable (aksara) [Brahman], is the Supreme Immanent Self dwelling within all beings, free from all sins, the one divine Nārāyaṇa” (Subāla Upanisad 7.1).21 उक्तात्मादिशब्दपारिशेष्यप्रमाणेन “चकार तेषां सङ्घोभमक्षरजुषामपि” (भा० ३।१५।४३) इति प्रयोगदृष्ट्या चात्र ह्यक्षरशब्देन ब्रह्मैव वाच्यम् । nisms Jarl The only possible meaning for the word akṣara here is Brahman, and this is so primarily for two reasons. First, by the process of elimination (päriseşya-pramanena) of the meanings already indi- cated by the other words in the passage, such as ātmā and avyakta, the only appropriate remaining meaning is Brahman. Secondly, akṣara is used in exactly the same way in the following statement, “They experienced a commotion both in mind and in body, even though they delighted in the Imperishable (akṣara)” (SB 3.15.43).22 तथा श्रीभगवता साङ्ख्यकथने “कालो मायामये जीवे” (भा० ११।२४।२७) इत्यादौ महाप्रलये सर्वावशिष्टत्वेन ब्रह्मोपदिश्य तदापि तस्य द्रष्टृत्वं स्वस्मिन्नुक्तम् (भा० ११ । २४।२७) - While teaching the Sankhya philosophy in SB 11.24.27, Śrī Kṛṣṇa states that during the final dissolution only Brahman remains. But after this, using the words paravara-dṛṣā, He says that He is a witness of Brahman even at that time: betsinla एष साङ्ख्यविधिः प्रोक्तः संशयग्रन्थिभेदनः । प्रतिलोमानुलोमाभ्यां परावरदृशा मया ॥ ४२० ॥ ibal bn Вто haft dinodick to 910 Thus, I, the perfect seer of everything material (avara) and spiritual (para, i.e., Brahman), have spoken this knowledge of o ate Sankhya, which destroys the illusion of doubt by a discrimina- tive analysis of involution [i.e., how Spirit successively involves eve yasya pṛthivi sariram yasya ātmā sariram yasyavyaktaṁ sariram yasyākṣaram sariram eşa sarva-bhūtāntarātmā apahata-papmā divyo deva eko nārāyaṇaḥ 22 cakāra teṣāṁ sankṣobham akṣara-juṣām api See Section 79.7. 863 namme pitulan Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha ycin or as the elements of creation] and evolution [how Spirit” (successively withdraws from those elements]. (SB 11.24.29)23 ra इत्यत्र परावरदृशा इत्यनेन सोऽयं चात्र विवेकः – साङ्ख्यं हि ज्ञानं तच्छास्त्रं खलु स्वरूपभू- ततद्विशेषमननुसन्धाय यत् तत् स्वरूपमात्रं तदानीमवशिष्टं वदति तदेव च ब्रह्माख्यम् । Let us here consider the following: Sänkhya means knowledge. The Sankhya scripture explains only the svarupa of the Absolute that remains at the time of dissolution, without examining the attributes inherent in its own nature. That which remains is indeed called Brahman. sdi 101 तदेव च प्रपञ्चावच्छिन्नचरमप्रदेशे प्रपञ्चलयाद् वैकुण्ठ इव स्वरूपभूतविशेषाप्रकाशाद- वशिष्यमानत्वेन वक्तुं युज्यते । It is proper to say that after the cosmos is dissolved, Brahman remains at the furthest boundary of the material sphere, just like Vaikuntha, without any manifest qualities of the Lord’s svarupa. तच् च स्वविशेष्यमात्रं स्वरूपशक्तिविशिष्टेन वैकुण्ठस्थेन श्रीभगवता पृथगिव तत्रानुभूयत इति । तदेवं निर्विशेषत्वेन स्पर्शरूपरहितस्यापि तस्य भगवत्प्रभारूपत्वमुत्प्रेक्ष्य तदभिन्न- त्वेन ब्रह्मत्वं व्यपदिष्टम् । ततः स्पर्शरूपादिमाधुरीधारितया सविशेषस्य साक्षाद् भगवदङ्ग- ज्योतिषः सुतरामेव तत् सिद्ध्यति । यथोक्तं श्रीहरिवंशे महाकालपुराख्याने श्रीमदर्जुनं प्रति स्वयं भगवता (ह० व० २ । ११४ ।९-१२ ) - no obu Indeed, Brahman is Bhagavan’s own feature, but as yet unquali- fied (sva-viśeşya-matra), and is experienced as if different from Bhagavan, who is replete with internal potency and is situated in Vaikuntha. In this way, although Brahman has no tactil- ity or form owing to being without attributes, by regarding it metaphorically as the effulgence of the Lord, Brahman is indi- cated as being nondifferent from Him. Because the original and complete Bhagavan is inherently self-endowed with mellifluous attributes, such as touch and form, the glow of His bodily limbs is even more appropriately indicated as Brahman. By way of exam- ple, in the Mahākālapūra narration in Hari-vaṁśa Purāṇa, Śrī Kṛṣṇa tells Arjuna: 23 esa sänkhya-vidhiḥ proktaḥ samsaya-granthi-bhedanaḥ pratilomănulomabhyam paravara-dṛśa maya 864 93 Bhagavan Is the Shelter of Everything, Including Brahman ब्रह्मतेजोमयं दिव्यं महद् यद् दृष्टवानसि । अहं स भरतश्रेष्ठ मत्तेजस्तत् सनातनम् ॥ ४२१ ॥ प्रकृतिः सा मम परा व्यक्ताव्यक्ता सनातनी । तां प्रविश्य भवन्तीह मुक्ता योगविदुत्तमाः ॥ ४२२ ॥ सा साङ्ख्यानां गतिः पार्थ योगिनां च तपस्विनाम् । तत्परं परमं ब्रह्म सर्वं विभजते जगत् ॥ ४२३ ॥ मामेव तद्वनं तेजो ज्ञातुमर्हसि भारत । ४२४ ॥ इति । Vismammon gehobentos RA 982260 1100m Bolt ei O best of the Bharatas, the transcendental supreme Brahman effulgence that you witnessed is Me. It is My eternal effulgence. It is My transcendental, eternal, manifest and unmanifest nature. Entering into it, the grand-masters of yoga attain liberation. Osta sil Partha, it is the supreme destination for those who adhere to the all path of Sankhya, and for the yogis and ascetics as well. That Sup- reme Brahman is distinct from the material creation. O Bharata, To you should know Me to be the dense [form of that] effulgence. (Hari-vamsa Purāna 2.114.9-12)24 प्रकृतिः इति तत्प्रभात्वेन स्वरूपशक्तित्वमपि तस्य निर्दिष्टम् । एवं पूर्वोदाहृतकौस्तुभवि- षयकविष्णुपुराणवाक्यमप्येतदुपोद्बलकत्वेन द्रष्टव्यम् । तस्माद् दृतय इव इत्यपि साध्वेव व्याख्यातम् ॥ श्रुतयः श्रीभगवन्तम् ॥ Tabrow stro bau In these verses, by specifying prakṛti (nature) as the glow of His own form, Kṛṣṇa indicates that prakṛti here refers to His inter- nal potency (svarupa-śakti). Similarly, the statement cited ear- lier from Visnu Purana, regarding the Kaustubha gem,25 should be understood as fortifying the above conclusions. So, the explanation of SB 10.87.17 has been shown to be appropriate. adio syliis aina tuods bariupal on ho 1915 ng diw 24 brahma-tejo-mayam divyam mahad yad dṛṣṭavan asi aham sa bharata-śreṣṭha mat-tejas tat sanatanam prakṛtiḥ să mama para vyaktāvyaktā sanātani tam praviśya bhavantiha mukta yoga-vid-uttamāḥ sā sānkhyānāṁ gatiḥ pārtha yoginăm ca tapasvinām tat param paramam brahma sarvam vibhajate jagat mam eva tad ghanam tejo jñātum arhasi bhārata 25 Reference to VP 1.22.68. See Section 60. al biol 865 8 gibi Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha Commentary e with After introducing the key issues involved in the Taittiriya Upanisad passage, Śrī Jiva turns to the primary Bhagavatam verse of this sec- tion, taken from the prayers of the personified Vedas or Śrutis. Each of the verses from this important chapter of Bhagavatam is based on some portion of the Śruti, either the Upanisads or Veda-samhitās. It is thus truly a direct commentary on the Vedanta. The verse cited here is similarly a commentary on the Taittiriya passage and must be analyzed in its light. In this verse, the Śrutis recognize Śrī Kṛṣṇa as the aśraya-tattva, or the supreme shelter of everything, including Brahman. baeng sd The Śrutis refer to Bhagavan as carama, the ultimate of all the purusas, beginning with anna-maya. They say, furthermore, that He has a form like a human, purusa-vidha. The word ṛta, or truth person- ified, in this verse should also be taken to mean the personal form of the Lord, because that form is the complete whole. Everything else is His part. The mantra from Subala Upanisad also explains that aksara (the imperishable) is Bhagavan’s part. Akṣara means Brahman. This is understood by the process of eliminating the meanings already indi- cated by the other words in the verse. In this mantra, since pṛthivi, or earth, signifies the material elements, avyakta, the unmanifest mate- rial nature, and ātmā, the living being, the only remaining meaning that can be assigned to akṣara is Brahman. The verses quoted from Hari-vamsa Purana also describe Brah- man as Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s effulgence. This effulgence was personally expe- rienced by Arjuna when he was on his way to see Mahāviṣṇu along with Kṛṣṇa. Later on, he inquired about this effulgence from the Lord. In reply, Kṛṣṇa spoke the verses cited above, confirming that the effulgence Arjuna had witnessed was Brahman, attaining which, the jñānis become liberated. ple, In this way, from the statements of the Upanisads, Vedānta-sūtra, Bhagavad Gita, the prayers of the personified Upaniṣads and the Purāņas, it has been shown that Brahman is the quality-less feature of Bhagavan. Because it is a feature of Bhagavan, it is sometimes 866 93 Bhagavan Is the Shelter of Everything, Including Brahman called His portion, His energy or His effulgence. Those who worship the Absolute as Brahman realize it by the mercy of Bhagavan, but they fail to understand that Bhagavan is the complete manifestation of the Absolute. In the following anuccheda, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi will show that Bha- gavan is the primary meaning of the word brahma. al stand brow and senins M visah sdf Brasilog and bow add to YAMRUTOWINT bychamog podw bun Jogique datos navegada sand named ballen als poly vibed pill al doidwaal กรร २४॥ ज feevel salad alway he al ing esilege phnona bine RD ΠΙΚΟΥ Audizile botinulos 867 moti gunaso 25
The Primary Meaning of the Word Brahma Is Bhagavan ९४ । ततश्च यस्मिन् परमबृहति सामान्याकारसत्तायास्तदङ्गज्योतिषोऽपि बृहत्त्वेन ब्रह्मत्वं तस्मिन्नेव मुख्या तच्छब्दप्रवृत्तिः । तथा च ब्राह्मे – THEREFORE, THE PRIMARY INTENT of the word brahma applies to Bhagavan alone, who is supremely great, and whose generic exis- tence, which is His bodily glow, is also called Brahman because of its greatness. This is confirmed in Brahma Purāṇa: अनन्तो भगवान् ब्रह्म आनन्देत्यादिभिः पदैः । प्रोच्यते विष्णुरेवैकः परेषामुपचारतः ॥ ४२५ || इति । ear The primary meaning of terms like ananta, Bhagavan, Brah- man and ananda applies only to Śrī Viṣņu; when they refer to something else, those are secondary meanings. क्वचिच् चानन्तगुणयुक्तत्वेनैव भगवान् ब्रह्मेत्युच्यते । यथा पाद्मे- Sometimes Bhagavan is called Brahman because He possesses unlimited attributes. As Padma Purana states: पृथग् वक्तुं गुणास्तस्य न शक्यन्तेऽमितत्वतः । यतोऽतो ब्रह्मशब्देन सर्वेषां ग्रहणं भवेत् ॥ ४२६ ॥ एतस्माद् ब्रह्मशब्दोऽसौ विष्णोरेव विशेषणम् । अमितो हि गुणो यस्मान् नान्येषां तमृते विभुम् । ४२७ ।।। इति । 1 ananto bhagavan brahma anandety-ädibhiḥ padaiḥ procyate vişnur evaikaḥ pareṣām upacarataḥ 868 94 The Primary Meaning of the Word Brahma Is Bhagavan Because the Lord has immeasurable attributes, it is not possi- ble to delineate all of them separately. Therefore, they are col- lectively indicated by the word brahma. Thus, the word brahma can be an adjective for the all-pervading Śrī Visņu alone, and no other, as He alone has unlimited qualities? अत्र निर्गलितोऽयं महाप्रकरणार्थः - यदद्वयं ज्ञानं तदेव तत्त्वमिति तत्त्वविदो वदन्ति । तच् च वैशिष्ट्यं विनैवोपलभ्यमानं ब्रह्मेति शब्द्यते वैशिष्ट्येन सह तु श्रीभगवानिति । स च भगवान् पूर्वोदितलक्षणश्रीमूर्त्यात्मक एव न त्वमूर्तः । तु This then is the essential meaning of this lengthy subject [i.e., Bha- gavat Sandarbha] as a whole: [In SB 1.2.11, it was said that] those who have directly witnessed Absolute Reality (tattva-vidaḥ) declare that nondual awareness is verily the Absolute Reality. When this nondual truth is realized without any attributes, it is called Brahman, but when realized with attributes, it is called Bhagavan. Moreover, this Bhagavan is certainly nondifferent from His form, which is naturally endowed with the attributes described earlier. He is not formless. अथ “ भूप मूर्तममूर्तं च परं चापरमेव च ” (वि० पु० ६ ७ । ४७) इति श्रीविष्णुपुराणपद्ये तस्य चतुर्विधत्वमङ्गीकुर्वद्भिर्यद्यमूर्तत्वमपि पृथगङ्गीकर्तव्यं तदा ब्रह्मत्ववत् तदुपासकदृष्टियो- ग्यतानुरूपमेवास्तु । Therefore, if those who accept the four features of the Lord described in the verse from Viṣṇu Purana, “O King, that Abso- lute is both formless (amurta) and inclusive of form (murta), both transcendental (para) and immanent (apara)” (VP 6.7.47),3 feel obligated to categorize His formlessness as a separate class, then let that distinction be understood specifically as befitting the worshiper’s level of vision, just as the Absolute is perceived as prthag vaktum gunas tasya na śakyante’mitatvataḥ yato’to brahma-sabdena sarveṣāṁ grahanam bhavet etasmad brahma-sabdo’sau vişnor eva višeṣaṇam amito hi guno yasmän nänyeṣām tam ṛte vibhum to sigado sme si n These verses cannot be found in any extant edition of Padma Purana.le balls bhūpa murtam amurtam ca paraṁ caparam eva ca See Section 50.1. 869 dalam Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha Brahman solely in accordance with the limitations of the viewing capacity. vairotored glotage mods to listenial of old
omdond brow out and land brow adi od stealhal yawbast तथा हि – यस्य समीचीना भक्तिरस्ति तस्य परमूर्त्या श्यामसुन्दरचतुर्भुजादिरूपया प्रादु- र्भवति । यस्यार्वाचीनोपासनारूपा तस्यापरमूर्त्या पातालपादादिकल्पनामय्येव । यस्य च रूक्षं ज्ञानं तस्य परेण ब्रह्मलक्षणामूर्तत्वेन । यस्य ज्ञानप्रचुरा भक्तिस्तस्य त्वपरेणेश्वरलक्ष- णमूर्तत्वेनेति । To one who has attained complete devotion for Him, the Lord appears in a transcendental form (para-mūrta), such as śyā- masundara or a four-handed Visņu form. To the neophytes on the path of worship, He appears in a phenomenal form (apara- mūrta) like the viśva-rūpa, or universal form, in which Pātāla is conceived as the feet, and so on. To a person steeped in barren awareness (ruksa-jñāna), the Absolute manifests as transcenden- tal yet formless Brahman (para-amūrta). And to one endowed with devotion in which is found a predominance of jñāna, He manifests as the immanent yet invisible Iśvara (apara-amurta), or the Indwelling Supreme Self. rohin अत्रापरत्वं परमूर्त्याविर्भावानन्तरसोपानत्वेन न ब्रह्मवदतीव मूर्तत्वानपेक्ष्यमित्येवं न त्वश्रे - ष्ठत्वविवक्षयेति ज्ञेयम् । परमूर्तापेक्षयापरत्वं वा । The latter manifestation’s aparatva, or immanence, is only in rela- tion to the supreme transcendental form, para-murti, which is a higher order revelation, and for which it is like a stepping stone. Amurta [in this case] does not mean complete formlessness, as it does with Brahman. Nor should the word apara here be taken to mean “inferior;” it is used only to contrast it with the form of supreme transcendence (para-mūrti). तत्रैव “तद्विश्वरूपवैरूप्यं रूपमन्यद् धरेर्महत्” (वि० पु० ६ । ७ / ७०) इति विश्वाधिष्ठानत्वेन नित्यत्वविभुत्वे । “मूर्तं भगवतो रूपं सर्वोपाश्रयनिःस्पृहम्” (वि० पु०६।७।७८) इति निरु- पाधित्वम् । “चिन्तयेद् ब्रह्मभूतं तम्” (वि० पु० ६।७।८३) इति परतत्त्वलक्षणत्वम् । 4 In the same chapter of Viṣṇu Purāṇa, the statement, “That form called viśva-rūpa is another great form of Śrī Hari” (VP 6.7.70); tad viśva-rupa-vairupyam rūpam anyad dharer mahat 87094 The Primary Meaning of the Word Brahma Is Bhagavān shows that this form of the Lord is eternal and all-pervading because it is the support of the universe. The statement, “The form of the Lord, while existing as the support of everything, is free of expectation” (VP 6.7.78), indicates that the Lord’s form is free from extraneous qualities (nirupadhitva). Further it explains that His form is of the nature of Supreme Transcendence (para-tattva), “One should meditate on Him, the embodiment of Brahman” (VP 6.7.83). 07 gatatsirages booterobu “त्रिभावभावनातीतः” (वि० पु०६ | ७ |७६) इति तत्र प्रसिद्धकर्ममयज्ञानकर्मसमुच्चयमय- केवलज्ञानमयभावनात्रयातीतत्वेन परतत्त्वलक्षणत्वेऽपि भक्त्यैकाविर्भाविततया सम्य- क्प्रकाशत्वं मूर्तस्यैव व्यञ्जितम् । अत एव “शुभाश्रयः स चित्तस्य सर्वगस्य तथात्मनः” (वि० पु० ६ | ७ | ७६) इत्युक्तम् । Finally, by the statement, “He is transcendental to the three manifestations of the Absolute, which are revealed in correspon- dence to the consciousness and internal disposition (bhāva) of the perceiver” (VP 6.7.76), it is shown that the supreme transcen- dence (para-tattva) is beyond the three familiar manifestations of the Absolute [i.e., viśva-rupa, Iśvara and Brahman], which are revealed respectively in correspondence to the paths of karma, a combination of jñāna and karma, and exclusive jñāna. Even in the Absolute characterized as the supreme transcendence (para- tattva), the utterly complete manifestation of that Supreme Real- ity (samyak-prakāśa), because it is revealed only through pure devotion, is in that Entity alone who is self-endowed with form. Thus, it is said, “He is the auspicious shelter even of the transcen- dental Self, the all-pervading consciousness” (VP 6.7.76) ततश्च तस्याः श्रीमूर्तेरपि सकाशात् तदन्ते प्रत्याहारोक्तिः केवलाभेदोपासकं प्रति व्यवस्था- पिता भवतीत्यप्यनुसन्धेयम् । до Thereafter, in the remaining part of this chapter [of Vişnu Purana], the statements that advise withdrawing the mind 5 murtam bhagavato rūpaṁ sarvapäśraya-niḥspṛham tribhava-bhāvanātītaḥ 6 cintayed brahma-bhūtam tam 7 8 subhäśrayaḥ sa cittasya sarvagasya tathātmanaḥ 871 mycelel meŚrī Bhagavat Sandarbha med (pratyāhāra) from the form of the Lord should be understood as intended solely for the worshipers who adhere to radical non-distinction. oqque art es gultaixs slidw boo taixs slidwood sit to go! अत्र “तद्विश्वरूपवैरूप्यम्” (वि०पु०६।७।७०) इत्येतत्पद्यं मूर्तपरमेव ज्ञेयम् । वि०पु० ६।७।७०- Again, the verse tad viśva-rupa-vairūpyam (VP 6.7.70) should be understood as pertaining to form, on the strength of the lines that follow, which say: हि समस्तशक्तिरूपाणि यत् करोति नरेश्वरः । देवतिर्यङ्गनुष्याख्या चेष्टावन्ति स्वलीलया ॥ ४२८ ॥ 9900 King, the Supreme Lord, by His will, creates all the active forms that are endowed with energy, such as gods, animals and human beings. (VP 6.7.71) Ja hirs इत्यनन्तरवाक्यबलात् । यतः प्रथमस्य तृतीये “यस्याम्भसि शयानस्य योगनिद्रां वितन्वतः” (भा० १।३।२) इत्याद्युक्तलक्षणस्य मूर्तस्यैव तत्तदवतारित्वं दर्शितम् “एतन् नानावताराणां निधानं बीजमव्ययम्” (भा० १।३।५) इति । visvits For, in chapter 3 of the First Canto, the Lord possessing form is described as the source of all avatāras, “This Supreme Person [the second manifestation of the Purusa] is the imperishable seed of the innumerable avataras appearing within the cosmos, and the abode to which they return. From a portion of His [i.e., from Brahma] and from a portion of that portion [i.e., from the sages such as Marici, who were brought forth by Brahma] the gods, men animals and other life forms are created” (SB 1.3.5).10 The characteristics of that form are given at the beginning of that chapter: “While this Puruşa was sleeping in yoga-nidrā on the causal waters, Brahma, the chief of the creators of the universe, appeared from the lotus that grew from His navel lake. Indeed, 10 samasta-sakti-rūpāņi yat karoti naresvaraḥ deva-tiryan-manuṣyakhyā ceṣṭāvanti svalilayā etan nānāvatārāṇām nidhānaṁ bījam avyayam yasyaṁśāṁśena srjyante deva-tiryan-naradayaḥ 872 94 The Primary Meaning of the Word Brahma Is Bhagavan that form of the Lord, upon whose limbs the expanse of the plan- ets is imagined to stand, is endowed with potency and situated in pure being. With profound vision, the rșis see this extraor- dinary form with thousands of feet, chests, arms, and faces, a thousand heads, ears, eyes and noses, brilliant with a thousand crowns, vestments and ornaments” (SB 1.3.2-4).” तद्विश्वरूपवैरूप्यमिति पठद्भिः श्रीरामानुजचरणैरपि मूर्तपरत्वेनैव व्याख्यातम् “विश्वरूपाद् वैरूप्यं वैलक्षण्यं यत्र तद्विश्वविलक्षणं मूर्तं स्वरूपम्” इति । Śrī Rāmānujācārya reads tad viśva-rupa-vairupyam in place of tad viśva-rupa-rupam vai [in VP 6.7.70], rendering the sense as fol- lows: “The greatness of Hari is apart from the deformity of the viśva-rupa” [which could be interpreted as supporting formless- ness]. Yet in spite of this reading, his comment clearly empha- sizes the Absolute with form, “The form of the Lord is distinct from this universal form. By this statement it is established that the Absolute Truth has a real form that is different from the universal form.” piar 7ot s’b701 ad duodils et anes तदेवं तस्य वस्तुतः श्रीमूर्त्यात्मकत्व एव सिद्धे यत् सर्वतः पाणिपादादिलक्षणा मूर्तिः श्रूयते सापि पूर्वोक्तलक्षणायाः श्रीमूर्तेर्न पृथगिति विभुत्वप्रकरणान्ते व्यञ्जितमेव । baul H 5879 blugdati In this way, it is confirmed that the Absolute Truth in its essence is inclusive of truly abiding, i.e., transcendental, form. So, when there is mention of the Lord’s form as the viśva-rupa, having hands, legs and other limbs, extending everywhere, it should be understood that this form too is not different from His divine form possessing the previously expressed characteristics. This was implied at the end of Section 45.1 describing the all-pervasive feature of the Lord’s form.asha zide of Inside A insta 11 yasyambhasi sayanasya yoga-nidrām vitanvataḥ näbhi-hradambujad āsīd brahmā viśva-sṛjām patih yasyavayava-samsthānaih kalpito loka-vistarah tad vai bhagavato rupaṁ visuddham sattvam urjitam pasyanty ado rupam adabhra-cakṣuşă sahasra-padoru-bhujananādbhutam 19919 SS 165 mms Fore ema fisfactions is ने sahasra-murdha-śravaṇākṣi-nāsikaṁ sahasra-mauly-ambara-kundalollasat 873 vegam Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbhat at piadadmill aqubadd to bstantia de viretoquithe bowohnzi,had a balsi él als beb Additionally, Uttara-khanda of Padma Purāņa states: and rug n 8906) bus amis glanda dost to abusaund to abusaund) biw mol yenih bh बृहच्छरीरोऽभिविमानरूपो युवा कुमारत्वमुपेयिवान् हरिः । रेमे श्रियाऽसौ जगतां जनन्या स्वज्योत्स्रया चन्द्र इवामृतांशुः ॥ ४२९ ॥ इति पाद्मोत्तरखण्डवचनम् । und bacsuodi foll Śri Hari, who has an immeasurable, gigantic form, attained to youth and enjoyed with Lakṣmi, the mother of the universe, lo just as the moon, containing rays of nectar, enjoys with its own effulgence. (PP 6.227.7) 12 hot अत्र परब्रह्मस्वरूपशरीरः सर्वतोभावेन विगतपरिमाणोऽपि नित्यं कैशोराकारमेव प्राप्तः सन् श्रिया सह रेम इत्यर्थः । उपेयिवान् इत्युक्तावपि नित्यत्वमपहतपाप्मेतिवत् - तत्रैव तदीयतच्छ्रीमूर्त्यधिष्ठातृकत्रिपाद्विभूतेरपि प्रघट्टकेन वाक्यसमूहकेन परमनित्यताप्रतिपा- दनात् । तथा चोक्तं तत्रैव- This verse means that although the Lord’s form is of the nature of Parabrahman and is immeasurable in all respects, He, hav- ing attained the form of eternal youth, enjoyed with Lakṣmi. Although the verse says, “He attained youth (upeyivan),” it should be taken to mean that He is eternally youthful. This should be understood in the same way as the statement, “He, whose sins have been destroyed” (apahata-papmā), meaning that He is eternally free from sin. Furthermore, there are many definitive statements in the same series of verses that establish that even the transcendental abode, encompassing threefold dimensional- ity of being, and which is supported by His form, is absolutely eternal. A statement to this effect is made in the same section: While this अच्युतं शाश्वतं दिव्यं सदा यौवनमाश्रितम् । नित्यं सम्भोगमीश्वर्या श्रिया भूम्या च संवृतम् ॥ ४३० ॥ इति । 12 bṛhac-chariro’bhivimana-rupo yuva kumāratvam upeyivän hariḥ reme śriya’sau jagatām jananya sva-jyotsnaya candra ivāmṛtāṁśuḥ 874 94 The Primary Meaning of the Word Brahma Is Bhagavan he Śri Hari, who is infallible, eternal, divine and eternally youth- ful, eternally enjoys the company of the goddesses Śrī and Bhumi.Я nin(PP (PP 6.227.12-13)1322 Batbas bas urted l तस्मात् श्रीभगवान् यथोक्तलक्षण एव । स एव “वदन्ति” (भा०१।२।११) इत्यस्य मुख्यार्थ- भूतं मूलं तत्त्वमिति पर्यवसानम् । odw Therefore, Bhagavan is naturally endowed with the characteris- tics listed above, and it is thus concluded that He is the primary import of the vadanti verse (SB 1.2.11), and as such, the original complete tattva referred to there. तदुक्तं मोक्षधर्मे श्रीनारायणोपाख्याने- This is further stated in the Nārāyaṇīya section of Mahabharata, Mokṣa-dharma: EST OF तत्त्वं जिज्ञासमानानां हेतुभिः सर्वतोमुखैः । तत्त्वमेको महायोगी हरिर्नारायणः प्रभुः || ४३१ ॥ इति । Through the exhaustive analysis of those entirely devoted to the examination of Truth, it is concluded that Śri Hari, Nārāyaṇa, the Master of all yogis, is the one and only Reality, the supreme Truth (tattva). (MB 12.347.91)14) own u नारायणोपनिषदि च “नारायणः परं ब्रह्म तत्त्वं नारायणः परम्” इति । load A And Nārāyaṇīya Upanisad affirms, “Nārāyaṇa is Parabrahman, Nārāyaṇa is the Supreme Absolute Truth” (Nārāyaṇīya Upaniṣad 11.4).15 अत श्रीरामानुजोदाहृताः श्रुतयश्च “यस्य पृथिवी शरीरम् इत्यारभ्य एष सर्वभूतान्तरात्मा दिव्यो देव एको नारायणः” (सुबाल ७।१) इत्याद्या बह्व्यः । इह श्रीभगवदंशभूतानां पुरु- षादीनां परमतत्त्वविग्रहतासाधनं वाक्यजातमपि तस्यांशिनस्तद्रूपविग्रहत्वं कैमुत्येनाभि- व्यनक्तीति पूर्वत्र चोत्तरत्र च ग्रन्थे तथोदाहरणानि । 14 15 acyutam śāśvatam divyam sada yauvanam aśritams nityam sambhogam iśvarya śriya bhūmyă ca samvṛtam tattvam jijñāsamānānāṁ hetubhiḥ sarvato-mukhaiḥ tattvam eko maha-yogi harir nārāyaṇaḥ prabhuḥ nārāyaṇaḥ paraṁ brahma tattvaṁ nārāyaṇaḥ param 875 de alaŚrī Bhagavat Sandarbha For this reason the Subala Upanisad statement cited by Śrī Rāmānujācārya, beginning with, “He whose body is the earth,” and ending in, “He is the supreme immanent Self dwelling within all beings, free from all sins, the one divine Nārāyaṇa” (Sub- ala Upanisad 7.1), establishes the forms of the puruṣāvatāras, who are but portions of Bhagavan, as the Supreme tattva. Thus, through the a fortiori argument (kaimutya), Bhagavan, who is the whole of these portions, is certainly the personification of the parama-tattva. Various statements to this effect were quoted in the earlier part of this book, and more will be cited again further on. विष्णुपुराणे तु साक्षादेव श्रीभगवन्तमधिकृत्य तथैवोदाहरणम् (वि० पु० १।२२।५३-५४) - ກ Mad ni bazada dal In Visnu Purāṇa, this has been explained with direct reference to Bhagavän: की रूपे ब्रह्मणस्तस्य मूर्तं चामूर्तमेव च । क्षराक्षरस्वरूपे ते सर्वभूतेष्ववस्थिते ।। ४३२ ।। अक्षरं तत्परं ब्रह्म क्षरं सर्वमिदं जगत् ॥ ४३३ ॥ Absolute Reality has two features, murta, with form, and amurta, formless. These two features can be either perishable or imper- ishable in nature, and are situated in all living beings. The Sup- reme Brahman is imperishable, akşara, and this entire cosmos is the perishable, kṣara. (VP 1.22.53-54) Bozing ovinovÁTĚ V इत्युक्त्वा जगन्मध्ये ब्रह्मविष्ण्वीशरूपाणि च पठित्वा पुनरुक्तम् (वि० पु० १।२२।६०) - After saying this and then describing the forms of Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Śiva within the universe, Parāśara further states: 16 क Quoted in Section 93.2. Full text: “He whose body is the earth, whose body is the Self, whose body is the unmanifest, and whose body is the imperishable (akṣara) [Brahman], is the supreme immanent Self dwelling within all beings, free from all sins, the one divine Nārāyaṇa.” 17 dve rupe brahmanas tasya murtam cămurtam eva ca kṣarākṣara-svarupe te sarva-bhūteşv avasthite akṣaram tat param brahma kṣaram sarvam idam jagat 876 94 The Primary Meaning of the Word Brahma Is Bhagavan तदेतदक्षरं नित्यं जगन् मुनिवराखिलम् । आविर्भावतिरोभावजन्मनाशविकल्पवत् ॥ ४३४ ॥ इति । olasiansdug Ile boyad O sage, the aksara is eternal and complete, whereas the cosmos is subjected to the divisions of appearance, disappearance, creation and destruction. (VP 1.22.60 ) 18 तदेतदक्षराख्यं परब्रह्म नित्यमखिलं जगत् तु आविर्भावादिभेदवदित्यर्थः । तत्राविर्भावति- रोभावौ श्रीविष्णुतदंशानां जन्मनाशौ त्वन्येषाम् । अतो जगत्याविर्भावादिकृत्येनैव पूर्वेषां (ब्रह्मादीनाम्) तदन्तःपातव्यपदेशो न वस्तुत इत्यर्थः । श The meaning is that this Parabrahman, called aksara, is eternal and complete, but the cosmos undergoes the changes of appear- ance and disappearance, creation and destruction. The words appearance and disappearance are intended for Śrī Visnu and His expansions, whereas birth and death are for all others. Because devas, like Brahma and Śiva, appear and perform other acts in the universe, they are counted as part of it, but they are not so in reality. This is the meaning. तथ सदा स्वधाम्नि विराजमानत्वेन क्षररूपतो मूर्तत्वादिना चाक्षरतोऽपि विलक्षणं तृतीयं रूपं भगवतः परमं स्वरूपमिति पुनरुच्यते (वि० पु० १ २२ ६१-६४ ) - P Viṣṇu Purana further explains that Bhagavan is distinct from the perishable forms, kṣara-rupa, because He is eternally situated in His own abode. Furthermore, He is distinct from the imperish- able, akṣara-rupa [i.e., Brahman], because He has transcendental attributes, like form. He is the third form [beyond both kṣara and aksara], the ultimate form and nature of Bhagavān: SLC 021 सर्वशक्तिमयो विष्णुः स्वरूपं ब्रह्मणोऽपरम् । मूर्तं तद् योगिभिः पूर्वं योगारम्भेषु चिन्त्यते ॥ ४३५ ॥ स परः सर्वशक्तीनां ब्रह्मणः समनन्तरम् । मूर्तं ब्रह्म महाभाग सर्वब्रह्ममयो हरिः ॥ ४३६ ॥ तत्र सर्वमिदं प्रोतमोतं चैवाखिलं जगत् ॥ ४३७ || tad etad akṣaram nityam jagan muni-varākhilam āvirbhāva-tirobhāva-janma-nāśa-vikalpavat ॥ 877 Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha ad For Śri Visņu is all powerful and situated in His own essence. In the early stages of yoga, the yogis meditate on the form of Śrī Viṣņu, which is distinct from Brahman. He is beyond all potencies, for He is the truth lying immediately behind Brahman. Hari is Brah- man personified, and He constitutes the complete Brahman. This whole universe, lengthwise and crosswise, is interwoven in Him. (VP 1.22.61-64)19 इति ब्रह्मसाक्षात्कारात् पूर्वं योगिभिश्चिन्त्यते । तथा ब्रह्मणः समनन्तरः उपासनानुक्रमेण यथैवाक्षरादनन्तरं तदुक्तं यथा “ब्रह्मभूतः प्रसन्नात्मा” (गीता १८ । ५४) इत्याद्यनुसारेण ब्रह्म- साक्षात्कारानन्तराविर्भावी च स इत्यर्थः । lists all balles namderdere aids tant er guinem T In this way, yogis meditate upon Him before attaining Brahman realization. That He lies immediately behind Brahman is to say that, in accordance with one’s progress on the path of worship, Bhagavan is the truth that is revealed immediately after realiza- tion of akṣara Brahman. This is also in conformity with GĪTĀ 18.54, wherein it is said that He manifests after the realization of Brahman. This is the meaning. Tilset ni यतः सर्वासां शक्तीनां स्वरूपभूतादीनां परमाश्रयः । अत एव सर्वब्रह्ममयोऽखण्डब्रह्मस्वरूपं च - अक्षराख्यस्य पूर्वस्य शक्तिहीनत्वेन खण्डितत्वात् । Because He is the supreme shelter of all intrinsic potencies, He constitutes Brahman in its totality, sarva-brahma-maya, and is therefore the personification of the complete Brahman. But the prior manifestation, called akṣara, is partial in nature, owing to being devoid of potencies. यद् वा अत एव सर्ववेदवेद्य इत्यर्थः । तत एव च तत्र सर्वमित्यादीति । एवम् (गीता १५/१८) - Alternatively, the phrase sarva-brahma-maya [VP 1.22.63] means that He is the Truth to be realized through all the Vedas [also 19 sarva-sakti-mayo vişnuḥ svarupaṁ brahmano’parambaye murtam tad yogibhiḥ purvaṁ yogarambheşu cintyate sa paraḥ sarva-saktināṁ brahmaṇaḥ samanantaram murtam brahma maha-bhāga sarva-brahma-mayo harihmatom meg dana tatra sarvam idam protam otam caivakhilam jagatar 878 94 The Primary Meaning of the Word Brahma Is Bhagavān referred to as brahma], and thus He contains everything within Himself. Similarly, the same meaning should be applied to verses like: adwar यस्मात् क्षरमतीतोऽहमक्षरादपि चोत्तमः । अतोऽस्मि लोके वेदे च प्रथितः पुरुषोत्तमः || ४३८ ॥ इत्यादि श्रीगीतोपनिषदपि योज्या । Since I am beyond both the fallible (kṣara) and the infallible (akṣara), I am known both in the Vedic literature and among the people of the world as Purusottama, the Supreme Person. (GĪTĀ 15.18)20 grix blir rol aid अत्र यद्यपि “कूटस्थोऽक्षर उच्यते” (गीता १५ । १६ ) इत्यक्षरशब्देन शुद्धजीव एव प्रस्तूयते तथापि परब्रह्म एव च लक्ष्यम् “अक्षरं परमं ब्रह्म” (गीता ८।३) इति । तच् च तत्र पूर्वोक्त- मिति । अनयोश्चिन्मात्रवस्तुत्वेनैकार्थत्वादिति । I Although the word akṣara in GĪTĀ 15.16, “The unchangeable self is called akṣara,“21 refers to the pure jiva, it can also indicate Parabrahman, because it was earlier stated, “Akşara is Parabrah- man” (GĪTĀ 8.3). Since both entities are purely conscious in nature, the word aksara refers to them both. तदेतदभिप्रेत्य “मल्लानामशनिर्नृणां नरवरः” (भा० १० । ४३ । १७) इत्यादौ । मूर्तस्यैव स्वयं भगवत एव लक्षणत्वम् साक्षादेवाह “तत्त्वं परं योगिनाम्” इति । योगिनां श्रीचतुः सनादी- नाम् ॥ श्रीशुकः ॥ The original Complete Person, Svayam Bhagavan, who is cer- tainly endowed with form (murta), has all the characteristics of the Supreme Tattva under discussion. With this in mind, Śri Suka said, “The wrestlers saw Krsna as a lightning bolt” (SB 10.43.17).22 In the same verse he directly states this conclu- sion, “The yogis saw Him as the Absolute Truth.“23 Yogis refer to those such as the four Kumāras. 20 yasmät kṣaram atito ham akṣarad api cottamah ato’smi loke vede ca prathitaḥ purusottamaḥ 21 kütastho’kṣara ucyate 22 mallānām aśanir nṛṇām nara-varaḥ 23 tattvam param yoginām 879 Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha Commentary asared of ballgefesd THIS SECTION IS ROOTED in the understanding that the one Absolute is perceived differently in accordance with the consciousness of the perceiver. Its central verse is given at its conclusion: As Kṛṣṇa entered the arena with His elder brother Balarama, He was recognized differently by each observer: the wrestlers saw Him as a bolt of lightning, the ordinary menfolk saw Him as the best of while the women saw Him as Cupid personified. The cowherds thought of Him as a relative, while the evil kings saw Him as their punisher, and His parents, as their child. King Kamsa recognized InHim as his death, while the ignorant thought of Him as something great. The yogis perceived Him as the Absolute Truth, and the Vṛṣṇis, Thas their worshipable deity. (SB 10.43.17)24 Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmī begins this section by continuing his expla- nation that Brahman is one of the features of Bhagavan. The bod- ily effulgence of the Lord is called Brahman because it is immense. The primary meaning of Brahman is Bhagavan. Brahman means “great,” or “unlimited.” Śrī Vişņu, or Krsna, is the greatest and most unlimited person; therefore, He is called Brahman. Dhruva Mahā- rāja, while praying to Śrī Visņu, gave the etymological meaning of the word brahma in the following verse: be O Supreme Self of all selves, I offer my obeisance to Your form, which is meditated upon by the yogis and is thus free from all mutation. That form is called Brahman because it is limitlessly expansive and as limitlessly causative of others to expand. (VP 1.12.55) 25 wobne viniai bahn at whit di nolaidall tohar avis marques to In this verse, Dhruva clearly says that Śrī Vişnu’s form is called Brahman. Because the Lord is nondifferent from His body, He is certainly the complete Brahman. that 24 mallānām aśanir nṛṇām naravaraḥ strīņām smaro mūrtimān gopānāṁ svajano’satām kṣiti-bhujām sastā svapitroḥ śiśuhḥ mṛtyur bhojapater viraḍ aviduṣām tattvaṁ paraṁ yogināṁ vṛṣṇīnām paradevateti vidito rangam gataḥ sagrajaḥ 25 bṛhattvad bṛmhaṇatvat ca yad rupam brahma-sañjñitam tasmai namas te sarvātman yogi-cintyävikāriṇe 88094 The Primary Meaning of the Word Brahma Is Bhagavān At this point, Śrī Jiva resumes his explanation of the vadanti tat tattva-vidaḥ verse (SB 1.2.11), which is in fact the essential insight that he is trying to illustrate in Bhagavat Sandarbha, namely that the one Truth, or tattva, is perceived differently by different persons according to their particular approach to that Truth. According to the philosophy of Srimad Bhagavatam, Absolute Reality is one. When He manifests with attributes He is called Bha- gavan, and when He manifests without them He is called Brahman. As explained in earlier anucchedas, Bhagavan has an eternal tran- scendental form. According to VP 6.7.47 Absolute Reality manifests in four ways:
- Para-murta, the transcendental Absolute, replete with transcen- dental form, such as Śrī Kṛṣṇa and His plenary expansions. 2. Apara-murta, the phenomenal Absolute, or in other words, the Absolute appearing as the cosmos, having a conceptualized form, such as the universal form (viśva-rupa). er es un-pro 3. Para-amurta, the transcendental Absolute, devoid of form, which is Brahman.
bo 4. Apara-amurta, the immanent Absolute, who is without visible form, i.e., whose form is imperceptible due to immanence. This refers to the form of the Lord as Iśvara, the indwelling Supreme Self, who is the ground and source of creation. Br According to Śrīdhara Svāmi, the fourth category is apara- amurta, and this manifestation refers to Paramātmā. Truly speaking, Paramātmā, or Iśvara, is not amurta, or formless. Rather, His form as the indwelling Self remains unseen due to His quality of immanence. Here apara does not mean inferior, phenomenal or conceptualized, as in the case of apara-murta, i.e., the viśva-rupa. Rather, it implies a form other than the form of Bhagavan (na para iti aparaḥ). This latter phrase could also be rendered, “Immanence is that which is other than transcendence.” Moreover, the word amurta (formless) does not mean formless, as in the case of para-amurta, but a form which is similar to and leads to the supreme form, i.e., Bhagavan. The nañ prefix is applied not only in the sense of negation, but in six senses, as is stated: hin mant 881 vene Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha There are six meanings of the prefix nañ [which remains as a- before 1rig words beginning with a consonant, and as an- before words begin- redning with a vowel]: similarity to, absence of, difference from, a por- tion of, a degenerative condition of, and the opposite of, the word to which it is applied.26 On the basis of this rule, the word amurta in the fourth category can be understood as, “having a form similar to murta,” i.e., similar nom sH us. to the transcendental form. EVER To those who have true loving devotion unto the Complete Per- son, Bhagavan, the Absolute manifests in His para-murti, His tran- scendental form. For beginners on the path of upāsanā, the Absolute manifests as apara-murti, in His universal form. For the adherents of jñāna-märga, the Absolute manifests as para-amurta, transcenden- tal Brahman without form. For those who worship the Lord in devo- tion, but with excessive attention to jñāna, the Absolute manifests as apara-amurta, as the immanent, imperceptible Supreme Self, the internal regulator of material nature. Although there are four manifestations of the Absolute, the ulti- mate reality is a transconventional person, or para-murta. This is evident from the statements of Śrī Sūta Gosvāmī: This Supreme Person [the second manifestation of the Purusa] is the imperishable seed of the innumerable avatāras appearing within the cosmos, and the abode to which they return. From a portion of His [i.e., from Brahma] and from a portion of that portion [i.e., from the sages such as Marici, who were brought forth by Brahma] the bongods, men, animals and other life forms are created. (SB 1.3.5)27 Thereafter, having listed the various avatāras, Sūta Gosvāmī says that Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the original Supreme Lord (SB 1.3.28). That the ultimate reality is different from the universal form is confirmed in VP 6.7.70, viśva-rupaṁ vai rūpam. This means that He has a tran- scendental form. In the alternate reading of this verse, vairupyam 26 27 tat-sādṛśyam abhāvaś ca tad-anyatvaṁ tad-alpatā aprasastyam virodhaś ca nañ-arthaḥ ṣat prakirtitāḥ etan nānāvatarāṇām nidhānam bījam avyayam yasyaṁśāṁsena srjyante deva-tiryan-naradayaḥ 882 94 The Primary Meaning of the Word Brahma Is Bhagavan means that His form is different from the viśva-rupa. Bhagavan is the source of all types of manifestations, but He is not dependent on anything else: ball The Lord has a distinct form which is independent of any other sup- port and free of desire. (VP 6.7.78) 28 guiteam ashiq an This para-murti of Bhagavan is eternal. Although there are state- ments such as, “The Lord accepted a form” (PP 6.227.7), these do not indicate that prior to the acceptance of form, the Lord was formless. Such statements indicate the actions that He manifests to His devo- tees. For Him, the acceptance of form is without beginning - it is eternal. Otherwise, nothing else could have form. Therefore, the primary meaning of the word tattva in verses like vadanti tat tattva-vidaḥ is Bhagavan. This is confirmed in Maha- nārāyaṇa Upanisad: Śrī Nārāyaṇa is the Supreme Brahman. He is the Supreme Tattva. He is supreme effulgence, and He is the Supreme Self. (MNU 11.4)29 There are many statements that establish the various expansions of Krsna as the Supreme Reality. It naturally follows then that the source of such expansions, Kṛṣṇa, is the Supreme tattva, beyond both the mundane manifestation as well as Brahman. Although Brahman is sometimes described as indivisible and complete, it is Bhagavan who is the Complete Indivisible Reality. Brahman is devoid of manifest qualities and thus cannot be considered akhanda- tattva, or the Complete Reality. This is expressed by Śrī Kṛṣṇa when He says that He is Purusottama, transcendental to both kṣara and akṣara (GĪTĀ 15.13). Akşara refers both to the individual self as well as to Brahman, because both are infallible and imperishable. The complete man- ifestation of Absolute reality is Śrī Kṛṣṇa, as Śrī Śuka describes, tattvam param yoginām, “The yogis saw Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Real- ity” (SB 10.43.17). 28 29 murtam bhagavato rupaṁ sarvapäśraya niḥspṛham nārāyaṇaḥ param brahma tattvaṁ nārāyaṇaḥ paraḥ narayanaḥ paro jyotirātmā nārāyanaḥ paraḥ 883 medal amŚrī Bhagavat Sandarbha In Mahābhārata, Śrī Bhiṣma told Yudhisthira Mahārāja that Śrī Kṛṣṇa is Brahman: d O tiger among men, Śrī Kṛṣṇa is indeed called aksara, the unmani- fest, immortal, eternal Brahman. (MB 12.210.14)30 frend asil bar frog From this analysis, it is clear that the primary meaning of the word brahma is the Supreme Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, He being the greatest of all and the source of everything. He is the advaya-tattva, the nondual Absolute Reality, and He manifests in various forms. eds pesibel In the next anuccheda, Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmi will explain that Śrimad Bhagavatam is the topmost Vedic literature because it has the power to attract the Absolute Reality, Śrī Kṛṣṇa. adaM ni bsartinga piass 2005 Barelidates and siste To hnoyed beffot smarque ad at cognoienges love yonboa rigubr quod Anamda How a robatestimon ashram, adida 11 als be biderabile boda a ruthlete almente pillesif sidiarylbal silam ifrat oder ande has new and he yo baaziges at still villest signed or go wit brod of latnsbreenan smsitos vids ava men&ples low as Tee labhruthai art of died mats incl viem slip ofaldadenome bure sidilist of nasoed 30 yat tad akṣaram avyaktam amṛtam brahma śāśvatam vadanti puruṣavyaghra keśavaṁ puruşarsabha This is verse MB 12.203.12 of the critical edition (Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute 1987). 884 Tads drwgninnised mistyper in dead badiah al doidw Anuccheda 95tal insuflo tubesque .. wo to ass bd boovad el oriw bb amorque art of nottovsb ni di Śrīmad Bhāgavatam Is the Complete Scripture seyeda di gaibas ba ९५ । अत एव श्रीमद्भागवतस्य निगमकल्पतरुपरमफलभूतस्य श्रेष्ठ्ये सत्यपि तथाभूत- स्यापि भगवदाख्यपरमतत्त्वस्योत्कर्षविद्यारूपत्वादेव परमश्रैष्ठ्यमाह (भा० १।१।२) - THEREFORE, although Śrimad Bhagavatam, the supreme fruit of the wish-fulfilling tree of the Vedas, is already superior in many ways, its supreme excellence is that it embodies the knowl- edge that attracts the Supreme Truth, known as Bhagavan. Śrī Vedavyāsa explains this as follows: SHE धर्मः प्रोज्झितकैतवोऽत्र परमो निर्मत्सराणां सतां FOL 515 वेद्यं वास्तवमत्र वस्तु शिवदं तापत्रयोन्मूलनम् । श्रीमद्भागवते महामुनिकृते किं वा परैरीश्वरः THE FOUR SHIPS FIOTS सद्यो हृद्यवरुध्यतेऽत्र कृतिभिः शुश्रूषुभिस्तत्क्षणात् ।। ४३९ ।। The Supreme Lord is immediately arrested in the heart of the 2 virtuous, as soon as they so much as desire to hear Śrīmad Bhā- gavatam, which reveals the supreme duty of the self, devoid of all deception or compromise, and which is undertaken by the pure-hearted, devoid of envy. The one truly-abiding Substan- tive, which grants auspiciousness and uproots the threefold mis-9 eries, is the truth investigated here in Srimad Bhagavatam. So, what need is there for any scripture other than this beautiful Bhāgavatam, composed by the great sage Vyasa Deva? (SB 1.1.2)1 dth 2in1 dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo’tra paramo nirmatsarānāṁ satāṁ vedyam vāstavam atra vastu sivadam tapa-trayonmulanam śrimad-bhagavate maha-muni-kṛte kim vā parair isvaraḥ sadyo hṛdy avarudhyate’tra kṛtibhiḥ śuśruşubhis tat-kṣaṇāt 885 Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha अत्र यस्तावद् धर्मो निरूप्यते स खलु “स वै पुंसां परो धर्मो यतो भक्तिरधोक्षजे” ( भा० ११२६) - The supreme dharma (paramo dharmaḥ) mentioned herein is that which is described in the section of Bhagavatam beginning with SB 1.2.6: “The supreme duty of human beings is that which results in devotion to the Supreme Lord, who is beyond the ken of our material senses” (SB 1.2.6).? Sift vagada bomina इत्यादिकया (भा० १।२।१३ ) - And ending with the verse: Bhagav ni अतः पुम्भिर्द्विजश्रेष्ठा वर्णाश्रमविभागशः । स्वानुष्ठितस्य धर्मस्य संसिद्धिर्हरितोषणम् ॥ ४४० ॥ gud Therefore, O best among the twice born, the perfection of duties attentively executed by people according to their varna and -waśrama lies in the satisfaction of Sri Hari. (SB 1.2.13)3 aardr sgha veged as nwonldawr smeague aids a Tisgha इत्यन्तया रीत्या भगवत्सन्तोषणैकतात्पर्येण शुद्धभक्त्युत्पादकतया निरूपणात् परम एव । यतः सोऽपि तदेकतात्पर्यत्वात् प्रकर्षेण उज्झितं कैतवं फलाभिसन्धिलक्षणं कपट यस्मिन् तथाभूतः । प्रशब्देन सालोक्यादिसर्वप्रकारमोक्षाभिसन्धिरपि निरस्तः । यत एवासौ तदेकतात्पर्यत्वेन निर्मत्सराणां फलकामुकस्येव परोत्कर्षासहनं मत्सरः । तद्र- हितानामेव तदुपलक्षणत्वेन पश्चालम्भने दयालूनामेव च सतां स्वधर्मपराणां विधीयते इति । Since the only purpose of the dharma, or prescribed duty, described in these verses, is to please the Lord through generat- ing pure devotional service, it is therefore the supreme dharma. Because this Śrimad Bhagavatam too is manifest for the sole pur- pose of pleasing the Lord, it therefore completely rejects the deception characterized by gain-seeking of all kind. The pre- fix pra- [in projjhita] implies that even desires for the various types of liberation, such as sälokya, are denounced. This being the case, this dharma, whose sole purpose is to please the Lord, is 2sa vai pursām paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhoksaje ataḥ pumbhir dvija-śreṣṭhā varṇāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ svanusthitasya dharmasya samsiddhir hari-toṣaṇamm 886 95 Śrimad Bhagavatam Is the Complete Scripture prescribed for the virtuous (satām), attentively engaged in their prescribed duties, and who are without envy (nirmatsarāṇām). Matsara (envy) means intolerance of the value found in others, which is typical of those who hanker for the fruits of their actions. Nirmatsara means “an absence of this envy” and by extension also includes those merciful people who do not kill animals. Valle Цитой sigmos metovoonda एवमीदृशं स्पष्टमनुक्तवतः कर्मशास्त्रादुपासनाशास्त्राच् चास्य तत्तत्प्रतिपादकांशे श्रेष्ठ्य- मुक्तम् । उभयत्रैव धर्मोत्पत्तेः । तदेवं सति साक्षात् श्रवणकीर्तनादिरूपस्य वार्तातिदूरत एवास्तामिति भावः । brol sm Although it is not stated explicitly, Srimad Bhagavatam is supe- rior to both the karma-sastra and upāsanā-śästra in establishing its conclusions, because in both instances [the purpose is to] give rise to dharma. This being the case, it cannot be expected that the intrinsic [devotional] dharma of hearing and chanting the Lord’s pastimes, expressed in Bhagavatam, would be found in these other texts. avnom bsniste ed of अथ ज्ञानज्ञानकाण्डशाखाभ्योऽप्यस्य पूर्ववत् श्रैष्ठ्यम वेद्यम्” इति । भगवद्भक्तिनिरपेक्ष- प्रायेषु तेषु प्रतिपादितमपि “श्रेयः सृतिं भक्तिमुदस्य” (भा० १० | १४ |४) इत्यादिन्यायेन वेद्यं निश्चयं न भवतीत्यत्रैव वेद्यमित्यर्थः । The statement, “The one truly-abiding Substantive is the truth to be investigated here” (vedya), indicates that Bhāgavatam is similarly superior even to the jñāna-śästra. The jñāna-śästras, which are generally indifferent to devotion to Bhagavan, lack definitive knowledge of the Truth which is to be known (vedya), as is stated, “Those who spurn devotion to You, the path of sup- reme blessedness, O Supreme Lord, and suffer many hardships to attain enlightenment, are left in the end with nothing more than their fatigue. It is useless labor, like pounding husks in the hope of obtaining rice” (SB 10.14.4). This indicates that defini- tive knowledge of the Absolute can be obtained only here, from Srimad Bhagavatam. yd
- śreyaḥ-sṛtim bhaktim udasya te vibho kliśyanti ye kevala-bodha-labdhaye teṣām asau klesala eva sisyate nanyad yatha sthula-tuṣāvaghātinām dini sa 887 21h02 Śri Bhagavat Sandarbha ba तन्मतैकदेशिशास्त्रेभ्यो वैशिष्ट्यमाह - शिवं स्वरूपं परमानन्दं ददात्यनुभावयतीति । तथा तापत्रयमुन्मूलयति तन्मूलभूताविद्यापर्यन्तं खण्डयतीति । तथान्यत्र मुक्तावनुभवाम- नने ह्यपुरुषार्थत्वापातः स्यादिति तन्मननादत्र तु वैशिष्ट्यमिति । न चास्य तत्तद्दुर्लभवस्तु- साधनत्वे तादृशनिरूपणसौष्ठवमेव कारणम् । Śrīla Vyasa further describes the unique excellence of Śrīmad Bhagavatam, completing what is lacking in the one-dimensional scriptures of the jñāna-marga: “It grants auspiciousness and uproots the threefold miseries” (śivadam tapa-trayonmulanam). The phrase “grants auspiciousness” (śivada) means that it causes one to experience the supremely blissful nature of the Lord, and the phrase, “uproots the threefold miseries,” means that it destroys ignorance, their root cause. The unique characteristic of Srimad Bhagavatam that distinguishes it from other scriptures [i.e., of the jñāna-marga], is that the latter admit of no experi- ence in the state of liberation, and therefore, liberation of that kind is, technically, not a puruşärtha, or a substantive reality to be attained. Bhagavatam, on the other hand, accounts for transcendental experience in the post-liberated state. I I T THE 197 अपि तु स्वरूपमपीत्याह “ श्रीमद्भागवते ” इति । श्रीभागवतत्वं भगवत्प्रतिपादकत्वं श्रीमत्त्वं श्रीभगवन्नामादेरिव तादृशस्वाभाविकशक्तिमत्त्वम् । नित्ययोगे मतुप् । अत एव समस्त- तयैव निर्दिश्य नीलोत्पलादिवत् तन्नामत्वमेव बोधितम् । अन्यथा त्वविमृष्टविधेयांशदोषः स्यात् । neve to Furthermore, the cause of attaining these rare goals is not just the wonderful style in which Srimad Bhagavatam is composed, but is in its very nature (svarupa). This is demonstrated by the name of the book itself: Bhāgavata means that it establishes Bhagavan, and śrimat means that it has the potency to do so in its essential nature, just as all the names and other attributes of Bhagavan also inherently contain such potency. The suffix -mat (matup) is used to indicate eternal union with, or inclusion of, the qual- ity to which it is affixed [in this case, to śrī or potency]. Hence, by writing śrimad-bhagavate as a compound word, the author has informed us that this is the complete name of the book, such as in the case of a “blue lotus” (nilotpala). Otherwise, it would 888 95 Śrīmad Bhagavatam Is the Complete Scripture introduce the defect called avimṛṣṭa-vidheyamsa, wherein the pri- mary member of a compound word is treated as secondary. alat अत उक्तं श्रीगारुडे “ग्रन्थोऽष्टादशसाहस्रः श्रीमद्भागवताभिधः” इति । टीकाकृद्भिरपि “श्री- मद्भागवताभिधः सुरतरुः” इति । अतः क्वचित् केवलभागवताख्यत्वं तु “सत्यभामा भामा” इतिवत् । Thus, Garuda Purāņa states, “The book containing 18,000 verses is called Śrīmad Bhagavatam,” and the commentator [Sridhara Svāmi] writes, “The book called Srimad Bhagavatam is a divine tree.” Therefore, if it is sometimes called just Bhāgavatam, we should understand that this is an abbreviated form, just as Satyabhāmā is sometimes shortened to “Bhāmā.” तादृशप्रभावत्वे कारणं परमश्रेष्ठकर्तृकत्वमप्याह - महामुनिः श्रीभगवान् तस्यैव परमवि- चारपारङ्गतत्वात् महाप्रभावगणशिरोमणित्वाच् च । “स मुनिर्भूत्वा समचिन्तयत्” इति श्रुतेः । तेन प्रथमं चतुःश्लोकीरूपेण सङ्क्षेपतः प्रकाशिते “कस्मै येन विभाषितोऽयम्” (भा० १२।१३।१९) इत्याद्यनुसारेण सम्पूर्ण एव वा प्रकाशिते । The underlying cause of Bhagavata’s being so influential is that its author is supremely eminent. This is expressed by the word maha-muni (the great thinker). In this case the appellation refers to none other than Śrī Bhagavan, since He alone is supremely proficient in deliberation, and because He is the crest-jewel of all greatly influential persons. The Vedas affirm, “He, the Lord, deliberated after becoming a muni, or thinker.“5 The Lord first manifested an abridged version of Bhagavatam in four verses; or as stated, “He enlightened Brahma in this Śrimad Bhagavatam” (SB 12.13.19). This means that He also revealed it in its complete form. ent on an Iridestorm too sob तदेवं श्रैष्ठ्यजातमन्यत्रापि प्रायः सम्भवतु नाम सर्वज्ञानशास्त्रपरमज्ञेयपुरुषार्थशिरोमणि- श्रीभगवत्साक्षात्कारस्त्वत्रैव सुलभ इति उपासनाखण्डेभ्योऽपि श्रैष्ठ्यं वदन् सर्वोर्ध्वप्रभा- वमाह “किं वा” इति । Even if some of the excellences of Srimad Bhagavatam may be found elsewhere in other scriptures, so be it. Nevertheless, direct sa munir bhūtvā samacintayat ⚫ kasmai yena vibhāṣito’yami 889 mighŚri Bhagavat Sandarbha bemte 20 realization of the Supreme Person, who is the crest-jewel of all goals of human life, and who is described as the Supreme Know- able in all the scriptures dealing with spiritual knowledge, is eas- ily available only in Srimad Bhagavatam. In this way while declar- ing the excellence of Srimad Bhagavatam even over that of the Upāsanā-kāṇḍa, Vyasa affirms its preeminence: “What need is there then for any scripture other than this” (kim va paraiḥ)? परैः शास्त्रैस्तदुक्तसाधनैर्वा ईश्वरो भगवान् हृदि किं वा सद्य एवावरुध्यते स्थिरीक्रियते । वाशब्दः कटाक्षे । किन्तु विलम्बेन कथञ्चिदेव । अत्र तु शुश्रूषुभिः श्रोतुमिच्छद्भिरेव तत्क्ष- णादेवावरुध्यते । 101 DS это oru biroda [The question can be understood as follows:] Does the Supreme Lord, Bhagavan, become immediately arrested or established within the heart as a result of hearing any other scripture, or by following any other spiritual practices (sadhanaiḥ) recom- mended by them? The word va in this question (kim vā) is used ironically to indicate that if at all this may happen, it can occur only after a long delay. On the other hand, here [in the case of Srimad Bhagavatam], the Lord is captured in the heart at the very moment one simply desires to hear it. ननु इदमेव तर्हि सर्वे किमिति न शृण्वन्ति ? तत्राह - कृतिभिरिति सुकृतिभिरित्यर्थः । श्रवणेच्छा तु तादृशसुकृतिं विना नोत्पद्यत इति भावः । 25 A question may now be raised: “Why is it then that everyone does not hear or study this book?” In answer, the verse says that the inspiration to do so arises in the virtuous (kṛtibhih). The import is that without some special merit, the desire to hear Bhāgavatam does not manifest. अथवा अपरैर्मोक्षपर्यन्तकामनारहितेश्वराराधनलक्षणधर्मब्रह्मसाक्षात्कारादिभिर् उक्तैरनु- क्तैर्वा साध्यैस्तैरत्र किं वा कियद् वा माहात्म्यमुपपन्नमित्यर्थः । Alternatively, if we read the words kim vã paraiḥ as kim va aparaiḥ (What need then is there for anything inferior?), the meaning would be as follows: How great a significance can be attributed to any other attainable spiritual goal, whether stated herein or not, including religious duties (dharma) involving worship of the 89095 Śrimad Bhagavatam Is the Complete Scripture Lord devoid of all desire, even that for liberation, or including even the direct realization of Brahman? यतो य ईश्वरः कृतिभिः कथञ्चित् तत्तत्साधनानुक्रमलब्धया भक्त्या कृतार्थैः सद्यस्तदेकक्ष- णमेव व्याप्य हृदि स्थिरीक्रियते स एवात्र श्रोतुमिच्छद्भिरेव तत्क्षणमारभ्य सर्वदैवेति । This is so, because the Lord is held only momentarily in the heart of those virtuous persons who have attained fulfilment (kṛtārtha) owing to the grace of the bhakti that ensues from these other prac- tices. The same Lord, however, becomes permanently established in the heart from the very moment they merely desire to hear Srimad Bhagavatam.lo तस्मादत्र काण्डत्रयरहस्यस्य प्रव्यक्तप्रतिपादनादेर्विशेषत ईश्वराकर्षिविद्यारूपत्वाच् चेदमेव सर्वशास्त्रेभ्यः श्रेष्ठम् । अत एव " अत्र” इति पदस्य त्रिरुक्तिः कृता । सा हि निर्धार- णार्थेति । अतो नित्यमेतदेव सर्वैरेव श्रोतव्यमिति भावः ॥ श्रीवेदव्यासः श्रीशुकम् ॥ Therefore, Śrimad Bhagavatam is superior to all other scriptures because it explicitly reveals the secrets of the three divisions of the Vedas [karma, jñāna and upāsanā], and more particu- larly, because it embodies the knowledge that attracts the Lord. Because of this, the term atra (“here,” in this book) has been emphasized three times. Therefore, this book alone is to be heard and studied by everyone at all times. This is the essence. legbang ad Commentary baash bae IN THE PREVIOUS SECTION, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi demonstrated that Bhagavan is the complete and indivisible Absolute Reality and that all other manifestations are dependent on and thus inferior to Him. This is the central theme of Bhagavat Sandarbha. The primary mean- ing of words like tattva and brahma find their support only in Bhaga- vän. According to the degree of eligibility of the worshiper, Bhaga- vän manifests in different features: in His personal form to the devo- tees, as Paramātmā to the yogis, and as unqualified Brahman to the jñānīs. To the devotees who are influenced by His majestic feature, He manifests as Iśvara. All these various features simultaneously exist in the person of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the original form of Bhagavan. 891 adg2 Śri Bhagavat Sandarbha How can one understand and realize Bhagavan? To answer this, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi begins this anuccheda and establishes that it is pos- sible to do so by the power of hearing Srimad Bhāgavatam. Although there are various types of scriptures available, Śrīmad Bhāgavatam is unique in relation to all other spiritual texts, owing to its inherent power to attract Bhagavan, as defined earlier. In the epistemologi- cal section of Tattva Sandarbha, Srimad Bhagavatam was shown to be the topmost pramāņa, having the highest validity in the matter of the complete understanding of transcendence. Here it is shown further- more that Śrīmad Bhagavatam can grant the ultimate end of all that may be aspired to. By glorifying the means of attaining that ultimate end (i.e., Bhagavan), the author simultaneously glorifies Bhagavan. With this in mind, Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī analyzes the second verse of the book. This verse succinctly establishes the qualifications for hearing Śrimad Bhagavatam and the effects of hearing it on the recip- ient. It is customary to mention these things at the beginning of a book.vib grad There are many processes that lead to the realization of God, but none is so potent as hearing Śrimad Bhagavatam. The complete Abso- lute, Bhagavan, is attracted simply by the desire to hear this unique work, which reveals Him. But the desire to hear this truth revelation appears only in the hearts of the virtuous (kṛtibhiḥ). Absence of envy, defined as intolerance of the value found in others, is the principal sign of such virtue. Only those who are free from this ego-centered and ego-fortifying disease are qualified to realize Bhagavan, for it is the barrier that prevents entry into the spiritual realm. Vaikuntha is completely free from any trace of such envy. Thus, Srimad Bhaga- vatam is meant for satām, or those established in the Supreme Truth, satyam param. The mention of these two qualities together indicates that freedom from the tendency to devalue other beings (nirmatsara) is correlated with the vision to perceive the value (i.e., the Truth or underlying essence) of all beings (satām). Śrī Jiva Gosvāmi com- ments that nirmatsara also indicates compassion, especially in the sense of non-violence towards animals. Śrimad Bhagavatam propounds the topmost dharma because it teaches the means of attracting the most attractive person, Śrī Kṛṣṇa. 892 95 Śrimad Bhagavatam Is the Complete Scripture The only thing that attracts Śrī Kṛṣṇna is pure bhakti. The dharma described in Śrimad Bhagavatam, therefore, is love of Kṛṣṇa, śuddha- bhakti, which is completely devoid of all cheating propensities. The desire for liberation is also a type of cheating. The living being is part of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s energy, and thus rendering favorable ser- vice to Śrī Kṛṣṇa is natural. Any deviation from this natural func- tion is considered deception. The highest type of deceit is to deny the very existence of the Entity for whom such service is meant, by subscribing to the monistic view, whose one-dimensionality fails to account for inherent potency within the Supreme Transcendent. Except for pure devotional service, all other processes are marred by some amount of cheating. adt ind bran bos sa che edg There are three divisions of the Vedic literature, Karma-käṇḍa, Jñāna-kāṇḍa and Upāsanā-kāṇḍa. dto nolanami xd dwaleob Karma-kända deals with result-oriented action and the purifica- tion of action. It is meant for those whose self-identification is tied to the body-mind complex and to the entire network of physical and social relations that such identification entails. As long as the con- ventional self-sense prevails, attachment to sensual, emotional and mental gratification remains prominent. Karma-kända addresses this level of self-identity, emphasizing that harmony and well-being, even at the conventional level of existence, is possible only by assum- ing responsibility for the consequences of one’s actions in accor- dance with universal laws. The karma perspective thus regulates unbridled desires for enjoyment that create imbalance and dishar- mony in the self-system, and hence, it gradually brings about the purification of desire and action.aders diavole home ballan Upāsanā-kāṇḍa deals with meditation and worship. It is intended for those whose sense of self encompasses more truth than the body- mind self. Although still rooted in a separate self sense, there is the intuition that self and cosmos are grounded within a greater reality. Upāsanā-kāṇḍa is relevant at this level of self-identity, emphasizing that value for the selflies in seeking out its connection with that real- ity through well-informed disciplines (i.e., meditation and worship) intended for that purpose. It teaches one to see everything as a man- ifestation of the Lord’s energy, and thus allows the self-sense to be 893 Śri Bhagavat Sandarbha in a expanded and re-organized at the higher dimensional frequency of sattva-guna. Toivol dingest Jñana-kända deals with Ultimate Reality, beyond the cosmos and the gunas of nature. It is intended for those who have seen through the separate-self sense altogether, at which point Karma-kända is no longer of relevance. Jñana-kända is applicable when the self-concept proceeds to the transcendental self, or atma. It refines awareness to strip away all the subtle layers of identification with the non- self, and trains one to recognize everything as Brahman, leading ultimately to realization of the unqualified Absolute. bounds a So, karma is intended for the body-mind self, upasana, for the higher sattvic self, and jñāna, for the transcendental self. Śrīmad Bhāgavatam transcends all three of these approaches, however, as it deals with the dimension of being beyond liberation. The transcen- dental self as defined by jñāna, is a mere stripping away of every- thing material. But Srimad Bhagavatam redefines the transcenden- tal self in its full potentiality, in relation to the Complete Whole, Bhagavan. As such, Bhagavatam bestows not only the respective results of the other three paths, but actualizes the highest poten- tial available to conscious beings, that of love for the Complete Per- son. It awards the highest bliss and completely uproots the three types of material miseries. Not only that, it completely shatters all ignorance, the cause behind all these miseries. Everyone is suffer- ing due to lack of awareness of the Supreme Lord, the conscious Source of our very existence. Śrimad Bhagavatam offers explicit knowledge and awareness of Bhagavan in abundance. Thus, it is called Srimad Bhagavatam - the beautiful treatise on Bhagavan, God as Transconventional Person.am w 965 The book’s name, Śrimad Bhagavatam, is also of great significance. Śrī indicates the energy of the Lord. The crude form śrimat is formed by applying the matup suffix, indicating a permanent connection or relation. This means that śrī is eternally available in Śrīmad Bhāga- vatam - it is not incidental or acquired. Just as fire has natural burn- ing potency, Śrimad Bhagavatam similarly has the natural potency to attract and reveal Śrī Kṛṣṇa. The implication is that if one recites or hears it even without understanding the meaning, it will manifest 894 95 Srimad Bhagavatam Is the Complete Scripture its potency - provided the recipient has the required eligibility of honoring the value of all beings (nirmatsara). Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmī says that Bhāgavatam is just like the Holy Name, which does not depend on any prior knowledge. Śrīmat is an equal part of the book’s name, joined to the word bha- gavata as a karmadharaya compound. Just as “blue” in “blueberry” is significant in conveying the complete and specific sense of the word, śrīmat carries the identical type of significance as an equal member of a compound word. It is not a simple honorific, such as when one prefixes śrī to someone’s name out of politeness or respect. To not regard it as part of the name would give rise to the rhetorical defect called avimṛṣṭa-vidheyamsa, which means, “putting the predi- cate before the subject.” In a sentence the subject is the known, and the predicate supplies some information about the subject. 602 For example, if during a conversation John tells his friend, “Rama is a poet,” then it is understood that the friend knows Rama, but does not know that he is a poet. In this sentence Rama is the sub- ject, and “is a poet” is the predicate. If, however, the predicate is placed before the subject, i.e., “A poet is Rama,” then confusion is introduced, because when the friend first hears the word poet, he would not know to whom it refers. So, if śrīmat is not an equal part of the name, and yet one uses it to refer to the book, then one is putting the predicate before the subject. This is considered a defect because it delays comprehension of the sentence. The complete title of this work is thus Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, and Śrī Jiva confirms this with quotes from Garuda Purana as well as Śrīdhara Svāmi. As such, whenever it is referred to simply as Bhaă- gavatam, it should be understood that the word śrimat precedes it. Just as when Kṛṣṇa Dāsa Kavirāja is called simply “Kaviraja,” it is understood that “Krsna Dasa” precedes it. Śrimad Bhagavatam is also great because its author is great. A product’s quality depends upon the skill and competency of its pro- ducer. Here Śrī Jiva says that maha-muni refers to the Lord, who originally spoke Bhagavatam to Brahma, tene brahma hṛdā ya ādi- 15h/ ? Śrīdhara Svāmī himself says that this refers to Nārāyaṇa. 895 Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha & be ap kavaye (SB 1.1.1). The Lord is called the best of sages (rsīņām rṣab- hah) in SB 2.4.22, just as He is named maha-muni in SB 1.1.2. Also, while instructing Uddhava, Śrī Kṛṣṇa hinted at His being the orig- inal speaker of Bhagavatam: “Therefore, when the subsequent cre- ation took place, I spoke the Vedic knowledge to Brahma because I Myself am the religious principles in the Vedas” (SB 11.14.3). ads Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmī cites an untraceable Vedic reference wherein the Lord is described as maha-muni. In Padma Purāṇa, Śrī Sūta Gosvāmi explicitly says: appstilog to tuo sman La Śrī Kṛṣṇa spoke the four seed-verses of Srimad Bhagavatam to Brahma through his heart when the latter was sitting on the lotush born out of the Lord’s navel. These four verses are the embodiment of the Absolute Reality. (PP 6.194.68)” BOŚrī Jiva, however, on the basis of SB 12.13.19, also hints that Kṛṣṇa spoke the complete book. The verse says that the Lord revealed this (ayam) book to Brahma. The pronoun ayam refers to the com- plete book. Since the cycle of creation is beginningless, it is possible that at some time, the Lord revealed the four seed-verses of Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, and at another, the complete book. Therefore, Śrimad Bhagavatam is superior owing to the super- excellence of its author and speaker. Śrī Sūta Gosvāmī confirms this in Bhāgavata-māhātmya: ayalab di bO Śaunaka, after studying multitudinous scriptures, I have shared de with you the topmost secret. This is the essence of all scriptures. In bthis world there is nothing more purifying than these pastimes nar-te irated by Śrī Sukadeva. Therefore, if you wish to experience tran-no ascendental bliss, drink this nectar in this form of twelve cantos. (PP, Bhagavata-mähätmya 6.102)10 8 mayadau brahmaṇe proktā, dharmo yasyam mad-atmakaḥ pa bom 9kṛṣṇena brahmaṇe nabhi-pankajasthāya hṛdaiva hi zhasgeb vallsup arouhong 10 tac catuḥ-slokam akhilam brahmaiva pritibhasate iti ca parama-guhyam sarva-siddhanta-siddham sapadi nigaditam te sastra-puñjam vilokya jagati suka-kathāto nirmalaṁ nästi kiñcit piba para-sukha-hetor dvädaśa-skandha-saram il tre mesh Uropuh adaloge lentigho 896 95 Śrimad Bhagavatam Is the Complete Scripture The word śuśruşubhiḥ in the verse under discussion is also very important. It means those who desire to hear Śrīmad Bhagavatam. The verse states that as soon as a person desires to hear this book, the Lord becomes situated in his or her heart. So it goes without saying that when the devotee actually engages in hearing, the Lord becomes totally bound up by him. The implication is that the topmost goal, which is not available through any other process even after it has been perfected, can be had merely by desiring to hear Śrīmad Bhā- gavatam. The words sadyas (immediately), and tat-kṣaṇāt (at that very moment), although they have the same meaning, have both been used to emphasize this fact. Therefore, one should not consider either of them as redundant or unnecessary repetition. Alterna- tively, sadyas can mean that by other processes the Lord may become momentarily captivated (i.e., in the “immediacy” of the moment), but when in contrast a person desires to hear Srimad Bhagavatam, the Lord remains steadfastly captivated from that very moment (tat- kṣaṇāt). Such a result is possible because Śrimad Bhagavatam is Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s sabda-avatara. But to have this kind of experience, one must be a kṛti, or a virtuous person free from envy. In the following anuccheda, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmī will explain how the original four seed-verses of Srimad Bhagavatam are also related specifically to Bhagavan and not to unqualified Brahman. if al a ham banis be wo wont Amdard st mfremade ROPER ES the f than by a bolwund isirusbno sam aids M moshavsall andant Raismans 19,(agin) tag insting at his (nranta) 897 wala noizletboeben we set i diddienst brow ad otvopade home head or with worsnesm1) Isoqmi tlood entrenadoresboereoose shise an goa hadid a hibaheula es d rohestal 491ovaban harwad Mahobad barber Anuccheda 96 The Conclusion of the Catuḥ-śloki of good Bhāgavatam Is Bhagavān 96.1 ad ९६ । तदेवं श्रीशुकहृदयमपि सङ्गमितं स्यात् । अतश्चतुःश्लोकीप्रसङ्गेऽपि श्रीभगवानेवार्थः । स हि स्वज्ञानाद्युपदेशेन स्वमेवोपदिदेश । तत्र परमभागवताय ब्रह्मणे श्रीमद्भागवताख्यं निजं शास्त्रमुपदेष्टुं तत्प्रतिपाद्यतमं वस्तुचतुष्टयं प्रतिजानीते (भा० २।९।३०) - THIS EXCELLENCE OF SRIMAD BHAGAVATAM, by which it includes and surpasses the truth accessible through other paths, accords too with the experience of Śrī Śukadeva. Therefore, Bhagavan alone is the subject depicted in the four seed-verses of Bha- gavatam also. The Lord most certainly taught about Himself, while expounding direct knowledge concerning Him and three other topics related to Him. Before instructing the great devo- tee Brahma in His own scripture, named Srimad Bhagavatam, He first introduces the four primary subjects that will be found therein: 1 ज्ञानं परमगुह्यं मे यद् विज्ञानसमन्वितम् । सरहस्यं तदङ्गं च गृहाण गदितं मया ॥ ४४१ ॥ Receive from Me this most confidential knowledge regarding Me (jñāna), which includes its realization (vijñāna), its mystery (rahasya) and its component part (anga), as I enunciate it to You. (SB 2.9.30)1 jñānam parama-guhyam me yad vijñāna-samanvitam sa-rahasyam tad-angam ca gṛhana gaditam maya 898 96 The Conclusion of the Catuḥ-sloki of Bhagavatam Is Bhagavan मे मम भगवतो ज्ञानं शब्दद्वारा याथार्थ्यनिर्धारणं मया गदितं सद्गृहाण इत्यन्यो न जानातीति भावः । यतः परमगुह्यं ब्रह्मज्ञानादपि रहस्यतमम् “मुक्तानामपि सिद्धानाम् " ( भा० ६।१४।५) इत्यादेः । The Lord is saying, “Accept this knowledge, which is the ascer- tainment of the factual conclusions through words, as enunci- ated by Me, Bhagavan.” The import of Krsna’s statement is that no one else knows this truth, because it is supremely confiden- tial, embodying the highest mystery beyond even that of brahma- jñāna, as indicated in verses such as, “O great sage, among many millions who are liberated and perfected in knowledge of the self, one whose being is established in unalterable peace and who is fully devoted to Śrī Nārāyaṇa is most rare to find” (SB 6.14.5)2 तच् च विज्ञानेन तदनुभावेनापि युक्तं गृहाण । न चैतावदेव किं च सरहस्यं तत्रापि रहस्यं यत् किमप्यस्ति तेनापि सहितम् । तच् च प्रेमभक्तिरूपमित्यग्रे व्यञ्जयिष्यते । तथा तदङ्गं च गृहाण । तच् च सति त्वपराधाख्यविघ्ने न झटिति विज्ञानरहस्ये प्रकटयेत् । तस्मात् तस्य ज्ञानस्य सहायं च गृहाणेत्यर्थः । तच् च श्रवणादिभक्तिरूपमित्यग्रे व्यञ्जयिष्यते । यद् वा सरहस्यमिति तदङ्गस्यैव विशेषणं ज्ञेयम् । सुहृदोरिव मिथः संवर्धकयोरेकत्रावस्थानात् । Accept this knowledge, together with its realization, vijñāna, which is included therein. Not only that, receive this knowl- edge along with its secret meaning, rahasya, which is embedded therein. This secret meaning is unalloyed devotion in uncon- ditional love, prema-bhakti, as will be revealed later on. More- over, accept also its component part (anga). This [knowledge alone] however, will not quickly disclose vijñāna and rahasya if obstructed by offences (aparādha). Therefore, accept also [the component part] which acts as a support for that knowledge. This support refers to devotional service [in the stage of practice] in the form of hearing and so on, as will be discussed further on. Or, the term sa-rahasya (with its mystery) is to be read as an adjec- tive of tad-anga (its component part), as they enhance each other and remain together like bosom friends. 2 muktānām api siddhānāṁ nārāyaṇa-parāyaṇaḥ sudurlabhaḥ prasäntätmä kotiṣv api maha munely boses mosd 899 vegum Śri Bhagavat Sandarbhadauf de Commentary we when biss fe from BE P RIFISH IN THE PREVIOUS SECTION, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi praised Srimad Bhā- gavatam because it establishes Bhagavan as inclusive of and tran- scending Brahman, because it directly attracts the Supreme Lord, and because the Lord originally spoke it. Sukadeva spoke Bhāga- vatam after his heart had been captivated by hearing just a few of its verses. His subsequent experience, which entailed shifting the context of already liberated awareness from Brahman realization to devotion to Bhagavan, has been cited as an indication of the superi- ority of Bhagavan over Brahman. So, it is certain that he, if anyone, realized the potency of Srimad Bhagavatam. This naturally implies that the four original seed-verses of Śrīmad Bhagavatam, which con- stitute its nucleus, present the conclusion that the highest poten- tiality of conscious beings culminates in pure devotional service to Bhagavan. This will now be discussed in the present anuccheda. At the beginning of creation, Śrī Brahma performed austeri- ties for one thousand celestial years. Pleased by this, Śrī Kṛṣṇa revealed to him His eternal abode. The Lord also appeared before him and instructed him in Catuḥ-sloki of Bhagavatam, the Bhāga- vatam condensed in four seed-verses. In fact, the Lord spoke seven verses in this section of Bhagavatam. In the first, He promises to instruct Brahma in four topics; in the second, He blesses him that he will attain complete knowledge about Himself. These two intro- ductory verses are followed by the four verses that comprise the Catuḥ-sloki proper, and finally the Lord blesses Brahma to remain fixed in His service in the seventh verse. The entire seven verses will be explained in this anuccheda. The Lord begins by naming the four items that He will describe: jñāna, vijñāna, rahasya and tad-anga. Jñāna means “discursive knowledge about the Supreme Lord;” vijñāna means “realized knowl- edge of the same;” rahasya means prema-bhakti; and tad-anga refers to sadhana-bhakti. abus 1919got miss bo The knowledge spoken of here is about Bhagavan and His energies. Sadhana-bhakti is the process by which this knowledge becomes realized, vijñāna, and is itself transformed into love of God, 90096 The Conclusion of the Catuh-sloki of Bhagavatam Is Bhagavan prema. If a person is free from offenses to the Holy Name, he can be awakened immediately to realization and prema-bhakti. But this is very rare. So, one must first cultivate knowledge about the Lord and engage in practical devotional service. By constant and sincere sadhana-bhakti, one is gradually freed from anarthas (addiction to all forms of non-truth) in the heart and progresses on the path of devotion. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmi has presented a detailed analysis of this progression in BRS 1.4.14-15. 96.2 अत्र साध्ययोर्विज्ञानरहस्ययोराविर्भावार्थमाशिषं ददाति (भा० २।९१३१) - 1 to The Lord then blessed Brahma so that the aspired for potentials of vijñāna and rahasya could be actualized:ulli ads sgbalwoma यावानहं यथाभावो यद्रूपगुणकर्मकः । तथैव तत्त्वविज्ञानमस्तु ते मदनुग्रहात् ॥ ४४२ ॥ How Sirogmos st By My grace may true realization dawn in you, of Me in Mys Butter completion, as I am in My existence, complete with form, J attributes and action. (SB 2.9.31)3 । यावान् स्वरूपतो यत्परिमाणकोऽहम् । यथाभावः सत्ता यस्येति यल्लक्षणोऽहमित्यर्थः । यानि स्वरूपान्तरङ्गानि रूपाणि श्यामत्वचतुर्भुजत्वादीनि गुणा भक्तवात्सल्याद्याः कर्माणि तत्तल्लीला यस्य स यद्रूपगुणकर्मकोऽहम् । तथैव तेन तेन सर्वप्रकारेणैव तत्त्वविज्ञानं याथा- र्थ्यानुभवो मदनुग्रहात् ते तवास्तु भवतादिति । The phrase “in My utter completion” (yävän aham) means “to the full measure of My essential nature.” “As I am in My exis- tence” (yatha-bhāva), means “My fundamental being or the char- acteristics that identify Me.” In the phrase, “I am complete with form, attributes and action” (yad-rupa-guna-karmaka), the word “form” refers to forms such as those that are blackish or four- handed, all of which are within My essential nature; the word yävän ahaṁ yatha-bhavo yad-rupa-guna-karmakaḥ NE tathaiva tattva-vijñānam astu te mad-anugrahat 901 Śri Bhagavat Sandarbha “attributes” refers to “My attributes,” such as affection for the devotees; and the word “action” refers to the “play (lila) enacted by Me in these various forms.” “May true realization (tattva- vijñāna), or in other words, direct experience of Me as I am, as I exist complete with all these aforementioned aspects (tathaiva), dawn in you by My grace.” adad ni dup एतेन चतुःश्लोक्यर्थस्य निर्विशेषत्वं स्वयमेव परास्तम् । वक्ष्यते च चतुःश्लोकीमेवो- द्दिशता श्रीभगवता स्वयमुद्धवं प्रति “पुरा मया” इत्यादौ “ज्ञानं परं मन्महिमावभासम्” ( भा० ३ | ४ | १३) इति । This verse thus automatically repudiates any interpretation of Catuḥ-sloki that claims that the Absolute is devoid of potency or attributes. Later on in Śrimad Bhagavatam, while speaking to Uddhava, Śrī Kṛṣṇa refers to Catuh-sloki as “the supreme knowledge that illuminates My glories” (SB 3.4.13). तत्त्वविज्ञानपदेन रूपादीनामपि स्वरूपभूतत्वं व्यक्तम् । अत्र विज्ञानाशीः स्पष्टा रहस्याशीश्च परमानन्दात्मकतत्तद्याथार्थ्यानुभवेनावश्यं प्रेमोदयात् । The compound word tattva-vijñāna indicates that the Lord’s form and so on are part of His essential nature. In this verse, the Lord’s blessings for direct realization are explicit. The blessing for rahasya is also present, since prema would certainly arise through the factual experience of all these features, which are supremely blissful in nature. Commentary It is not possible to understand Bhagavan without receiving His blessings, so the Lord blesses Brahma in the second verse of Catuḥ- śloki. Śrīla Viśvanatha Cakravarti Thakura says that yävän refers to the highly appropriate arrangement of the Lord’s limbs as well as the qualities of their shape, such as stoutness, slenderness, length, height and so on. Yatha-bhāva refers to Bhagavan’s intentional- ity, and yad-rupa-guna-karmaka refers to His various forms, such pură maya proktam ajaya näbhye padme nişannaya mamãdi-sarge jñānaṁ paraṁ man-mahimavabhāsaṁ yat sürayo bhāgavatam vadanti 902 96 The Conclusion of the Catuh-sloki of Bhāgavatam Is Bhagavan as those that are four-handed, two-handed, or half-man half-lion; qualities, like mercy; and actions, like lifting Govardhana Hill. That all this was revealed to Brahma by the Lord’s mercy com- pletely uproots any possibility that the purpose of Catuḥ-sloki is to establish Brahman as the ultimate Absolute Reality. The Radical Nondualist interpretation of the four verses cannot be reconciled with the present verse, because for them Brahman has no rūpa, guna or karma. Bhagavan is a person, and He revealed His personhood to Brahma, who is also a person distinct from the Supreme Lord. In this verse, tattva-vijñāna refers to Bhagavan’s personal form and not to Brahman, because of its being used in connection with rupa, guna and karma. Śrī Jiva confirms this by quoting a verse spo- ken by Uddhava in the Third Canto, wherein he quotes the words Kṛṣṇa spoke to him when the two met just before the Lord’s return to His own abode: [I shall now speak to you] that supreme knowledge, which illumi- nates My glory, which the sages call Bhāgavatam, and which I taught 30to the unborn Brahma while he was still seated on My navel lotus at the dawn of creation. (SB 3.4.13)5 O The point is that Śrī Kṛṣṇa imparted the same knowledge to Uddhava that He had given to Brahmā, as Uddhava himself stated to Vidura when the two met in Vrindavan. Specifically, Uddhava was referring to the teachings that Kṛṣṇa gave him in the Eleventh Canto. With the words, “which illuminates My glory” (man- mahimavabhāsa), it is clear that this knowledge is related to Śrī Kṛṣṇa and not to Brahman. This is confirmed later when Vidura also asked Uddhava to relate the same teaching to him. In his words, this teaching is the “supreme knowledge, which reveals the secret of His own being” (jñānam paraṁ svātma-rahaḥ-prakāśam, SB 3.4.25). In the principal verse under discussion, the blessing that the Lord offered to Brahma for realization (vijñāna) is explicit, but there is no explicit benediction to experience the rahasya. Nevertheless, Śrī Jiva argues that such a blessing is implicit because any realization purā mayā proktam ajāya nābhye padme nişanṇāya mamădi-sarge. jñānam paraṁ man-mahimavabhāsaṁ yat sürayo bhāgavatam vadanti 903 Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha (vijñāna) of the Lord and His energies, i.e., of His internal nature, would automatically lead a person to prema. In fact, that is the real purpose behind the Lord’s offering vijñāna. 96.3 तदेव उपदेश्य चतुष्टयं चतुःश्लोक्या निरूपयन् प्रथमं ज्ञानविज्ञानार्थं स्वलक्षणं प्रतिपादयति द्वाभ्याम् । तत्र ज्ञानार्थमाह (भा० २।९।३२ ) - In this way, the Lord delineates the four topics under investiga- tion in the four verses of Catuḥ-sloki. He begins by defining Him- self in [the first] two verses to elucidate jñāna and vijñāna. In the matter of jñāna, He says: अहमेवासमेवाग्रे नान्यद् यत् सदसत्परम् । पश्चादहं यदेतच् च योऽवशिष्येत सोऽस्म्यहम् ॥ ४४३ ।। shode In the beginning, I alone certainly did exist, and no other, whether sat, asat or beyond both. Afterwards, I am, for both this cosmos and what remains are also I. (SB 2.9.32)” अत्राहंशब्देन तद्वक्ता मूर्त एवोच्यते न तु निर्विशेषं ब्रह्म तदविषयत्वात् । आत्मज्ञानतात्प- र्यके तु “तत्त्वमसि” (छा० ६।८।७) इतिवत् त्वमेवासीः एव वक्तुमुपयुक्तत्वात् । तु In this verse, the word aham (1) indicates that the speaker must have a form and cannot be the attributeless Brahman, since the latter cannot be denoted by a personal pronoun. If the intent of the verse was to convey atma-jñāna, knowledge of the iden- tity of the self with Brahman, as in the statement “Thou art that” (CHU 6.8.7), it would have been more appropriate to say “You alone were […].” Sat and asat have been left untranslated as Sridhara Svāmī and Śrī Jiva differ in their interpretations. Śrīdhara Svāmī takes sat to mean “the gross,” asat “thet subtle,” and “that which is beyond both” to be “their cause, the pradhana.” Jiva Gosvāmi’s interpretation is given below. “aham evāsam evägre nanyad yat sad-asat-param paścãd aham yad etac ca yo’vasişyeta so’smy aham 904 96 The Conclusion of the Catuḥ-śloki of Bhagavatam Is Bhagavān ततश्चायमर्थः- सम्प्रति भवन्तं प्रति प्रादुर्भवन्नसौ परममनोहर श्रीविग्रहोऽहमेवाग्रे महाप्र- लयकालेऽप्यासमेव । “वासुदेवो वा इदमग्र आसीन् न ब्रह्मा न च शङ्करः” । “एको नारायण आसीन् न ब्रह्मा नेशानः” (महोपनिषत् १) इत्यादिश्रुतिभ्यः । Therefore, the meaning should be understood as follows: “I am this supremely captivating form, which has appeared before you at this present moment, and I exist as such even prior to creation, i.e., even during the interim period of the cosmic cataclysm.” This is confirmed in the Śrutis such as, “In the beginning there was only Vasudeva, and no Brahma or Sankara. In the begin- ning there was only Nārāyaṇa, not Brahma nor Śiva” (Mahā Upanisad 1). “भगवानेक आसेदमग्र आत्मात्मनां विभुः” (भा० ३।५।२३) इत्यादितृतीयात् । In the Third Canto, Maitreya Muni states, “Bhagavan, the Self of all selves, the Supreme Lord, alone existed in the beginning” (SB 3.5.23). अतो वैकुण्ठतत्पार्षदादीनामपि तदुपाङ्गत्वादहम्पदेनैव ग्रहणं “राजासौ प्रयाति” इतिवत् । ततस्तेषां च तद्वदेव स्थितिर्बोध्यते । Owing to being His parts, the Vaikuntha planets, His associates and other aspects of His internal potency, are all included in the word “I,” just as when one says, “The king is passing by,” the pres- ence of the king’s retinue is also implied. Therefore, all these asso- ciated elements should be understood as belonging to the exact same category as Bhagavan. तथा च राजप्रश्नः (भा० २।८।१० ) - King Parikṣit’s query [which precedes this particular section of Bhāgavatam] also states: 9 स चापि यत्र पुरुषो विश्वस्थित्युद्भवाप्ययः । मुक्त्वात्ममायां मायेशः शेते सर्वगुहाशयः ॥ ४४४ ॥ इति । vasudevo vă idam agra asin na brahma na ca sankaraḥ eko nārāyaṇa āsīn na brahmā neśānaḥ bhagavan eka asedam agra ātmātmanāṁ vibhuḥ 905 all as Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha HRWhere does the Supreme Person, the cause of the creation, maintenance and annihilation of the cosmos, the indwelling Self within all beings and the controller of māyā, repose after abandoning His māyā? (SB 2.8.10)10 bootesbau ms I wollot as boot श्रीविदुरप्रश्नश्च (भा० ३।७।३७) – Hard And in the question by Vidura: तत्त्वानां भगवंस्तेषां कतिधा प्रतिसङ्क्रमः । bluoda kinda or
- तत्रेमं क उपासीरन् क उ स्विदनुशेरते || ४४५ ॥ इति । Please tell me, O great sage, in how many ways do the elements of material nature dissolve into their source? Who serves the Lord at that time and who follows Him into repose? (SB 3.7.37)11 काशीखण्डेऽप्युक्तं श्रीध्रुवचरिते- In Käsi-khanda [from Skanda Purana], while describing the character of Dhruva, it is stated: न च्यवन्ते हि मद्भक्ता महत्यां प्रलयापदि । अतोऽच्युतोऽखिले लोके स एकः सर्वगोऽव्ययः ।। ४४६ ॥ इति । dio hne Only the imperishable Lord, who pervades the whole cosmos, is called Acyuta, because His devotees are not destroyed even in the great cosmic cataclysm.12 ed bl अहमेवेत्येवकारेण कर्त्रन्तरस्यारूपत्वादिकस्य च व्यावृत्तिः । आसमेव इति तत्रासम्भाव- नाया निवृत्तिः । तदुक्तम् “यद्रूपगुणकर्मकः” (भा० २।९।३१) इति । In the phrase “I alone” (aham eva), the emphatic particle “alone” negates any possibility of reference to another agent or to the formless [Brahman]. The second eva (certainly), joined with “did 10 sa capi yatra puruso viśva-sthity-udbhavapyayaḥ muktvātma-māyām māyeśaḥ śete sarva-guhāśayaḥ 11 tattvānāṁ bhagavams teṣām katidha prati-sankramaḥ tatremam ka upasiran ka u svid anuserate pro 12 na cyavante hi mad-bhaktă mahatyāṁ pralayāpadi ato’cyuto’khile loke sa ekaḥ sarvago’vyayaḥ 906 96 The Conclusion of the Catuḥ-śloki of Bhāgavatam Is Bhagavān exist” (āsam), is a denial of this being an impossibility. Thus, it was said, “[…] as I am, complete with form, attributes and action” (yad-rupa-guna-karmakaḥ)13 ліва अत एव यद् वा “आसमेव” इति ब्रह्मादिबहिर्जनज्ञानगोचरसृष्ट्यादिलक्षणक्रियान्तरस्यैव व्यावृत्तिः । न तु स्वान्तरङ्गलीलाया अपि । यथाधुनासौ राजा कार्यं न किञ्चित् करोतीत्यु- क्ते राज्यसम्बन्धिकार्यमेव निषिध्यते न तु शयनभोजनादिकमपीति तद्वत् । यद् वा “अस गतिदीप्त्यादानेषु” (पाणिनि ६ । ४ । ९८) इत्यस्मातासं साम्प्रतं भवता दृश्यमानैर्विशेषैरेभि- रग्रेऽपि विराजमान एवातिष्ठमिति निराकारत्वादिकस्यैव विशेषतो व्यावृत्तिः । Alternatively, the words asam eva, taken in the sense of, “I sim- ply existed,” are meant to negate the existence of other actions, such as creation, which are perceptible to persons, like Brahmā, who are outside the sphere of His internal nature. Hence, these words do not negate the pastimes that belong to His own inter- nal potency. For example, when it is said, “Today the king is not doing anything,” only his royal duties are being denied, and not his personal activities, like sleeping, eating and so on. This state- ment is to be understood in the same way. Another possibility is to consider the verb asam as being formed from [another verbal root] vas, which means “to go,” “to shine,” or “to accept.“1* In this case, the meaning would be, “Prior to creation, I certainly did also exist [or shine], resplendent with the very attributes [like form and so on] that you are seeing now.” With this statement, the Lord specifically negates the concept that the Absolute is formless, and other relativistic theories. 215 noirastal oris abrow so l तदुक्तमनेन श्लोकेन साकारनिराकारविष्णुलक्षणकारिण्यां मुक्ताफलटीकायामपि “नापि साकारेष्वव्याप्तिः । तेषामाकारातिरोहितत्वात्” इति । The Mukta-phala commentary, which defines Śrī Viṣṇu as being both with form and without, also says in regard to this verse, “This definition is not marred by the fault of being too narrow to account for the form of the Lord, because He is never formless.“15 13 In SB 2.9.31; see Section 96.2. 14 Cf. PĀṆINI 6.4.98. 15 napi sākāreṣv avyāptiḥ teṣām ākārātirohitatvāt 907 oved marvŚrī Bhagavat Sandarbha ऐतरेयकश्रुतिश्च “आत्मैवेदमग्र आसीत् पुरुषविधः” (बृ० १।४।१) इति ।) nbs Aitareyaka-śruti also states, “In the beginning, there was only the Self, in the form of a person” (BAU 1.4.1).16 क फ एतेन प्रकृतीक्षणतोऽपि प्राग्भावात् पुरुषादप्युत्तमत्वेन भगवज्ज्ञानमेव कथितम् । In this statement, the knowledge being spoken of specifically concerns Bhagavan, because of His superiority even to the Cos- mic Puruşa, since He existed even before the Puruşa glanced over material nature. ननु क्वचिन् निर्विशेषमेव ब्रह्म आसीदिति श्रूयते ? An objection is raised: “But in some scriptural references it is stated that in the beginning there existed only Brahman, without attributes.“yah bi ton bas bsinsb grind 918 situb lavoid vino 29 तत्राह “नान्यद् यत् सदसत्परम् ” ( भा० २।९।३२ ) इति । सत् कार्यमसत् कारणं तयोः परं यद् ब्रह्म तन् न मत्तोऽन्यत् । क्वचिदधिकारिणि शास्त्रे वा स्वरूपभूतविशेषव्युत्पत्त्यसमर्थे सोऽयमहमेव निर्विशेषतया प्रतिभामीत्यर्थः । ed onide of TOD The Lord addresses this objection with the words, “[…] and no other, whether sat, asat or beyond both” (nanyad yat sad-asat- param, SB 2.9.32). Sat means the effect, and asat, the cause. Brah- man, which is beyond these two, is not anything other than Me. In other words, the intention here is this: “Sometimes there is an incapacity to ascertain the unique attributes inherent in My essential nature (svarupa), either on the part of the aspirant [whose eligibility is for Brahman realization alone], or on the part of the scripture [which discloses the Absolute as no more than the negation of all material attributes]. In either of these cases, the pre-existing Truth, which verily I am, appears to have no attributes.“nisd to lost on yd beriem jan al noninhob aim यद् वा तदानीं प्रपञ्चे विशेषाभावान् निर्विशेषचिन्मात्राकारेण वैकुण्ठे तु सविशेषभगवद्र्- पेणेति शास्त्रद्वयव्यवस्था । 16 atmaivedam agra asit puruṣa-vidhaḥ 908 96 The Conclusion of the Catuh-sloki of Bhāgavatam Is Bhagavan Alternatively, scriptures offer two different descriptions: one is of the Absolute as undifferentiated consciousness, without mani- fest qualities, because at the time of cosmic annihilation, there is a complete absence of phenomena; the other description is of Bha- gavan, complete with inherent potency and characteristics, and existing in the transcendental abode of Vaikuntha. gult staigmooni od of bina od एतेन च “ब्रह्मणो हि प्रतिष्ठाहम्” (गीता १४ । २७) इत्यत्रोक्तं भगवज्ज्ञानमेव प्रतिपादितम् । अत एवास्य ज्ञानस्य परमगुह्यत्वमुक्तम् । From the above it is concluded that the knowledge spoken of in the verse under discussion [SB 2.9.32] specifically relates to the complete Absolute, Bhagavan, as He is understood from the Gitā verse examined earlier [Section 93], “I am the basis of Brahman.” It is for this reason that this knowledge was declared to be the most confidential [in SB 2.9.30]. ननु सृष्टेरनन्तरं नोपलभ्यसे ? Objection: “But surely You are not perceived after the creation cycle is terminated?” तत्राह – पश्चात् सृष्टेरनन्तरमप्यहमेवास्म्येव । वैकुण्ठेषु भगवदाद्याकारेण प्रपञ्चेष्वन्तर्या- म्याकारेणेति शेषः । एतेन “सृष्टिस्थितिप्रलयहेतुरहेतुरस्य ” ( भा० ११ । ३ । ३५) इत्यादि प्रति- पादितं भगवज्ज्ञानमेवोपदिष्टम् । The Lord answers, “Afterwards (paścät), i.e., even at the termina- tion of the creation cycle, I alone am (aham), which is to say that I most certainly do exist at that time both in My form as Bhagavan, present in the Vaikuntha planets, and as the Supreme Indwelling Self, immanent within phenomenal existence.” This completes the intended sense. From this it is evident that the knowledge that has been instructed is specifically about Bhagavan, such as that described in verses like, “The Lord is the source of the cre- ation, maintenance and dissolution of the cosmos, but He Himself is without cause” (SB 11.3.35).” 17 sthity-udbhava-pralaya-hetur ahetur asya 909 evaga at mate Śri Bhagavat Sandarbha and w ननु सर्वत्र घटपटाद्याकारा ये दृश्यन्ते ते तु त्वद्रूपाणि न भवन्तीति तवापूर्णत्वप्रसक्तिः स्यादित्याशङ्क्याह यदेतद्विश्वं तदप्यहमेव मदनन्यत्वान् मदात्मकमेवेत्यर्थः । अनेन (भा०२/७/५०) - A further doubt is raised: “But surely all the forms that one sees all around, like those made of clay or cloth, are not Your forms, and You can therefore be said to be incomplete.” Anticipating such a doubt, the Lord says, “For this, i.e., the universe, is also I.” The meaning here is that because this universe is not anything other than Me, it is also entirely Me. This meaning is confirmed by the following verse: дес सोऽयं तेऽभिहितस्तात भगवान् विश्वभावनः । समासेन हरेर्नान्यदन्यस्मात् सदसच् च यत् ॥ ४४७ ॥ My dear son, thus I have explained to you in brief Bhagavan, the source of the cosmos. Whatever exists as cause or effect is not dif- ferent from Śri Hari, though He exists independent of everything. (SB 2.7.50)18 इत्याद्युक्तं भगवज्ज्ञानमेवोपदिष्टम् । तथा प्रलये योऽवशिष्यते सोऽहमेवास्म्येव । एतेन (भा० ३।५।२३) - From the previous statement too, it is understood that the knowl- edge spoken of is specifically about Bhagavan. And after dissolu- tion, “what remains is also I.” This is reiterated in the following statement: GAVA98 भगवानेक आसेदमग्र आत्मात्मनां विभुः । आत्मेच्छानुगतावात्मा नानामत्युपलक्षणः || ४४८ ।। sint most be sch REBhagavan, the Self and master of all living beings, alone existed beforehand. At that time there were no distinctions like that of 18 so’yam te bhihitas täta bhagavan viśva-bhāvanaḥ samāsena harer nanyad anyasmāt sad-asac ca yat 19 yo’vasişyeta so’smy aham SB 2.9.32 91096 The Conclusion of the Catuḥ-śloki of Bhagavatam Is Bhagavan seer and seen because everything was within the Lord, owing to His will. (SB 3.5.23)20 इत्याद्युक्तं भगवज्ज्ञानमेवोपदिष्टम् । तथा पूर्वं स्वानुग्रहप्रकाश्यत्वेन प्रतिज्ञातं यावत्त्वं सर्व- कालदेशापरिच्छेद्यत्वज्ञापनायोपदिष्टम् । एवम् “नान्यद् यत् सदसत्परम्” (भा० २।९।३२) इत्यनेन “ब्रह्मणो हि प्रतिष्ठाहम्” (गीता १४।२७) इति ज्ञापनया यथाभावत्वम् । Also in verses such as the previous one, it is knowledge of Bhaga- van that is expounded. Thus, by showing that He is ever unfrag- mented by time or space, the Lord has instructed Śrī Brahma about Himself “to the fullest extent” (yävän aham, SB 2.9.31), just as He earlier promised that He would, out of His own mercy. In the same way, by the words “and no other, whether sat, asat or beyond both” (SB 2.9.32), He instructed Brahma that He is the ulti- mate truth, “exactly as He is in His own existence” (yatha-bhāva), a fact indicated by the statement, “I am the support of Brahman” (GĪTĀ 14.27). सर्वाकारावयविभगवदाकारनिर्देशेन विलक्षणानन्तरूपत्वज्ञापनया यद्रूपत्वम् । सर्वाश्रय- तानिर्देशेन विलक्षणानन्तगुणत्वज्ञापनया यद्गुणत्वम् । सृष्टिस्थितिप्रलयोपलक्षितविविध- क्रियाश्रयत्वकथनेन अलौकिकानन्तकर्मत्वज्ञापनया यत्कर्मत्वं च । By giving Brahmä knowledge of the fact that He is inclusive of unlimited unique forms, He instructed Brahma that He, in His own existence, is complete with form (yad-rupa). This He did by indicating that His form as Bhagavan is the Whole that con- tains all other forms. By giving Brahma knowledge of the fact that He encompasses unlimited unique attributes, He instructed him that He, in His own existence, is complete with attributes (yad-guna). This He did by indicating that His form as Bhaga- van is the support for everything. Finally, by giving Brahmā knowledge of the fact that unlimited supramundane acts flow from Him, He instructed him that He, in His own existence, is complete with action (yat-karma). This He did by telling him that He is the shelter of innumerable actions, beginning with the creation, maintenance and dissolution of the cosmos. V 20 bhagavan eka äsedam agra ātmātmanām vibhuḥ hon ätmecchānugatāv ātmā nănă-maty-upalakṣaṇaḥad amat mellans 911 Commentary Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha meno cer wood nosa baarion In the main verse of this subsection (SB 2.9.32), the Lord instructs Brahma in the first of the four topics, namely jñāna, or knowledge of the Absolute. He emphatically states that He existed as He is (as a transconventional person) before the creation, that He exists now while instructing Brahma, and that He will continue to exist after annihilation. The personal pronoun aham (I), indicates personhood. This verse thus completely denies that there is any ultimate reality beyond Bhagavan.in n The material world undergoes repeated cycles of creation and annihilation, but the Lord and His abode exist eternally. When the Lord says that He existed before the creation, it means that His abode along with His associates also did as well. Hasylska” dun bat When we say that the President lives in the White House, it is understood that he lives there along with his family, servants, body- guards and so on. Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī cites many references from Śruti and Smrti to prove that the Lord exists as a person, along with His abode and associates, before the material creation. Thus, the claim of the Advaitavādīs that Brahman is the Ultimate Reality is countered. Statements that describe the oneness of the living being and Brahman are not to be taken in an absolute sense. They indicate the spiritual nature of the jiva and are the primary canons in spiri- tual understanding. This was discussed in detail in Tattva Sandarbha, Anucchedas 43-44-rol del wig molded artist If the Lord’s intention was to establish unqualified Brahman, which is Oneness of being only devoid of potency or distinction, as the supreme reality, it would have been more appropriate for Him to say, “O Brahma, it is you alone, as Brahman, that existed before creation, when there was nothing other than Brahman. What you see now is also Brahman, nondifferent from you, and after annihi- lation what remains will also be you, Brahman. There is no other reality besides you.” When the Lord says that He existed prior to creation, it does not mean that He simply existed, without any variety, action or attributes. It means that He was engaged in action, or play (līlā), 912 96 The Conclusion of the Catuḥ-sloki of Bhāgavatam Is Bhagavān related to His internal potencies. This material world can be compared to the Lord’s office and the internal energy to His home. His home is His permanent residence and therefore never destroyed, whereas His office undergoes cycles of change, just as people living in the same home may change offices. When it is said that the Presi- dent is not working, it means that he is not doing official work, but this does not mean that he has stopped engaging in family affairs or recreational activities at home. The inadequacy of this example lies in the fact that the Lord can be simultaneously both at home and at the office. Since the indeclinable eva (only) appears after aham (I), it rules out the possibility that the ultimate truth being spoken of could refer to anyone else (anya-yoga-vyavaccheda), or to impersonal Brahman. The same word eva is used as an emphatic particle after asam (past tense of the verb “to be”), giving the sense, “Certainly I existed prior to creation.” This usage rules out any possibility of His non-existence (atyanta- ayoga-vyavaccheda). It also rules out the possibility of His actions being material, because nothing material existed at that time. Moreover, the verb asam is the past tense of the verbal root √as. There are two verbal roots √as, one means “to be” and the other means “to go,” “take,” or “shine.” Therefore, asam could mean “was,” “went,” “took” or “shone.” If the last meaning is taken, it would sig- nify that the Lord shone during annihilation, which means that He shone among His associates, or through His actions, or because of His brilliant beauty. This again eliminates the possibility of Brah- man, Time, prakṛti or anything else being the ultimate source behind creation. The Lord glanced at material nature, thus He existed before glancing. Time is insentient and thus cannot be considered sup- reme. Furthermore, Brahman, which is beyond cause and effect, is not independent of the Lord - nanyad yat sad-asat-param. This is confirmed by Śrī Kṛṣṇa in Bhagavad Gitā: no ni bibsH I shall now explain that which is worthy to be known, apprehending which you will attain to liberation. Brahman, the Transcendence, 913 Śri Bhagavat Sandarbha detune whe ad beginningless and sheltered in Me, cannot be described either as the cause of creation or as its effect. (GITA 13.12)21brod aft of benigmon Mukta-phala is a book compiled by a great Advaitavada scholar, Vopadeva. It is a selection of about 800 verses, all cited from Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, with the purpose of showing that bhakti to Śrī Viṣṇu should be adopted as a means of spiritual realization. Only the intro- ductory and concluding verses were written by the compiler. The book was commented on by another great scholar, Hemādri, who was Vopadeva’s contemporary and friend. The book’s first division, which contains four chapters, is called Vişnu-prakaraṇa. It contains discussions on the divine form, distinctive character and exalted position of Visņu, His being worshipable, and a description of the various avatāras. The first verse of Visnu-prakarana is the one under discussion here. Before citing this verse, Vopadeva says, “The characteristics of Śrī Vişņu and various divisions of His manifestations [are described] there” (tatra vişnor lakṣaṇam bhedaś ca). Therefore, although an advocate of the unqualified Absolute, Vopadeva also acknowledged that this verse specifies the characteristics of Śrī Vişņu and not of Brahman. While commenting, Hemadri writes, “The words ‘I alone’ (aham eva) negate any other agent besides the speaker” (aham eveti kartr-antarasya vyavṛttih).te Sutoriz 96.4 batisd’s अथ यथानुभावत्वमुपदिशन् तादृशरूपादिविशिष्टस्यात्मनो विज्ञापनार्थं व्यतिरेकमुखेन मायालक्षणमाह- Having instructed Brahma in the knowledge of Himself as He is in His own existence, Kṛṣṇa then defines māyā in order to fur- ther specify Himself in terms of what He is not (vyatireka). This He did in order to induce in Brahmā realized knowledge (vijñāna, 21 jñeyam yat tat pravakṣyami yaj jñātvāmṛtam aśnute dea anadi mat-param brahma na sat tan nasad ucyate 914 96 The Conclusion of the Catuḥ-śloki of Bhāgavatam Is Bhagavan yatha-anubhava) of Himself as the Absolute replete with the spe- cific form and other attributes described in the previous verse: ऋतेऽर्थं यत् प्रतीयेत न प्रतीयेत चात्मनि । तद् विद्यादात्मनो मायां यथाभासो यथा तमः ॥। ४४९ ।। boob cawollol anzi hogy brids suit at bring That which is perceived only when the underlying essential Real- ity (artha) is not perceived, but which is never perceived in the Self (ätmani), you should know to be My māyā, manifesting both as a reflection (abhāsa) and as darkness (tamas). (SB 2.9.33) 22 to 9M iovab “ऋतेऽर्थम्” (भा० २।९।३३) इत्यादि । पूर्वं व्याख्यातमेव । सङ्क्षेपश्चायमर्थः – परमपुरुषार्थ- भूतं मामृते मद्दर्शनादन्यत्रैव यत् प्रतीयेत यच् चात्मनि न प्रतीयेत मां विना स्वतः प्रतीतिरपि यस्य नास्तीत्यर्थः । तद् वस्तु आत्मनो मम परमेश्वरस्य मायां विद्यात् । This verse was explained earlier [Anuccheda 18]. The concise meaning is this: “Artha, or the ‘underlying essential Reality,’ here refers to Me, the Ultimate of all that is attainable by con- scious beings (puruṣārtha). Whatever is perceived in exclusion of Me, or in other words, in the absence of the perception of Me, and furthermore whatever is not perceived within the Self (ātmani), i.e., that does not manifest of its own without Me, one should know that substance (vastu) to be My, the Supreme Controller’s, māyā.” ubni cale
अत्र दृष्टान्तः – यथाभासः प्रतिबिम्बरश्मिः । यथा च तमस्तिमिरमिति । तत्राभासस्य तादृ- शत्वं स्पष्टमेव । तमसोऽपि ज्योतिर्दर्शनादन्यत्रैव प्रतीतेर्ज्योतिरात्मकं चक्षुर्विना चाप्रतीति- रिति । The examples given for this maya are abhasa (reflected light) and tamas (darkness). The resemblance of abhāsa to māyā is clear. Darkness is also experienced outside the perception of light; yet at the same time, it cannot be perceived without the eye, which is an embodiment of light. 22 rte’rtham yat pratiyeta na pratiyeta catmani tad vidyad ātmano māyāṁ yathābhāso yathā tamaḥ edi mor ay The translation given here is in accordance with the immediately obvious meaning and the commentary of Śrīdhara Svāmi. Jīva Gosvāmī has taken a different approach. See his commentary below. lidlezo amored 915 vegada el meŚrī Bhagavat Sandarbha विद्यात् इति प्रथमपुरुषनिर्देशस्यायं भावः । अन्यान् प्रत्येव खल्वयमुपदेशः - त्वं तु मद्द- त्तशक्त्या साक्षादेवानुभवन्नसीति । एवं मायिकदृष्टिमतीत्यैव रूपादिविशिष्टं मामनुभवे- fafa I The import of the verb vidyat (one should know), being conju- gated in the third person is as follows: This teaching is indeed meant only for others, whereas you, Brahmā, are [already] expe- riencing it directly through the power granted by Me. In this way, only by transcending mayika perception [each and every act of perception that is devoid of truth visioning], can one realize Me, who am complete with qualities such as form. व्यतिरेकमुखेनानुभावनस्यायं भावः - शब्देन निर्धारितस्यापि मत्स्वरूपादेर्मायाकार्यावे- शेनैवानुभवो न भवति । अतस्तदर्थं मायात्याजनमेव कर्तव्यमिति । एतेन तदविनाभावात् प्रेमाप्यनुभावित इति गम्यते । aid The purpose of apprehending the truth in terms of what it is not (vyatireka) is this: Even after ascertaining My essential nature and so on [conceptually] through the medium of revealed sound, one cannot realize them directly as long as one is identified with the evolutes of māyā. Thus, to awaken such vision, one must pur- posefully let go of māyā. From this, it can be understood that the Lord also induced Brahma to experience love for Him, because it is inherent in His nature [lit., because the absence of prema is completely absent in Him]. Commentary) dan bidal cavigesiques d all be of add to aldar sdr (ass.lv) zama The elaborate meaning of this verse, which defines māyā (SB 2.9.33), was previously presented in Anuccheda 18. To realize the Lord, one has to become free from the influence of māyā, and in order to do this, one has to know māyā. If one has interest in an object, whether to attain it or overcome it, one has to know it thoroughly. For this pur- pose, the Lord offers this explanation. Once one is free from māyā, prema becomes a possibility. 916 96.5 96 The Conclusion of the Catuh-śloki of Bhāgavatam Is Bhagavān Ila asins som ob bns des ton assists simsodul silw pobinurgal ydorol yaddan would be — अथ तस्यैव प्रेम्णो रहस्यत्वं बोधयति ( भा० २।९।३४ ) on a pos 2201575hib dquodtle sunt egoteneqxon Ins Thereafter, the Lord explains the confidential nature (rahasya) of such prema for Him alone: s-non bas yrtus to vizalimis यथा महान्ति भूतानि भूतेषूच्चावचेष्वनु । प्रविष्टान्यप्रविष्टानि तथा तेषु न तेष्वहम् ॥ ४५० ।। Just as the great elements pervade the physical bodies of all living beings, higher and lower, and yet subsist outside of them as well [in a non-pervasive state], similarly I pervade all living beings Rand yet remain apart from them. (SB 2.9.34)23 ni batele ai alim 12. यथा महाभूतानि भूतेष्वप्रविष्टानि बहिः स्थितान्यपि अनुप्रविष्टान्यन्तः स्थितानि भान्ति तथा लोकातीतवैकुण्ठस्थितत्वेन अप्रविष्टोऽप्यहं तेषु तत्तद्गुणविख्यातेषु नतेषु प्रणतजनेषु प्रवि- ष्टो हृदि स्थितोऽहं भामि । Just as the great elements, though existing in a non-pervasive state, meaning that they subsist outside the physical bodies of living beings, they nonetheless enter within them, meaning that they appear to be situated within them. Similarly, though I have not entered into the living beings, due to being situated in Vaikuntha, which is beyond the material world, I nonetheless appear within the heart of surrendered souls (nateşu) who are well-known for their virtuous qualities (tesu).24 que nigro Said abive iderow I अत्र महाभूतानामंशभेदेन प्रवेशाप्रवेशौ तस्य तु प्रकाशभेदेनेति भेदेऽपि प्रवेशाप्रवेशमात्र- साम्येन दृष्टान्तः । 23 24 yatha mahanti bhūtāni bhuteṣüccāvaceṣy anu praviṣṭany apraviṣṭāni tatha teşu na teşv aham Here Jiva reads the verse differently from Śrīdhara Svāmi, whose commentary we have followed in the original translation. Jīva has joined na and teşu to form one word, nateşu, which is glossed as “surrendered souls” (pranata-janesu). He takes the word teşu (those) to be a demonstrative adjective, glossed as “known for their virtues,” instead of as a demonstrative pronoun referring back to bhüteşu in the first part of the verse, which is the usual way of reading it. Jiva will defend his reading below. 917 vegar el mothers Śri Bhagavat Sandarbha noLNICYMIT E The cosmic elements both enter and do not enter all objects, yet when they enter, they do so by fragmentation, whereas the Lord’s pervasion or non-pervasion is accomplished through His dif- ferent direct expansions. Thus, although there is a difference between the two, the comparison is still valid on the basis of the similarity of entry and non-entry. canola mill bol amary dire तदेवं तेषां तादृगात्मवशकारिणी प्रेमभक्तिर्नाम रहस्यमिति सूचितम् । तथा च ब्रह्मसंहि- तायाम् (५।३७-३८) This verse thus indicates the rahasya, or the mystery, which is another name for the devotees’ loving devotion (prema-bhakti). It is mysterious because it has the power to control even the Lord, the indwelling Self [and regulator] of all living beings, as described here. Similarly, it is stated in Brahma-samhitā: आनन्दचिन्मयरसप्रतिभाविताभिस्ताभिर्य एव निजरूपतया कलाभिः । गोलोक एव निवसत्यखिलात्मभूतो गोविन्दमादिपुरुषं तमहं भजामि || ४५१ प्रेमाञ्जनच्छुरितभक्तिविलोचनेन सन्तः सदैव हृदयेऽपि विलोकयन्ति । यं श्यामसुन्दरमचिन्त्यगुणस्वरूपं गोविन्दमादिपुरुषं तमहं भजामि ॥ ४५२ ॥ To est 18 q I worship Govinda, the original Supreme Person, who though present in the self of every living being, ever resides in Goloka in His own form, accompanied by His own expansions [the gopis], who are completely permeated by the conscious and blissful rasa 9[of love].) [of love]. van) alube To Masd sdi aidsiw hasmus lo (west) esitilsup sourly ssd 101 wool er I worship Govinda, the original Supreme Person, whose essential being of inconceivable attributes is a beautiful blackish form that the sages, their eyes clarified by the salve of love, see constantly in their hearts also. (Brahma-samhita 5.37-38)25 25 ananda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhāvitabhis tabhir ya eva nija-rūpatayā kalābhiḥ goloka eva nivasaty akhilätma-bhūto govindam adi-puruşam tam aham bhajāmi premañjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva hṛdaye’pi vilokayanti yam syamasundaram acintya-guna-svarupaṁ govindam adi-puruşam tam aham bhajāmi 918 96 The Conclusion of the Catuḥ-sloki of Bhagavatam Is Bhagavān अचिन्त्यगुणस्वरूपमपि प्रेमाख्यं यदञ्जनं तेन च्छुरितवतुच्चैः प्रकाशमानं भक्तिरूपं विलो- चनं तेनेत्यर्थः “ये भजन्ति तु मां भक्त्या मयि ते तेषु चाप्यहम् ” (गीता ९।२९) इति गीतोप- निषदश्च ad । The meaning here is that even though the Lord’s form contains inconceivable attributes, [the devotees are able to see Him] with the eye of devotion, which has been anointed or made clear with the salve known as love. In Gītā Upaniṣad also Śrī Kṛṣṇa states, “Those who worship Me through devotion are situated in Me, and I too am established in them” (GĪTĀ 9.29).26 यद् वा तेषु यथा तानि बहिःस्थितानि चान्तः स्थितानि च भान्ति तद्वत् भक्तेष्वहमन्तर्मनोवृ- त्तिषु बहिरिन्द्रियवृत्तिषु च विस्फुरामीति च । भक्तेषु सर्वथाऽनन्यवृत्तिताहेतुर्नाम किमपि स्वप्रकाशं प्रेमाख्यमानन्दात्मकं वस्तु मम रहस्यमिति व्यञ्जितम् । Alternatively, an implied meaning [in the verse of Catuh-sloki ] is, “Just as the cosmic elements appear outside the living beings as well as inside them, I similarly appear both within the minds as well as in the external senses of My devotees. In other words, the cause behind the devotees having no object other than Me in their thoughts or actions is a self-luminous substance, blissful in nature, called prema. This substance is My rahasya, or secret.” तथैव श्रीब्रह्मणोक्तम् (भा० २।६।३३) - Śri Brahma has similarly stated: न भारती मेऽङ्ग मृषोपलक्ष्यते न वै क्वचिन् मे मनसो मृषा गतिः । ए न मे हृषीकाणि पतन्त्यसत्पथे यन् मे हृदौत्कण्ठ्यवता धृतो हरिः ॥ ४५३ ॥ इति । Never can my speech be said to be deceitful, nor the movements al of my mind to be invalid; nor do my senses ever fall on the path of bimpermanence, for, my dear son, I hold Śri Hari within my heart with great yearning. (SB 2.6.33)27 यद्यपि व्याख्यान्तरानुसारेणायमर्थोऽपलपनीयः स्यात् तथाप्यस्मिन्नेवार्थे तात्पर्यं प्रतिज्ञा- चतुष्टयसाधनायोपक्रान्तत्वात् तदनुक्रमगतत्वाच् च । abisws 26 ye bhajanti tu mam bhaktyä mayi te teşu capy aham 27 na bharati me nga mṛṣopalakṣyate na vai kvacin me manaso mṛṣā gatiḥ na me hṛṣīkāņi patanty asat-pathe yan me hṛdautkanthyavata dhṛto hariḥ 919 Devagad majavioŚri Bhagavat Sandarbha Although the aforementioned interpretation of this verse can be contradicted by supplying another, this is its true import, since it comes in the context of the Lord’s intent of fulfilling four propositions, and because it appears at the appropriate point in the sequence. Moreover, taking the word nateşu as two separate words, “not in them ” ( na tesu) as other commentators do, serves no purpose, since the example must be appropriately associated with the two verbs (entering and not entering). किं च तस्मिन्नर्थे न तेषु इति छिन्नपदमपि व्यर्थं स्यात् दृष्टान्तस्यैव क्रियाभ्यामन्वयोपपत्तेः । अपि च रहस्यं नाम ह्येतदेव यत् परमदुर्लभं वस्तु दुष्टोदासीनजनदृष्टिनिवारणार्थं साधारण- वस्त्वन्तरेणाच्छाद्यते यथा चिन्तामणिः सम्पुटादिना । अत एव “परोक्षवादा ऋषयः परोक्षं च मम प्रियम्” (भा० ११ । २१ । ३५) इति श्रीभगवद्वाक्यं च । the Furthermore, the concept of confidentiality (rahasyatva) is truly fulfilled here, for that indeed is called rahasya which is most rare and is hidden away from miscreants and indifferent people by covering it with another, ordinary object, just as a precious jewel is kept hidden in a box. For, as the Lord says, “The Vedic seers keep their meaning out of sight (parokṣa-vādāḥ), and I am pleased by such hidden explanations” (SB 11.21.35)28. balles anuten ataa तदेव च परोक्षं क्रियते यददेयं विरलप्रचारं महद्वस्तु भवति । अस्यैवादेयत्वं विरलप्रचार- त्वं महत्त्वं च “मुक्तिं ददाति कर्हिचित् स्म न भक्तियोगम्” (भा० ५।६।१८) इत्यादिषु बहुत्र व्यक्तम् । स्वयं चैतदेव श्रीभगवता परमभक्ताभ्यामर्जुनोद्भवाभ्यां कण्ठोक्त्यैव कथितम् “सर्वगुह्यतमं भूयः शृणु मे परमं वचः” (गीता १८ । ६४ ) इत्यादिना । “सुगोप्यमपि वक्ष्यामि " (भा० ११ । ११ । ४६) इत्यादिना च । इदमेव रहस्यं श्रीनारदाय स्वयं श्रीब्रह्मणैव प्रकटीकृतम् ( भा० २।७।५१-५२ ) - Only something that is not to be given away (adeyatva), that is scarcely known (virala- pracāratva), and that is of the utmost importance (mahattva), is kept hidden from view ( paroksa). These three qualities are all characteristic of prema alone, as is clearly stated in many verses, such as, “The Lord sometimes awards liberation, but never bhakti-yoga” (SB 5.6.18).29 Lord Śrī 28 paroksa vādārsayah paroksam ca mama priyam 29 muktim dadāti karhicit sma na bhakti-yogam 92096 The Conclusion of the Catuḥ-śloki of Bhāgavatam Is Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa Himself has also stated this directly to His great devo- tees Arjuna and Uddhava in verses like, “Hear once more My supreme words, which are most confidential” (GĪTĀ 18.64),30 and, “Although it is to be kept most hidden, I shall speak it to you” (SB 11.11.49).31 Indeed, Śrī Brahma revealed this very secret, rahasya, to Narada by saying: इदं भागवतं नाम यन् मे भगवतोदितम् । सङ्गोऽयं विभूतीनां त्वमेतद् विपुलीकुरु ॥ ४५४ ।। यथा हरौ भगवति नृणां भक्तिर्भविष्यति । सर्वात्मन्यखिलाधारे इति सङ्कल्प्य वर्णय ॥ ४५५ ।। इति । O Narada, this text named Srimad Bhagavatam, which was spo- ken to me by Bhagavan, describes in brief the glories of the Lord. Now, you please elaborate on it. Describe it with the intention that people may develop devotion to Śri Hari, the immanent Self of all beings and the support of all. (SB 2.7.51-52)32 तस्मात् साधु व्याख्यातं स्वामिचरणैरपि “रहस्यं भक्तिः” (भा० दी० २।९।३१) इति । Therefore, Śrīdhara Svāmi has also correctly explained (Bha- vārtha-dipikā 2.9.31) that rahasya means devotional service (rahasyam bhaktiḥ). Memezlanasbitaco Commentary Made I M This verse of Catuḥ-sloki (SB 2.9.34) explains rahasya, which is the topmost secret and can therefore only be explained indirectly. Although the Lord is situated in His own abode, He expands to sit in the heart of His loving devotees. He explained this to Durvāsā Muni: Bloss 30 sarva-guhyatamam bhūyaḥ śṛnu me paramam vacaḥ 31 sugopyam api vakṣyāmi 32 idam bhāgavatam nama yan me bhagavatoditam sangraho’yam vibhūtinām tvam etad vipuli-kuru yatha harau bhagavati nṛṇām bhaktir bhavisyati sarvātmany akhilädhäre iti sankalpya varṇaya 165 921 niveda Barane Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha True devotees are My heart, and I too am the heart of true devotees. They do not know anything other than Me, and I know nothing at all other than them. (SB 9.4.68)33om ons dahiw abrow m The material elements exist outside of material objects as well as within them. It is not that the totality of the material elements is used up in the making of material objects. Similarly, Bhagavan exists in His own abode as well as within His devotees. Bhagavan, however, has the ability to expand Himself into plenary portions. This is the difference between the material elements and Bhagavan. Another meaning to be understood from this verse is that Bhaga- vän exists both within and outside His devotees, because of His love for them. The yogis, on the other hand, see only the Lord’s expansion as Paramātmā within, because they have awareness of the Lord only, devoid of specific feelings of love. Any other interpretation of this verse would not be in accord with the Lord’s propositions as given in the first verse quoted in this section. The mystery is prema, not Brahman. It is prema that is espe- cially rare, and which the Lord does not easily bestow. He awards Brahman realization even to the enemies whom He kills. Therefore, Brahman cannot be considered the rahasya referred to in the first verse. Thus, Śrīdhara Svami has rightly translated rahasya as bhakti. Śrī Kṛṣṇa told Uddhava that bhakti is the most confidential secret: My dear Uddhava, O beloved of the Yadu dynasty, listen now to this supreme mystery. Although it is to be kept carefully hidden, I shall speak it to you because you are My servant, well-wisher and friend. (SB 11.11.49)34 bonials ad vino solo mas be toned fromgol abode no all ai Loren The word etat in this verse refers to bhakti-yoga, which was men- tioned in the preceding verse. Bhakti or prema is said to be highly confidential because most people are ineligible to receive it. People in general are powerfully identified with the external potency in the 33 sadhavo hṛdayam mahyam sadhūnāṁ hṛdayam tv aham mad-anyat te na jananti näham tebhyo manãg api 34 athaitat paramam guhyam śrnv ato yadu-nandana su-gopyam api vaksṣyāmi tvam me bhṛtyah suhṛt sakha 922 96 The Conclusion of the Catuḥ-śloki of Bhagavatam Is Bhagavan form of the body-mind complex and the world. As long as such iden- tification remains prominent, consciousness is unable to perceive, receive or enter into the internal potency in the form of unalloyed devotion. The Lord does not award bhakti to those thus identified, lest they misuse it. He therefore speaks with indirect words so that only those who are qualified will recognize the concealed truth. Śrī Brahma ordered Narada Muni [in SB 2.7.51-52] to narrate the four-verse Śrimad Bhagavatam in such a way that those who heard it would attain devotion to Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Vyasa Deva had the same experience after Narada Muni instructed him in Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: starwelter In one who hears this Śrīmad Bhagavatam arises devotion to Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Person, putting an end to all of one’s mourning, bewil- derment and fear. (SB 1.7.7) 35 Therefore, according to Brahma, Narada and Vyasa, and from the personal experience of Sukadeva Gosvāmi, it is clear that the central theme of Srimad Bhagavatam is pure devotion to the Lord. As such, this verse (SB 2.9.34) cannot apply to unqualified Brahman, as some would have it. Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī raises two objections to any such interpreta- tion: it is not in keeping with the propositions of the Lord found in SB 2.9.30, nor can it be reconciled with His blessings in SB 2.9.31. Normally, the impersonal interpretation of the verse is based on the reading of the word nateşu (in the surrendered) as two words na teşu (not in them). The understanding is that just as the mate- rial elements are both outside as well as inside phenomenal objects, Brahman is similarly both inside and outside the living being. This meaning, however, is derived simply from the words tathā teṣu, in connection with the verbs praviṣṭāni (enter) and apraviṣṭāni (do not enter). Hence, by this rendering, the rest of the line (na teşu) is made completely redundant. Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi avoids this problem by saying that it is but one word referring to the devotees (nata, mean- ing “bowed down,” or “surrendered”). Because devotees are full of 35 yasyām vai śruyamaṇāyāṁ kṛṣṇe parama-puruşe bhaktir utpadyate pumsaḥ śoka-moha-bhayāpahā 923 syada atom Śri Bhagavat Sandarbhatina(San love for the Lord, they see Him both within the heart and externally, with senses transmuted through pervasion of the internal potency. This is confirmed by Brahma-samhita 5.38, where Brahma says, “They see within the heart also” (hrdaye’pi vilokayanti). The word api (also) indicates that they perceive Him not only within the heart, but out- side as well with their external senses. This state of being, or this state of awareness, in which one directly perceives the Lord in every- thing, both internally and externally, is the mystery referred to as prema. The Śrutis hinted at by Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmī are ones such as the following: bett 96.6 A person desiring liberation must take shelter of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Lord who illuminates everyone’s mind and intelligence. He created Brahma at the dawn of creation, instructed him in the knowledge of Srimad Bhagavatam and made him sing it. (GTU 1.26)36 अथ कथं तथाभूतं रहस्यमुदयेतेत्यपेक्षायां क्रमप्राप्तरहस्यपर्यन्तसाधकत्वाद् रहस्यत्वेनैव तदङ्गभूतं तदीयसाधनमुपदिशति ( भा० २।९।३५ ) - swball Thereafter, should Brahma ask Him how such a rahasya could be brought into manifestation, the Lord instructs him in the means of attaining it, which is itself a component part of that mystery (tad-anga); and since this process is meant for attaining the rahasya, as is made clear from the sequence in which the sub- jects were presented [given in SB 2.9.30 above], He also specifies it as a confidential truth [i.e., in an indirect manner]: облите snil adr एतावदेव जिज्ञास्यं तत्त्वजिज्ञासुनात्मनः । अन्वयव्यतिरेकाभ्यां यत् स्यात् सर्वत्र सर्वदा ॥ ४५६ ॥ 36 yo brahmāṇaṁ vidadhāti pūrvaṁ yo vidyās tasmai gāpayati sma kṛṣṇaḥ tam ha devam atma-buddhi-prakasam mumuksur vai saranam amum vrajet 924 96 The Conclusion of the Catuḥ-śloki of Bhāgavatam Is Bhagavan One who is inquisitive to know the truth of the Self should inquire all the way up to this very point (the rahasya), both through direct (anvaya) and indirect (vyatireka) means,” so that it may be [experienced] everywhere and always. (SB 2.9.35)38 आत्मनो मम भगवतस्तत्त्वजिज्ञासुना प्रेमरूपं याथार्थ्यं रहस्यमनुभवितुमिच्छुना एतावदेव जिज्ञास्यं श्रीगुरुचरणेभ्यः शिक्षणीयम् । roris daidvent (queno) noitam The phrase “of the Self” (atmanah) means of Me, the Supreme Lord. “One who is inquisitive to know the truth” (tattva- jijñāsuna) refers to one who wishes to experience the true mys- tery in the form of love of God. The phrase, “Inquiry should be made all the way up to this very point” (etavad eva jijñāsyam), means that one should receive instruction in this matter from a spiritual teacher. किं तत् ? यदेकमेव अन्वयव्यतिरेकाभ्यां विधिनिषेधाभ्यां सदा सर्वत्र स्यादुपपद्यते । What is that [rahasya]? The one single truth that is always already available everywhere, either by affirmation or negation, which is to say, either through positive injunction (vidhi) or through negative prohibition (niṣedha). But aeg 109nog gada sami juod samiH foods naturen यथा (भा० २।२।३३) – [This is shown in SB 2.2.33, where] Śri Sukadeva in the beginning indicates the path indirectly through negation (vyatireka): नह्यतोऽन्यः शिवः पन्था विशतः संसृताविह । वासुदेवे भगवति भक्तियोगो यथा भवेत् ॥ ४५७ ।। bevigada) 37 “A cause, or hetu, is said to be connected with its effects by anvaya-vyatireka-vyapti when both the affirmative and negative relationship between the thing to be proved and the cause that proves it can be equally asserted. Such a hetu alone makes the argument perfectly sound and incapable of refutation. The process of arriving at the vyapti, or universal proposition, corresponds to the methods of Agreement and Difference in Mill’s logic.” (Apte 1998, p. 93) But it should be noted that some vyapti are only anvayi, i.e., have only a positive relation, and some are only vyatireki, i.e., have only a negative relation. 38 etavad eva jijñāsyaṁ tattva-jijñāsunātmanaḥ anvaya-vyatirekabhyam yat syat sarvatra sarvadă 925 008 af be Śri Bhagavat Sandarbha suolo 567 LoveThere is no path more auspicious for the ātmās who have entered the world of cyclic existence than the one that leads to Bhagavān Vasudeva’s devotional service. (SB 2.2.33) 39 (ha) इति व्यतिरेकेणोपक्रम्य तदुपसंहारे (भा० २।२ । ३६ ) - He then concludes by indicating the path directly through affir- mation (anvaya), in which there is explicit mention of [its applicability] “everywhere and always”: a) “did adt wond of ovli
- तस्मात् सर्वात्मना राजन् हरिः सर्वत्र सर्वदा । श्रोतव्यः कीर्तितव्यश्च स्मर्तव्यो भगवान् नृणाम् ॥ ४५८ ॥ yrov (mpyabil vs havats) “anlog vre Birit of qu yaw ads lle sham Therefore, O King, all human beings should hear about, glo-m rify and remember Bhagavan Hari with their whole being, everywhere and always. (SB 2.2.36)40 इत्यन्वयेन सर्वत्र सर्वदेत्युक्तम् । तस्मात् स्वज्ञानविज्ञानरहस्यतदङ्गानामुपदेशेन चतुःश्लो- क्यामपि स्वयं श्रीभगवानेवोपदिष्टः । daidw no 50 70 hoitam Therefore, while teaching His jñāna, vijñāna, rahasya and its com- ponent part, in Catuḥ-sloki, the Lord has also exclusively given instruction about Himself, Bhagavan. TISS अत्र “तस्मै स्वलोकं भगवान् सभाजितः” ( भा० २।९।९) इति भगवच्छब्देन ददर्श तत्रा- खिलसात्वतां पतिम्” (भा० २।९।१४ ) इत्यत्र तापनीश्रुत्यनुकूलितं श्रीकृष्णत्वलिङ्गेन चास्य वक्तुः श्रीभगवत्त्वमेव स्फुटम् । न जातु तदंशभूतनारायणाख्यगर्भोदधिशायिपुरुषत्वम् । 1 [Earlier in this narration,]“1 the word bhagavan in, “The Lord (Bhagavan), being pleased, gave him [Brahma] a vision of His own planet” (SB 2.9.9),42 clearly establishes that the speaker of these verses (Catuḥ-sloki) is Bhagavan. Furthermore, the statement, “Brahma saw the Lord of all Satvatas” (SB 2.9.14),43 indicates, like 39 na hy ato’nyah sivaḥ pantha visataḥ samsṛtāv iha 40 vasudeve bhagavati bhakti-yogo yatha bhavet tasmāt sarvātmană rajan hariḥ sarvatra sarvadā śrotavyaḥ kirtitavyaś ca smartavyo bhagavan nṛṇām 41 See Section 10.vidc 42 tasmai sva-lokam bhagavan sabhajitaḥ 43 dadarśa taträkhila-sātvatām patim 926 96 The Conclusion of the Catuḥ-śloki of Bhāgavatam Is Bhagavan Gopala-tapani Upanisad, that this Bhagavan is Śrī Kṛṣṇa. He can- not be the portion of Bhagavan called Nārāyaṇa in the form of the puruşăvatāra, Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. Refe अत एवास्य महापुराणस्यापि श्रीभागवतमित्येवाख्या । तथैवोक्तम् “कस्मै येन विभा- षितोऽयमतुलो ज्ञानप्रदीपः पुरा” इत्यादौ “तच्छुद्धं विमलं विशोकममृतं सत्यं परं धीमहि” (भा० १२।१३।१९) इत्यत्र परशब्देन भगवद्वक्तृत्वम् “आद्योऽवतारः पुरुषः परस्य " (भा० २।६।४१) इति द्वितीये भेदाभिधानात् । 畫畫 Therefore, this great Purana is also called Srimad Bhagavatam, or that which relates to or is spoken by Śrī Bhagavan. Śrī Śuka simi- larly says, “I meditate upon that pure and spotless, immortal Sup- reme Absolute Truth (param satyam), free of lamentation, who in the beginning personally revealed this incomparable torch- light of knowledge to Śrī Brahma” (SB 12.13.19).44 Here the term para (supreme) indicates that the speaker [i.e., the revealer of the knowledge] was Bhagavan, because the difference [between Bhagavan and His plenary portion] has been pointed out in the Second Canto: “The Purusa (Karaṇodakaśāyi Viṣṇu) is the first avatara of the Supreme Lord (parasya)” (SB 2.6.41).45 अतः (भा० १० 31: (210 22 123 120)-intery upd Therefore, Sūta Gosvāmi also uses the word bhagavān: 44 इदं भगवता पूर्वं ब्रह्मणे नाभिपङ्कजे । स्थिताय भवभीताय कारुण्यात् सम्प्रकाशितम् ॥ ४५९ ।। Bhagavan first revealed this Śrimad Bhagavatam in full, out of His grace, to Brahma, who, frightened by material existence, was sit- uated on the lotus flower that had grown from the Lord’s navel. (SB 12.13.10)46 4a kasmai yena vibhāsito’yam atulo jñāna-pradīpaḥ purā htac chuddham vimalam visokam amṛtam satyam param dhimahi 45 adyo’vatāraḥ puruṣaḥ parasya 46 idam bhagavatā purvam brahmane nabhi-parkaje sthitaya bhava-bhitaya kāruṇyat samprakāśitambi 10 927 nevsanda Śri Bhagavat Sandarbha इत्यत्रापि भगवच्छब्दप्रयोगः । श्रीनारायणनाभिपङ्कजे स्थितं ब्रह्माणं प्रति स्वयं श्रीभगवता तत्रैव व्यापिमहावैकुण्ठं प्रकाश्येदं पुराणं प्रकाशितमित्यर्थः । अनुगतं चैतत् द्वितीयस्कन्धे- तिहासस्येति ॥ श्रीभगवान् ब्रह्माणम् ॥ The meaning is that Sri Bhagavan Himself [Svayam Bhagavan] showed the all-pervading Mahāvaikuntha to Brahma, who was sitting on the lotus flower sprouting from the navel of Nārāyaṇa, and then spoke Śrimad Bhagavatam to him. This explanation [of the Twelfth Canto verse] concords with the narration found in the Second Canto.me ballen onte al test walkommi foge br Commentary -doro Ida Bole I In the final verse of Catuḥ-sloki (SB 2.9.35), the Lord discloses sadhana-bhakti, which is the component part of the mystery of prema. Sadhana is the process of inquiry or investigation into the nature of Absolute Reality. This investigation is not an intellectual inquiry, yet it includes the faculty of mind. It is a consummate investigation that involves the totality of being, awareness, feeling, intention, thought, perception and action. Such an investigation can stop short at various points, without reaching the ultimate limit of inquiry. For example, one may inquire up to the point of realizing God as the world, as psychic phenomena, as immanence pervading the world or nature, as the creator God, as emptiness in the form of nirvana, as transcendence in the form of Brahman, or as Bhagavan, the complete personal nondual Whole. All of these perspectives have their range of validity, but unless inquiry is pushed to its ultimate limit, one’s view remains partial. Hence, this verse states that one’s investigation, or in other words, one’s sadhana must extend all the way to the mystery of prema; otherwise, that mystery remains a mys- tery. So, that sadhana that extends all the way to the ultimate limit of prema is itself the component part of the total mystery of prema. Because this investigation is a self-transcending process, it cannot be undertaken independently by a separated self, caught in various degrees of identification with the body-mind complex. 928 96 The Conclusion of the Catuḥ-sloki of Bhagavatam Is Bhagavān Otherwise, whatever is discovered will necessarily be interpreted with reference to the conditioned self-concept. For this reason, Jiva Gosvāmi says that this investigation involves submission of being to a spiritual teacher who stands in the glory of the ultimate mystery of prema. Often times when a spiritual teacher offers confidential knowl- edge, the disciple does not realize its significance. The teacher has to break through the student’s layers of self-identification, and the corresponding layers of misinterpretation of the teaching, in order that the true significance of his words can be decisively and experi- entially grasped. The rahasya is therefore understood only by hear- ing from a realized teacher. The Lord says that it is specifically prema that is to be understood as the final intention of all scriptural rules and regulations. This means that prema is the ultimate pur- pose and the highest teaching described in the scriptures. If one has not understood this, his or her education is incomplete. This is the culmination of all subjects to be learned from a spiritual teacher. Even in the material world, it is seen that everyone is hankering for love, even though they may not understand or acknowledge it clearly. Everyone looks for someone or something in which to repose his or her love. If a person is unable to love another person, he may choose to love a pet or even an insentient object. Life without love is drudgery. This means that life is meant specifically for love, and the love that offers complete fulfillment and grants access to the highest potential of the conscious being is love of God. Without love, one’s growth remains stunted. For the sake of love, a person can sacrifice even his own life or most precious possession. This means that love is superior to self-satisfaction. If this is the case even in regard to conventional love in the material world, then how much more must it be so in the spiritual world - where love of God is far superior even to the bliss of self-realization. Śrīmad Bhāgavatam was spoken to confer prema. Śrī Caitanya appeared simply to deliver the message of prema. Sat Sandarbhas were composed to disseminate the teaching of prema given by Śrī Caitanya. Srimad Bhagavatam was spoken by Bhagavan Śrī Kṛṣṇa and not by His expansion Nārāyaṇa or Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. Therefore, it 929 vegial instr Śri Bhagavat Sandarbha mzolan is called Bhagavatam. The derivational explanation of this great Purana’s name can thus be explained in four different ways, as follows: does staym samitlo ods
- Bhagavată proktam iti, it was spoken by Bhagavan.
- Bhagavat-pratipadakam iti, its subject is Bhagavan.
- Bhagavad-äkarṣakam iti, Bhagavan is attracted to one who hears or even desires to hear it.
- Bhagavat-prema-prayojakam, its purpose (prayojana) is to bestow Pop20 love for Bhagavan. hugzs bas visvisbah od os aliowaid to sanejate or In the next anuccheda, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi will explain that Bhagavan is in fact the common subject described in all scriptures. Isurigema nasrbest indivica mot formed ad saogs vamo nose ratone pool od sideel uit vel aven aavol modi til sin trorogam be nov 10 1929 wift basovalot ylli resorp income) anusaid Chebuk avalio sad to noizesang apoi sanimalismon drweg abad moonW in zo of awo ehi va sartharines0% The sdt garanties e ortons que al sol nuisan wad not browslands ut oval larrozm boto valsandblow intrigadnie damom um svilob of viqmie banesque qual mall boogoo swanddu 930dous name to delepas did acha de A(zhe.rox) milk botaheran lehna H baungany m 0 Anuccheda 97 to basing and arodwmt og slym Jon All Scriptures Are Reconciled in Bhagavan Juoda uo (recta) ebriusqu ada to vhiste adr vd ९७ । तदेतत् सर्वशास्त्राणां समन्वयस्तस्मिन्नेव भगवति । तथा च – IN THIS WAY, all scriptures find their synthesis in Bhagavan alone. As stated in Caturveda-sikhā: ma afas done aitama si na swal] सर्वैश्च वेदैः परमो हि देवो जिज्ञास्यो नान्यो वेदैः प्रसिध्येत् । तस्मादेनं सर्ववेदानधीत्य विचार्य च ज्ञातुमिच्छेन् मुमुक्षुः ॥ ४६० ॥ इति चतुर्वेदशिखायाम् । has sincha It is God in His ultimacy alone that is to be searched out from all the Vedas. The Vedas do not concern themselves with the popu-g olarization of any other [minor gods or partial truth]. Therefore, after studying all the Vedas and deliberating upon them, a person yearning for liberation should aspire to know only Him! “यं सर्वे देवा आनमन्ति मुमुक्षवो ब्रह्मवादिनश्च” (नृ० ता० २।४।१० ) इति श्रीनृसिंहताप- न्याम् । Nrsimha-tapani Upanisad states: “All the gods, all those desir- ing liberation, and even the adherents of the path of unqualified Brahman, bow down to Him” (NTU 2.4.10)? “सर्वे वेदा यत् पदमामनन्ति तपांसि सर्वाणि च यद् वदन्ति” (कठ १।२।१५) । 1 sarvaiś ca vedaiḥ paramo hi devo jijñāsyo nanyo vedaiḥ prasidhyet tasmād enam sarva-vedän adhitya vicārya ca jñātum icchen mumuksuh yam sarva-devā ānamanti mumukṣavo brahma-vādinaś ca 931 Śri Bhagavat Sandarbha This is also stated in other Śruti mantras, such as: “All the Vedas propound Him and all austerities are aimed at Him” (KU 1.2.15). “नावेदविन् मनुते तं बृहन्तं सर्वानुभूतमात्मानं साम्पराये” । Or, “At the time of death, a man ignorant of Vedic knowledge can- not meditate upon Him, who is the greatest of all and the essence of everyone’s experience.” 994 And in baliono59 STA 297 “तं त्वौपनिषदं पुरुषं पृच्छामि” (बृ० ३।९।२६) इत्यादिरन्यत्र श्रुतौ । 52 11A Or elsewhere in the Śrutis: “I inquire from you about that Person who is known by the study of the Upanisads” (BAU 3.9.26). “वेदैश्च सर्वैरहमेव वेद्यो वेदान्तकृद् वेदविदेव चाहम्” (गीता १५।१५) इति श्रीगीतोपनिष- His nevegada ni aizsdays xi [As well as in the Smṛtis such as] Śrī Gita Upanisad: “I alone am to be known through all the Vedas. I am the propounder of the Vedanta and the knower of the Veda” (GĪTĀ 15.15). “सिद्धान्ते पुनरेक एव भगवान् विष्णुः समस्तागमव्यापारेषु विवेचनव्यतिकरं नीतेषु निश्ची- यते” इति पाद्मे । Padma Purāṇa states: “By harmonious deliberation on all the contents of the Vedic literature there is only one conclusion ascertained, and that is Śrī Visnu.” asbest lle gigbute afte iH vino wool of sales bluoda noitersdil sol gaumesy “सर्वनामाभिधेयश्च सर्ववेदेडितश्च सः” इति स्कान्दे । Skanda Purāņa states: “Only Śrī Visnu is indicated by all names and worshiped by all the Vedas.“s “नताः स्म सर्वजगतां वचसां प्रतिष्ठा यत्र शाश्वती” (वि० पु० १।१४ ाश्वती” (वि० पु० १।१४।२३) इति वैष्णवे 3 sarve veda yat padam amananti tapaṁsi sarvāni ca yad vadanti
- nāveda-vin manute tam bṛhantam sarvānubhūtam ātmānaṁ sāmparāye 5 tam tv aupanişadam puruşam prcchami ⚫ vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyo vedanta-kṛd veda-vid eva cāham 7 siddhante punar eka eva bhagavan vişnuḥ samastagama- vyāpāreṣu vivecana-vyatikaraṁ niteṣu niściyate 8 sarva-nāmābhidheyaś ca sarva-vedeḍitaś ca sa । 932 97 All Scriptures Are Reconciled in Bhagavan Viṣṇu Purāṇa states: “We bow down to that Supreme Lord, who is the eternal truth established by all the Vedic statements” (VP 1.14.23). Brahma-tarka states: антиг чатая सर्ववेदान् सेतिहासान् सपुराणान् सयुक्तिकान् । सपञ्चरात्रान् विज्ञाय विष्णुर्ज्ञेयो न चान्यथा ॥ ४६१ ॥ इति ब्रह्मतर्के । Śrī Visnu is to be known by the study of all the Vedas along with the Itihāsas, Purāņas, Vedānta (Nyāya) and Pañcaratra. There is no other way to know Him.10 तदेवं सर्ववेदसमन्वयं स्वस्मिन् श्रीभगवत्येव स्वयमाह ( भा० ११ | २१ | ४३ ) - svil In the same way, the Lord Himself states that the synthesis of all the Vedas resides in Him alone, Bhagavan: मां विधत्तेऽभिधत्ते मां विकल्प्यापोह्यते त्वहम् । ४६२ ॥ इति । voro to ald A warmis vedr Me alone [the Veda] enjoins; Me alone it names. Whatever is 939 superimposed on Me and then negated is also Me. (SB 11.21.43)d of 366 gaibub bas ga मामेव यज्ञपुरुषं विधत्ते श्रुतिः । मामेव तत्तद्देवतारूपमभिधत्ते । यच् चाकाशादिप्रपञ्चजा- तम् “तस्माद् वा एतस्मादात्मन आकाशः सम्भूतः ” ( तै० २।१।३) इत्यादिना विकल्प्यापो- ह्यते तदप्यहमेव । न मत्तः पृथगस्ति सर्वस्य मदात्मकत्वादिति भावः ॥ श्रीभगवान् ॥ mi enoitoit “The Vedas enjoin (vidhatte) only Me, the Person aimed at through all sacrifice, and they name (abhidhatte) only Me, in the form of the various gods. It is Me alone upon whom the material elements, such as ether, are superimposed (vikalpya) and then negated” (apohyate), as understood from statements such as, “From this ātmā the sky was born” (TU 2.1.3). The import is that, “Nothing is separate from Me, for everything in essence is Me.“obbin natāḥ sma sarva-jagatāṁ vacasāṁ pratiṣṭhā yatra śāśvatī 10 sarva-vedän setihäsän sa-puraṇān sa-yuktikan sa-pañcarātrān vijñāya viṣṇur jñeyo na canyatha “mam vidhatte bhidhatte mam vikalpyäpohyate tv aham […..] 12 tasmad vā etasmäd ätmana ākāśaḥ sambhūtaḥ 933 Commentary “adapmeda davegane Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha RA obwod Westare blir dtalls yd hsdeildaten du barris di at AS DEMONSTRATED IN THE LAST TWO SECTIONS, Śrīmad Bhāga- vatam establishes that Bhagavan is the Ultimate Reality and that Brahman is His incomplete manifestation. In this anuccheda, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi declares that the purpose of all the Vedas and Vedic literature is similarly to point to the Reality that is Bhagavan. Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi gives numerous scriptural references to show how, directly or indirectly, all scriptures describe Bhagavan. This is cer- tainly logical. If there is only one Absolute Reality, as confirmed by the experience of those who have realized the Absolute, then the purpose of all revealed scriptures is not to propose many truths, but to explain the one Absolute Reality from different angles of vision. They should all be reconciled in that one Reality. All scriptures can be reconciled only if the synthesis at which they aim is in fact the Absolute in its highest completion. Any partial understanding of the Absolute is incapable of providing such a syn- thesis. It is for this reason that the synthesis of all scriptures is said to be in Bhagavan alone, because He is the all-inclusive Complete Whole, including and transcending even Brahman. This means that if one studies all the Vedas, Purānas and Itihasas, it is possible to har- monize the different statements, only if Bhagavan is understood as the subject matter. Otherwise, there appear to be so many contra- dictions in the scriptures. Different topics are described in various scriptures to provide appropriate view and path for people at differ- ent levels of self-identification and belief. Their ultimate purpose, however, is to explain Bhagavan. Thus, the Hari-vamsa states: ald In the Veda, Rāmāyaṇa, Purāṇas and Mahabharata, it is Śrī Hariq) galalone who is glorified everywhere, whether in the beginning, then middle or the end. (Hari-vaṁśa Purana 3.132.95)13 M most stazase z vede rāmāyaṇe caiva purane bhārate tathā adav ante ca madhye ca hariḥ sarvatra giyate The real source of this verse in this form seems to be Madhva’s bhāṣya to GITA 2.43. The Mahabharata reference is given as Svarga-parva 6.13, and yet there is no such verse in any edition, as Svargārohaṇa-parva contains only five chapters. No reading in the critical edition (Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute 1987) 934 97 All Scriptures Are Reconciled in Bhagavan Samanvaya, or synthesis, means to reach a conclusion by recon- ciling the various scriptures according to the following six maxims: The true purport of a text can be decided by these six criteria: (1) what is stated at the beginning and at the end; (2) what is repeated throughout the text; (3) what is original to it; (4) what is ascer- tained to be the result; (5) what is praised; and (6) what is estab- lished by logical argument.” By following this method of analysis, it is found that it is Bha- gavān alone who is glorified in all the Vedic literature. This is the purport of the verse from Hari-vamsa Purana. Srimad Bhagavatam is the essence of all the Vedas and Itihāsas. Furthermore, it is the nat- ural commentary to Vedanta-sutra and reveals the true meaning of Mahābhārata. bool vroat JA OR Bhāgavatam, which has the above characteristics, describes Bha- gavān alone as Supreme. It follows from this that the subject of all Vedic scriptures is Bhagavan; otherwise, their essence, which is described in Śrimad Bhagavatam, could not be Bhagavan. The essence of all kinds of milk is butter, because butter permeates all milk. Therefore, Śrī Sūta Gosvāmī also said, “The Vedas aim at Śrī Kṛṣṇa” (vasudeva-parā vedāḥ, SB 1.2.28). This is confirmed in Vedanta-sutra, which summarizes the con- clusion of all the Upanisads, which in turn contain the essence of the Vedas: “But Bhagavan is the subject of all the Vedas, because such is the harmonization of all such literature” (tat tu samanvayat, VS 1.1.4). Part of Śripada Baladeva Vidyabhuṣaṇa’s comment on this sutra can be paraphrased as follows: If one protests and claims that the Vedas teach how to attain phenom- enal objects, such as rain, a son or how to achieve heaven, we answer matches either. The reference from Hari-vamsa Purana is also apocryphal, as the Bhavisya-parva is much shorter in the original version. Nevertheless, this is the source that Baladeva Vidyabhuṣaṇa ascribes to the verse. There is a similar verse in Skanda Purāṇa, Kasi-khanda 4.93.15, which has the same first half; the second half reads, ādi-madhyāvasaneṣu harir eko’tra naparah. upakramopasaṁhārāv abhyaso’pūrvată phalam arthavādopapatti ca lingam tätparya-nirnaye 935 alvagen Śri Bhagavat Sandarbhallaco Gas follows: These procedures are included in the Vedas for the pur- campose of inspiring faith in ignorant people and encouraging them to acquire Vedic knowledge. When they see that following the Vedas produces the desired results, it strengthens their faith and inspires them to study further. Upon the awakening of discernment, they are able to discriminate between the eternal and the temporary, and awakening a taste in transcendence, their taste in phenomenal exis- tence is expired. In this way they will ultimately understand Bhaga- Jive van, the Absolute Reality15 Thus, Śrī Kṛṣṇa says, “I alone am to be known from all the Vedas” (vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ, GITA 15.15). The emphatic particle eva indicates that Krsna alone is the highest truth disclosed in the Vedas. The purpose of the Vedas is not to teach about karma or yajña, though it may appear so at a cursory look. In the following anuccheda it will be shown how words can describe Bhagavan even though He is free from the material doliw (sorrseas on brit Smavageria se son bus gunas. Its betesmen nattu sausad sited sollim to about Ila to 950949 midoidw no ad estremimus diwuttuz-nthobs bamonhos at war bai To Sonses Say hi ahalmente o nolaba Honza Ver foto addet ved to abov to the proformide at say “sittall dous le to nonssimomtred set wollol as bozendganged s fav Tonighto ni mz 15 vrsty-adi-phala-dṛṣṭya teşv abhijāta-ruces tad-arthan vicarayato nityänitya-vastu-vivekino brahma-tṛṣṇā jagad-vaitṛṣṇam ca syad iti siddham sarveṣām teṣāṁ brahma-paratvaṁ kamitasyaiva vṛṣṭy-adeḥ phalatvena pratiter akāmito’sau na syat 936 Hardw yd] estilsup He lo hlovsh al- seadem identit enbito do aludidle ear an dous (banimisish ne dojdo Howe on seed boose.brc.coming sit to armuborg la se doldw ghs zalgood to sombaintains [we]Sylimp] Anuccheda 98 parts of (tag) swobo 30/955 Du sanes drod hoovad ett be subong aid of brot The Vedic Sound Reveals Bhagavāns 98.1 ты b ९८ । तदेवं भगवत एव सर्ववेदार्थत्वं दर्शितम् । तत्र राज्ञः प्रश्नः । श्रीविष्णुरात उवाच ( भा० १०।८७।१) - THUS, IT HAS BEEN SHOWN that Bhagavan alone is the purpose of all the Vedas. In this regard, King Parikṣit raises a question:am and only tho ब्रह्मन् ब्रह्मण्यनिर्देश्ये निर्गुणे गुणवृत्तयः । Ovi sit no talmed a कथं चरन्ति श्रुतयः साक्षात् सदसतः परे ॥ ४६३ ॥ed all of y-nepal) Is to biovsbal mind blow sdt sonia yaw smsa sdi ni novia adi at SO brāhmaṇa, how can the Vedas, functioning within the gunas, directly describe Brahman, which is indeterminable, free from the gunas, and transcendental to both cause and effect? MIS(SB 10.87.1)1 SWIVEL STER 5 अस्यार्थः– श्रुतयस्तावच् छब्दमात्रस्य साधारण्याद् गुणेषु सत्त्वादिषु वृत्तिर्यासां तादृ- श्यो दृश्यन्ते । ब्रह्म तु निर्गुणं सत्त्वादिगुणातीतं तस्मादेवानिर्देश्यम् । तत्तद्गुणकार्यभूत- जातिगुणक्रियाख्यानां गुणान्तराणामभावास्पदत्वात् तादृशद्रव्यस्याप्यप्रसिद्धत्वादनिर्दे- श्यं सत्त्वादिकार्यभूताभ्यां सदसद्भ्यां कार्यकारणाभ्यां परमिति तेन तेनासम्बन्धं चेत्यर्थः । on bas asmu The meaning is as follows: The Śrutis appear to be functioning in the material gunas, such as sattva, because they are composed of sounds that appear to be like any material sound. But Brah- man is nirguna (free from the gunas), like sattva, and is therefore 1 brahman brahmany anirdeśye nirgune guna-vṛttayaḥ katham caranti śrutayaḥ sākṣāt sad-asataḥ pare 937 Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha “indeterminable” ( anirdeśya). This means that Brahman is inde- terminable, first, because it is devoid of all qualities [by which objects are determined], such as class, attributes, or actions, which are all products of the gunas, and, second, because no such [quality-less] entity is within the common range of people’s expe- rience. Brahman is transcendental (para) to the gunas, like sattva, and to their products, and it is beyond both cause and effect (sat and asat), and thus it is without connection to any of these. T तथा च सति यथा डित्थवाचि कस्मिंश्चिदद्वितीये द्रव्ये तच्छब्दस्य मुख्या वृत्तिः प्रवर्तते । यथा च “सिंहो देवदत्तः” इत्यत्र गौण्या वृत्त्या शौर्यगुणयुक्ते देवदत्ते सिंहशब्दः प्रवर्तते । यथा च “गङ्गायां घोषः” इत्यत्रलक्षणया वृत्त्या गङ्गाशब्दस्तस्मिन्नित्यसम्बन्धे तटे प्रवर्तते तथा तत्तदभावास्पदे ब्रह्मणि तया तया वृत्त्या श्रुतयः कथं प्रवर्तेरन् ? This being the case, just as the primary meaning (mukhyā-vṛtti) of the word dittha is “a peerless object;” and just as in the state- ment, “Devadatta is a lion,” the word “lion,” by its secondary meaning (gauņi-vṛtti) refers to Devadatta, who is endowed with the attribute of courage; and just as the word ganga in the phrase, “the hamlet on the River Ganges,” refers by its indicative meaning (laksanā-vrtti) to its bank, which has an inviolable relation with the river; in the same way, since the word brahma is devoid of all such vṛttis, how can the Śrutis possibly refer to it by any of them? istabai si biaw nemdera edimashinsaib श्रुतीनां च “शास्त्रयोनित्वात् ” ( ब्र० सू० १|१| ३) इतिन्यायेन तत्प्रतिपादकतायामनन्यानां तत्र प्रवृत्तिरवश्यं वक्तव्या । स्वतःप्रमाणानां च तासां मुख्या प्रवृत्तिस्तु विशेषतो वक्तव्या । तस्मात् तस्मिंस्ताः साक्षाद्रूपतया मुख्यया वृत्त्या केन प्रकारेण चरन्ति । तं प्रकारं विशेषतः कृपयापि स्वयमुपदिशेति । कृि According to the principle that “Brahman is known only through the scriptures” (śāstra-yonitvāt, vs 1.1.3), it must be said that the Śrutis explain Brahman and no other. Additionally, since they are self-authoritative, it must also specifically be said that their principal meaning is Brahman. Thus, the question being raised, is, “Kindly instruct me how the Śrutis explain Brahman directly, by their primary meaning. I specifically want to know this.“m अन्यथा पदार्थत्वायोगादपदार्थस्य च वाक्यार्थत्वायोगान् न श्रुतिगोचरत्वं ब्रह्मणः स्या- दिति स्थिते कुतस्तरां तदुपरिचरस्फूर्तेर्भगवतस्तद्गोचरत्वम् ? तत् कथमेव “स्वभक्तयोः” 938 98 The Vedic Sound Reveals Bhagavan इत्यादौ स्वतां स्वतःप्रमाणभूतानां वेदानां मार्गं भगवत्परत्वमादिश्येत्युक्तमिति ? स्वतः- प्रामाण्यसिद्धये मुख्यवाक्यानां तु साक्षाच् चरणमवश्यं वक्तव्यम् । लक्षणादौ प्रमाणान्तर- मूलत्वात् । ततो यत्र लक्षणादिकमपि न सम्भवति तत्र कथन्तरां साक्षाच् चरणमिति भावः । lin to att Otherwise, if Brahman is not even an object intended by a word, i.e., apadartha, then the Śrutis cannot describe Brahman, since an apadartha is without connection to any verbal meaning. If this is the case, how then could the Śrutis describe Bhagavan, the realization of whom is higher even than Brahman? And then, why was it said [at the end of the previous chapter (SB 10.86.59)] that the Lord instructed His two devotees in surrender to Bha- gavān, which is the path of the self-authoritative Vedas? This is the question. To establish the self-validity of the Vedas, at least their primary statements must directly describe Brahman, because other statements, such as those that carry only indica- tive meaning (lakṣaṇā), depend on some other authority. The essence of the question is that if even the indicative meaning is not possible in Brahman, then how can the direct meaning apply? Commentary ar dir to vonsteg puny hallo max 107 y bet doors gainsom og brow IN SECTIONS 95 AND 96, it was shown that Srimad Bhagavatam, which is the essence of all Vedic literature, aims only at Bhagavan. Then in Anuccheda 97, it was shown that Bhagavan is the common subject of all scriptures, whether directly or indirectly ascertained. Previously, however, it was established that Bhagavan is sup- remely transcendental to phenomenality of any kind. Hearing all this, one may raise an objection: Sound is material, being produced by material instruments, so how can scriptures, which are noth- ing but an embodiment of sound, describe the transcendental Lord? In response to this, Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmi provides a lengthy analysis, explaining how sound can approach Bhagavan, who is beyond the gunas of material nature. In order to do so, he cites the question Parīkṣit Mahārāja asks at the beginning of chapter 87 of the Tenth Canto, and Sukadeva Gosvāmi’s response. 939 negoŚrī Bhagavat Sandarbha 84 All literature, including the Veda, is composed of words. Every Sanskrit word (pada) has a meaning (artha), and there is a rela- tion between the two. A word has a potency by which it con- veys its meaning, which is called vṛtti. Primarily the vṛttis of all words can be divided into three groups, called abhidha (primary or direct), lakṣaṇā (secondary or indicative), and vyañjanā (suggestive). Abhidha is sometimes also called mukhyā. The meanings conveyed through these three vṛttis are designated with reference to their corresponding vṛtti. For example, the meaning derived through abhidha-vṛtti is called abhidhartha or mukhyārtha? vdw The primary, or abhidha, meaning is that which springs to mind as soon as the word is heard. This is the popular meaning of the word. This meaning is generally found in the dictionary and some- times from learned people. For example, as soon as we hear the word “cow,” we picture an animal with four legs, a tail, two ears and so on, in our minds. This, then, is the primary meaning of the word “cow,” which is conveyed by the abhidha-vṛtti. The abhidha-vṛtti is of three types: (11. Yaugiki. When a word’s meaning is derived from the combined potency of its constituent roots and suffixes, the meaning is called yaugiki-abhidha, and the potency is called yaugikī-abhidhā- vṛtti. For example, the word pacaka, meaning “a cook,” is derived from the verbal root √pac (to cook) combined with the nvul suffix HOVE(PANINI 3.1.133, naka according to HNV 5.194), giving it the sense w nom of a noun agent. One who knows the rules of Sanskrit grammar ho would easily understand the meaning, just as an English speaker would recognize the various possible derivations of the verb “to cocook,” such as cook, cooker, cooking, etc. don
- Rūdhi. When the sense of a word is completely independent of the inherent meaning derived from its constituent roots and suf- fixes, such a vṛtti is called rūḍhi-vṛtti. For example, the word So mandapa means a pavillion or a temporary hall, but the meaning according to its constituent words should be, “one who drinks sabrice water” (mandam pibati), or, “one who guards ornaments” nou (mandam bhūṣāṁ pāti). Here, the meaning is not dependent on 2 The discussion of three kinds of sabda-vṛtti supplements was given earlier in Section 3. 94098 The Vedic Sound Reveals Bhagavan Lis the combined meaning of the word’s individual constituents, but efon another sense that has been attributed by custom. 2783. Yoga-ruḍhi. This is a mixture of the two previous vṛttis. Although in this case the meaning of a word is rooted in the power of its con- Taupe stituents, it has become associated with only one specific instance of that meaning. For example, according to its constituent parts, the word pankaja means, “that which is born out of mud” (parkāj br jayate). Although there are many things that grow or arise in muddy water, the word pankaja specifically refers only to the Jenglotus. ybod bas asanet of bas aasпavot 2000 1590851 19152 1801 LAKSANA-VṚTTI. When the primary meaning, or abhidha-vṛtti, fails to render the proper meaning of a word in a particular context, it is abandoned, and a secondary meaning is sought that is related to the primary meaning in some way. As is stated in Nyaya-siddhanta- muktavali, “When the speaker’s intent is not understood through the primary meaning of the words, then the indicative meaning, lakṣaṇā, is taken.” This will be related to the primary meaning. For example: In the statement, “The Jiva Institute is situated on Jiva Road,” cer- tainly the intent of the speaker is not that the Institute is actually on the road, because such a thing is not possible. Therefore, rejecting the primary meaning of “on the road,” one is expected to understand “beside the road.” Lakṣaṇa-vṛtti has three divisions, called ajahat-svärthā, jahat- svärtha and jahad-ajahat-svartha. Ajahat-svärtha means without giving up the original meaning of the word, as in the statement kuntāḥ praviśanti, “the spears are entering.” Here kuntāḥ, or spears, refers to the people carrying spears, kunta-dhārī. In this instance, the meaning of the word kunta has not been dropped (ajahat) but extended to refer to those carrying them. In jahat-svärtha, the original meaning of the word is dropped, as in gangāyāṁ ghoṣaḥ, where the word gangā drops its original mean- ing as the river Ganges and is translated as the bank of the river Ganges. Ty lands add atgsoon 3 lakṣaṇā śakya-sambandhas tatparya’nupapattitaḥ Kārikā 82 941 vega Śri Bhagavat Sandarbharu In jahad-ajahat-svartha, part of the meaning is dropped and another part preserved. The phrase tat tvam asi, “You are That,” is a famous example of jahad-ajahat in Advaitavada. Here tat refers to Brahman and tvam to an individual being. The two have been equated in the above statement. Yet they cannot be absolutely equal if the literal meaning of the pronouns tat and tvam is taken. The individual being is a conscious entity limited by a material body, whereas Brahman is unlimited consciousness. If the two pronouns that refer respectively to Brahman and the living being are dropped, then what remains is consciousness, and that is what is being equated in this sentence. VYANJANA-VṚTTI. When the abhidha-vṛtti and lakṣaṇā-vṛtti have made their respective contributions and yet more meaning is needed to complete the sense, then one looks to the vyañjana-vṛtti. For exam- ple, in the statement about the Jiva Institute, after one has under- stood its location, further suggested meanings may arise, such as that it is approachable by vehicle. Such a suggested meaning has no relation to the primary meaning of the words themselves. Vyañjana- vṛtti has thousands of divisions, and it is beyond the scope of this discussion to enter into them. Suffice to say that the two main ones are śabdi, or vyañjană based on the word, and arthi, or that based on the meaning. “bros 917 obiesd Of all the vṛttis, vyañjana is also the most difficult to comprehend. It is used by most learned Sanskrit scholars in their writings. Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, especially the Tenth Canto, is a masterpiece based on vyañjana-vṛtti. H Some scholars occasionally count gauņi-vṛtti as a fourth category, as Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmī has also done. It is metaphorical in nature, such as simho māṇavakah (the lion boy). The boy is not a lion, but has some of a lion’s characteristics, such as courage. In this analysis, which is a more standard one, gauņi simply forms a part of the lakṣaṇā-vṛtti. 75vIn Sahitya-darpana, a standard work on poetics, the author accepts the above three vṛttis. There are three types of meanings, called vācya (abhidha), lakṣya and vyangya. The author says: *artho vācyaś ca lakṣyaś ca vyangyaś ceti tridha mataḥ 942 98 The Vedic Sound Reveals Bhagavān goi The vācya meaning of a word is known from abhidha; lakṣya, through lakṣaṇā; and vyangya, through vyañjana. These are the three poten- süncies of a word. (SD 2.3)5 San valugen vṛttis 1 abidhã- or mukhya-vṛtti Bybel 3 vyanjana-vṛtti 18yaugiki rūdhi yoga-rūḍhi śābdi arthi 2 lakṣaṇā-vṛtti nry Woll jahat-svarthä ajahat-svärtha jahad-ajahat-svärtha sha gauni si Figure 98.1: A summary of three vṛttis. sta baovod The purpose of the above analysis is to provide a background for the following discussion: When deriving the meaning of a word based on abhidha-vṛtti or mukhya-vṛtti, one does not have to resort to any other help, such as logic. The meaning comes directly and naturally from the word. Therefore, the meaning conveyed by the abhidha-vṛtti is self-authoritative. When, however, one takes the meaning based on the lakṣaṇa-vṛtti or vyañjana-vṛtti, one has to look to something other than the primary meaning of the word. Though such a meaning is not self-authoritative, it does not imply that such interpretations or explanations are without value. Without recourse to them, it would be impossible to understand the intent of the Vedic literature or to reconcile the contradictions found therein. Lakṣaṇā-vṛtti is used only when the primary meaning fails to con- vey a proper sense. When, however, a word directly conveys its sense adequately, it is considered a deviation from the author’s or speaker’s intent to put forth a secondary meaning instead. 5 vācyo’rtho’bhidhaya bodhyo lakṣyo lakṣaṇaya mataḥ vyangyo vyañjanaya täḥ syustisraḥ śabdasya saktayaḥ 943 Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha Another crucial point to be borne in mind is that without having a primary meaning, there is no possibility that a word could have a secondary or implied meaning either (i.e., lakṣaṇa-vṛtti or vyañjanā- vrtti). The question posed by King Parīkṣit at the beginning of chap- ter 87 of the Tenth Canto is based on the popular understanding that Brahman is anirdeśya, or ineffable. The reason for this is that ultimately all types of meaning can fit into the classifications of dravya, jāti, guna and kriya - object or substance, family or class, quality or attribute, and activity. A word is material and so are its various meanings. Brahman, however, does not fit into any of these categories, being beyond the gunas of nature. Since these four categories are products of the three gunas of nature, how can the Vedas describe the indescribable Brahman? And if they can- not describe Brahman, how can they approach Bhagavan, who is beyond Brahman? But if Brahman cannot be described in words, then it becomes an apadartha, a meaningless combination of words like “rabbit horns.” MOL At the end of the previous chapter, Śrī Śukadeva said that Śrī Kṛṣṇa instructed His two devotees, Bahulāśva and Śrutadeva, in knowledge of the Absolute (SB 10.86.59). Hearing this, Parikṣit Mahārāja raised this question. He acknowledges that Brahman as well as Bhagavan are the subject matter of the Vedas, but does not know how this can be possible. Hool 01 281 ano th 98.2 vam for 250b itsvision is for a अत्र श्रीशुकदेवेन दत्तमुत्तरमाह । ऋषिरुवाच ( भा० १० । ८७/२) - Dor androidos 981 post of 20 Śrī Sūta reiterates the answer furnished by Sukadeva: 231 то बुद्धीन्द्रियमनःप्राणान् जनानामसृजत् प्रभुः an मात्रार्थं च भवार्थं च आत्मनेऽकल्पनाय च ॥ ४६४ ॥ Da 01 dsua hobet The Lord created the intellect, the senses, the mind and the vital force of the living beings for the purpose of apprehending sense 944 98 The Vedic Sound Reveals Bhagavān lan objects (mātrā), for taking birth (bhava), for providing a range of experience for the self (atmane), and [ultimately] for transcend- ing the act of filtering experience through the screen of prior assumptions (akalpanaya). (SB 10.87.2) (b) FIBER बुद्ध्यादीनुपाधीन् जनानामनुशायिनां जीवानां मात्राद्यर्थं प्रभुः परमेश्वरोऽसृजत् न तु जनाः स्वाविद्ययासृजन्निति विवर्तवादः परिहृतः । The Lord (Prabhu), the Supreme Controller, created the intellect, and so on, which are limiting adjuncts (upadhis) of the living beings, who sleep [at the time of annihilation] in response to the Lord’s cosmic sleep. He did so in order that the living beings may have facility to apprehend sense objects and for the other objec- tives mentioned. Since Sukadeva does not say that the living beings [themselves] created all these out of their own ignorance (avidya), the philosophy called Vivartavāda’ is denied. Benadil मीयन्त इति मात्रा विषयास्तदर्थम् । भवार्थं भवो जन्मलक्षणं कर्म तत्प्रभृतिकर्मकरणार्थमि- त्यर्थः । आत्मने लोकान्तरगामिने । आत्मनस्तत्तल्लोकभोगायेत्यर्थः । अकल्पनाय कल्प- नानिवृत्तये मुक्तये इत्यर्थः । अर्थधर्मकाममोक्षार्थमिति क्रमेण पदचतुष्टयस्यार्थः Whatever can be measured or perceived [by the senses] is called mätrā, meaning the sense objects. The apprehension of these is one of the purposes for which the intellect and so on have been created by the Lord. Bhava signifies action that leads to, or pro- ceeds from birth, so bhavartha means for the purpose of engag- ing in action related to birth. Atmane (for the self) means for the jiva who travels to other realms, i.e., so that the individual selves can experience the full range of material realms and phenomena. Akalpanaya means in order to free them from filtering experience through the screen of prior assumptions (kalpana), or in other words, for liberation. The meaning of the four words in sequence, i.e., mäträrtha, bhavartha, ātmane and akalpanaya, corresponds to [the four goals of human life, or puruṣārthas, namely] material buddhindriya-manaḥ-prāṇān janānām asṛjat prabhuḥ mātrārtham ca bhavartham ca atmane’kalpanaya ca ? Vivartavāda is the theory that the world is false and only Brahman is real. 945 navegaŚrī Bhagavat Sandarbha prosperity (artha), moral integrity (dharma), mental, emotional and sensual enjoyment (kama) and liberation (mokṣa).jpg day मोक्षोऽप्यत्र चिन्मात्रतयावस्थितिरूपः । “यथावर्णविधानमपवर्गश्च भवति । योऽसौ भगवति” (भा०५।१९।१९-२० ) इत्यादिना “ अनन्यनिमित्तभक्तियोगलक्षणो नानागति- निमित्ताविद्याग्रन्थिरन्धनद्वारेण” इत्यन्तेन पञ्चमोक्तगद्येन तथा निरुक्तत्वात् साध्यभक्ति- प्रादुर्भावलक्षणश्चेति द्विविधो ज्ञेयः । उभयत्रापि कल्पनारूपाविद्याया निवृत्तेः । In this verse, mokṣa refers to two types of liberation. In one type, the self exists solely as pure consciousness, whereas the second is that which gives rise to sadhya-bhakti, or devotion in love. These two types of liberation have been successively described in the texts of the Fifth Canto, beginning with, “By offering the fruits of their actions performed according to their varna, they attain liberation” (SB 5.19.19), and ending in, “After cutting asunder the knot of ignorance, which gives rise to various births, he attains liberation as the yoga of pure devotional service” (SB 5.19.20). In both cases, ignorance, in the form of mentally constructing an assumed or apparent reality (kalpanā), is dispelled. एतदुक्तं भवति – यस्मात् स्वयमीश्वरस्तत्तदर्थं तत्तत्साधकत्वेन दृश्यमानानां जीवानां बुद्ध्यादीन् सृष्टवान् तस्मात् तत्तत्सम्पादनशक्तिनिधानयोग्यतां तेषु कृतवानिति लभ्यते । The following is to be noted here: Because the Supreme Lord and Controller created the intelligence and other instruments of the manifest living beings for the purposes mentioned in this verse, it naturally follows that He infused them with the energy necessary to achieve those ends. 10) anantA drid of beision monos night dsa laublyibni od tady osemleto of alsvej odw vi तत्र त्रिवर्गसम्पादिकाः शक्तयः कल्पनात्मिकामायावृत्त्यविद्याशक्तेरंशाः । बहिर्मुखकर्मात्म- कत्वात् स्वरूपान्यथाभावसंसारित्वहेतुत्वाच् च । shaomi ertsmayoroylos [of the above-mentioned four goals of life,] the energies that accomplish the first three [artha, dharma and kāma] are por- tions of the avidya aspect of māyā, which inherently give rise to assumed or apparent realities (kalpana), because they engage yathavarna-vidhānam apavargaś ca bhavati yo ‘sau bhagavati […] ananya-nimitta-bhakti-yoga-laksano nānā-gati-nimittāvidyā-granthi-randhana-dvārena 946 98 The Vedic Sound Reveals Bhagavan one in endeavors rooted in the non-perception of legitimate Reality, and because they are the cause of the jiva’s bondage to cyclic existence, which is the state of forgetfulness of his original nature. अपरा मोक्षसम्पादिका शक्तिरकल्पनारूपा चिच्छक्तेरेवांशः । अन्तर्मुखज्ञानभक्तिरूपत्वात् स्वरूपान्यथाभावसंसारित्वच्छेदहेतुत्वाच् च । upsidrobells dau dius stuloadA ved nas 003 hnim ad wod gnarss The other energy, which facilitates liberation, is exclusively part of the conscious potency, cit-śakti, which is inherently free from the tendency to filter Reality through the screen of mental assumption (kalpana). This is so because the conscious potency bestows awareness of the Real in the form of transcendental devo- tion, and because it is the cause of ending the bondage that results from forgetfulness of one’s original nature. एवं च यावज् जीवानां भगवद्बहिर्मुखता तावत् केवलं कल्पनात्मिकानामविद्याशक्तीनां प्रकाशात् तत्प्रधाना बुद्ध्यादयः सगुणा एवेति निर्गुणं साक्षान् न कुर्वत इत्येवं सत्यमेव । se lutzzild vlamorque les In this way, as long as the living beings exist in a state of non- awareness of Bhagavan, their intelligence, senses, mind and so on are exclusively under the material gunas. As such, the intel- ligence and so on function as the primary instruments of igno- rance, because they are illumined only by the energy of igno- rance, which is of the nature of apparent or assumed reality. In this state, therefore, they cannot directly apprehend anything that is beyond the gunas [which is to say, they cannot function directly in respect to that which is nirguna]. This is undoubtedly true. mirdinon To esidividon end to es यदा तु तदन्तर्मुखता तदा तेषु चिच्छक्तेः प्रादुर्भावात् तं साक्षात्कुर्वत एव इति स्थिते बुद्ध्या- दिमयत्वाद् वचसोऽपि तथा व्यवहारः सिद्ध्यति । तदत्रैवाभेदेन सिद्धान्तितमन्ते ( भा० १०।८७ १४९) – When, however, awareness is attuned to Bhagavan, then the cit- śakti becomes manifest in the intelligence and so on, at which time they most certainly do function directly in respect to that which is nirguna. This being so, it can be concluded that words too, which are a product of intelligence and such, also have 947 eva Śri Bhagavat Sandarbha functionality in regard to transcendent reality. The identical con- clusion is also given at the end of this chapter [of Bhagavatam]: Lan तदेतद् वर्णितं राजन् यो नः प्रश्नः कृतस्त्वया । यथा ब्रह्मण्यनिर्देश्ये निर्गुणेऽपि मनश्चरेत् ॥ ४६५ ॥ doidw Thus, I have replied to the question you asked of me, O King, con- cerning how the mind too can have access to the Absolute Truth, which is ineffable and free from the gunas. (SB 10.87.49)10 इत्यत्र मन इति । तत्र बुद्ध्यादौ चिच्छक्तिस्तदीयाप्राकृतपरमानन्दस्वरूपतादृशगुणादिस्व- यम्प्रकाशमयी वचसि च तत्तन्निर्देशमयीति ज्ञेयम् । अतोऽप्राकृततादृशस्वरूपाद्यालम्बनेन श्रुतयश्चरन्ति इति सिद्धान्तयिष्यते । nod Here there is specific mention of “the mind,” which was included in the earlier verse along with the intellect and other senses. The internal potency, cit-sakti, becomes self-manifest in the intelli- gence, mind and so on, pervading them from within, where it reveals the transcendental supremely blissful nature, qualities and so on, of the Lord. So too, the cit-sakti becomes self-manifest in words, which renders them capable of describing the same truths. This is the understanding. Therefore, it will be concluded that the Śruti defines the transcendental nature, qualities and so forth of the Supreme Lord. gato s तदेवं पौरुषस्यापि वचसो भगवच्चरित्रं सिद्धम् । यथोक्तम्- It is thus established that even human speech [and not only the non-human (apauruşeya) words of the Vedas] can describe the activities of Bhagavan, as stated by Śri Narada Muni: तद्वाग्विसर्गो जनताघविप्लवो यस्मिन् प्रतिश्लोकमबद्भवत्यपि । नामान्यनन्तस्य यशोऽङ्कितानि यत् शृण्वन्ति गायन्ति गृणन्ति साधवः || ४६६ ॥ Manifestations of speech related to the Lord reverse people’s pro- loclivity for sin. Since each verse of such composition contains yannames imprinted with the glories of the infinite Lord, sages love 10 tad etad varnitam rajan yo naḥ praśnaḥ kṛtas tvayā yatha brahmany anirdesye nirgune’pi manas caret 948 98 The Vedic Sound Reveals Bhagavan to hear, sing and recite them, even if they may contain faulty construction. (SB 1.5.11)” Hordedo sdy Juodi)w 2069 1918 al staili gribi to insini sloa adi 02no oz bna gningsm svit “ यस्मिन् प्रतिश्लोकमबद्भवत्यपि” (भा० १।५।११) इति । तथा च सति तथाविधवचआ- दीनामेकाश्रयस्य साक्षाद्भगवन्निश्वासाविर्भाविनोऽपौरुषेयस्य तच्चारित्वं किमुत । तस्मात् साक्षाच् चरन्त्येव श्रुतयः । वक्ष्यते च “क्वचिदजयात्मना च चरतोऽनुचरेन् निगमः” (भा० १०।८७।१४) इति । This being the case, how much more true must it be that the trans-human (apauruşeya) words of the Vedas are able to describe Bhagavan, when He is their sole subject and they have mani- fested directly from His breath? Therefore, the Śrutis certainly describe the Absolute Truth directly. This will be stated fur- ther on [in the prayers of the personified Upanisads]: “The Veda is able to describe You when You sport with Your Maya during creation, and when You exist in Your own transcendental Self” (SB 10.87.14).12 was daire ait2 तथा च प्रणवमुद्दिश्योक्तं द्वादशे ( भा० १२ । ६।४१ ) - egaled galvil Similarly, with reference to pranava, Śrī Sūta Gosvāmī says in the Twelfth Canto: sdi ai dried स्वधाम्नो ब्रह्मणः साक्षाद् वाचकः परमात्मनः । स सर्वमन्त्रोपनिषद्वेदबीजं सनातनम् || ४६७ ॥ इति । inlardo 701 ela borzilymo The syllable Om is the direct expression of the self-originating 55 Absolute Truth, the Paramätmä. It is the secret meaning of all mantras, and the eternal seed of the Vedas. (SB 12.6.41)13 श्रुतौ तु “ ॐ इत्येतद् ब्रह्मणो नेदिष्ठं नाम” इति । नेदिष्ठं लक्षणादिव्यवधानं विनेत्यर्थः । अत एव केन च प्रकारेण साक्षाच् चरन्ति स कथ्यतामित्येवं राजाभिप्रायः । अत्र शब्दनिर्देश्यत्वे दोषस्त्वग्रे “द्युपतयः” (भा० १० । ८७ । ४१) इत्यत्र परिहार्यः । “tad-väg-visargo janatagha-viplavo yasmin prati-slokam abaddhavaty api nāmāny anantasya yaśo’nkitāni yat śṛṇvanti gayanti grnanti sadhavaḥ 12 kvacid ajayātmana ca carato’nucaren nigamaḥ 13 sva-dhamno brahmaṇaḥ sākṣād vācakaḥ paramātmanaḥ sa sarva-mantropaniṣad-veda-bijam sanātanam 949 have Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha Indeed, the Śruti declares, “Om is the name nearest to Brahman.” Nearest means without the obstruction of lakṣaṇā, or indica- tive meaning and so on. So the sole intent of King Parīkṣit is, “Please explain how the Śrutis directly define the Lord.” The defect thought to be incurred from the view that Brahman is definable in words will be removed later on in SB 10.87.41.14 SETE अथ श्रुतिष्वपि याः काश्चित् त्रिवर्गपरत्वेन बहिर्मुखाः प्रतीयन्ते तासामप्यन्तर्मुखतायामेव पर्यवसानम् । तथा हि परमेश्वरस्य सततपरमार्थबहिर्मुखतापराहतजीवनिकायविषयकृपा- विलासपर्यवसायिनिःश्वासरूपाः श्रुतयः प्रथमतः स्वविषयकं विश्वासं जनयितुमदृष्टवस्त्वन- भिज्ञान् सततं दृष्टमैहिकमेवार्थमीहमानांस्तान् प्रति तत्सम्पादकं पुत्रेष्ट्यादिकं विदधति । Now, some Śrutis appear to be concerned with the state of non- awareness of the Real (bahirmukha) because they are concerned with the three material goals, but in fact these too culminate only in awareness of the Real (antarmukha). For example, the Śrutis, which are the manifestation of the Lord’s breath, have as their sole purpose the bestowing of mercy on the multitude of living beings who perpetually exist in a state of non-awareness of the supreme goal of life. In the beginning, so that people who have no knowledge of imperceptible phenomena and who conti- nously hanker after the visible objects of this world will develop faith in the Śrutis, they ordain sacrifices, like the putrești [rit- uals for obtaining a son], by which such material goals can be accomplished. ततश्च तेन जातविश्वासानैहिकस्यात्यन्तमस्थिरत्वं प्रदर्श्य दिव्यानन्दचमत्कारविचित्रस्य पारलौकिकस्वर्गादिलक्षणतत्तत्कामस्य जनकेऽग्निष्टोमादौ प्रवर्तयन्ति । ततस्तेषां निरन्त- रतदभ्यासाद् धर्म एव रुचिं जनयन्ति । Thereafter, when faith is generated in the Śrutis through such procedures, the Śrutis demonstrate the absolutely flickering nature of the objects of this world to these people and engage them in sacrifices like the agniṣṭoma, which induce in them the desire to attain the celestial, blissful and wondrous plea- sures of heaven, available after this life. By thus engaging them 14 This verse is the last one in the Veda-stuti, given in Section 98.8. 95098 The Vedic Sound Reveals Bhagavān constantly in such sacrifices, the Śrutis create in them a taste for dharma, or moral integrity.iluse elaxni अथ लब्धधर्मरुचीनां शुद्धान्तःकरणानां तदर्थविचारपराणां जगदप्यनित्यमिति ज्ञानवतां संसारभयदीनानां निर्वाणानन्दाभिलाषं सम्पादयन्ति । निर्वाणानन्दश्च परतत्त्वाविर्भावरूप एवेति । तदुक्तं श्रीसूतेन ( भा० १।२।९-१० ) - dgwoards Once these people have acquired a liking for dharma, they become purified in heart and are engaged in deliberating over the mean- ing of the Śrutis. They come to recognize that this cosmos is ephemeral and experience dejection due to the fear of birth and death. At this point the Śrutis create in such persons the desire for the bliss of liberation, which is nothing other than the appearance of the Absolute. As Śrī Sūta Gosvāmī says: धर्मस्य ह्यापवर्ग्यस्य नार्थोऽर्थोयोपकल्पते । नार्थस्य धर्मैकान्तस्य कामो लाभाय हि स्मृतः ॥ ४६८ ।। कामस्य नेन्द्रियप्रीतिर्लाभो जीवेत यावता । जीवस्य तत्त्वजिज्ञासा नार्थो यश्चेह कर्मभिः ॥ ४६९ ॥ इति । । One should not think that wealth is the purpose of virtuous action (dharma), which is actually meant to bring about free- dom from material existence (apavargasya), nor that the reward of wealth, which is meant to be used for virtuous acts, lies only in the enjoyment of desire. The fulfillment of desire is not intended ei merely for sensual gratification, but rather, should extend no further than the sustenance of life. And the point of remain- ing alive is to enquire into Reality, and not for anything else attainable through the performance of ritual acts. (SB 1.2.9-10 ) 15 foil ततश्च यथा बुद्ध्यादयोऽन्तर्मुखतातारतम्येन चिच्छक्त्याविर्भावात् परे तत्त्वे तारतम्येन चरन्ति तथा श्रुतिलक्षणं वचनमपि चिच्छक्तिप्रकाशानुक्रमेण त्रैगुण्यविषयत्वमतिक्रम्य केवलनैर्गुण्यविषयमेव सत् तस्मिन् निर्गुणे तत्त्वे सम्यगेव चरितुं शक्नोति । अगुणवृत्ति- त्वेन योग्यत्वात् । तदुक्तं द्वादशे प्रणवमुपलक्ष्य ( भा० १२ । ६ । ३९ ) - 15 dharmasya hy ãpavargyasya nartho’rthayopakalpate närthasya dharmaikāntasya kāmo läbhāya hi smṛtaḥ kāmasya nendriya-pritir läbho jiveta yāvatā jivasya tattva-jijñāsā nārtho yaś ceha karmabhiḥ andgad evsbaduž 951 Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha art Thereafter, just as the intelligence and so on become functional in relation to transcendental Reality to the extent of their attune- ment to that Reality through the manifestation of the conscious potency (cit-śakti), similarly, the statements of the Śruti are per- fectly able to transcend the subject matters embedded in the three guņas through the progressive manifestation of the con- scious potency, and have as their exclusive subject that which is beyond the material gunas. The Śruti statements can thus prop- erly describe the nirguna Absolute, as they are endowed with the capacity to function in freedom from the material gunas. This is stated in the Twelfth Canto with reference to pranava: ततोऽभूत् त्रिवृदोङ्कारो योऽव्यक्तप्रभवः स्वराट् । यत्तल्लिङ्गं भगवतो ब्रह्मणः परमात्मनः ॥ ४७० ॥ इति । From that sound arose onkara, consisting of three parts [a-u- m], whose origin is unmanifest and which appears automatically within the purified heart. It is the representation of the Absolute Truth in its three aspects of Bhagavan, Paramātmā and Brahman. (SB 12.6.39) तत्र तत्तत्त्वं द्विधा स्फुरति भगवद्रूपेण ब्रह्मरूपेण चेति । चिच्छक्तिरपि द्विधा तदीयस्वयम्प्र- काशादिमयभक्तिरूपेण तन्मयज्ञानरूपेण च । ततो भक्तिमयश्रुतयो भगवति चरन्ति ज्ञान- मयश्रुतयो ब्रह्मणीति सामान्यतः सिद्धान्तितम् । 701 This Absolute Reality manifests to eligible people in two ways- as Bhagavan and as Brahman. Accordingly, the cit-sakti is also of two types: (1) in the form of the potency of devo- tion, which embodies attributes such as self-luminosity or self- manifestation, and (2) in the form of awareness of identity with that Truth (Brahman). The general principle is that the Śrutis that are the embodiment of bhakti treat of Bhagavan, while those that are the embodiment of jñāna treat of Brahman. Commentary Śukadeva begins answering the question of Mahārāja Parīkṣit in SB 10.87.2. The Lord created the senses, intelligence, mind and life 952 98 The Vedic Sound Reveals Bhagavan force for the conditioned living beings, so that they could achieve the four goals called dharma, artha, kama and mokṣa. Everything desirable by human beings can fit into one of these four categories. The living beings are conscious parts of the conscious Whole, Śrī Kṛṣṇa. They are unable to create their own mind, intelligence, senses and so on, because they are not the controllers of material nature. This undermines the philosophy of the Sankarites, called Vivartavāda. Vivartavāda is one name for the theory of illusion (Māyāvāda). According to this theory, the material creation has no factual exis- tence but is only an illusory appearance, just as in semi-darkness one may see a snake where there is only a rope. The rope has phe- nomenal existence, but may look like a snake in poor light. But as soon as proper lighting is thrown on it, the illusion of a snake disappears and one sees the rope as it is. The snake is the vivarta of the rope, or in other words, an illu- sory appearance produced from ignorance. It is not real because one has not seen it in the proper light. Yet, it is not unreal, like a rabbit horn, because one sees an existing object (i.e., the rope), and the fear too is genuinely felt. Nevertheless, it is mithya (untrue) or vivarta. Similarly, out of ignorance one mistakes Brahman to be the world. However, as soon as one acquires proper knowledge from Śruti statements, such as aham brahmāsmi, one realizes everything to be Brahman. This is Vivartavāda. Just as one perceives the rope to be a snake due to one’s own ignorance, similarly, one perceives the world in place of Brahman because of one’s own avidya. Hence, in the light of Vivartavāda, Brah- man should not be regarded as the creator of avidya, and by exten- sion, nor of the material world. But the SB 10.87.2 states that the Lord, and not the living being, created the senses as well as the sense objects. It is a manifestation of His energy. This refutes the concept of Vivartavāda. Is This is further confirmed by vs 1.4.26, atma-kṛteḥ pariņāmāt, Brahman is both the material as well as the efficient cause of the cosmos because He is the agent and because it is His energy that is modified into the cosmos. 953 VŚri Bhagavat Sandarbha In the Bhāgavatam verse, the word mātrā means sense objects and is related to the pursuit of prosperity, artha. Bhava means birth as well as all actions proceeding from and leading to birth, and is related to dharma, or the moral responsibility that embodied life entails. The word atmane means in the self, or more specifically in this case, the range of experiences available to the self. It refers to kāma, or enjoyment in the earthly and heavenly spheres. Kalpana means the mental construction of assumed or appar- ent realities. Basically this refers to the filtering or interpreting of reality in accordance with self-identity and belief. Until conscious- ness is fully attuned to the Real, every act of perception involves varying degrees of kalpana, or filtering experience through the indi- vidual belief system, so that what is understood is not Reality in itself, but the apparent or consensual reality that the “I” is identi- fied with. Akalpana thus means freedom from all mental, interpre- tations, assumptions, falsehoods or illusions, to see Reality as it is. Thus, akalpana refers to mokṣa. habub Naturally one may doubt how this verse answers Parīkṣit Mahā- raja’s question, as there appears to be no correlation between the two. But this is not the case. This type of answer is an example of parokṣa-vāda, or indirect speech, referred to earlier.16 mia Śrīla Viśvanatha Cakravarti comments that the question was asked in abhidha-vṛtti (direct meaning) and Śrī Suka is replying in vyañjana-vṛtti (implied meaning). He says that if the Lord had not created senses for the living beings, then forms, sound and so on, would be indescribable, but by His mercy they can describe phe- nomenal objects. Similarly, by His mercy the Vedas can describe Brahman, which appears to be indescribable. When one is in the conditioned state, one’s senses, mind, intelligence and vital force function only in regard to the material energy, under the influence of the gunas, and hence, they can apprehend only material objects. But when one shifts the context of awareness from that of being a separated-self in an alienated world to that of being an eternal 16 vedä brahmātma-visayas tri-kända visaya ime paroksa-vādā ṛṣayaḥ parokṣam mama ca priyam SB 11.21.35, discussed in Section 30. 954 98 The Vedic Sound Reveals Bhagavan conscious part of an integrated Whole, then devotion to Bhagavan is embraced as an inherent expression of that real eternal relation. From this attunement or receptivity to Bhagavan through devotion, the conscious potency of Bhagavan self-manifests, pervading the mind, senses and so on. Then, with the same set of transmuted instruments, one can apprehend the transcendental Reality. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmi confirms this in the following way: dquor Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s name, form, qualities and pastimes cannot be uttered or hgrasped at by way of the material senses. Only when the mind and senses are transmuted through unalloyed devotion, do the name, form and so on, manifest of their own volition, on the tongue or other senses. (BRS 1.2.234) 17 Moksa is of two types: realizing the self as pure consciousness or realizing the self as a purely conscious servant of the Lord. Both are possible only by the grace of the Lord’s internal potency. Śrī Matsya said to King Satyavrata: You will know My glory, which is celebrated as Parabrahman, for it will be thoroughly revealed to you within your heart, both as a result of your own profound inquiry and by My mercy. (SB 8.24.38) 18 Here the Lord clearly says that Parabrahman becomes manifest through inquiry owing to the Lord’s mercy, anugṛhitam me. By Śri Kṛṣṇa’s mercy, Arjuna was able to see even Brahman: isigmos bro 050 best of the Bharatas, what you have witnessed is the great vd and divine Brahman, exclusively of the nature of effulgence. I am that Brahman, for it is My eternal effulgence. (Hari-vamsa Purāņa 2.114.9) 19 17 ataḥ śri-kṛṣṇa nämädi na bhaved grähyam indriyaiḥ sevonmukhe hi jihvadau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ 18 madiyam mahimānam cau baovad to param brahmeti sabditam vetsyasy anugrhitam me dangiggs hem to mount Почи sampraśnair vivṛtam hrdi 19 brahma tejomayam divyam mahat yad drstavän asiage semana M aham sa bharata-śrestha mat-tejas tat sanatanam 955 yag Śri Bhagavat Sandarbha Material objects are described by material sound, functioning under the gunas, and the transcendental Lord is described by the transcendental sound of the Vedas, functioning under the con- scious potency. This is the significance of the word akalpanaya in the verse under discussion. Devotees whose consciousness is per- fectly attuned to Bhagavan have their body, mind and senses trans- muted through the infusion of the conscious potency. Thus, they can directly perceive the Lord and describe Him through transcendental sound. When Reality is directly perceived, there is no more filter- ing of Reality through the screen of belief or mental construction (kalpana). ab to be bus Sadhaka-bhaktas, or devotees in the stage of practice, are unable to directly perceive Bhagavan, but they are able to fix their mind and intelligence on Him to varying degrees, in accordance with the descriptions portrayed in the scriptures. Śrī Kṛṣṇa says: The more consciousness is purified by hearing and reciting My holy pastimes, the more it can perceive the subtle Reality, just as the eyes can see minute objects when treated with therapeutic ointment. (SB 11.14.26) Bhagavan gradually infuses the devotee’s senses with the inter- nal potency. Although their meditation may not be pure, He accepts it out of His causeless mercy. He makes possible the perfection and completion of their devotion, and ultimately brings them to His abode. In the same way, the Śrutis are able to describe the transcen- dental Lord by His mercy. Even Brahman cannot be approached by non-devotees, including impersonalists, whose senses continue to function under the potency of mayā. Jiva Gosvāmi says that even the words of a human being can approach Bhagavan - if he is a devotee - what to speak of the Vedas, which are apauruşeya, or beyond human origin. This is the import of Narada’s statement to Vyasa: Manifestations of speech related to the Lord reverse people’s procliv- ity for sin. Since each verse of such composition contains names 956 98 The Vedic Sound Reveals Bhagavan imprinted with the glories of the infinite Lord, sages love to hear, ga sing and recite them, even if they may contain faulty construction. (SB 1.5.11)20 The Radical Nondualists contend that the Vedas describe Brah- man only by lakṣaṇā-vṛtti. Jiva Gosvāmī proves, however, that not only the Vedas, but even the words of pure devotees, describe the Lord by abhidha or mukhya-vṛtti, as well as by the lakṣaṇa-vṛtti and vyañjana-vṛtti. Sūta Gosvāmi explains that Om is the direct utterance for the Lord, sākṣād-vācakaḥ paramätmanaḥ (SB 12.6.41). By direct, he means that this utterance lacks obstructions or intervals, as would be the case with the lakṣaṇā-vṛtti and vyañjana-vṛtti. In fact, the purpose of those scriptural statements that speak of dharma, artha and kāma is to lead one to Bhagavan. Such statements attract the attention of materialistic people to the Vedas, and help them become qualified to hear about transcendental subjects. Faith is the foundation of the devotional path. One begins this path with faith, and one’s advancement is measured by the degree of one’s faith. The inclusion of fruitive activities in the Vedas serves like the sugar-coating on a bitter pill. A child does not like to take bitter medicine, so it is coated with sugar. The purpose is not to feed the child sugar, but to make the medicine acceptable. Avirhotra Yogendra explained this to King Nimi: The Veda speaks indirectly. Its real import is to lead one to transcend karma and its fruits, but it prescribes karma for the ignorant, just as a child is tempted with sweets in order to induce him take a bitter medicine. (SB 11.3.44) diw awol vd mill bol smanque One is infused with the internal potency of Bhagavan in pro- portion to one’s faith and dedication of being, and one’s speech can also approach Bhagavan to the same extent. By the same token, one is proportionally able to penetrate the words of the Vedas that 20 Quoted in the main text. parokṣa-vado vedo’yam bālānām anusāsanam karma-mokṣāya karmani vidhatte hy agadam yathaman 957 www Śri Bhagavat Sandarbha apparently deal with the three gunas of nature and perceive their transcendental nature. Śrī Kṛṣṇa advised Arjuna to search out the real subject in the Vedas: de The Vedas deal mainly with the subject of the three gunas of mate- forial nature. O Arjuna, become transcendental to these three gunas. (GĪTĀ 2.45)22 Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmi says that the Absolute is realized either as Bha- gavan or as Brahman. Thus, there are two types of Śrutis - those that describe Bhagavan and those that describe Brahman. They are a manifestation of the bhakti and jñāna potencies, respectively. Paramātmā is counted as an expansion of Bhagavan and not sepa- rately, since His manifestation is relevant only in regard to the cycle of cosmic manifestation. to nolintis su toate ath 98.3 aids gad Dansho अथ तत्र तत्र विशेषं वक्तुं तदीय एवेतिहास उपक्षिप्यते । श्रीसनन्दन उवाच ( भा० १०।८७/१२) - Śrī In order to explain some of these particular characteristics of the Śrutis, a story about them is specifically brought up. Sanandana says: स्वसृष्टमिदमापीय शयानं सह शक्तिभिः । तदन्ते बोधयाञ्चक्रुस्तल्लिङ्गैः श्रुतयः परम् ॥। ४७१ ॥ bras and After completely drinking in this cosmos, which is His own cre- ation, the Supreme Lord laid down with His energies. At the end of that [period of time], the Śrutis awakened Him by [reciting] His characteristics. (SB 10.87.12) and bodini ei sa 19ini bel bre dist स्वयं निर्मितमिदं विश्वं लयसमये आपीय संहृत्य शक्तिभिः सह शयानं प्रकृतिं पुरुषं तदंशां- श्चात्मसात्कृत्य तत्कार्यं प्रति निमीलिताक्षं परं भगवन्तं तदन्ते प्रलयकालावसानप्राये तल्लिङ्गैस्तत्प्रतिपादकैर्वाक्यैः श्रुतयः प्रबोधयाञ्चक्रुः प्रातः प्रबोधनस्तुतिभङ्ग्या तुष्टुवुरि- त्यर्थः । 22 traigunya-viṣaya veda nistraigunyo bhavarjuna LO 958 98 The Vedic Sound Reveals Bhagavan At the time of total dissolution, Bhagavan drinks in, i.e., retracts, His own creation, this cosmos, and lies down with His energies. That is to say, He withdraws prakṛti, puruşa and their various por- tions into Himself and closes His eyes toward them so as not to arouse their manifestation. At the end of that period, namely, when the duration of the dissolution is drawing to an end, the Śrutis awaken Him by His characteristics, namely, by making statements that proclaim Him [as the Supreme Lord]. In other words, they pleased the Lord by means of panegyrics meant to wake Him in the morning. अस्य भगवत्त्वमेव गम्यते न तु पुरुषत्वम् । भा० ३।५।२३ - to l bak ads hil eta o The person they glorified is Bhagavan and not the purusa, as evidenced in the following statement from the Third Canto: भगवानेक आसेदमग्र आत्मात्मतां विभुः । आत्मेच्छानुगतावात्मा नानामत्युपलक्षणः || ४७२ ।। holy faband str anitasagna asno diiw ton bas attolqxs olorad aid edirasb tad: Bhagavan, the Self of all selves, the all-pervasive Lord, alone existed in the beginning. At that time there were no distinctions Ce like that of seer and seen because everything was within the Lord howing to His will. (SB 3.5.23)23 prinsi इति तृतीयस्कन्धप्रकरणे तदानीं पुरुषस्य तदन्तर्भावश्रवणात् । According to this statement, even the puruşa feature is contained within Bhagavan at that time. Commentary เ auorvolg eit mid gat At the end of the creation cycle, the material elements merge back into primordial nature, prakṛti. At that time, the conditioned living beings along with prakṛti are enfolded within the body of Param- ātmā, who merges into Nārāyaṇa. Paramātmā has no function during the dissolution period. This is refered to as His sleep. 23 bhagavan eka asedam agra ātmātmatāṁ vibhuḥ ātmecchānugatāv ātmā nānā-maty-upalakṣaṇaḥ perveld salesing qo 959 naya Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha R 98.4 ingedamottufourth Istat lesina134 esigns ziH diwawobasil has comens aids noites wo al basement पूर्वपद्यार्थे दृष्टान्तः (भा० १० १८७ ११३) – w
- webwall of atte 07 10 28 03 de baswor says Hasaolo bra tisamih ozni anol! The next verse offers a comparison to illustrate the previous state- ment: ns of gniwsib i notulo यथा शयानं सम्राजं वन्दिनस्तत्पराक्रमैः । oil to noitatub adi aad alli vd प्रत्यूषेऽभ्येत्य सुश्लोकैर्बोधयन्त्यनुजीविनः ॥ ४७३ ॥ asala wali ho antom art af miH solaw Just as bards in the service of an emperor awaken him on the arrival of dawn by reciting his heroic deeds in beautiful verses [so also did the Vedas glorify the Lord at the dawn of creation]. 25 (SB 10.87.13)24 ton has ofveger ods तस्य सम्राजः पराक्रमो यत्र तैर्न तु निर्विशेषत्वव्यञ्जकैः शोभनैः श्लोकैः । [The bards] glorify the sovereign king with beautiful verses that describe his heroic exploits and not with ones suggesting unqualified existence.qe ndipo to 11:2 ad totapopatrzib on 920 99301 9mitter 1A golanged adini batais “यथा शयानं सम्राजम्” इत्यस्यायमभिप्रायः - यथा रात्रौ सम्राट् महिषीभिः क्रीडन्नपि बहिःकार्यं परित्यज्यान्तर्गृहादौ स्थितत्वात् तज्जनैः शयान एवोच्यते वन्दिभिश्च तत्प्रभा- वमयश्लोककृतप्रबोधनभङ्ग्या स्तूयते तथायं भगवान् तदानीं जगत्कार्याकृतदृष्टिर्निगूढं निजधानि निजपरिकरैः क्रीडन्नपीति । The import of the verse is as follows: During the night, even though the emperor is sporting with his queens, his courtiers say that he is sleeping because he has given up his external affairs and retires to his private quarters. Then, on the pretext of wak- ing him, the bards praise His glorious deeds in beautiful verses. In the same way, the Lord is said to be sleeping at the time of with- drawing His vision from the material manifestation, although He confidentially sports with His own associates in His own abode at that time. The Śrutis glorify Him on the pretext of waking Him up. 24 yatha sayānaṁ samrajam vandinas tat-parakramaiḥ pratyüşe bhyetya suslokair badhiyanty anujīvinaḥ 96098 The Vedic Sound Reveals Bhagavan “अनुजीविनः” इत्यनेन ते यथा तन्मर्मज्ञास्तथा ता अपीति सूचितम् । opan The word “followers” (anujivinaḥ, i.e., “those who live exclusively for, and in total response to, the living source that sustains them”) signifies that just as these bards are well-versed in the deeds of their emperor, so are the Śrutis in the exploits of the Lord. vd Commentary fir Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī cites the prayers offered to the Lord by the person- ified Śrutis at the beginning of creation to show how they directly describe the Lord. They wake Him up from His cosmic sleep and implore Him to create, just as Indian kings were praised by bards in the morning. The very fact that the Śrutis pray to the Lord proves that they directly glorify Him. Moreover, they are transcendental because these prayers took place prior to the material creation. 98.5 wollot adt zoningiz otro noite ovnisdt 19H Ogniwolle तत्र प्रथमतो ज्ञानादिगुणगणसेवितेन सम्यग्दर्शनकारणेन भक्तियोगेनानुभूयमानं भगवदा- कारमखण्डमेव तत्त्वं स्वप्रतिपाद्यत्वेन दर्शयन्त्यो ब्रह्मस्वरूपमपि तथात्वेन क्रोडीकुर्वन्त्यः श्रुतय ऊचुः (भा० १० । ८७ ।१४) bod affi polil to ring alybod In their first prayer, the Śrutis show that the Absolute Reality in its entirety, in the form of Bhagavan, is the Truth that they themselves aim to disclose in their discourse. This Reality is expe- rienced through the process of bhakti-yoga, which bestows such complete realization, and which is served by a composite of other attributes, such as jñāna. They begin by embracing the Brahman aspect as having that same nature: 150 Infowogs and vitost dijw ball at odw muss no sva जय जय जह्यजामजित दोषगृभीतगुणां त्वमसि यदात्मना समवरुद्धसमस्तभगः । अगजगदोकसामखिलशक्त्यवबोधक ते क्वचिदजयात्मना च चरतोऽनुचरेन् निगमः ॥ ४७४ ।। 961 bavageŚrī Bhagavat Sandarbha 36 Conquer, conquer! O unconquerable one! Dispel māyā, which exists without origin, and by whom even qualities are taken as defects, for You have harnessed all opulences within Yourself. O You who awaken all the powers of the moving and unmov-101 10 ing embodied beings! On occasion, the Vedas may serve You by disclosing Your lila, whether in regard to Your externaladi potency (māyā) or in regard to Your own internal nature (ātmā). (SB 10.87.14)25 भो अजित । जय जय निजोत्कर्षमाविष्कुरु । आदरे वीप्सा । пота The Vedas are saying, “O unconquerable Lord (Ajita)! Conquer, conquer (jaya jaya)! That is, please reveal Your excellence!” The repetition of the word jaya is intended to show Him honor. अत्राजितेति सम्बोधनेनेदं लभ्यते “नामव्याहरणं विष्णोर्यतस्तद्विषया मतिः” (भा० ६।२।१०) इति न्यायेन नाम्ना भगवानसौ साक्षादभिमुखीक्रियत इति लिङ्गादेव तच्छ्री- विग्रहवत् तदपि तत्स्वरूपभूतमेव भवति तद्विजातीयेन तदभिमुखीकरणानर्हत्वात् । Here the invocation ajita signifies the following: According to the principle that states, “The recitation of Śrī Viṣṇu’s name is such that His attention is drawn to the reciter” (SB 6.2.10),26 the Holy Name brings the attention of the Supreme Lord directly towards the one who recites it. This evidence shows that Bhagavan’s name, like His body, is part of His essential nature. If it were foreign in nature to Him, it could not draw His attention. Jaza अत एव भयद्वेषादौ श्रीमूर्तेः स्फूर्तेरिव साङ्केत्यादावप्यस्य प्रभावः श्रूयते । विशेषतश्चात्र श्रु- तिविद्वदनुभवावपि पूर्वमेव प्रमाणीकृतौ । तस्माद् यत्तत्त्वं श्रीविग्रहरूपेण चक्षुरादावुदयते तदेव नामरूपेण वागादाविति स्थितम् । and lo 192 31 bne It is said that the Lord’s name, even when only alluded to indi- rectly, has a powerful effect on the reciter, just as His form does, even on a person who is filled with fear or envy. In this specific 25 jaya jaya jahy ajăm ajita dosa-grbhita-guņām tvam asi yad ātmanā samavaruddha-samasta-bhagaḥ aga-jagad-okasām akhila-śakty-avabodhaka te kvacid ajayātmană ca carato’nucaren nigamaḥ nama-vyāharaṇam vişnor yatas tad-viṣaya matiḥ 26 1765 962 98 The Vedic Sound Reveals Bhagavan matter, the statements of the Vedas and the experience of real- ized beings have already been given as evidence.?” So, the same Absolute Reality that manifests to the eyes in a visible transcen- dental form also manifests on the tongue and ears in the form of His Name. तस्मान् नामनामिनोः स्वरूपाभेदेन तत्साक्षात्कारे तत्साक्षात्कार एवेत्यतः किं वक्तव्यम् । अन्यत्रान्यवद् भगवति श्रुतयोऽपि जात्यादिकृतसञ्ज्ञासञ्ज्ञिसङ्केतादिरीत्या रूढ्यादिवृ- त्तिभिश्चरन्तीति । यासां श्रुत्यभिधानां वल्लीनां साक्षात् तथाभूतानि नामान्येव फलानीति । Now that it has been established that the essential nature of the Name is nondifferent from its owner, Bhagavan, [it can be said that] direct realization of the Name is certainly realization of Bhagavan. So it goes without saying that the Śruti is able to describe the Lord just as it describes other objects elsewhere, by vṛttis such as rūḍhi (popular understanding), which indicate an object by its name, which is derived from its characteristics, such as class and so on. Indeed, such names of the Lord are directly the fruit of the vines called the Śrutis. उत्कर्षमाविष्कुरु इत्यनेन इत्थं सर्वोत्कृष्टतागुणयोगेन मुख्ययैव वृत्त्या श्रुतयस्तस्मिंश्चर- न्तीति दर्शितम् । श्रुतयश्च “न ते महित्वमन्वश्नुवन्ति” । “न तत्समश्चाभ्यधिकश्च दृश्यते” (श्वे० ६।८) इत्याद्याः । अत्र श्रुतयो जय जयेति स्वभक्त्याविष्कारात् भक्तिमेव तत्प्रकाशे हेतुं गमयन्ति । garvi smoe The statement, “reveal Your excellence,” indicates that the Śrutis are able to describe the Lord directly by connecting to His super- excellent attributes through the primary meaning of words (mukhya-vṛtti). Vedic statements that confirm this are, “No one can glorify You fully” (RV 7.99.1),28 “No one is equal or superior to Him” (su 6.8).29 Furthermore, in revealing their own devotion by uttering the words jaya jaya, the Śrutis make it understood that bhakti is the cause of the Lord’s manifestation. केन व्यापारेणोत्कर्षमाविष्करवाणि इत्याशङ्क्य मायानिरसनद्वारा स्वभक्तिदानेनैवेति आहुः - अजां मायां जहि । ld be avoiɔamoo Isos aiH gr 27 See Section 47. 28 na te mahitvam anv aśnuvanti 29 na tat-samaś cabhyadhikaś ca dṛśyate 963 6vseŚrī Bhagavat Sandarbhat B Anticipating that the Lord may raise the question, “In which regard shall I manifest My excellence,” the Śrutis answer that He should do so by dispelling His māyā and granting devotion. “Dispel māyā (ajā), which exists without origin.“la bich Ishrob odied the Ved ननु माया नाम विद्याविद्यावृत्तिका शक्तिः । तर्हि तद्धनने विद्याया अपि हतिः स्यादित्यत आहुः – दोषगृभीतगुणां जीवानामात्मविस्मृतिहेतावविद्यालक्षणे दोषे एव गृभीतो गृहीत- स्तत्स्मृतिहेतुविद्यालक्षणो गुणो यया ताम् । स्वयमेव स्वावेशेनाविद्यालक्षणं दोषमुत्पाद्य क्वचिदेव कदाचिदेव कथञ्चिदेव कञ्चिदेव जीवं त्यजतीति तस्यास्त्यागात्मकविद्याख्य- गुणोऽपि दोष एव । तस्मात् तां निर्मूलां विधाय जीवेभ्यो निजचरणारविन्दविषयां भक्ति- मेव दिशेति तात्पर्यम् । A doubt may be raised: “But māyā is an energy that has the func- tions of both knowledge (vidya) and ignorance (avidya). If it is dispelled, then would not vidya also be abandoned?” The Śrutis respond, “By whom even qualities are taken as defects” (dosa- grbhita-guṇām). This compound refers to maya, by whom even the quality characterized as vidya, which is the cause of self- remembrance, is taken only as a defect, characterized as avidyā, the cause of the living beings’ forgetfulness of their real nature. The invocation is to dispel that mayā [who makes even knowledge seem like ignorance]. Engrossing the living beings in herself, she gives rise to the defect called avidya. So, it is only in some places, only at some times, that she somehow releases only some living beings. Thus, her positive quality, called vidya, by which she releases the living being, is also a defect. Therefore, uproot her completely and please bestow devotion for Your lotus feet on the living beings. This is the purport.sta Ой अतो मायाघातनयोग्यशक्तित्वेन तदतीतत्वं व्यपदिश्य सच्चिदानन्दघनत्वं भगवतो व्यञ्जयन्त्योऽतन्निरसनमुखेन तात्पर्यवृत्त्या श्रुतयश्चरन्तीति व्यञ्जितम् । In this way, after directly stating that the Lord is transcendental to māyā, since He is able to dispel her, the Śrutis, while reveal- ing His eternal, conscious and blissful nature, describe Him by tätparya-vṛtti, or intended meaning, primarily through the process of negation (atan-nirasana). 964 98 The Vedic Sound Reveals Bhagavan श्रुतयश्च “मायां तु प्रकृतिं विद्यान् मायिनं तु महेश्वरम्” (श्वे० ४।१०) इति “अजामेकाम्” (श्वे० ४।५) इति “सर्वस्याधिपतिः सर्वस्येशानः” (बृ० ५।६।१) “स वा एष नेति नेति” (बृ०२।३।६) इत्याद्याः । 29 919/0 Śruti references supporting this are, “Know māyā to be prakṛti, and the Lord to be the controller of maya” (su 4.10),30 “There is a red, black and white colored she-goat (ajā) that produces off- spring [i.e., the jiva], of the same nature as herself. One ram [the jiva] is captivated and enjoys her, but another [the Param- ātmā], abandons this enjoyed she-goat” (su 4.5).31 “He presides over all, He controls everything” (BAU 5.6.1),32 and, “He is that […]” (BAU 4.4), “[He is] Not this, not this” (BAU 2.3.6).33d art of siz ननु मायानाशं सम्प्रार्थ्य मम तदुपाधिकमैश्वर्यादिकमपि नाशयितुमिच्छथेत्यत्र समादधते “त्वम्” इति । [The Lord raises an objection:] “By praying for the destruction of māyā, do you also wish to vanquish those opulences of Mine that are manifested through her?” 02 prising meique al tadi belever al al” यद् यस्मात् त्वमात्मना स्वरूपेणैव समवरुद्धसमस्तभगः प्राप्तत्रिपाद्विभूत्याख्यसर्वैश्वर्या- दिरसि तस्मात् तव तया तुच्छया तदुपाधिकैरैश्वर्यादिभिर्वा किमित्यर्थः । The Śrutis resolve this by saying, “For You have harnessed all opu- lences within Yourself,” which is to say, that “You are the source of all the transcendental opulences known as the tripăda-vibhuti, which you contain in Your own essential being. What need have You, therefore, for Her petty, insubstantial opulences?” तथा च “स यदजया त्वजाम्” (भा० १०।८७।३८) इत्यत्र पद्ये टीका - नहि निरन्तराहला- दिसंवित्कामधेनुवृन्दपतेरजया कृत्यमिति । तथा न ह्यन्येषामिव देशकालादिपरिच्छिन्नं तवाष्टगुणितमैश्वर्यम् । अपि तु परिपूर्णस्वरूपानुबन्धित्वादपरिमितमित्यर्थः । इत्येषा । 20 Visado y agated gnivil to asitsinsy seat leni asigrans d Similarly, while commenting on a later verse (SB 10.87.38), Śri- dhara Svāmi writes: “The owner of a herd of eternally blissful and 30 māyām tu prakṛtim vidyan mayinam tu maheśvaram 31 ajām ekām lohita-sukla-kṛṣṇām bahviḥ prajaḥ sṛjamānāṁ sa-rūpāḥ ajo hy eko juşamano’nusete jahäty enam bhukta-bhogam ajo’nyaḥ sarvasyadhipatiḥ sarvasyeśanaḥ 33 sa vă eșa […] neti neti 965 nave Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha conscious wish-fulfilling cows has no need of a she-goat. Unlike others, Your eightfold opulence is not limited by time, place or other factors; rather, it is immeasurable because it is an integral part of Your part of Your complete essential nature.“34 अत्रात्मशब्देन स्वरूपमात्रवाचकेन तथा भगशब्देन स्वरूपभूतगुणवाचकेनेदं ध्वन्यते स्वरूपादिशब्दा ईश्वरादिशब्दाश्च स्वरूपमात्रावलम्बनया स्वरूपभूतगुणावलम्बनयापि रूढ्या निर्देष्टुं शक्नुवन्तीति । श्रुतयश्च " यदात्मको भगवान् तदात्मिका व्यक्तिः” इत्याद्याः “परास्य शक्तिर्विविधैव श्रूयते” (श्वे० ६।८) इत्यादिकाश्च । zidi gnobrade F In this verse, the implication of the words ātmā (Yourself), which refers to [Bhagavan’s] pure essential nature, and bhaga, which refers to the attributes inherent in that nature, is this: By their popular meaning, words like svarupa and iśvara are able to indi- cate [Bhagavan] in relation to His pure essential nature and in relation to His inherent attributes. Some Śruti statements affirming this are, “As Bhagavan is in His own essential nature, so too His manifestation is of the exact same nature,“35 and, “It is revealed that His supreme potency manifests diversely” (ŚU 6.8).36 Th सा च स्वरूपशक्तिः सर्वैरेवावगम्यत इत्याहुः – अगानि स्थावराणि जगन्ति जङ्गमानि ओकांसि शरीराणि येषां तेषां सर्वेषामेव जीवानां या अखिलाः शक्तयस्तासामवबोधक इति सम्बोधनम् । तेषु विचित्रशक्तिव्यञ्जकतादर्शनान् मायाया अपि त्वदीक्षणेनैव क्षम- त्वात् त्वं स्वरूपभूताशेषशक्तिलहरीरत्नाकर इत्यनुमीयत इत्यर्थः । That this svarupa-sakti is recognizable by all is now stated by the Śrutis: “O You who awaken all the powers of the moving and unmoving embodied beings!” The word aga means “not moving,” jagat means “moving,” and okas means “the body.” The meaning of the address as a whole is this, “You, who are the inspirer of all the energies in all these varieties of living beings […].” By observ- ing the wonderful potencies manifest in the living beings, and 34 nahi nirantarahladi-samvit-kāma-dhenu-vṛnda-pater ajaya kṛtyam iti. tatha na hy anyeṣām iva deśa-kālādi-paricchinnaṁ tavāṣṭa-gunitam aiśvaryam api tubi paripurṇa-svarupänubandhitväd aparimitam ity arthaḥ. 35 yad-atmako bhagavan tad-atmika vyaktiḥ 36 The source for this quote cannot be found. parasya saktir vividhaiva śruyate 966 98 The Vedic Sound Reveals Bhagavan by understanding that even māyā derives her capabilities only as a result of Your glance, we can infer that You are the gem-filled ocean, whose waves are the unlimited potencies integral to Your essential nature. यद् वा ननु मायाहननेन तदुपाधेर्जीवस्य तु शक्तिहानिः स्यात् । तत्राहुः – अगेति । अथ पूर्ववदेव | Alternatively, the objection is this: “But by destroying māyā, the jiva, who is an upadhi of māyā, will become devoid of energy.” Here again, the Śrutis reply, “O You who awaken all the powers of the moving and unmoving embodied beings!” The meaning is the same as above. ततः स्वरूपशक्त्यैव प्रत्युत तेषां सुखैकप्रदा पूर्णा शक्तिर्भविष्यतीति भावः । अत्रेत्थं तटस्थ- लक्षणेन श्रुतयश्चरन्तीत्युक्तम् । श्रुतयश्च “को ह्येवान्याद्” ( तै० २।७।१) इत्यादिकाः “प्राणस्य प्राणम्” (बृ० ४।४।१८) इत्यादिकाः “ तमेव भान्तम् ” ( कठ २।२।१५) इत्यादिकाः “देहान्ते देवस्तारकं ब्रह्म व्याचष्टे” । श्वे० ६ । २३ I ०६।२३- On the other hand, it is only by Bhagavan’s svarupa-sakti that the energy of the living beings will be completed, becoming exclu- sively delightful. In this manner, the Śrutis describe the Lord by His extrinsic characteristics (taṭastha-lakṣaṇa). Some Vedic mantras confirming this are, “If Brahman, the personification of bliss, were not in the sky or in the heart, who else would infuse action and maintain the life force?” (TU 2.7.1),37 “He is the vitality of the vital force, the seeing power of the eye and the hearing capacity of the ear” (BAU 4.4.18), and, “All this shines forth by His brilliance” (KU 2.2.15), and so on. “At the end of his life, Lord Nrsimha speaks the taraka-brahma-mantra” (NTU 1.6),39 and: यस्य देवे परा भक्तिर्यथा देवे तथा गुरौ । तस्यैते कथिता ह्यर्थाः प्रकाशन्ते महात्मनः || ४७५ ॥ इत्याद्याश्च allo 37 ko hy evanyāt kaḥ pranyat oyid ajdus dilw gallash transalt line yad eṣa ākāśa anando na syat 38 prāṇasya prāṇam 39 dehante devas tarakaṁ brahma vyacaṣṭe 967 BeveŚri Bhagavat Sandarbha an The meaning of the teachings described herein is revealed only bulto those great souls who have supreme devotion unto the Lord, and the same quality of devotion for their spiritual teacher.d (SU 6.23)40 ननु विशेषतो भवत्यः कथं जानन्ति यदजया मम कृत्यं नास्ति तथा सच्चिदानन्दघन एव स्वरूपशक्त्या समवरुद्धसमस्तभग इति । [The Lord raises an objection:] “How do you know specifically that I have no use for māyā, and that by the svarupa-sakti I have harnessed all opulences in My body of condensed existence, consciousness and bliss?” I तत्राहुः - क्वचित् इति । क्वचित् कदाचित् सृष्ट्यादिसमये पुरुषरूपेण अजया मायया चरतः क्रीडतः । नित्यं च स्वरूपशक्त्याविष्कृतस्वरूपभूतभगेन सत्यज्ञानानन्दैकरसेन आत्मना चरतस्तवास्मल्लक्षणो निगमः शब्दरूपेण देवतारूपेण च अनुचरेत् सेवते । तस्माद् वयं तत्सर्वं जानीम इत्यर्थः । कर्मणि षष्ठी । The Śrutis reply, “On occasion, etc.” (kvacit). On occasion means at particular times, namely, at the time of creation and so on, when You sport with māyā in Your form as the Purusa; it also means eternally, when You engage with “Your own Self,” in whom innate opulences manifest through Your svarupa-sakti, and who are entirely eternal, conscious and blissful in nature. At these times we, the Śrutis, serve You both in our forms of sound and as deities. Therefore, we know all of that. This is the meaning. The words [te … caratah] are in the genitive case, but are being used in the accusative sense.
एतदुक्तं भवति – अत्र द्विविधो वेदस्त्रैगुण्यविषयो निस्त्रैगुण्यविषयश्च । तत्र त्रैगुण्यविषय- स्त्रिविधः– प्रथमप्रकारस्तावत् तदवलम्बनताटस्थ्येन तल्लक्षकः । यथा “यतो वा इमानि भूतानि” ( तै० ३।१।१) इत्यादिः । Here, the following is to be said: The Śrutis are divided into two types [of text] - one dealing with subjects within the three gunas and the other dealing with subjects beyond them. Of these, the 40 yasya deve para bhaktir yatha deve tatha gurau tasyaite kathitä hy arthaḥprakāśante mahātmanaḥ 968 98 The Vedic Sound Reveals Bhagavan Śruti dealing with the three gunas has three further classifica- tions. The first depicts Him in neutral terms, as the support [of creation]. For example, “He is that from which all these living beings are born” (TU 3.1.1), and so on. द्वितीयप्रकारश्च त्रिगुणमयतदीशितव्यादिवर्णनादिद्वारा तन्महिमादिदर्शकः । यथा “इन्द्रो यतोऽवसितस्य राजा” इत्यादिः । The second type makes evident His glories by describing that material nature, consisting of the three gunas, is under His con- trol. These are texts such as, “It is due to Him that Indra functions as king of the bonded beings” (RV 1.38.15),42 and so on. । balword juodtiw Isivin zei तृतीयप्रकारश्च त्रैगुण्यनिरासेन परमवस्तूद्देशकः । सोऽप्ययं द्विविधः - निषेधद्वारा सामा- नाधिकरण्यद्वारा च । तत्र पूर्वद्वारा “ अस्थूलमनणु” (बृ० ३।८।८) “नेति नेति” (बृ० ३।९।२६) इत्यादिः । उत्तरद्वारा “सर्वं खल्विदं ब्रह्म ” ( छा० ३ । १४ ।१) “तत् त्वमसि ” ( छा० ६।८।७) इत्यादिः । क The third type indicates Him as the Supreme Substantive, by negation of material nature consisting of the three gunas. This sort is also of two types - one which does so by denial (nisedha), and the other by identity of relationship (sämänyādhikaranya). Instances of the first of these are, “He is neither gross nor atomic in size, etc” (BAU 3.8.8), and, “[He is] Not this, not this” (neti neti, BAU 3.9.26). Examples of the second are texts like, “Indeed, all this is Brahman” (sarvam khalv idam brahma, CHU 3.14.1), and, “You are that” (tat tvam asi, CHU 6.8.7). brod dish asb womypastog lan19) पूर्ववाक्ये तज्जातत्वादिति हेतोः सर्वस्यैव ब्रह्मत्वं निर्दिश्य तत्राविकृतः सदिदमिति प्रती- तिपरमाश्रयो योऽंशः स एव शुद्धं ब्रह्मेत्युद्दिश्यते । The first of these two quotations [i.e., “Indeed, all this is Brah- man”] points out that absolutely everything is Brahman because it has manifested from Brahman. In this statement, the portion 41 yato vă imāni bhūtāni 42 indro yato’vasitasya rājā ms bas (t 43 asthūlam anany ahrasvam adirgham alohitam asneham acchayam atamo avāyv anākāśam asangam arasam agandham acakṣuşkam aśrotram avag amano’tejaskam aprāṇam amukham amatram anantaram abahyamp Чтуп 969 GAVI Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha identified as the ultimate shelter of the perception, “This is immutable existence,” is indicated as pure Brahman.ricano)) उत्तरवाक्ये त्वम्पदार्थस्य तद्वच् चिदाकारतच्छक्तिरूपत्वेन तत्पदार्थैक्यं यदुपपाद्यते तेनापि तत्पदार्थो ब्रह्मैवोद्दिश्यते । तत्पदार्थज्ञानं विना त्वम्पदार्थज्ञानमात्रमकिञ्चित्करमिति तत्पदोपन्यासः । The latter quotation (You are that) establishes the oneness between Brahman (tat-padārtha) and the pure jiva (tvam-padā- rtha), because the jiva is conscious like Brahman and is the embod- iment of its energy. By this too the tat-padartha is defined as Brahman itself. The word tat has been used because knowledge of tvam-padartha is trivial without knowledge of tat-padartha (or Brahman). त्रैगुण्यातिक्रमस्तूभयत्रापि । अत्र त्रैगुण्यनिरासेन तदुद्देशेन यत्र तदीयधर्माः स्पष्टमेव गम्य- न्ते तत्र भगवत्परत्वम् । यत्र त्वस्पष्टं तत्र ब्रह्मपरत्वमित्यवगन्तव्यम् । व्याख्यातस्त्रैगुण्य- विषयः । तदेतदजया चरतोऽनुचरेदिति व्याख्यातम् । tasmia. 25 mil aslethal saya haids T In both of the above quotations, however, the three gunas of material nature are transcended. Where the Śrutis denounce the material gunas, it is done to indicate Him so that His characteris- tics are clearly understood, in which case they define Bhagavan. When, however, the attributes are not explicit, the Śrutis define Brahman. In this way, the Śrutis dealing with the three gunas have been explained. Thus, it has been demonstrated how the Vedas describe the Lord even as He engages in pastimes related to the external potency, māyā. रक अथ निस्त्रैगुण्योऽपि द्विविधः – ब्रह्मपरो भगवत्परश्च । यथा “आनन्दो ब्रह्म” ( तै० ३।६।१) इत्यादिः । श्वे० ६।८- noitstoup owl 98 To deal The Śrutis dealing with subjects free from the three gunas (nis- traigunya) are also of two types - those defining Brahman and those defining Bhagavan. An example of the first is the statement, “Brahman is ānanda” (TU 3.6.1 ), and an example of the second: न तस्य कार्यं करणं च विद्यते न तत्समश्चाभ्यधिकश्च दृश्यते । परास्य शक्तिर्विविधैव श्रूयते स्वाभाविकी ज्ञानबलक्रिया च ॥ ४७६ ॥ इत्यादिश्च । 97098 The Vedic Sound Reveals Bhagavan He has no material body or material senses. Nothing is equal to or superior to Him, yet multifarious energies, such as knowledge,) will and action, naturally exist in Him. (śu 6.8)44 तदेतदात्मना “चरतोऽनुचरेन् निगमः” इति व्याख्यातम् । Thus, it has been explained how the Vedas describe the Lord as He engages in pastimes related to His own inherent nature. tbbs अतः श्रुतेस्तच्चारित्वं सिद्धम् । साक्षाच्चारित्वं च निस्त्रैगुण्यानां स्वत एव । अन्येषां तु तदेकवाक्यतया ज्ञेयम् । मायानिरसनार्थमेव तत्तद्गुणानुवादः क्रियते । पश्चादखण्डमेव तां निरस्य साक्षाद्भगवत्स्वरूपगुणादिकं निर्दिश्यत इति तदेकवाक्यताद्योतनया स एष एव सिद्धान्तोऽस्मिन्नुपक्रमवाक्ये समुद्दिष्टः । तथोपसंहारे च “ श्रुतयस्त्वयि हि फलन्त्यतन्निरस- नेन भवन्निधनाः” (भा० १० । ८७ । ४१) इति । Thus, it has been proven that the Śrutis are able to describe Him. That the nistraigunya Śrutis do so directly is self-evident. The other Śrutis define the Lord through conformity with those statements. They speak of the various gunas only to dismiss māyā. Thereafter, rejecting maya categorically, they directly delineate the nature, attributes and so on of the Lord. In this way, by showing the conformity of the various Śrutis, this very conclusion [that the Śrutis are able to describe Him] has been instructed in this opening statement of the Śrutis’ prayers, as well as in their concluding statement, “The Śrutis, whose final conclusion is in You alone, become successful by revealing You indirectly, through the method of negating everything that is not You” (SB 10.87.41).45 dd श्रुतयश्च मध्वभाष्यप्रमाणिताः “न चक्षुर्न श्रोत्रं न तर्को न स्मृतिर्वेदो ह्येवैनं वेदयति” (ब्र० सू० २।१।३) धृतभाल्लवेयश्रुतिः) इत्याद्याः “औपनिषदः पुरुषः " (बृ० ३।९।२६) इत्याद्याश्च । There are also Vedic statements to support this such as the fol- lowing, cited by Śrī Madhvācārya in his Brahma-sutra-bhāṣya, “The Lord can be known only through the Vedas, not by the eyes, ears, logic or Smrti” (Bhallaveya-śruti, vs 2.1.3), and, “I wish to 44 na tasya karyaṁ karanam ca vidyate na tat-samas cabhyadhikaś ca dṛśyate parasya saktir vividhaiva śruyate svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriya ca 45 śrutayas tvayi hi phalanty atan-nirasanena bhavan-nidhanāḥ 46 na cakṣur na śrotram na tarko na smṛtir vedo hy evainam vedayati 971 vegeŚrī Bhagavat Sandarbhang know about the person who is known through the Upaniṣads” (BAU 3.9.26).47iginally mod volguero **(au) mit niille to be li Commentary dimasb zeboVedi wod banlalgx9 sunen toparni mwy ziH pt hotelog is a 294849 The Śrutis address the Lord by the name Ajita, the Invincible. This indicates that the sound of His Name has the power to reach Him and attract His attention. This is possible only if that Name is also transcendental, as nothing material can approach the Lord. Since there is no duality in the spiritual world, the Lord’s Name is nondif- ferent from Him. Therefore, realization of His Name is the same as realizing Him. His Name carries power even if chanted out of fear or anger. This is evident from the history of Ajamila. The Holy Name is the mature fruit of the Vedas - sakala-nigama-valli sat-phalam cit- svarupam (from Skanda Purana). Thus, the Śrutis describe the Lord by the mukhya-vṛtti as well as by the other vṛttis. In commenting on SB 10.87.14, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi cites numerous Śruti mantras that describe the Lord in different types of vṛttis, such as mukhyā, tātparya, rudhi and lakṣaṇā. uno 35 Śrī Jiva next explains how the various sections of the Vedas define the Lord. The Vedas can be divided into two parts. Traigunya, or that dealing with the three gunas of nature; and nistraigunya, the portion dealing with the transcendental Reality, beyond the three gunas. The traigunya part includes the Karma-kända and Upāsanā- kāṇḍa sections, describing various types of sacrifices and prayers to the gods. The nistraigunya part has two divisions, that concerning Brahman (brahma-paraka) and that concerning Bhagavan (bhagavat- paraka). ora ait 1oqque of atmodate the 02l5 916 All these various divisions of the Vedas define the Lord directly or indirectly. This is the significance of the phrase carato’nucaret nigamaḥ (SB 10.87.14), which will be further discussed below. The nistraigunya part of the Vedas directly describe Bhagavan. 47 aupaniṣadaḥ puruṣaḥ 972 98.6 98 The Vedic Sound Reveals Bhagavan अथ विशेषतो ब्रह्मण्यपि यथा चरन्ति ब्रह्मणि चरन्तीनामपि यथा भगवत्येव पर्यवसानं तथैवोद्दिशन्ति (भा० १० । ८७ ।१५)- Now the Śrutis explain how the Vedic mantras specifically describe Brahman, and additionally, how even while doing so, their culmination is in Bhagavan alone:vel of nosemos ori बृहदुपलब्धमेतदवयन्त्यवशेषतया यत उदयास्तमयौ विकृतेर्मृदिवाविकृतात् । अत ऋषयो दधुस्त्वयि मनोवचनाचरितं कथमयथा भवन्ति भुवि दत्तपदानि नृणाम् ॥ ४७७ ॥ Whoftesi “Sobenftolament [They] know this cosmos, the perceived, to be the Immensity [Brahman], because it alone remains [when the cosmos is dis- solved]. They know this because from the untransformed [Brah- man], transformations arise and disappear, just as clay productsst asarise and disappear from clay in its original state. As a result, the borsis have reposed the functions of their mind and speech in You. How can the footsteps of men fall elsewhere, when in fact they no are placed on the ground? (SB 10.87.15)48 एतत् सर्वं बृहद्ब्रह्मैव उपलब्धमवगतम् । तत् कथम् ? विकृतेर्विश्वस्य सकाशादवशिष्यमा- णत्वेन । किमिव ? मृदिव । यथा विकृतेर्घटादेः सकाशादवशिष्यमाणत्वेन सर्वं घटादिद्रव्यं मृदेवोपलब्धा दृष्टा तथा बृहदपीत्यर्थः । All this is perceived or understood to be the Immensity (brhat), i.e., Brahman alone. How is it understood as such? Because Brah- man is that which remains of the transformed cosmos (vikṛti). To what can it be compared? To clay. Just as all clay products can be understood as nothing other than clay, because clay is all that remains of its transformations in the form of pottery, so too is Brahman [understood as the remainder of all this cosmos].abe 48 bṛhad upalabdham etad avayanty avaśeṣatayā yata udayasta-mayau vikṛter mrd ivävikṛtāt ata ṛṣayo dadhus tvayi mano-vacanacaritam katham ayatha bhavanti bhuvi datta-padāni nṛṇām 973 TAV Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha se तत्र हेतुः– यतो बृहतः सकाशाद् विकृतेरुदयास्तमयौ अवयन्ति मन्यन्ते श्रुतयः “यतो वा इमानि ” ( तै० ३।१।१) इत्याद्याः । तस्मान् मृत्साम्यं तस्य युज्यत इति भावः । The reason for this is now given: For “they,” i.e., the Śrutis, know9 or accept that the transformed cosmos arises and dis- appears from the Immensity (brhat), as stated, “From Him arise these living beings […]” (TU 3.1.1).50 The import is, therefore, that the comparison to clay is appropriate. ni ei noitenimus ad तर्हि कथं तद्विकारित्वमपि न ? and at Question: “Why is it that Brahman itself does not also undergo transformation?” इत्याहुः – अविकृतात् “श्रुतेस्तु शब्दमूलत्वात्” (ब्र० सू० २।१।२७) इति न्यायेनाचिन्त्यश- क्त्या तथाप्यविकृतमेव यत् तस्मादित्यर्थः । The Śrutis reply, avikṛtāt, “From the untransformed,” meaning that by His inconceivable potency, He remains devoid of any transformation, in accordance with the principle, “The Vedas state that the Lord is free from defects and can be understood only by revealed sound” (vs 2.1.27).5130 S यद्यप्यत्रापि सशक्तिकमेव बृहदुपपद्यते तथाप्याविष्कृतभगवत्त्वेनानुपादानात् ब्रह्मैवोप- पादितं भवति सर्वथा शक्तिपरित्यागे तदुपपादानासामर्थ्यात् तुच्छत्वापाताच् च । तस्मा- दत्र ब्रह्मैवोदाहृतम् । अत एव मृन्मात्रदृष्टान्तेन कर्तृत्वादिकमपि तत्र नोपस्थापितम् । Although the “Immensity” is understood to be inclusive of poten- cies even in this verse, still only Brahman is established here, as the Bhagavan aspect has not been openly disclosed. This is because if potencies were totally rejected, it would not be pos- sible to establish even Brahman, and moreover Brahman would be reduced to insignificance. So, in this verse, only Brahman 49 Śrī Jiva reads the verb avayanti (they know) with the second line, whereas ma Śrīdhara Svāmi and most others read it with the first, where it is situated. Ind translating the verse itself, we have followed the reading of Śrīdhara Svāmī, which reflects the most natural syntactical relation between the words. Śrī Jiva’s original insight is being provided in this part of the explanation. 50 yato va imani bhūtāni jāyante 51 śrutes tu sabda-mulatvāt 974 98 The Vedic Sound Reveals Bhagavan has been cited, and so, agency and so on are not established in Brahman through the example of mere clay. sound basiclag woord brow era vd hatabibni idw.onols तदेतद् ब्रह्मप्रतिपादनमपि श्रीभगवत्येव पर्यवस्यतीत्याहुः - अत इति । अतो ब्रह्मप्रतिपा- दनादपि ऋषयो वेदास्त्वयि श्रीभगवत्येव मनस आचरितं तात्पर्यं वचनस्याचरितमभिधानं च दधुर्धृतवन्तः । द्वयोरेकवस्तुत्वाद् भगादीनामाविष्कारानाविष्कारदर्शनमात्रेण भेदक- ल्पनाच् च । But this establishment of Brahman also culminates in Bhagavan. To show this, the Śrutis say ataḥ, “As a result of this establishing even of Brahman, the seers or the Vedic texts repose in You, Śrī Bhagavan, the functions of their mind,” i.e., their implicit mean- ing (tätparya), as well as the functions of their speech, i.e., the direct meaning of their words (abhidhana). They do so because both Brahman and Bhagavan are one entity, and the apparent distinction is due only to the perception of the Lord’s opulences either as manifest or unmanifest. तत्रार्थान्तरन्यासः नॄणां भूचराणां सम्यग्दर्शिनामसम्यग्दर्शिनां वा भुवि दत्तानि निक्षिप्तानि पदानि कथमयथा भवन्ति भुवं न प्राप्नुवन्ति ? अपि तु तत्रैव पर्यवस्यन्ति । तस्माद् यथा कथमपि प्रतिपादयन्तु फलितं तु त्वय्येव भवतीति भावः । तदुक्तम् (भा० ३।३२।३२ ) - 12 at 292822se owl mort asmo eidt 101 nottsriqzal sol This idea is explained in the verse by an arthäntara-nyasa:52 “How can the footsteps of men fall elsewhere, when in fact they are placed on the ground?” Here men refers to all those walking on the earth. Whether any such beings are able to see properly or not, how can their footsteps be placed elsewhere, when in fact they are placed on the ground, i.e., how can they fall anywhere else but on the ground? Naturally they can end up there only. The intent therefore is to say that in whatever manner the Śrutis explain the Ultimate Truth, the end result will always be You alone. As is said: ज्ञानयोगश्च मन्निष्ठो नैर्गुण्यो भक्तिलक्षणः । द्वयोरप्येक एवार्थो भगवच्छब्दलक्षणः || ४७८ ॥ इति । 52 A figure of speech in which one proposition is supported by making an apparently unrelated, but parallel statement. See commentary. 975 OVER Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha Both the jñāna-yoga that is focused on Me and the yoga character- surized by unalloyed devotion free from the gunas have one purpose alone, which is indicated by the word bhagavan. (SB 3.32.32)53 अत्र श्रुतयश्च मध्वभाष्यप्रमाणिताः “हन्तैतमेव पुरुषं सर्वाणि नामान्यभिवदन्ति । यथा नद्यः स्यन्दमानाः समुद्रायणाः समुद्रमभिविशन्ति एवमेवैतानि नामानि सर्वाणि पुरुषमभिविश- न्ति” इति । In this regard there are Śrutis cited by Śrī Madhvācārya in His Vedanta-bhāṣya: “Oh, what a wonder! All names ultimately address none other than this Lord. Just as all flowing rivers head- ing towards the ocean assuredly enter the ocean, similarly all these names enter into or describe only the Lord.“54 Commentary medi vino sub The Śrutis continue to explain in the second verse (SB 10.87.15) how their words can function directly in regard to the Lord, even though He is transcendental. Here it is stated that the ultimate purpose, even of the mantras that describe Brahman, culminates in Bhagavan. The inspiration for this verse comes from two passages in Chan- dogya Upanisad. The first is the famous sarvam khalv idam brahma: 1st com 30 916 по ni All this is indeed Brahman, which is the source of its creation, main- tenance and dissolution. Knowing this, a person becomes estab- 100 lished in peace and worships Him. (CHU 3.14.1)5 Decomes estab- 160 The second is CHU 6.1.4. This section begins when Śvetaketu is sent to study all the Vedic sciences and returns home after 24 years, a little arrogant and proud of his learning. So his father asks him, “What is the one thing that upon being known, makes all other things 53 jñāna-yogaś ca man-nistho nairgunyo bhakti-lakṣaṇaḥ dvayor apy eka evartho bhagavac-chabda-lakṣaṇaḥ See Anuccheda 87. 54 hantaitam eva puruşaṁ sarvāņi nāmāny abhivadanti. yatha nadyah syandamānāḥ samudrāyaṇaḥ samudram abhiviśanti evam evaitāni nāmāni sarvāni puruşam abhiviśanti. ulard 55 sarvam khalv idam brahma taj-ja-län iti śānta upāsīta 976 98 The Vedic Sound Reveals Bhagavan automatically known? By knowing clay, one knows all objects made of clay. The modification is but a name based on words, and the clay alone is real.“56 The Śrutis do not refer to any personal form in this verse. They mention simply the Immensity (brhat) that is the Source of cosmic creation and dissolution. Clay is the origin of clay pots. When the pots break, they turn back into clay. Clay has form and the ability to be the source of clay pots. Brahman, which is being compared to clay, must also have energy to give rise to the cosmos. Therefore, Brahman ultimately informs us of Bhagavan, since Brahman itself is without the manifest energies, will or knowledge to create. bac The example of clay applies because both Brahman and clay share the common quality of being the source either of the material cos- mos or of earthly pots, respectively. The purpose of describing Brah- man here is to define Bhagavan. So, by pointing out this general char- acteristic of Brahman, Bhagavan has also been defined. The Śrutis here make use of a poetic device called arthäntara- nyasa - to establish one meaning by defining something else. Kavi Karṇapūra defines arthāntara-nyasa in Alankara-kaustubha 8.168: When a general instance is corroborated by a particular one, or vice versa, either through resemblance or contrast, such an aesthetic embellishment is called arthäntara-nyasa.7 The following example may be given to show how a specific instance is used to support a general principle: O lotus-eyed beauty! You yourself were blind with love for Govinda, and so you made a gift to Him of your body. Yet now you are being miserly with your glances. Does one bicker about the goad after already selling the elephant? (Padyavali 198, BRS 2.4.114)58 56 yatha somyaikena mrt-pindena sarvam mṛn-mayaṁ vijñātaṁ syāt vācārambhaṇam vikaro nama-dheyam mṛttikety eva satyam yasmin viseṣah samanyam samarthyate parena yat sādharmyād atha vaidharmyāt sa nyaso’rthäntarasya hi 58 govinde svayam akaroḥ saroja-netre premändhā vara-vapur arpanam sakhi kārpaṇyaṁ na kuru daravaloka-dāne vikrite kariņi kim añkuse vivādaḥ 977 nuva Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha abr In this example, Radha’s sakhi explains a general principle about quibbling over trivial matters after the most difficult tasks have already been dealt with. She introduces the specific case of haggling over the price of a goad, i.e., the stick used to control an elephant, after the elephant has already been sold. Similarly, in SB 10.87.15, the principle asserted is that descrip- tions of the Supreme Truth, no matter how indirect, still lead ulti- mately to Bhagavan. The arthantara-nyasa, or introduction of an apparently unrelated matter, is that of the footsteps of men walking on the earth.ran laitement pros Brahman is the generic manifestation of Bhagavan, as it has no manifest characteristics. Brahman is described as the cause of the cosmos to help us understand Bhagavan. If Brahman is the cause, it must have potency, as an impotent object cannot be the cause of the cosmos. One who is inclusive of, or self-endowed with, potency is called Bhagavan, or the possessor of energies (bhaga). Thus, the Śrutis say that no matter whether a man is ignorant or wise, when he takes a step, his foot falls nowhere else but on the ground. Similarly, whatever the Śruti may establish, its ulti- mate purpose is to glorify Bhagavan alone, as He is the substratum of everything, including Brahman. All names of the Absolute refer ultimately to Bhagavan, in the same way that all rivers finally reach the sea, though they may at times flow in the opposite direction. 98.7 evig ad var sigmess griwell sigianing lanang & तदेवं भगवत्त्वेन ब्रह्मत्वेन च त्वमेव तात्पर्याभिधानाभ्यां सर्वनिगमगोचर इत्युक्तम् । तच् च यथार्थमेव न तु काल्पनिकमित्याहुः (भा० १० । ८७ ।१६) – In this way, it was stated that the Lord alone, either as Bhagavan or as Brahman, is accessible through all the Vedas, both by their implicit meaning (tatparya) and by their direct meaning (abhid- hāna). And this is real, not imaginary. To convey this, the Śrutis sing: 978 98 The Vedic Sound Reveals Bhagavān इति तव सूरयस्त्र्यधिपतेऽखिललोकमल क्षपणकथामृताब्धिमवगाह्य तपांसि जहुः । किमुत पुनः स्वधामविधुताशयकालगुणाः परम भजन्ति ये पदमजस्रसुखानुभवम् । ४७९ ।।। dwnl (oga) animont no Therefore, O Lord of the Three, the wise dive into the nectar ocean of Your topics, which destroy the contamination of all the worlds, and thus they give up all ascetic practices (tapas). O Supreme One, what then to speak of those who, in the light of their own essential being, have completely rid themselves of conditioned patterns of thought, time and the gunas, and worship that aspect of You that is experienced as perpetual bliss? (SB 10.87.16)59 hebroo भोस्त्र्यधिपते । त्रयाणां ब्रह्मादीनां पतिस्तत्तदवतारी नारायणाख्यः पुरुषस्तस्याप्युपरिचर- स्वरूपत्वादधिपतिर्भगवान् । ततो हे सर्वेश्वरेश्वर । यस्मात् त्वय्येव वेदानां तात्पर्यमभिधानं च पर्यवसितमिति अतो हेतोरेव सूरयो विवेकिनः परम्परात्वत्प्रतिपादनमयं वेदभागमपि परित्यज्य केवलं तवाखिललोकमलक्षपणकथामृताब्धिं सकललोकवृजिननिरसनहेतुकी- र्तिसुधासिन्धुमवगाह्य श्रद्धया निषेव्य तपःप्राधान्येन तापकत्वेन वा तपांसि कर्माणि तानि जहुस्त्यक्तवन्तः । “O Presiding Lord of the Three ! The Master of Brahmā, Visnu and Śiva is the Puruşa called Nārāyaṇa, who is the source of all avataras, such as these guṇāvatāras; and You are Bhagavan, the Overlord, because Your essential nature is beyond even His. Therefore, O Supreme Controller, because the conclusion of the Vedas lies only in You, through both direct (abhidha) and implicit (tātparya ) statements, the wise (sūrayah), i.e., those who have awakened discrimination, forsake even that portion of the Vedas which describes You circuitously. Instead, ’they dive exclusively into the nectar ocean of Your topics’ (tavākhila-loka- mala-ksapana-kathāmrtābdhim), i.e, they faithfully relish only the ocean of Your nectarean glories, which are the cause of eras- ing the sins of all the worlds. So, they give up all ascetic practices 59 iti tava surayas try-adhipate’khila-loka-mala- abbadmo kṣapana-kathāmṛtābdhim avagahya tapāmsi jahuḥ kim uta punah sva-dhāma-vidhutāśaya-kāla-gunāh parama bhajanti ye padam ajasra-sukhanubhavam sp 979 Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha (tapas), which here refers to those duties in which suffering is prominent or which cause pain.” तेषां साधकानामपि यदि तत्रैवं तदा किमुत वक्तव्यम् । स्वधामविधुताशयकालगुणाः शुद्धात्मस्वरूपस्फुरणेन निर्जितमन्तःकरणं जरादिहेतुः कालप्रभावः सत्त्वादयो गुणाश्च यैस्ते ये पुनः तवाजस्रसुखानुभवस्वरूपं पदं ब्रह्माख्यं तत्त्वं भजन्ति ते तमवगाह्य तानि जहुरिति । If such is the case for practitioners, then what can be said of those who, “in the light of their own essential being, have completely rid themselves of conditioned patterns of thought, time and the gunas” (sva-dhāma-vidhutāśaya-kāla-gunāh), ie, who through the manifestation of their true nature as the pure self, have tran- scended identification with the quantum of mind, ego and intel- lect, who have conquered the influence of time, which causes old age and so on, and who have become free from the material guņas, such as sattva. Furthermore, they worship that aspect (pada) of Yourself that is experienced as perpetual bliss, the tattva called Brahman. Such persons also dive into that [sweet ocean of Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes] and give up [ascetic practices or works]. । किं तर्हि । ब्रह्ममात्रानुभवनिष्ठामपि जहुरित्यर्थः । odio baul guible navra balt What does this imply? The purport is that they would also give up their exclusive fixation on the experience of Brahman. एतदुक्तं भवति । अत्र तावत् त्रिविधा जनाः - मुग्धा विवेकिनः कृतार्थाश्चेति । तत्र सर्वाने- वाधिकृत्य वेदानामकल्पनामयत्वेनैव भगवन्निर्देशकता दृश्यते । तथा हि यदि तथात्वेनैव सा न दृश्येत तदा वस्तुतस्तत्सम्बन्धाभावादखिललोकमलक्षपणत्वेन पदपदार्थज्ञानहीना- नां मुग्धानामपि यत् पापहारित्वं वेदान्तर्वर्तिन्या भगवत्कथायाः प्रसिद्धं तन् न स्यातस्पृष्टा- नललोहदाहकतावत् । The following is to be said here: There are three types of men - the ignorant, the discriminating and the accomplished. It is seen that in texts intended for all three classes, the Vedas indicate that Bhagavan is not imaginary. Were it not so, the narrations of Bha- gavan, which are embedded in the Vedas, would be stripped of connection to a factual Reality. As such, the celebrated power of these narrations to dispel the sins even of the ignorant, who have 98098 The Vedic Sound Reveals Bhagavan no knowledge of the words and their meaning, would be false, just as iron that is out of contact with fire has no ability to burn.enf किं च तस्याः कल्पनामयत्वे सति विवेकिनस्तु न तत्र प्रवर्तेरन् बन्ध्यायाः सुप्रजस्त्वगुणश्र- वणवत् । प्रवर्तन्तां वा तदावेशेन स्वधर्मं पुनर्न त्यजेयुः । राजयशसो गङ्गात्वश्रवणेन तीर्था- न्तरसेवनवत् । Moreover, were these tales referring to an imaginary entity, men of discrimination would take no stock in hearing them, just as they would not bother to hear of the good qualities of a barren lady’s son [which is, of course, an absurdity]. Even if they did somehow engage in hearing such tales, they would never abandon their own religious duties [on their account], any more than one would abandon regular ritual service at other holy places simply upon hearing that the fame of their king has been equated to that of the Ganges. अपि च तथा सति ये पुनरात्मारामत्वेन परमकृतार्थास्ते तदनादरेण तत्कथां नैवावगाहेरन् । अमृतसरसीमवगाढा आरोपिततदधिकगुणकनदीवत् । And again, if this were the case, those who have become sup- remely accomplished by becoming self-realized ātmārāmas would certainly not immerse themselves in such stories, dis- counting their own experience, just as a person who is submerged in a pool of nectar would not leave it to swim in a river that has been merely attributed with superior qualities through hearsay. श्रूयते च तस्यास्तत्तद्गुणकत्वम् । यथा वैष्णवे “हन्ति कलुषं श्रोत्रं स यातो हरिः” (वि० पु० ६।८।५७) इत्यादौ । अत्रैव " त्वदगवमी न वेत्ति” (भा० १० । ८७।४०) इत्यादौ । T The scriptures confirm that the Lord’s katha actually has all these characteristics. For example, Visnu Purāṇa states, “Upon entering the ear, Śrī Hari destroys one’s sins” (VP 6.8.57).60 In this very chapter of Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, it is said: “One who knows You no longer feels the influence of good and bad results arising from past pious and sinful acts, since they are meted out by You. Such a realized devotee also disregards the Vedic commandments 60 hanti kaluşaṁ śrotram sa yāto hariḥ 981 Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha meant for those still caught in identification with the body-mind. Those who every day fill their ears with Your glories, which are recited in every age through an unbroken tradition, attain You, the personification of salvation” (SB 10.87.40).61 प्रथमे “हरेर्गुणाक्षिप्तमतिः” (भा० १।७।११) इत्यादौ च । And in the First Canto: “The venerable Sukadeva, the son of Śrīla Vyasadeva and ever-beloved of the devotees of Viṣṇu, his mind having been captivated by Śri Hari’s attributes, studied this great narration [of Bhagavatam] every day” (SB 1.7.11).62 तस्माद् गुणानां गुणादिप्रतिपादकवेदानां च भगवता सम्बन्धः स्वाभाविक एव सर्वथेति सिद्धम् । So it has been proven that both the Lord’s attributes and the Vedas that propound them, have an eternal, natural relationship with Bhagavan. अत्र श्रुतयः “ॐ आस्य जानन्त” (ऋग्वेद १।१५६।३) इत्याद्याः “यथा पुष्करपलाशमापो न श्लिष्यन्ति एवमेवं विदन् पापं कर्म न श्लिष्यति” ( छा० ४ । १४ । ३) “न कर्मणा लिप्यते पापकेन” (बृ० ४।४।२३) “तत्सुकृतदुष्कृते विधुनुते” (कौषीतकि० ४) “एतं ह वाव न तपति किमहं साधु नाकरवं किमहं पापमकरवम्” ( तै० २।९) इत्याद्याः । “मुक्ता ह्येनमुपासत” इत्याद्याश्च । There are a number of Vedic statements confirming this, such as, “O Śrī Viṣṇu, Your name is conscious and illuminating” (RV 1.156.3);63 “Just as water does not adhere to a lotus leaf, a sinful act cannot bind one who knows the Lord” (CHU 4.14.3);64 “He is not affected by sinful acts” (BAU 4.4.23);65 “Transcendental ada jadi m tvad-avagami na vetti bhavad-uttha-subhāsubhayor guna-viguṇānvayams tarhi deha-bhṛtāṁ ca girah anu-yugam anv-aham sa-guna gita-paramparayā 61 śravana-bhṛto yatas tvam apavarga-gatir manujaiḥ 62 harer gunakṣipta-matir bhagavan badarāyaṇiḥ adhyagan mahad akhyānam nityam vişnu-jana-priyah 63 om asya jananta agnol on Y Quoted in full in Section 47.3.13b9alboals barb busiesterboa 64 yatha puşkara-palāśam apo na śliṣyanti evam evam vidan papaṁ karma na śliṣyati 65 na karmană lipyate păpakena 982 98 The Vedic Sound Reveals Bhagavan knowledge makes him free from the reactions of both pious and sinful acts” (Kauṣitaki Upanisad 4);66 “He is never distressed as to what should be done and what should not be done” (TU 2.9); 67 “Liberated beings worship Him” (Sauparna-śruti), and so on. एवमन्येऽपि श्लोका उपासनादिवाक्यानां भगवत्परतादर्शका यथायथं योजयितव्या इत्य- भिप्रेत्य नोद्ध्रियन्ते । forsta Similarly, other statements dealing specifically with the topic of worship are necessarily to be applied, in their rightful sense, as signifiers of the superiority of Bhagavan. With this in mind [since it is already a given that such verses concern Bhagavan], I am not quoting such verses here. Commentary The sole purpose of the Vedas is to glorify Bhagavan. Such glories are not imaginary, as the Śrutis confirm in the main verse (SB 10.87.16) of this section. Were they imaginary, the words of the Vedas would not have the power to purify anyone. But it is seen that even foolish people are purified by hearing the Lord’s pastimes. People of discrimination, who study and adhere to the Vedas, know them to be real and give up their mundane duties to engage in the service of the Lord after hearing of His glories. This would not happen if they were imaginary, just as no sane man would attempt to bathe in the fame of a king upon hearing that it is as pure as the Ganges. Moreover, self-satisfied and liberated sages (ātmārāmas) would never take to hearing the Lord’s pastimes if they were imag- inary. This would be like renouncing an empire for a non-existent hut that someone has glorified in a novel somewhere. Authorita- tive scriptures offer ample proof that the Lord’s name and quali- ties purify whoever comes in contact with them. Their narrations captivate even self-realized beings. 66 tat sukṛta-duşkṛte vidhunute 67 etaṁ ha vāva na tapati kim aham sadhu nākaravam kim aham papam akaravaṁ 68 muktā hy enam upāsata 983 poveŚrī Bhagavat Sandarbha hŚrī Jiva Gosvāmī has quoted three verses (VP 6.8.57, SB 10.87.40 and SB 1.7.11) as examples of these three types of people, i.e., the ignorant, the discriminating and the accomplished respectively. the peros hafist anhngane) gidin med basisdl1” 98.8 ननु तर्हि भवन्मते शब्दनिर्देश्यत्वे प्राकृतत्वमेव तत्रापतति । किं च श्रुतिभिरपि “यतो वाचो निवर्तन्ते अप्राप्य मनसा सह” ( तै० २।४।१) “अवचनेनैव प्रोवाच” “यद्वाचानभ्युदितं येन वागभ्युद्यते” (केन० १०५) “यत् श्रोत्रं न शृणोति येन श्रोत्रमिदं श्रुतम्” (केन० ११८) इत्यादौ शब्दनिर्देश्यत्वमेव तस्य निषिध्यत इत्याशङ्कायामुच्यते । An objection is raised: According to your doctrine, since the Lord can be described by words, does that not make Him material? Moreover, do the Śrutis themselves not also deny that He can be defined by words in statements like, “Words, along with the mind, turn away, being unable to attain Him” (TU 2.4.1);69 “He spoke, yet without words;”” “That [Truth] is not revealed by speech, but it makes speech possible” (KENA 1.5);” and, “The [Absolute] is that which the ear cannot hear, but because of which the ear is able to hear” (KENA 1.8).“2 This doubt is answered as follows: doubt is यथा साक्षान्निर्देश्यत्वे दोषस्तथा लक्ष्यत्वेऽपि कथं न स्यात् ? उभयत्रापि शब्दवृत्तिविष- यत्वेनाविशेषात् । किं च न तस्य प्राकृतवत् साक्षान्निर्देश्यत्वं किन्त्वनिर्देश्यत्वेनैव तथा निर्देश्यत्वमिति सिद्धान्त्यते । If it is considered a defect that Brahman can be directly expressed with words, then how would it not also be a defect if it could be indirectly expressed? There is no difference, since in both cases Brahman would be the object of the meaning of words (sabda- vṛtti). Moreover, Brahman may not be directly expressible in words like a material object, but it may be concluded that it is expressible only by statements that point out its inexpressibility 69 yato vaco nivartante apräpya manasa sahabd hail as nav vie 70 avacanenaiva provāca 72 The source of this text is unknown. It is quoted in the introduction to Madhva’s commentary to his bhāṣya on vs 1.1.5. yad-väcänabhyuditam yena väg abhyudyate yat śrotram na śṛnoti yena śrotram idam śrutam 984 98 The Vedic Sound Reveals Bhagavān [i.e., by specifying what it is not, the truth of what it is gradually emerges]. तथैव हि तासां महावाक्योपसंहारः (भा० १० ८७ १४१) - (2018)-adi z dw Jed With this intent, the Śrutis offer their concluding statement: द्युपतय एव ते न ययुरन्तमनन्ततया त्वमपि यदन्तरान्तनिचया ननु सावरणाः । ख एव रजांसि वान्ति वयसा सह यच् छ्रुतयस् त्वयि हि फलन्त्यतन्निरसनेन भवन्निधनाः ॥ ४८० ॥ Because You are without end or limit, the cosmic administrators [such as Brahma] simply cannot find any limit to You. Moreover, even You cannot do so. Under the influence of time, the count- less universes, each enveloped in its own seven-layered covering, float contemporaneously within You, like particles of dust in the sky. For this reason, we Śrutis, whose final conclusion is in You Malone, become successful by revealing You indirectly, through oel the method of negating everything that is not You. (SB 10.87.41)73 Tertruge sily अत्र स्वरूपगुणयोर्द्वयोरपि द्विधैवानिर्देश्यत्वम् । आनन्त्येन इदमित्थं तदिति निर्देशासम्भ- वेन च । Both the svarupa and guna of the Lord are inexpressible in two ways: (1) due to being unlimited, and, (2) due to the impossibil- ity of defining Him by saying, “He is this,” or, “He is like that.” तत्र प्रथममानन्त्यमाहुः – हे भगवन् । ते तव अन्तमेतावत्त्वं द्युपतयः स्वर्गादिलोकपतयो ब्रह्मादयोऽपि न ययुर्न विदुः । Heg The Śrutis first confirm the inexpressibility of that which is unlimited: “O Supreme Lord! Even the cosmic administra- tors (dyu-patayah), who control the heavenly planets and other realms, such as Brahma, can never reach Your end or know Your measure.” shewyadr bring taub san 73 dyu-pataya eva te na yayur antam anantatayā tvam api yad-antaranta-nicaya nanu sävaraṇāḥ kha eva rajāṁsi vanti vayasa saha yac chrutayas tvayi hi phalanty atan-nirasanena bhavan-nidhanāḥ 985 mageŚrī Bhagavat Sandarbha तत् कुतः ? अनन्ततया । यदन्तवद् वस्तु तत् किमपि न भवसीति । आसतां ते यस्मात् त्वमपि आत्मनोऽन्तं न यासि । asgasms Why is that? “Because of Your being unlimited (anantataya); You are not a [material] substance that comes to an end. So how can we expect the gods to know, when even You Yourself do not know Your own end?” कुतस्तर्हि सर्वज्ञता सर्वशक्तिता वा ? The Lord then asks, “So how can I be omniscient or omnipotent?” तत्राप्याहुः– अनन्ततयेति अन्ताभावेनैव । न हि शशविषाणाज्ञानं सार्वज्ञ्यं तदप्राप्तिर्वा शक्तिवैभवं विहन्ति । श्रुतिश्च“योऽस्याध्यक्षः परमे व्योमन् सोऽङ्ग वेद यदि वा न वेद ” इति । The Śrutis reply: “Because of Your being unlimited, or in other words, specifically because of the non-existence of any end in You. Ignorance of the horns of a hare [i.e., of a non-existent object] is not a defect in omniscience, and the inability to acquire such a non-existent object is not a defect in omnipotence. The Vedas also confirm, ‘My son, He who is the overseer exists in the spiritual sky; He may know Himself or He may not” (RV 10.130.18).4 अनन्तत्वमेवाहुः– यदन्तरेति । यस्य तवान्तरा मध्ये । ननु अहो सावरणा उत्तरोत्तरदशगु- णसप्तावरणयुक्ता अण्डनिचया वान्ति परिभ्रमन्ति वयसा कालचक्रेण खे रजांसि इव सह bas batimil एकदैव न तु पर्यायेण । “aids al sH” gniysa yd mil grinob to y The Śrutis further express the unlimited nature of the Lord, “The countless universes, each enveloped in its own shell, are com- pelled by the wheel of time to wander within You, like particles of dust in the sky.” Oh, how astonishing! The multitude of universal eggs along with their coverings, which are seven in number, each of which is ten times greater that the preceding one, float about or wander within You, made to do so by the wheel of time, just like dust particles in the sky. They wander in You contemporane- ously, and not sequentially, i.e., one after the other. 74 yo’syadhyakṣaḥ parame vyoman so’nga veda yadi va na vedant 986 98 The Vedic Sound Reveals Bhagavan अनेन ब्रह्माण्डानामनन्तानां तत्र भ्रमणात् स्वरूपगतमानन्त्यं तेषां विचित्रगुणानामाश्रय- त्वात् गुणगतं च ज्ञेयम् । श्रुतयश्च “यदूर्ध्वं गार्गि दिवो यदवाक् पृथिव्या यदन्तरा द्यावापृ- थिवी इमे यद्भूतं भवच् च भविष्यच् च” (बृ० ३।८।४) इत्याद्याः “विष्णोर्नु कं वीर्याणि प्रावोचं यं पार्थिवानि विममे रजांसि” (ऋग्वेद १ । १५४|१) इत्याद्याश्च । This shows that Bhagavan’s svarupa is unlimited, because the unlimited universes wander within it. Because these unlimited universes are the shelter of unlimited wonderful qualities, it is understood that the Lord’s qualities are also unlimited. The Śrutis also confirm this in statements such as, “O Gargi, that which is above heaven and below the earth, that which consti- tutes heaven and earth as well as what lies between them, and all that ever was, is and will be, that, they say, is pervaded by the Lord” (BAU 3.8.4).75 And, “Even a person who could count all the dust particles of the earth could not possibly enumerate the glory of Sri Visņu” (RV 1.154.1),” and so on. हि यस्मादेवमतः श्रुतयस्त्वयि फलन्ति कथञ्चित् किञ्चिदेवोद्दिश्य पुनरनन्तत्वकथने- नैव त्वयि पर्यवस्यन्ति । अतः श्रुतावपि प्राजापत्यानन्दतः शतगुणानन्दत्वमभिधाय पुनः “यतो वाचः ” ( तै० २।४।१ ) इत्यादिना अनन्तत्वेन वागतीतसङ्ख्यानन्दत्वं ब्रह्मण उक्तम् । यदुक्तम्- " Because You are as depicted above, the Śrutis find their fruition in You. They do so by first describing You somehow and to some extent, and then precisely by disclosing that You are unlimited, they ultimately culminate in You. Thus, after describing the bliss that is a hundred times superior to the bliss of präjäpatya (pro- creative power), by stating, “Words, along with the mind, turn away, being unable to attain Him,”” TU 2.4.1 indicates that Brah- man’s inherent bliss, being unlimited, is beyond any number expressible through words. As it is said: As it is sal 75 न तदीदृगिति ज्ञेयं न वाच्यं न च तर्क्यते । पश्यन्तोऽपि न जानन्ति मेरो रूपं विपश्चितः ॥ ४८१ ॥ इति । yad urdhvaṁ gärgi divo yad avak pṛthivya yad antara dyav apṛthivi ime yad bhūtam ca bhavac ca bhavisyac ca 76 viṣṇor nu kam vīryāni prāvocaṁ yaṁ parthivani vimame rajāmsi yato vācaḥ 987 Wh veg Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbhan Even after seeing Meru Mountain, learned gentlemen cannot know it fully. Similarly, it is not possible to know, speak or Ereason that “Brahman is like this.“78 अतोऽत्रानिर्देश्यत्वेनैव निर्देश्यत्वम् । यत् तु “सत्यं ज्ञानम्” ( तै० २।१।२) इत्यादौ स्वरूपस्य साक्षादेव निर्देशः “स्वाभाविकी ज्ञानबलक्रिया च” (श्वे० ६।८) इत्यादौ गुणस्य च श्रूयते तत्र च तथैव इत्याहुः “अतन्निरसनेन भवन्निधनाः” इति । अतत् प्राकृतं यद् वस्तु तन् निरस्यैव Hebnow betimiinu lo 191lads aft art 975 ady bootersbru 21 bele 9re agisileup z brodada sady boo Thus, here [in this verse of the Śruti-stuti], the ability to express the Supreme Truth through words (nirdeśyatva) is accomplished precisely through reference to its inexpressiblity. But with regards to direct descriptions given in the Śrutis of His essen- tial nature, such as, “Brahman is truth, knowledge and infin- ity” (TU 2.1),” and of His attributes in statements like, “The Lord naturally possesses knowledge, will and agency” (su 6.8),80 the personified Śrutis here say, “By following their method of negat- ing everything that is not the Absolute [lit., the non-That], they reveal You as their final conclusion.” The “non-That” (atat) means phenomenal objects; only by negation of the phenomenal do the Śrutis culminate in You. अयमर्थः “बुद्धिर्ज्ञानमसम्मोहम्” (गीता १०।४) इत्यादिना “हीर्धीर्भीरितत्सर्वं मन एव” (बृ० १।५।३) इत्यादिना च यत् प्राकृतं ज्ञानादिकमभिधीयत् तत्सर्वं ब्रह्म न भवतीति “नेति नेति” (बृ० २।३।६) इत्यादिना “न तस्य कार्यं करणं च विद्यते” (श्वे० ६।८) इत्यादिना च निषि- wladi gnidinesh 197 Jenimius vistemitlu vody 迪 The import of the above discussion is as follows: Material knowl- edge, and so on, which are described in various statements, such as GĪTĀ 10.4 (intelligence, knowledge, non-bewilderment, etc.), 2 and BAU 1.5.3 (shame, intelligence, fear - all these are indeed the mind), are not Brahman. And so they are denied in statements 78 na tad idṛg iti jñeyam na vācyam na ca tarkyate pasyanto’pi na jananti mero rupaṁ vipaścitaḥ satyam jñānam anantam brahma 80 sväbhäviki jñāna-bala-kriya ca 81 atan-nirasanena bhavan-nidhanaḥ buddhir jñānam asammohamm 82 83 hrir dhir bhir etat sarvam mana eva 988 98 The Vedic Sound Reveals Bhagavān such as, “Not this, not this” (neti neti, BAU 2.3.6), and, “He has no material body or senses” (śu 6.8).84 Yo अथ च सत्यज्ञानादिवाक्येन “स्वाभाविकी ज्ञानबलक्रिया च” इत्यादिवाक्येन च तदभि- धीयते । तस्मात् प्राकृतादन्यदेव तज्ज्ञानादीति तेषां ज्ञानादिशब्दानामतन्निरसनेनैव त्वयि पर्यवसानमिति । ततश्च बुद्ध्यगोचरवस्तुत्वादनिर्देश्यत्वं तथापि तद्रूपं किञ्चिदस्तीत्युद्दि- श्यमानत्वान् निर्देश्यत्वं च । | is.e. “85 Moreover, He is directly specified by statements like [those given above], “Brahman is truth and knowledge,” and, “He naturally possesses knowledge, will and agency.’ Consequently, His attributes, such as knowledge, are different from those of phe- nomena, and thus, when the Śrutis use words like jñāna, it is the non-transcendent jñāna only that they reject (atan-nirasanena) and so culminate in Him. So, because He is inaccessible to the intelligence, He is said to be inexpressible (anirdeśya), and yet because it can be said that “He has some form,” He is also expressible (nirdeśya). तथापरोक्षज्ञाने च “दशमस्त्वमसि” इतिवद् वाक्यमात्रेणैव तस्य स्वप्रकाशरूपस्यापि वस्तुनो विशुद्धचित्तेषु प्रकाशदर्शनात् श्रुतिशब्दस्य स्वप्रकाशताशक्तिमयत्वमेवावसी- यते । उक्तं च “शब्दब्रह्म परं ब्रह्म ममोभे शाश्वती तनू” ( भा० ६ | १६ | ५१ ) इति वेदस्य चेश्वरात्मत्वात्” (भा० ११ | ३ | ४३ ) इति “वेदो नारायणः साक्षात् स्वयम्भूरिति शुश्रुम ” (भा० ६।१।४०) इति “किं वा परैरीश्वरः सद्यो हृद्यवरुध्यतेऽत्र कृतिभिः शुश्रूषुभिस्तत्क्ष- णात्” (भा०१।१।२) इति । अत एव “ औपनिषदः पुरुषः ” ( बृ० ३।९।२६ ) इत्यत्रोपनिष- न्मात्रगम्यत्वं श्रुतिर्बोधयति चाक्षुषं रूपमितिवत् । ततश्च श्रुतिमय्या स्वप्रकाशताशक्त्या प्राकृततत्तद्वस्तुजातं तम इव निरस्य स्वयं प्रकाशते । Just as in direct perception through words, simply by hearing the statement, “You are the tenth,” accurate knowledge of the tenth person is ascertained, so also that self-luminous entity, the Sup- reme Lord, becomes manifest in the pure heart [through the state- ments of the Vedas], and this shows that the words of the Śrutis are the embodiment of the self-luminous potency. This is also stated [several times] in Bhagavatam, “Both sabda-brahma and 84 na tasya kāryam karanam ca vidyate 85 svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca 989 Jag Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha 89 param brahma are my eternal forms” (SB 6.16.51);86 “Because the Vedas are the body of the Lord” (SB 11.3.43); 87 “We have heard that the Veda is directly the self-existing Nārāyaṇa” (SB 6.1.40); 88 and, “What need is there for any other literature? As soon as one atten- tively and submissively hears the message of Bhāgavatam, the Lord immediately becomes arrested within his heart” (SB 1.1.2). Therefore, the Śruti mantra, “I ask You about that being who is to be known only from the Upanisads” (BAU 3.9.26), informs us that He can be understood only through the Upanisads, just as form can be perceived only by the eye. Consequently, just as the self- effulgent sun dispels darkness and thus reveals itself, the Lord, dispelling all material objects through His self-luminous potency in the form of the Śruti, manifests Himself. vino तस्मान् न तत्रापि निर्देश्यत्वम् । नहि स्वेन प्रकाशेन रविः प्रकाश्यो भवति यथा तेन घट इति वक्तुं युज्यते स्वाभिन्नत्वात् । यदि च शक्तिशक्तिमतोर्भेदपक्षः स्वीक्रियते तदा निर्देश्य- त्वमपीत्यत्रानिर्देश्यत्वेनैव निर्देश्यत्वं सिद्धम् । As such, His definability is also not due to the Śruti. It is not appropriate to say that the sun illumines itself by its own light in the way that it illuminates a clay pot, because the sunlight is nondifferent from the sun. Even if one holds that there is a difference between energy and its Energetic Source, the Lord can still be expressed by words, because it is exactly through the statements of its inexpressibility, that it is in fact positively expressed. RES अत एवोक्तं गारुडे - Thus, Garuda Purāņa states: अप्रसिद्धेरवाच्यं तद्वाच्यं सर्वागमोक्तितः । अतर्क्यं तर्क्यमज्ञेयं ज्ञेयमेवं परं स्मृतम् ॥ ४८२ ॥ इति । aworl e obostrat ॥ इति । rod balami Insmibodms ar are 86 sabda-brahma param brahma mamobhe śāśvati tanū 87 vedasya ceśvaratmatvāt 88 vedo nārāyaṇaḥ säkṣāt svayambhur iti suśruma 89 kim va parair isvaraḥ sadyo hṛdy avarudhyate’tra kṛtibhiḥ śuśruşubhis tat-kṣaṇāt 90 aupanisadaḥ puruṣaḥ 99098 The Vedic Sound Reveals Bhagavan Because the Lord is not well known, He is indescribable, although He is described by all scriptural statements. Although He is beyond logic, reasoning is yet applicable to Him. Although nobody can know Him, still He is the supreme Knowable.“1 श्रुतौ च “अन्यदेव तद् विदितादथोऽविदितादधि” (केन० १।३) इति । इदमभिप्रेत्योक्तं श्री- पराशरेणापि “यस्मिन् ब्रह्मणि सर्वशक्तिनिलये मानानि नो मानिनां निष्ठायै प्रभवन्ति हन्ति कलुषं श्रोत्रं स यातो हरिः” (वि० पु० ६।८।५७) इति । The Vedas also declare, “The Lord is different from all known and unknown objects” (KENA 1.3). It was with this intention that Śrī Parāśara said, “The various means of valid knowing, propounded by different wisdom schools, have no standing in regard to the Absolute in whom all potencies reside. Yet He, Śrī Hari, enters through the ear and destroys all sins” (VP 6.8.57).93 नन्वाविष्कृतशक्तेर्भगवदाख्यस्य ब्रह्मणः स्वप्रकाशताशक्तिरूपत्वं वेदस्य सम्भवति । ततश्चानाविष्कृतशक्तेर्ब्रह्मणः प्रकाशस्तस्मात् कथमित् ि? galvol to studies [An objection is raised:] The Vedas may have the self-illuminating potency of that feature of Brahman called Bhagavan, who is endowed with manifest potencies. But how can this self- illuminating power of the Vedas disclose Brahman, when those energies are not manifest in Brahman? sidedosongani ai [abrow उच्यते - अस्मन्मते तस्यापि प्रकाशो भगवच्छक्त्यैव । तदुक्तम् (भा० ८|२४१३८) - [The answer:] In our opinion, Brahman is also realized only by the potency of Bhagavan, for it is said: मदीयं महिमानं च परब्रह्मेति शब्दितम् | ananthatat 8 वेत्स्यस्यनुगृहीतं मे सम्प्रश्नैर्विवृतं हृदि ॥ ४८३ ॥ इति । desdob on duoda Hope of thaises fon You will know My glory, which is celebrated as Parabrahman, for it will be thoroughly revealed to you within your heart, 91 aprasiddher avacyam tad vācyaṁ sarvagamoktitaḥ atarkyam tarkyam ajñeyaṁ jñeyam evam param smṛtam 92 anyad eva tad viditad atho’viditad adhi y 93 yasmin brahmani sarva-śakti-nilaye mānāni no māninām niṣṭhāyai prabhavanti hanti kaluṣam śrotram sa yato hariḥon 991 the VŚrī Bhagavat Sandarbha de both as a result of your own profound inquiry and by My mercy. (SB 8.24.38)94 ris न चैतेन परप्रकाश्यत्वमापतति ब्रह्मभगवतोरभिन्नवस्तुत्वात् । अत्र लौकिकशब्देनापि यः कश्चित् तदुपदेशः स तु तस्य तदनुगतेस्तया श्रुत्यैवानुगृहीततया सम्भवतीत्युक्तम् । अतस्तदनुशीलनावसरे तद्भक्त्यनुभावरूपस्य तच्छब्दस्य तु सुतरां तत्स्वरूपशक्तिविला- समयत्वान् न तत्र निषेधः । किं तर्हि मनोविलासमयस्यैवेति सर्वमनवद्यम् । be know The fact that Brahman is disclosed through the potency of Bha- gavän does not negate its own self-luminosity, because Brahman is nondifferent from Bhagavan. Whatever instruction about the Absolute is imparted, even through vernacular speech, is also pos- sible due to its attaining correspondence with the Lord through the blessings of those Śrutis. This is even more so when those words are themselves outward manifestations of ecstasy (anub- hāva) arising as spontaneous effects of pure devotion, during the culture of loving service to Bhagavan. This cannot be negated, because such words are certainly a manifestation of the Lord’s internal potency. What then can be said of the words that are a direct manifestation of the Lord’s own mind [i.e., the words of the Śruti]? Thus, [the proposition that Bhagavan can be described in words] is irreproachable. अत एव सौपर्णश्रुतौ “प्रकृतिश्च प्राकृतं च यन् न जिघ्रन्ति जिघ्रन्ति यन् न पश्यन्ति पश्यन्ति यन् न शृण्वन्ति शृण्वन्ति यन् न जानन्ति जानन्ति च” (ब्र० सू० ४ । २ । ११ माध्वभाष्यकृत) इति । श्रुतयः श्रीभगवन्तम् ॥ thisa al ti sot navegada to vastog or Consequently, it is stated in Sauparṇa-śruti: “Material nature and all its products, though not smelling Him, do smell Him; though not seeing Him, do see Him; though not hearing Him, do hear him; though not knowing Him, they yet know Him.“95ml lliw uo 94 madīyaṁ mahimanam ca para-brahmeti sabditam vetsyasy anugṛhitam me sampraśnair vivṛtam hrdit these d 95 prakṛtiś ca prākṛtam ca yan na jighranti jighranti yan na pasyanti pasyanti yan na śṛnvanti śṛnvanti yan na jananti jānanti camin Cited by Madhvacārya in his comment on vs 4.2.11. 992 Commentary 98 The Vedic Sound Reveals Bhagavān Wristngen An objection arises: If Bhagavan can be described in words, He must be like any material object that is described in words. Besides, there are many statements in the Upanisads that emphatically deny that words can approach the Absolute. In response to this, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmī cites the last prayer of the Śrutis. Bhagavan is said to be indescribable because He is unlimited and cannot be described com- pletely. He does not know His own limit because He has none. One is not considered ignorant if he is without knowledge of the fruit of a sandalwood tree, because there is no such fruit. sidentmolit The form and qualities of Bhagavan are unlimited, and since the Śrutis cannot fathom them completely, they sometimes say that the Lord cannot be described. On the other hand, there are numerous statements depicting the attributes and actions of Bhagavan, such “The Lord is inherently self-endowed with knowledge, will and working power” (svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriya ca, śu 6.8). beg The phrase atan-nirasanena bhavan-nidhanah (the Śrutis, follow- ing their method of negating everything that is not the Absolute - lit., the “non-That” reveal You as their final conclusion) means that the Lord’s knowledge, will and power are not material and can become manifest simply on the strength of revealed sound. Ten simple illiterate villagers went to a city festival, and before returning, one decided to take a head count to make sure that no one was being left behind in that strange city. The villager counted nine and could not understand who was missing. He counted again, but reaching the same number asked another to count. Each one that took the task forgot to include himself. Thinking one of their party was missing, they went to make a report. The officer counted, and when he reached the chief villager, he said, “And you are the tenth.” When they heard this, they realized no one was missing. Their igno- rance had to be dispelled by someone outside their group. This is called daśamas-tvam-asi-nyaya, the principle of “You are the tenth.” In this example, the statement “You are the tenth” imparts direct knowledge of the tenth person. Usually the knowledge we derive from a statement is indirect. Direct knowledge comes through the 993 cognitive senses. ve Śri Bhagavat Sandarbha In the same way, Vedic sound directly reveals the Lord to a qual- ified student through the mercy of the spiritual teacher. Śrī Kṛṣṇa told Arjuna: de deme I shall now disclose this most confidential knowledge to you, who are devoid of envy. When you come to know it and realize it, you shall be freed of all inauspiciousness. (GĪTĀ 9.1)9% Bhagavan is said to be indescribable, yet by His own potency He reveals Himself in the Śrutis. One may say that the sun is non- illuminable owing to being illumined by its own potency. Only if we entertain a difference between the sun and its rays can we say that the sun is illumined by the sun rays. Similarly, as there is no dif- ference between the Energetic Source, Bhagavan, and His energy, the Supreme Lord is called indescribable, because the Śrutis that describe Him do so only by His potency. When, however, the Ener- getic Source is viewed as distinct from His energies, He is then said to be describable by the Śrutis. The doubt may be raised that Brahman lacks manifest qualities, so how can the Śrutis describe it? The answer is that Brahman, like Bhagavan, is also described and realized by the potency of Bhagavan, being nondifferent from Him. There is no medium other than Vedic sound to realize or describe Brahman.alliy stestilli slymis nsT Just as when a diamond is found in a mine, it needs to be pro- cessed to remove the unwanted matter around it, in the same way the Śrutis describe the Lord by denying any materialism in Him. This process is referred to as atan-nirasana in the chief verse of this section. Atat means material (or the non-transcendent) and nirasana means denial. The Śrutis describe the Lord either by deny- ing that the Absolute has material qualities, actions or forms, or by affirming that the Absolute has transcendent qualities, actions or forms. In either case, these descriptions culminate in the revela- tion of the Lord, just as the fruit of a tree falls on the ground when matured. 96 idam tu te guhyatamam pravakṣyamy anasuyave jñānam vijñāna-sahitam yaj jñātvā mokṣyase’subhātb 994 98 The Vedic Sound Reveals Bhagavan Even the words of an ordinary mortal can describe Bhagavan if he or she is graced by the power of the Śrutis. This means that only those instructions consistent with Vedic statements have the power to reveal the Lord. The devotees of the Lord who have achieved the grace of a spiritual teacher coming in an authorized paramparā have the power to reveal the Lord in their writings, which have potency like the Vedic mantras. The Lord is said to be indefinable only because He is unlimited and unapproachable by material sound. The conclusion is that the Vedas are able to define the Lord. Up to this point, it has been described that Bhagavan is the Abso- lute Reality in its feature of highest completion, which has two other manifestations, called Paramātmā and Brahman. Bhagavān possesses various types of energies, and therefore, He also performs various actions. These are described in the Vedic sound. In the following anuccheda, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi will give more details about the energies of the Lord, in particular, Lakṣmi. The Lord’s energies, by virtue of being part of His inherent nature, contain in their essence the transcendental attributes of divine personhood, just like the Lord. 3 28 nanimobang ateixs 91016 si in less er darantuar od of awone noad ved abis Tambang Wolvege/18 sure sultansted 31 men add edages not to saves worla lliw sw The 200taminsidensmuan isH
TORTER 995 vagaria adimesh no Ishom isntino ne uchrovt but neva to tady go boog al odano pd li jeda znam side bavsubproved odw bro fraqmanog beside Anuccheda 99 Laksmi Is the Energy of the Lord ved ९९ । अथैकमेव स्वरूपं शक्तित्वेन शक्तिमत्त्वेन च विराजतीति । यस्य शक्तेः स्वरूपभूतत्वं निरूपितं तच्छक्तिमत्ताप्राधान्येन विराजमानं भगवत्सञ्ज्ञामाप्नोति । तच् च व्याख्यातम् । तदेव च शक्तित्वप्राधान्येन विराजमानं लक्ष्मीसञ्ज्ञामाप्नोतीति दर्शयितुं तस्याः स्ववृत्तिभे- देनानन्तायाः कियन्तो भेदा दर्श्यन्ते । यथा ( भा० १० । ३९।५५) - THE ONE ABSOLUTE NATURE exists both as energy and as Ener- getic Source. It has also been explained that when this Absolute Nature exists predominantly as Energetic Source, whose poten- cies have been shown to be intrinsic to its essential nature, it takes the name Bhagavan. When the same nature exists predomi- nantly as energy, it takes the name Lakṣmi. To demonstrate this, we will show some of Her aspects, which are unlimited because of Her innumerable functions. Śri Suka says: श्रिया पुष्ट्या गिरा कान्त्या कीर्त्या तुष्ट्येलयोर्जया । विद्ययाविद्यया शक्त्या मायया च निषेवितम् ॥ ४८४ ॥ Also in attendance were the Lord’s personified potencies - Śrī, Puști, Gir, Känti, Kirti, Tuști, Ilā and Urja, Vidya, Avidyā, Māyā and Sakti. (SB 10.39.55)1 शक्तिर्महालक्ष्मीरूपा स्वरूपभूता । शक्तिशब्दस्य प्रथमप्रवृत्त्याश्रयरूपा भगवदन्तरङ्गमहा- शक्तिः । माया च बहिरङ्गा शक्तिः । श्रयादयस्तु तयोरेव वृत्तिरूपाः । तासां सर्वासामपि śriya pustyä gira käntyä kīrtyä tuṣṭyelayorjaya vidyayavidyaya saktyā māyaya ca nişevitam 996 99 Lakṣmi Is the Energy of the Lord प्राकृताप्राकृतताभेदेन श्रूयमानत्वात् । ततः श्रियेत्यादौ शक्तिवृत्तिरूपया मायावृत्तिरूपया चेति सर्वत्र ज्ञेयम् । Hestea a) Smitt not Here Śakti means the intrinsic energy in the form of Mahalakṣmi. The supreme internal energy of Bhagavan is the entity denoted by the primary meaning of the word sakti. And Maya is the exter- nal energy. The other energies, like Śrī, are indeed various man- ifestations of these two, because the scriptures divide all of them into the categories of material and transcendental potencies. It should be understood, therefore, that all of these, beginning with Śrī, have two facets - as a manifestation of Sakti [the internal potency] and as a manifestation of Maya [the external potency]. तत्र पूर्वस्या भेदः – श्रीभगवती सम्पत् न त्वियं महालक्ष्मीरूपा तस्या मूलशक्तित्वात् । तदग्रे विवरणीयम् । In the first category, Śri is the Lord’s splendor, a facet of His inter- nal potency (bhagavati-sampat). This Śrī, however, is not the orig- inal goddess Herself, Mahalakṣmi, as She is the fountainhead of all potencies. This will be described later on. उत्तरस्याभेदः– श्रीर्जागती सम्पत् । इमामेवाधिकृत्य “स्व एव धिष्ण्येऽभिरतस्य किं तया” (भा० ४।२०।२८) इति न । श्रीर्विरक्तमपि मां विजहाति ( भा० ३ | १६ | ७) इत्यादिवाक्यम् । यत उक्तं चतुर्थशेषे श्रीनारदेन ( भा० ४।२०।२८) – A di gribner In the second category, Śrī is material wealth [a manifestation of the external potency]. It is in reference to her that Pṛthu Mahā- raja prayed to the Lord, “Being absorbed in Your svarupa, what need have You of [Śri]?” (SB 4.20.28), and the Lord told the Kuma- ras, “Though I am indifferent to her, Śrī never abandons Me” (SB 3.16.7). For Narada also says at the end of the Fourth Canto: श्रियमनुचरतीं तदर्थिनश्च द्विपदपतीन् विबुधांश्च यत् स्वपूर्णः । न भजति निजभृत्यवर्गतन्त्रः कथममुमुद्विसृजेत् पुमान् कृतज्ञः ।। ४८५ ।। इति । bie The Lord, being complete in Himself, does not respond to the God- dess of Fortune, though she pursues Him, nor to the kings and sva eva dhiṣnye ‘bhiratasya kim taya na śrir viraktam api māṁ vijahāti 997 Urel Śri Bhagavat Sandarbha TEST gods who solicit her favors. He is, however, subordinate to His own servants, so how can a person who knows the aesthetics of love (rasa) ever abandon Him? (SB 4.31.22)* chomol ni grans sianin तत्र तदर्थिद्विपदपत्यादिसहभाव उपजीव्यः । तथा दुर्वाससः शापनष्टायास्त्रैलोक्यलक्ष्म्या आविर्भावं साक्षाद्भगवत्प्रेयसीरूपा स्वयं क्षीरोदादाविर्भूय दृष्ट्या कृतवतीति श्रूयते । basbai 916 12 axlil signons are sayg In this verse, [Śrī refers to material wealth] because she is being classed together with those who yearn for her, such as the kings. Similarly, it is described that Laksmi, the direct con- sort of the Lord, appeared from the milk ocean and by Her glance restored the Goddess of Fortune of the three worlds, who had been destroyed by Durvasa’s curse. एवमपरापि । तत्र इला भूस्तदुपलक्षणत्वेन लीला अपि । Similarly, there are other energies belonging to both categories [such as, Pusti (nourishment), Gi (eloquence) and so on]. Among these, Ilä is Bhu, which by extension also indicates Līlā. bog laat तत्र च पूर्वस्या भेदो विद्या तत्त्वावबोधकारणं संविदाख्यायास्तद्वृत्तेर्वृत्तिविशेषः । उत्तरस्या भेदस्तस्या एव विद्यायाः प्रकाशद्वारम् । As a division of the internal potency, Vidya (knowledge) is instru- mental in understanding the Absolute, and is a special function of the energy called samvit, which is an aspect of the internal potency. As a division of maya, vidya is the illuminating gateway to the above Vidyā. ni bado de gaisa byl sulf of her 9dt bass.os. To DoY sved besn अविद्यालक्षणो भेदः पूर्वस्या भगवति विभुत्वादिविस्मृतिहेतुर्मातृभावादिमयप्रेमानन्दवृ- त्तिविशेषः । अत एव “गोपीजनाविद्याकलाप्रेरकः” (गो० ता० ११८) इति तापन्यां श्रुतौ । यथावसरमेतदपि विवरणीयम् । उत्तरस्याः स भेदः संसारिणं स्वस्वरूपविस्मृत्यादिहेतुरा- वरणात्मकवृत्तिविशेषः । As a division of the internal potency, Avidya (non-awareness) is the cause of forgetting the [awe-inspiring] majesty of the Lord śriyam anucaratim tad-arthinaś ca dvipada-patin vibudhamś ca yat sva-pūrṇaḥ na bhajati nija-bhṛtya-varga-tantraḥ katham amum udvisṛjet pumän kṛta-jñaḥ 5 Nārāyaṇa’s energies are often described as threefold, Śrī, Bhū and Lilā. 998 99 Lakṣmi Is the Energy of the Lord and is a special manifestation of the bliss of love, premănanda, embodied in foundational loving emotions, such as those of the Lord’s mother. Therefore, in Tapani-śruti, the Lord is called, “One who induces in the gopis the energy of avidya, or the absence of awareness [of His intimacy-impeding grandeur]” (GTU 1.8). This will be expanded on in a suitable place? Avidya as a branch of māyā is a special covering potency, which causes the conditioned beings to forget their own svarupa. roti sontelbats galalams चकारात् पूर्वस्याः सन्धिनीसंवित्ह्लादिनीभक्त्याधारशक्तिमूर्तिविमलाजयायोगा प्रह्वीशा- नानुग्रहादयश्च ज्ञेयाः । अत्र सन्धिन्येव सत्या जयैवोत्कर्षिणी योगैव योगमाया संविदेव ज्ञानाज्ञानशक्तिः शुद्धसत्त्वं चेति ज्ञेयम् । प्रह्वी विचित्रानन्तसामर्थ्यहेतुः । ईशाना सर्वाधि- कारिताशक्तिहेतुरिति भेदः । The word ca (also) in the verse indicates further divisions of the internal energy, such as sandhini (existence), samvit (knowl- edge), hladini (bliss), bhakti (devotion), adhāra-śakti (the potency of underlying support), murti (form), vimală (purity), jayā (celebrity), yoga (union), prahvi (submissive responsiveness), iśānā (controllership) and anugraha (compassion). Out of these, sandhini (existence) is the same as satya (eternal being); jaya (celebrity) is utkarṣiņi (fame); yoga is Yogamaya (she who induces union); and samvit is the energy known as jñāna (knowledge), ajñāna (ignorance) and suddha-sattva (unalloyed being). Prahvi, or “submissive responsiveness,” is the basis of the ability for unlimited variety; iśānā (controllership) is the energy by virtue of which the Lord is the supreme authority. These are their divisions. एवमुत्तरस्याश्च यथायथमन्या ज्ञेयाः । तदेवमप्यत्र मायावृत्तयो न विव्रियन्ते बहिरङ्गसेवि- त्वात् । मूले तु सेवांशमात्रसाधारण्येन गणिताः । We should understand the appropriate corresponding divisions of Maya in a similar way. The various manifestations of Māyā are not described here because they serve the Lord externally. In the 6 gopi-janävidya-kala-prerakaḥ “This is a reference to Śrī Kṛṣṇa Sandarbha, Anuccheda 183-186. 999 brinŚrī Bhagavat Sandarbha original verse, they have been included because they have service in common [with the other saktis]. badms बहिरङ्गसेवित्वं च तस्या भगवदंशभूतपुरुषस्य विदूरवर्तितयैवाश्रितत्वात् । तथा च दशमस्य सप्तत्रिंशे नारदेन भगवान् श्रीकृष्ण एवास्तावि (भा० १० । ३७।२३-२४)- Maya’s service is considered external because of her taking the support of the Purușa, the plenary portion of Bhagavan, while remaining at a distance from Him. Śrī Nārada has prayed to Śri Kṛṣṇa to this effect in chapter 37 of the Tenth Canto: विशुद्धविज्ञानघनं स्वसंस्थया समाप्तसर्वार्थममोघवाञ्छितम् । स्वतेजसा नित्यनिवृत्तमायागुणप्रवाहं भगवन्तमीमहि ॥ ४८६ ॥ त्वामीश्वरं स्वाश्रयमात्ममायया विनिर्मिताशेषविशेषकल्पनम् । क्रीडार्थमद्यात्तमनुष्यविग्रहं नतोऽस्मि धुर्यं यदुवृष्णिसात्वताम् ॥ ४८७ ॥ इति । To and We pray to You, O Lord, who are the condensed form of pure con- sciousness, whose intentions are all automatically accomplished due to being perfectly situated in Your own Self, whose will is (unfailingly fulfilled, and who, by Your effulgence, the constantly 92 flowing stream of the gunas of maya comes to a halt.orings) and I bow down to You, the Controller, who are Your own support, and en who, through Your own potency of maya, have brought into being the endless varieties conceived by You. For the sake of Your own play, You have assumed this human form as the leader of the Yadu, Povrsni and Satvata clans. (SB 10.37.23-24)anog291 avtazim अनयोरर्थः– विशुद्धं यद् विज्ञानं परमतत्त्वं तदेव घनः श्रीविग्रहो यस्य । स्वसंस्थया स्वरू- पाकारेण स्वरूपशक्त्यैव वा सम्यगाप्ता इवाप्ता नित्यसिद्धाः पूर्णा वा सर्वेऽर्था ऐश्वर्यादयो यत्र । अत एव न विद्यते अतितुच्छत्वात् मोघे वृथाभूते जगत्कार्ये वाञ्छितं वाञ्छा यस्य । The meaning of these two verses is as follows: Pure conscious- ness (viśuddha-vijñāna) is the Supreme Absolute Reality; its con- densed form (ghana) is His divine body. The phrase, “by being per- fectly situated in Your own Self” (sva-samsthaya), means by Your
- viśuddha-vijñāna-ghanam sva-samsthayā samāpta-sarvārtham amogha-vāñchitam sva-tejasă nitya-nivṛtta-māyā-guṇa-pravahaṁ bhagavantam imahi tvām iśvaram svāśrayam ātma-māyayā vinirmitaseṣa-viseṣa-kalpanam kriḍārtham adyatta-manusya-vigraham nato’smi dhuryam yadu-vṛṣṇi-sātvatām 100099 Lakṣmi Is the Energy of the Lord essential form (svarupa-ākāra), or through Your essential ener- gies (svarupa-śakti), Your intentions (artha) are all automatically accomplished. In other words, it seems as though they have been completely attained in You, for all objectives, such as wealth, and so on, already exist within You in their fullness, eternally. There- fore, You have no desire (avañchita) for deeds like the creation of the cosmos, which are worthless (mogha) to You, due to being exceedingly insignificant? 1 sdt क्वचिदवाञ्छितस्यापि सम्बन्धो दृश्यत इत्याशङ्क्याह – स्वतेजसा स्वरूपशक्तिप्रभावेण नित्यमेव निवृत्तो दूरीभूतो मायागुणप्रवाहस्तत्परम्परा यस्मात् । इत्थमेव “युक्तं विरहितं शक्त्या गुणमय्यात्ममायया” (भा०४ । १२ । ६) इत्युक्तम् । आत्ममायया स्वरूपभूतया शक्त्या युक्तम् । गुणमय्या विरहितमिति । तं भगवन्तं शरणं व्रजेम । [Objection:] “But surely sometimes even a relationship with undesirable objects can be observed?” [Narada answers:] “By Your effulgence,” or in other words, by the influence of Your svarupa-sakti, “the constantly flowing stream of the gunas of māyā comes to a halt.” This means that You keep the gunas and the chain of their reactions forever distant. Śrī Kubera similarly said, “The Lord is both endowed with and devoid of saktis, which are constituted either of His own essential nature (atma-māyā), or of the gunas of material nature (guna-mayi)” (SB 4.12.6).10 That is, He is endowed with the potencies that are inherent to His essential nature, and devoid of the potencies consisting of the material gunas. We take shelter of that Lord. boyslgaib go, idquod uox satasudh तथा त्वां श्रीकृष्णाख्यं भगवन्तमेव स्वांशेनेश्वरमन्तर्यामिपुरुषमपि सन्तं नतोऽस्मि । कथम्भूतम् ? ईश्वरं स्वरूपशक्त्या स्वाश्रयमपि आत्ममायया आत्मात्र जीवात्मा तद्विषयया मायया विनिर्मिता अशेषविशेषाकारा कल्पना येन । यद् वा आत्ममायया स्वरूपशक्त्या स्वाश्रयम् । विनिर्मिता अशेषविशेषा यया तथाभूता कल्पना मायाशक्तिर्यस्य । I bow down to You alone, the Bhagavan named Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who in Your own plenary portion also exist as the controller (Iśvara), or In this part of his explanation, Jiva Gosvāmi reinterprets the compound amogha-väñchita (whose desires are unfailingly fulfilled) as a-mogha-väñchita (who is without desire for worthless deeds). 10 yuktam virahitam saktyā guna-mayyatma-mayayage Lin 1001 Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha the indwelling (antaryami) Purușa. How are You to be described? You are “the controller,” meaning that You are Your own sup- port through the power of Your own internal potency (svarupa- śakti). In spite of being self-situated, You have brought into being, through Your own potency of māyā (ātma-māyā), the endless varieties, or forms, conceived (kalpana) by You. Atmā here should be taken to mean the living being (jivātmā), and so ātma-māyā refers to the māyā whose subject is the jiva. Alternatively, ātma- māyā can be understood as the Lord’s internal potency (svarupa- śakti), by virtue of which the Lord is His own support. In this case, māyā-śakti itself is understood as the Lord’s kalpana [lit., as His imagination, or a projection of His mind], by which He has created unlimited variety. कीदृशं त्वाम् ? सम्प्रति त्वदाविर्भावसमये तस्यापीश्वरस्य त्वयि भगवत्येव प्रवेशात् । युगपद्विचित्रतत्तच्छक्तिप्रकाशेन या क्रीडा तदर्थमभ्यात्तः अभि भक्ताभिमुख्येन आत्त आनीतः प्रकटितो मनुष्याकारो “नराकृतिः परं ब्रह्म” इति स्मरणात् तद्रूपो भगवदाख्यो विग्रहो येन । bac What kind of being are You? At present, or in other words, at this time of Your appearance, since even that Iśvara is subsumed within You, Bhagavan, You display a human form for the sake of Your own play, by manifesting simultaneously both these won- derful potencies [i.e., the svarupa and maya-śaktis]. As the Smrti states, “The Parabrahman has a human form.”” This human form is called Bhagavan. The verb abhyattaḥ [You manifested] can be broken down into its constituents: You brought or displayed (atta) [this human form], before (abhi) Your devotees. तमेव पुनर्विशिनष्टि यदुवृष्णिसात्वतां धुर्यम् । तेषां नित्यपरिकराणां प्रेमभारवहमिति । Narada Muni further distinguishes Him by saying that He is the burden carrier (dhurya)12 for the Yadus, Vṛṣṇis and Satvatas; 11 naräkṛtih param brahma Brhat-sahasra-nama-stotra diss TUOY 12 The word dhurya has two principal meanings, one is “leader,” “chief,” “best,” “foremost,” etc. The other is “beast of burden.” The root meaning is “able to draw or bear.” The immediate sense in this verse is the first meaning, but Śrī Jiva here chooses the second to make a point about devotion.busines 1002 99 Lakṣmi Is the Energy of the Lord meaning that He carries the burden of love for His eternal associates. etas Temisto) Intri अथवा मूलपद्ये “शक्त्या” ( भा० १० । ३९।५५) इति सर्वत्रैव विशेष्यपदम् । श्रीर्मूलरूपा । पुष्ट्यादयस्तदंशाः । विद्या ज्ञानम् । आ समीचीना विद्या भक्तिः । “राजविद्या राजगुह्यम्” (गीता ९।२) इत्याद्युक्तेः । माया बहिरङ्गा । तद्वृत्तयः श्र्यादयस्तु पृथक् ज्ञेयाः । शिष्टं समम् । OPTOSTIE TR An alternative explanation of the principal verse in this section (SB 10.39.55) can be given by taking the word śaktyä (by energy) as the substantive throughout [and the other names as its mod- ifiers]. In this case, Śrī would refer to the original energy, and the other energies, beginning with Pusți, would be Her portions. Vidya is knowledge, and a-vidya13 refers to complete knowledge, which is devotional service, as stated in GITA 9.2, “This wisdom is the king of all knowledge and confidential truths.“1 Māyā is the external energy, and her manifestations, [also named] Śrī, and so on, are to be understood as different from the above [transcendental] energies. The rest of the verse is as given previ- ously. ततश्चात्र शुद्धभगवत्प्रकरणे स्वरूपशक्तिवृत्तिष्वेव गणनायां पर्यवसितासु विवेचनीयमि- दम् । प्रथमं तावदेकस्यैव तत्त्वस्य सच्चिदानन्दत्वाच्छक्तिरप्येका त्रिधा भिद्यते । तदुक्तं विष्णुपुराणे श्रीध्रुवेण (वि० पु० १।१२ । ६९) - In this Sandarbha, wherein Bhagavan is described purely, the functions of His internal potency (svarupa-śakti) are assessed with regard to that in which they culminate [e.g., the vidya potency culminates in awareness of the Lord]. In this regard, the following deliberation is made: First of all, the Absolute Reality, which is one only, also has only one energy, yet it is divided into three because He is sac-cid-ananda. This is stated by Śri Dhruva in Visnu Purana: Jasade ह्लादिनी सन्धिनी संवित् त्वय्येका सर्वसंश्रये । ह्लादतापकरी मिश्रा त्वयि नो गुणवर्जिते ॥ ४८८ ॥ इति । Haldw niged cong 13 The Sanskrit sandhi rule governing the combination of vowels does not distinguish between long or short sounds. In combination they become long. Thus, pa vidyayavidyaya can be broken down as either vidyaya avidyaya or vidyayā āvidyaya. 14 raja-vidya raja-guhyam 1003 bolŚri Bhagavat Sandarbha The one energy, having the three divisions of hladini (bliss), sand- Youhini (eternal existence) and samvit (knowing), exists in You, the support of everything. But the energy that yields material hap- piness, misery and their mixture, does not abide in You, because You are free from the gunas. (VP 1.12.69) 15 व्याख्यातं च स्वामिभिः - ह्लादिनी आह्लादकरी सन्धिनी सन्तता संविद् विद्याशक्तिः । एका मुख्या अव्यभिचारिणी स्वरूपभूतेति यावत् । सा सर्वसंस्थितौ सर्वस्य सम्यक् स्थि- तिर्यस्मात् तस्मिन् सर्वाधिष्ठानभूते त्वय्येव न तु जीवेषु । जीवेषु च या गुणमयी त्रिविधा सा त्वयि नास्ति । Śrīdhara Svāmi comments: “Hladini bestows delight, sandhini is existence, and samvit is the cognitive potency. Eka (one) means predominant, undeviating and intrinsic to the Lord’s essential nature. This energy is present in You only, the support of every- thing (sarva-samsthiti), or in other words, the one from whom all things come into being. This potency, however, is not present in the living beings. Moreover, the energy consisting of the three material gunas, which is present in the living beings,” is not in You.” तामेवाह - ह्लादतापकरी मिश्रेति । ह्लादकरी मनःप्रसादोत्था सात्त्विकी । तापकरी विषयवियोगादिषु तापकरी तामसी । तदुभयमिश्रा विषयजन्या राजसी । तत्र हेतुः सत्त्वा- दिगुणवर्जिते । तदुक्तं सर्वज्ञसूक्तौ - Śri Dhruva further describes this [latter] energy, “which yields material happiness, misery and their mixture” (hlada-tāpa-karī miśra). Hlada-kari means the “energy generated from mental contentment” and is of the nature of sattva-guna; tāpa-kari is the energy which elicits misery due to the loss of sense objects and belongs to tamo-guna; and the mixture of these two (miśra), which arises from sense objects, is of the nature of rajo-guna. The reason why they are absent in the Lord is that He is free from the guņas, beginning with sattva. This is stated in the Sarvajña-sūkta: 15 hladini sandhini samvit tvayy ekä sarva-samśraye hlada-tāpa-kari miśra tvayi no guna-varjite 16 This parenthetical phrase (jiveșu ca) is found in Bhagavat Sandarbha, but not in the published editions of Visnu Purana commentary of Śrīdhara Svāmi. 1004 99 Laksmī Is the Energy of the Lord ह्लादिन्या संविदाश्लिष्टः सच्चिदानन्द ईश्वरः । spasand and tur anolalvindu स्वाविद्यासंवृतो जीवः सङ्क्लेशनिकराकरः || ४८९ ॥ इति । thedi doiradi ak vaksonel Alee yd bsXITOSTE The Supreme Lord, who is sac-cid-ānanda, is embraced by hladini and samvit, but the living entity, covered by his own ignorance,) is the storehouse of all miseries.”” अत्र क्रमादुत्कर्षेण सन्धिनीसंविद्ध्लादिन्यो ज्ञेयाः । तत्र च सति घटानां घटत्वमिव सर्वेषां सतां वस्तूनां प्रतीतेर्निमित्तमिति क्वचित् सत्तास्वरूपत्वेन आम्नातोऽप्यसौ भगवान् “सदेव सौम्येदमग्र आसीत्” (छा० ६।२।१) इत्यत्र सद्रूपत्वेन व्यपदिश्यमानो यया सत्तां दधाति धारयति च सा सर्वदेशकालद्रव्यादिप्राप्तिकरी सन्धिनी । तथा संविद्रूपोऽपि यया संवेत्ति संवेदयति च सा संवित् । तथा ह्लादरूपोऽपि यया संविदुत्कटरूपया तं ह्लादं संवेत्ति संवेदयति च सा ह्लादिनीति विवेचनीयम् । The energies sandhini, samvit and hladini should be understood as progressively superior. As such, that potency by which He Himself sustains His own existence and bestows existence upon others, and which pervades all space, time, objects and so on, is called sandhini. This is so because the Lord is the source-condition underlying the cognition of all existing objects, like the pot-ness of a pot, and is sometimes spoken of in scriptures as the essence of existence (sat), as in the Chandogya mantra where He is indicated by the word sat, “My dear boy, in the beginning there was only this sat” (CHU 6.2.1).18 Similarly, though He is the embodiment of cognition (samvit), that potency by which He knows and induces others to know is called samvit. In the same way, although He is the embodiment of hlada (delight), which is the summum bonum of samvit, the energy by which He experiences this delight and causes others to experience it, is called hladini. This is how these three divisions of the internal potency should be distinguished. तदेवं तस्या मूलशक्तेस्त्र्यात्मकत्वेन सिद्धे येन स्वप्रकाशतालक्षणेन तद्वृत्तिविशेषेण स्वरूपं वा स्वयं स्वरूपशक्तिर्वा विशिष्टं वाविर्भवति तद्विशुद्धसत्त्वम् । तच् चान्यनिरपेक्ष्यस्तत्प्र- काश इति ज्ञापनज्ञानवृत्तिकत्वात् संविदेव । अस्य मायया स्पर्शाभावात् विशुद्धत्वम् । 17 hladinya samvid-aśliṣṭaḥ sac-cid-ananda iśvaraḥ svävidya-samvṛto jivaḥ sankleśa-nikarākaraḥ Also quoted in Bhāvārtha-dīpikā 1.7.6.wo 18 sad eva saumyedam agra āsit 1005 IndŚrī Bhagavat Sandarbha Thus, it has been established that the original energy has three subdivisions. The specific function of this energy, which is characterized by self-luminosity, is that by which the [Bhaga- vān’s] essential nature (svarupa), or His essential energy itself (svarupa-śakti), or His form qualified by virtue of the svarupa- śakti, becomes manifest. This energy is known as “completely pure being” (viśuddha-sattva). It is indeed samvit, because it is endowed with the functions of knowing and revealing knowl- edge, illuminating Him without dependence on anything else. And because it is untouched by māyā [the external energy], it is called viśuddha, or completely pure. तत्र चेदमेव विशुद्धसत्त्वं सन्धिन्यंशप्रधानं चेदाधारशक्तिः । संविदंशप्रधानमात्मविद्या । ह्लादिनीसारांशप्रधानं गुह्यविद्या । युगपत् शक्तित्रयप्रधानं मूर्तिः । अत्राधारशक्त्या भगवद्धाम प्रकाशते । When this selfsame viśuddha-sattva is predominated by its sand- hini aspect, it is called adhara-sakti, or the potency of underlying support. When predominated by samvit, it is called atma-vidyā, self-knowledge. When predominated by the essence of hladini, it is called guhya-vidya (“concealed knowledge,” i.e., pure devo- tion). When all three potencies are prominent at the same time, it is called murti, or the form of the Lord. 10s brow bra vil To 10ambodia adi al sH dguodt ghalh तदुक्तम् (भा० १२।८।४६) - da The viśuddha-sattva manifests the abode of the Lord through the ädhära-sakti, as stated by Śrī Sūta Gosvāmi: 19 यत् सात्वताः पुरुषरूपमुशन्ति सत्त्वं लोको यतोऽभयमुतात्मसुखं न चान्यत् । ४९० ॥ इति । Because the kingdom of God, fearlessness and spiritual joy are all achieved through pure sattva, Your devotees consider it, and not the other [i.e., material sattva], to be a direct manifestation of You, the Purusa. (SB 12.8.46) 19 yat satvataḥ puruṣa-rupam usanti sattvaṁ loko yato’bhayam utātma-sukham na cănyat 1006 99 Laksmi Is the Energy of the Lord तथा ज्ञानतत्प्रवर्तकलक्षणवृत्तिद्वयकयात्मविद्यया तद्वृत्तिरूपमुपासकाश्रयं ज्ञानं प्रकाशते । एवं भक्तितत्प्रवर्तकलक्षणवृत्तिद्वयकया गुह्यविद्यया तद्वृत्तिरूपा प्रीत्यात्मिका भक्तिः प्रका- शते । एते एव विष्णुपुराणे लक्ष्मीस्तवे स्पष्टीकृते (वि० पु० १।९।११८) - Through self-knowledge (ātma-vidyā), which has two functions, characterized by knowledge and the effecting of knowledge, the viśuddha-sattva reveals knowledge relevant to the worshiper, which is its function. Similarly, through concealed knowl- edge (guhya-vidyā), which also has two functions, characterized by devotion and the effecting of devotion, the viśuddha-sattva reveals pure devotion of the nature of unalloyed love, which is its function. Both of these are elucidated in Visnu Purana in the prayers to Lakṣmi: यज्ञविद्या महाविद्या गुह्यविद्या च शोभते । आत्मविद्या च देवि त्वं विमुक्तिफलदायिनी ॥ ४९१ ॥ इति । O beautiful Goddess, bestower of the fruit of liberation, You are Yajñavidyā, Mahāvidyā, Guhyavidyā and ātmavidyā. (vP 1.9.118)20 “यज्ञविद्या” कर्म । “महाविद्या” अष्टाङ्गयोगः । “गुह्यविद्या” भक्तिः । “आत्मविद्या” ज्ञानम् । तत्तत्सर्वाश्रयत्वात् त्वमेव तत्तद्रूपा विविधानां मुक्तीनामन्येषां च विविधानां फलानां दात्री भवसीत्यर्थः । 1930 to 9urten on Yajña-vidyā (knowledge of sacrifice) means rituals. Mahā-vidyā refers to the eightfold yoga discipline. Guhya-vidya means bhakti. ātma-vidyā is self-knowledge or awareness ( jñāna ). Because You (Laksmi) are the shelter of all these, You embody them. Therefore, You are the bestower of the fruit of the various types of liberation as well as other results. अथ मूर्त्या परतत्त्वात्मकः श्रीविग्रहः प्रकाशते । इयमेव वसुदेवाख्या । तदुक्तं चतुर्थस्य तृतीये श्रीमहादेवेन (भा० ४।३।२३) - hayolls The viśuddha-sattva, through its mūrti function, reveals the Lord’s divine form, which is the embodiment of the Supreme 20 yajña-vidyā mahā-vidyā guhya-vidyā ca śobhate ātma-vidyā ca devi tvam vimukti-phala-dāyinī 1007 Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha Truth. It is this function which is also called vasudeva. This is explained by Lord Mahadeva: सत्त्वं विशुद्धं वसुदेवशब्दितं यदीयते तत्र पुमानपावृतः । सत्त्वे च तस्मिन् भगवान् वासुदेवो ह्यधोक्षजो मे मनसा विधीयते ॥ ४९२ ॥ इति । The state of unalloyed being, viśuddha-sattva, is called vasudevay because the Personal God is unveiled therein. In this state of tw being, this Bhagavan, who is Vasudeva and beyond the ken of the material senses, can be meditated on within the mind. (SB 4.3.23)21 hayolla अस्यार्थः – विशुद्धं स्वरूपशक्तिवृत्तित्वाज् जाड्यांशेनापि रहितमिति विशेषेण शुद्धं सत्त्वं यत् तदेव वसुदेवशब्देनोक्तम् । कुतस्तस्य सत्त्वता वसुदेवता वा ? तत्राह - यद् यस्मात् तत्र तस्मिन् पुमान् वासुदेव ईयते प्रकाशते । आद्ये तावदगोचरगोचरताहेतुत्वेन लोकप्र- सिद्धसत्त्वसाम्यात् सत्त्वता व्यक्ता । This verse is to be understood as follows: The adjective viśuddha (unalloyed) means completely or especially pure [being], devoid of even a trace of insentience owing to its being a manifestation of svarupa-sakti. This state of unalloyed being, viśuddha-sattva, is called vasudeva. On what basis can this state of being be said to have the nature of sattva or of vasudeva? In answer, Lord Siva says, “Because it is in this state (tatra) that the Personal God, Vasudeva, is unveiled.” So, from this statement it is evident that this state of being is endowed with the nature of sattva, the first of the two qualities mentioned above, because, like the well-known sattva-guna [of material nature], it is instrumental in making the unperceived perceptible. ad द्वितीये त्वयं अर्थः – वसुदेवे भवति प्रतीयत इति वासुदेवः परमेश्वरः प्रसिद्धः । स च विशु- सत्त्वे प्रतीयते । अतः प्रत्ययार्थेन प्रसिद्धेन प्रकृत्यर्थो निर्द्धार्यते । That the state of unalloyed being is also endowed with the nature of vasudeva, the second quality mentioned above, is understood as follows: The word vasudeva, a celebrated name for the Supreme 21 sattvam viśuddham vasudeva-sabditam yad iyate tatra puman apāvṛtaḥ sattve ca tasmin bhagavan vasudevo hy adhokṣajo me manasă vidhiyate 1008 99 Lakṣmi Is the Energy of the Lord Lord, is derived etymologically as “that which exists, or in other words, that which is perceived, in the state of vasudeva.” And it is a fact that He is perceived in viśuddha-sattva. Therefore, the meaning of the root word (vasudeva) is determined by the mean- ing conveyed through application of the well-known particular suffix [to the root word], which meaning is implicit in its well- known derivative. ततश्च वासयति देवमिति व्युत्पत्त्या वा वसत्यस्मिन्निति वा वसुः । तथा दीव्यति द्योतत इति देवः । स चासौ स चेति वासुदेवः । “धर्म इष्टं धनं नृणाम्” (भा० ११ । १९ । ३९) इति स्वय- म्भगवदुक्तेर्वसुभिर्भगवद्धर्मलक्षणैर्धनैः प्रकाशत इति वा वासुदेवः । तस्माद् वसुदेवशब्दितं विशुद्धसत्त्वम् । By etymological derivation, the word vasu means that which enables the Lord to reside, or that in which the Lord dwells; and deva means one who sports or shines. So, one who embodies both dwelling in unalloyed being (vasu) and infinite play or effulgence (deva) is Vasudeva. Alternatively, vasu is defined as wealth, and in particular, the wealth of dedication to the path of Bhagavan, known as bhagavad-dharma (i.e., “devotional service in prac- tice”), as the Lord Himself said, “The most desirable wealth22 for human beings is dharma” (SB 11.19.39).23 Thus, in this sense, Vasudeva is one who is effulgent with [deva], or makes mani- fest, the wealth [vasu] of bhagavad-dharma. For the above-stated reasons, viśuddha-sattva is called Vasudeva. id blow dt 3o so) इत्थं स्वयम्प्रकाशज्योतिरेकविग्रहभगवज्ज्ञानहेतुत्वेन ( भा० ११ । २५।२४ ) - In this manner, viśuddha-sattva is the only means of knowing Bhagavan, who has a self-luminous effulgent body, and knowl- edge of Bhagavan is transcendental to the gunas of material nature, as has been stated in many places, such as: कैवल्यं सात्त्विकं ज्ञानं रजो वैकल्पिकं च यत् । प्राकृतं तामसं ज्ञानं मन्निष्ठं निर्गुणं स्मृतम् ॥। ४९३ ।। 22 Other dictionary meanings of vasu are “piety” and “wealth.” 23 dharma istam dhanam nṛṇām to muibom fnd Boyelling 1009 Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha Leg Knowledge of oneness (kaivalya) is in sattva-guna, knowledge rooted in the oscillation between alternatives is in rajo-guna, and ow nd knowledge of mere phenomena is in tamo-guna. Knowledge that is resolute upon Me, however, is understood to be free from the gunas. (SB 11.25.24)24 इत्यादी बहुत्र गुणातीतावस्थायामेव भगवज्ज्ञानश्रवणेन च सिद्धमत्र विशुद्धपदावगतं स्वरूपशक्तिवृत्तिभूतस्वप्रकाशताशक्तिलक्षणत्वं तस्य व्यक्तम् । ततश्च सत्त्वे प्रतीयत इत्य- त्र करण एवाधिकरणविवक्षा । From this it is clear that the word viśuddha signifies that this sat- tva has the characteristic of self-luminosity, which is inherent in the svarupa-sakti. Therefore, in the phrase, “He is revealed in sat- tva,” the locative case actually intends the instrumental case, i.e., “He is revealed by sattva.” स्वरूपशक्तिवृत्तित्वमेव विशदयति- अपावृत आवरणशून्यः सन् प्रकाशते । प्राकृतं सत्त्वं चेत् तर्हि तत्र प्रतिफलनमेवावसीयते । ततश्च दर्पणे मुखस्येव तदन्तर्गततया तस्य तत्रावृ- तत्वेनैव प्रकाशः स्यादिति भावः । to nilsow ad nevezena to also add co [In the verse under discussion, Mahadeva] further clarifies how viśuddha-sattva is a function of the svarupa-sakti by use of the word “unveiled” (apāvṛta). This word means that the Lord man- ifests without any covering. If material sattva were indicated, then the form perceived in it would be merely a reflection. The significance of this is that, like the image of a face reflected in a mirror, the form of the Lord manifest in material sattva would necessarily be of a covered nature. फलितार्थमाह-एवम्भूते सत्त्वे तस्मिन् नित्यमेव प्रकाशमानो भगवान् मे मया मनसा विशेषेण धीयते धार्यते चिन्त्यते चेतित्यर्थः । तत्सत्त्वतादात्म्यापन्नेनैव मनसा चिन्तयितुं शक्यत इति पर्यवसितम् । nam ni barte aged and assumen [Mahadeva then] states the resultant conclusion: Through the medium of my mind, I meditate on and contemplate, with singu- lar intensity, Bhagavan, who is eternally manifest in the state of unalloyed being (sattva), which has the characteristics described 24 kaivalyaṁ sättvikam jñānam rajo vaikalpikaṁ ca yat prākṛtaṁ tāmasaṁ jñānaṁ man-niṣṭhaṁ nirgunam smrtam 101099 Lakṣmi Is the Energy of the Lord above. The implication is that I am able to meditate through the mind only because it has been imbued with the same viśuddha- sattva nature, becoming one in essence with it.b ननु केवलेन मनसैव चिन्त्यताम् ? किं तेन सत्त्वेन ? bain Buzay to vtileup [The Lord raises an objection:] “Can one not meditate through the mind alone? What is the need for this sattva?“blood blooda तत्राह - हि यस्मात् अधोक्षजः अधःकृतमतिक्रान्तमक्षजमिन्द्रियजं ज्ञानं येन सः [Śiva replies,] “Because He is beyond the ken of the material senses” (adhokṣaja). In this word, adhaḥ means having overcome or gone beyond, and akṣaja means knowledge born of sense per- ception. नमसेति पाठे हिशब्दस्थानेऽप्यनुशब्दः पठ्यते । ततश्च विशुद्धसत्त्वाख्यया स्वप्रकाशता- शक्त्यैव प्रकाशमानोऽसौ नमस्कारादिना केवलमनुविधीयते सेव्यते न तु केनापि प्रका- श्यत इत्यर्थः । तदेवमदृश्यत्वेनैव स्फुरन्नसावदृश्येनैव नमस्कारादिना अस्माभिः सेव्यत इति भावः । ततस्तत्प्रकरणसङ्गतिश्च गम्यत इति । Some readings of the verse give namasă (through obeisances) in place of manasă, and anu in place of hi. In this case the mean- ing would be that the Lord, who is manifest exclusively through His self-luminous potency, called viśuddha-sattva, is served (anu- vidhiyate) only by acts such as paying obeisances, but is not man- ifest through anything else. So, even when the Lord is not visible, yet He makes His presence felt in consciousness, He can be served by us, even without being seen, by paying obeisances and other similar acts. In this way, the coherence of the topic is maintained even with the alternative reading. अथ यतो भगवद्विग्रहप्रकाशकविशुद्धसत्त्वस्य मूर्तित्वं वसुदेवत्वं च तत एव तत्प्रादुर्भाव- विशेषे धर्मपत्न्यां मूर्तित्वं प्रसिद्धम् । श्रीमदानकदुन्दुभौ च वसुदेवत्वमिति विवेचनीयम् । Because the viśuddha-sattva that manifests the form of the Lord is specifically of the nature of murti (the potency of form) and of vasudeva (the potency of unalloyed being), therefore [in exact correspondence to this truth], the Lord, in one particular appear- ance, was born of the wife of Dharma, known as Murti, and 1011 Śri Bhagavat Sandarbha thus, in this instance, the quality of murti [i.e., that of supply- ing form] belongs to her. Similarly, [in Krsna’s appearance, His father] Anakadundubhi is also named Vasudeva [and Kṛṣṇa first appeared in his pure mind, pervaded by viśuddha-sattva]. So, in this instance, the quality of vasudeva [i.e., that of being the unal- loyed ground of the Lord’s appearance] is evidenced in him. This should be reflected upon. अत्र श्रद्धापुष्ट्यादिलक्षणप्रादुर्भूतभगवच्छक्त्यंशवृन्दस्य भगिनीतया पाठसाहचर्येण मूर्ते- स्तस्यास्तच्छक्त्यंशप्रादुर्भावत्वमुपलभ्यते । In this context, the portions of Bhagavan’s energies, manifested in the form of śraddhā (faith ), pusti ( nourishment) and so on, have been listed as the sister of Mūrti [in SB 4.1.49], which indi- cates that Murti too is a manifestation of a portion of Bhagavan’s potency. कार “तुर्ये धर्मकलासर्गे नरनारायणावृषी” ( भा० १३ । ९) इत्यत्र कलाशब्देन च शक्तिरेवाभि- धीयते । ततः शक्तिलक्षणायां तस्यां च नरनारायणाख्यभगवत्प्रकाशफलदर्शनात् वसुदे- वाख्यशुद्धसत्त्वरूपत्वमेवावसीयते । तदेवमेव तस्या मूर्तिरित्याख्याप्युक्ता । तथा च श्रद्धाद्या विशदार्थतया विमुच्य सैव निरुक्ता चतुर्थे “मूर्तिः सर्वगुणोत्पत्तिर्नरनारायणावृषी” (भा० ४।१।५२) इति । सर्वगुणस्य भगवत उत्पत्तिः प्रकाशो यस्याः सा तावसूतेति पूर्वेणै- वान्वयः । भगवदाख्यायाः सच्चिदानन्दमूर्तेः प्रकाशहेतुत्वात् मूर्तिरित्यर्थः । aupal In the verse, “In the fourth avatara, the Lord appeared as the twin sages Nara and Nārāyana from Dharma’s kalā” (SB 1.3.9), the word kala means potency, or sakti. So, because the Lord named Nara-Nārāyaṇa appeared from her, she being characterized as the Lord’s sakti, she is certainly an embodiment of the suddha- sattva called vasudeva. For this reason alone was she named Murti. And without offering a detailed description of the other wives of Dharma, such as Śraddha, it is she alone who is depicted in the Fourth Canto: “Murti gave birth to the sages Nara and Nārāyana, the reservoir of all auspicious qualities” (SB 4.1.52 ) 25 Murti, from whom the Lord, the reservoir of all qualities, is born or appears, gave birth to both of them. This sentence has to be connected syntactically to the verb of the previous verse (asūta, 25 mūrtih sarva-gunotpattir nara-nārāyanāvrst 1012 99 Laksmi Is the Energy of the Lord “gave birth,” SB 4.1.51). The idea is that because she is instrumen- tal in the manifestation of the Lord’s body, or murti, which is eternal, fully conscious and blissful, and is called Bhagavan, she is called Mürti. drive तथैव तत्प्रकाशफलत्वदर्शनेन नामैक्येन च श्रीमदानकदुन्दुभेरपि शुद्धसत्त्वाविर्भावत्वं ज्ञे- यम् । तच् चोक्तं नवमे “वसुदेवं हरेः स्थानं वदन्त्यानकदुन्दुभिम् ” ( भा० ९।२४।३०) इति । अन्यथा हरेः स्थानमिति विशेषणस्याकिञ्चित्करत्वं स्यादिति 70062 । Similarly, Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s father, Śrīmad Anakadundubhi, should also be understood as a manifestation of suddha-sattva, because the Lord is seen to manifest from him, and also because his name is identical to that which denotes the state of suddha-sattva, i.e., Vasudeva. This is stated in the Ninth Canto, “Vasudeva, the abode of Śri Hari, is called Anakadundubhi” (SB 9.24.30).26 If Vasudeva is understood other than as a manifestation of suddha-sattva, the adjectival phrase, “the abode of Śrī Hari,” would become insignificant. brasslovehabog तदेवं ह्लादिन्याद्येकतमांशविशेषप्रधानेन विशुद्धसत्त्वेन यथायथं श्रीप्रभृतीनामपि प्रादु- र्भावो विवेक्तव्यः । तत्र च तासां भगवति सम्पद्रूपत्वं तदनुग्राह्ये सम्पत्सम्पादकरूपत्वं सम्पदंशरूपत्वं च – इत्यादित्रिरूपत्वं ज्ञेयम् । तत्र च तासां केवलशक्तिमात्रत्वेनामूर्तानां भगवद्विग्रहाद्यैकात्म्येन स्थितिस्तदधिष्ठात्रीरूपत्वेन मूर्तीनां तु तत्तदावरणतयेति द्विरूपत्व- मपि ज्ञेयमिति दिक् ॥ श्रीशुकः ॥
In the same way, one should understand the appearance of Śrī and the other consorts of the Lord to take place through viśuddha- sattva, predominated in various degrees by one of its components, such as hladini. These energies have three forms: as opulence inherent to the Lord, as the transmitter of such opulence to those who are blessed by the Lord, and as a portion of that opulence. Furthermore, these energies should be known to have two fea- tures. As energy only, devoid of form, they exist in the state of “at-one-ment” with the Lord’s form, and so on. As the presid- ing deities of these energies, they exist as associates of the Lord endowed with corresponding forms. 26 vasudevam hareḥ sthanam vadanty anakadundubhim 1013 BukŚrī Bhagavat Sandarbha Commentary sunsodd eila hi sahi 144. preg iigid Süngreaybed Shaddad to noiselinace ale ni fat AFTER EXPLAINING that Bhagavan can be described by Vedic sound, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi discusses the Lord’s energies. In Section 3, he explained that Bhagavan is naturally endowed with multifarious potencies. The Lord is a person and His energies are also per- sons. When Absolute Reality manifests predominantly as Energetic Source, it is called Bhagavan, and when manifest predominantly as energy, it is called Lakṣmi. Laksmi, the personification of the Lord’s energy, exists as the transcendental female principal, and as the Lord’s consort, She serves Him, who is the original male. Lakṣmi has various manifestations, some of which are described in the main verse in this section, SB 10.39.55. Sukadeva spoke this verse describing Akrura’s vision, which occurred while the latter was taking Kṛṣṇa and Balarama to Math- urā. He had stopped to take a dip in the Yamuna River before his noon chanting of the Gayatri mantra, and upon entering the water, saw Śrī Kṛṣṇa being served by various sages, gods, devotees and energies. This verse names twelve of these energies. Jiva Gosvāmi says that these energies have their counterparts in the material world, which carry the same names though their func- tions and abilities are different. In Sanskrit literature, the words used to denote spiritual entities or actions are the same as those used for material objects or actions. The meaning of the words change according to the context. Such a facility in the Sanskrit language offers the capacity for a single verse to convey multiple layers of meaning. Generally, the word sakti indicates the internal potency, and māyā, the external potency. Śrī indicates opulence; pusti nour- ishes the body; gi is the controller of speech; kanti is beauty; kirti is fame; tusti is internal satisfaction; ila is the supporter of the earth; urjā is the lila potency; vidya bestows true knowledge; and avidya induces non-awareness of the Lord’s grandeur (because awareness of majesty diminishes intimacy). All of these have counterparts in the material world. Jaya brings victory; and māyā is yoga-māyā in the spiritual domain and maha-māyā in the material world. In the 1014 99 Lakṣmi Is the Energy of the Lord spiritual domain, avidya covers devotees like Yasoda so that they do not think of Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Lord. Therefore, in Gopala-tāpani Upanisad, Śrī Kṛṣṇa is called gopi-janävidya-kala-preraka, or one who induces in the gopis the energy of non-awareness (of His grandeur). The energies called Satya, Utkarṣiņi, Prahvi, Iśānā and so on, which Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmī mentions, are also listed by Lord Siva while speaking to Pārvati: In this way, the great Lord, the master of everyone, forever enjoys with His eternal consort Mahālakṣmi in the eternal transcendental Vonsky. To either side of them, seated on two beautiful seats are Dharaṇī and Nilä, and in the eight directions are the eight energies, begin- ning with Vimala, on the tips of the eight petals. Vimalā, Utakarṣiņi, Jñānā, Kriya, Yoga, Prahvi, Satya and Iśānā are all potencies of the Lord. (PP 6.228.47-49)27 The Śrī mentioned by Pṛthu Mahārāja (SB 4.20.28) and by the Lord (SB 3.16.7) is not the eternal consort of the Lord. She is the per- sonification of material opulence, and that is why the Lord says that He has no interest in her. This Śri was once destroyed by the curse of Śrī Durvāsā Muni. The narration is found in VP 1.9 and has already been described in Section 45.1. noiigs Later on, the gods churned the ocean, and Lakṣmi, the eternal consort of Śrī Vişņu, appeared from it. She revived the opulence of the three worlds by Her merciful glance: The Goddess of Fortune, by Her favorable and merciful glance, increased the opulence of the three worlds, along with their inhabitants and their directors, the devas. (SB 8.8.25)28 Māyā does not come in contact with Bhagavan and stays away 27 evam nityanapayinya mahālakṣmya maheśvaraḥ modate parame vyomni śāśvate sarvada prabhuḥ pārśayor dharani-nile samāsīne subhāsane aṣṭadiskṣu-dalägreṣu-vimaladyāśca śaktayaḥ vimalotkarṣini-jñānā-kriya-yoga tathaiva ca prahvi satya tathā īśānā śaktayaḥ paramātmanaḥ 28 śriḥ svāḥ prajāḥ sa-karunena nirikṣaṇena yatra sthitaidhayata sadhipatims tri-lokān 1015 be! Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha from the puruṣāvatāras, even though she takes shelter in and is dependent on Them. Śrī Brahmã experienced this: lo Bewildered by the Lord’s maya, fools haughtily speak of their body as the self and of their possessions as “mine,” even though Mäyä herself feels too shy even to stand in front of the Lord. (SB 2.5.13)29 Māyā and her various manifestations influence only the jiva. The Lord is completely transcendental to her through the influence of His internal potency (antaranga-śakti), which has three principal divisions: the potency of ever-present being, sandhini, the potency of immediate tacit knowing, samvit, and the potency of supercon- scious delight, hladini. These three potencies do not exist in the con- ditioned beings, who are covered by māyā. This is a very important philosophical principle stated by Śri Jiva Gosvāmi. Most Neo-Vedanta as well as New Age spiritualists share the pop- ular understanding that everything — all knowledge, love and so on - is inherent within the living being. It is simply lying in a covered or dormant state and can be unleashed by spiritual prac- tice. Many modern inspirational teachers, like Anthony Roberts, author of Awaken the Giant Within, actively propound this miscon- ception. This idea is highly appealing, because it creates a sense of independence and self-sufficiency. But, unfortunately, the reality is different, as stated by Dhruva. Māyā also has three divisions - tamas, rajas and sattva - and these are not found in the Lord. They form a hierarchy, as Sūta Gosvāmī described: Smoke is superior to wood, which is an earthly object; superior to smoke is fire, which is used for the sacrifices prescribed in the three Vedas. Similarly, rajas is superior to tamas, and superior to rajas is sattva, with the help of which one can realize the Absolute. (SB 1.2.24)30 29 vilajjamānaya yasya sthātum ikṣa-pathe’muya vimohitä vikatthante mamaham iti durdhiyah 30 parthivăd däruno dhumas tasmäd agnis trayi-mayaḥ tamasas tu rajas tasmat sattvaṁ yad brahma-darśanam 1016 99 Lakṣmi Is the Energy of the Lord baThe internal potencies are similarly arranged in a hierarchy - sandhini (the potency of being) is subsumed under samvit (the potency of knowing). Both of these in turn are subsumed under hladini (the potency that bestows bliss). The following example may help to illustrate how this is so. In conventional life, a person may buy a car and derive some satisfaction simply from owning it (being). One’s satisfaction increases, however, when he learns to use the car (knowing), and still greater joy will result when he goes for a ride in the country (bliss). From this we can understand that the pleasure one derives from devotion (predominated by the potency of bliss) is enormously superior to that derived from impersonal realization of Brahman (predominated by the potency of being). In fact, there can be no comparison. The implication here is that the potency of know- ing is inclusive of being and thus involves further completion. The potency of bliss, however, is inclusive of both being and knowing and hence offers the highest completion The potency, by which Bhagavan manifests His śrī-vigraha, or divine form, is referred to by three names: vasudeva, which is also the name of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s father; viśuddha-sattva, which is transcen- dental to, and hence distinct from, material sattva; and murti, which is the term often used to refer to the Lord’s body. Viśuddha-sattva is completely free from the gunas of material nature and is thus qualified by the word viśuddha, or completely pure. Impersonalists contend that viśuddha-sattva refers to material sattva-guna, or sattva without any contamination of rajas or tamas. But this is not possible, because the gunas are always intermixed. Moreover, the gunas are inert and have no ability to manifest the form of the Lord. The Lord appeared as Nara-Nārāyaṇa from Murti, the wife of Dharma. Dharma had twelve other wives, who were sisters of Murti: The thirteen daughters of Dakṣa who were given to Dharma are Śrad- dhā, Maitri, Dayā, Śanti, Tusti, Puṣṭī, Kriya, Unnati, Buddhi, Medha, Titikṣā, Hri and Murti. (SB 4.1.49-50)31” (s83,sus) 31 śraddha maitri daya śäntis tustih pustih kriyonnatiḥ buddhir medha titikṣā hrir mürtir dharmasya patnayah 1017 Śri Bhagavat Sandarbha These names are meaningful and hint at the energetic and psycho-spiritual forces required to facilitate the Lord’s appearance. The Lord’s mother is called Murti, because she brings forth His form, who is the abode of all auspicious qualities. sitry Total All these energies have two manifestations. They exist as form- less energies within the Lord, who in His feature as Energetic Source is called Bhagavan. As formless energies, they appear as insignia on the Lord’s person, as in the case of Lakṣmi appearing as a golden curled streak on His chest. They also exist outside Him, and have their personal forms as His female associates. These forms are wor- shipable along with the Lord, as His consorts. Just as in Vedic culture, a wife serves her husband, similarly the personified energies work under the direction of the Lord. In the following anuccheda it is explained that Lakṣmi is the per- sonification of the Lord’s svarupa-sakti, and She is never separated from Him. glossignos ruithhuely brow off yo bailleup an 1018 1200 of wide on avail bite than 2ui Min gestate powodwasdroslaw bad caramida -Forsificafe rom aftenen Anuccheda 100 Laksmi Is the Lord’s Eternal Consort क्रिएि १०० । अथैवं भूतानन्तवृत्तिका या स्वरूपशक्तिः सा त्विह भगवद्वामांशवर्तिनी मूर्तिमती लक्ष्मीरेवेत्याह “अनपायिनी भगवती श्रीः साक्षादात्मनो हरेः " ( भा०१२ | ११ | २० ) इति ॥ THE SVARUPA-SAKTI, which has unlimited features, as described above, is verily personified as Laksmi, who is situated on the left side of the Lord. Śri Sūta Gosvāmī states: “Inseparable from Him, the original Goddess, Śrī, appears directly as the opulence of Śrī Hari Himself” (SB 12.11.20). Ha redtom inmeds rathe टीका च - अनपायिनी हरेः शक्तिः । तत्र हेतुः साक्षादात्मनः स्वस्वरूपस्य चिद्रूपत्वात् तस्यास्तदभेदादित्यर्थः । इत्येषा । Śrīdhara Svāmi comments: “[Śri] is inseparable (anapayini) from the Lord, for she is His potency. The reason for Her inseparabil- ity is that She is directly ‘of the Lord Himself,’ or in other words, because she is nondifferent from the Lord’s own svarupa due to the conscious nature (cid-rupa) of His svarupa.” अत्र साक्षाच्छब्देन “विलज्जमानया यस्य स्थातुमीक्षापथेऽमुया” (भा० २।५।१३) इत्याद्यु- क्ता माया नेति ध्वनितम् । (ost.e.isv) The word “directly” (sākṣāt), implies that She is not the external energy, māyā, which is described in verses such as, “Māyā, out of shame, is unable to stand before the Lord” (SB 2.5.13).2 1 anapayini bhagavati śriḥ säkṣäd ätmano hareḥb 2 vilajjamānaya yasya sthātum ikṣa-pathe’muya d 1019 3 Śri Bhagavat Sandarbha तत्रानपायित्वं यथा श्रीहयशीर्षपञ्चरात्रे - Lakṣmi’s inseparability from the Lord is further stated in Hayasi- rṣa-pañcaratra: परमात्मा हरि देवस्तच्छक्तिः श्रीरिहोदिता । श्रीर्देवी प्रकृतिः प्रोक्ता केशवः पुरुषः स्मृतः ।। ४९४ ।। न विष्णुना विना देवी न हरिः पद्मजां विना ॥ ४९५ ॥ इति । Diodori al imalad The Paramātmā, Hari, is the Lord, and Śrī is His energy. The God- dess Śrī has been described as prakṛti and Lord Kesava as purusa. She is never without Sri Visņu and He is never without the lotus- born Goddess श्रीविष्णुपुराणे च (वि० पु० १/८/१५) - Visnu Purāna also states: daidward-ASUBAVA FHT ॐ नित्यैव सा जगन्माता विष्णोः श्रीरनपायिनी । inoarag vitrov al यथा सर्वगतो विष्णुस्तथैवेयं द्विजोत्तम ॥ ४९६ ॥ इति । e brodaritosho || | Te lo sonslugo sat 28 y Śrī is the eternal mother of the universe, inseparable (anapayini) from Śrī Visņu. O best of the twice born, just as Śrī Viṣṇu is all- pervading, so too is She. (VP 1.8.15)* तत्रान्यत्र (वि० पु० १।९।१४० ) - mozi (inlyöqonn) sidstagsani In the same Purana, it is said: ebr एवं यथा जगत्स्वामी देवदेवो जनार्दनः । 906gxi al se 101 703 and of the s अवतारं करोत्येषा तथा श्रीस्तत्सहायिनी ॥ ४९७ ॥ इति । on a ra saraged In this way, just as Janardana, the master of the universe and God of gods, descends into this world, so too does His assistant, Śrī. (VP 1.9.140)5
- paramātmā hari devas tac-chaktiḥ śrir ihodita (ha) vlth” brow si śrir devī prakṛtiḥ prokta kesavaḥ puruṣaḥ smrtah na viṣṇună vină devi na hariḥ padmajāṁ vinā
- nityaiva să jagan-mātā vişnoḥ śrir anapayini olor ha yatha sarva-gato visņus tathaiveyam dvijottama 5 evam yatha jagat-svami deva-devo janardanaḥma avataraṁ karoty eṣā tatha śrīs tat-sahāyinī 1020100 Lakṣmi Is the Lord’s Eternal Consort चिद्रूपत्वमपि स्कान्दे- S Skanda Purāṇa confirms Her transcendental nature (cid-rupa- tva): banisiqxs ole 2x imeve gradbine अपरं त्वक्षरं या सा प्रकृतिर्जडरूपिका । श्रीः परा प्रकृतिः प्रोक्ता चेतना विष्णुसंश्रया ।। ४९८ ।। तामक्षरं परं प्राहुः परतः परमक्षरम् । हरिरेवाखिलगुण अक्षरत्रयमीरितम् ।। ४९९ ।। इति । di (bride) best Sil Prakṛti, which is inert by nature, is the inferior (apara) imper- ishable (aksara) reality. Śrī is the transcendental prakrti, which is conscious and sheltered by Śrī Visņu. She is the superior (para) imperishable (akṣara) reality. Śri Hari is the embodiment of all auspicious qualities, and although He is beyond (paratah) even this parah akṣarah, He is known as the threefold Imperishable reality [encompassing the apara, para, and parataḥ realities]. अत एव श्रीविष्णुपुराण एव (वि० पु० १।९।४४-४५) – ai aint Simen lo baɛded 911 22 Therefore, Visnu Purana also states: 7911 कलाकाष्ठानिमेषादिकालसूत्रस्य गोचरे । best bayawans al bumping brow st Tottosesbbo sdt) am bas, (let यस्य शक्तिर्न शुद्धस्य प्रसीदतु स मे हरिः || ५०० || haivize at (027) floo प्रोच्यते परमेशो यो यः शुद्धोऽप्युपचारतः । प्रसीदतु स नो विष्णुरात्मा यः सर्वदेहिनाम् ॥ ५०१ ॥ इति । onst masel to basdaud May the pure Śri Hari, whose energy (Laksmi) is not influenced by the cosmic thread of time, which is divided into kalā, kāṣṭhā, nimeșa and so on, be pleased with me. The Lord is pure, and only figuratively is He called the husband of Laksmi. May that Śrī Visņu, who is the Self of all living beings, be pleased with Me. (VP 1.9.44-45) “aparam tv akṣaram yã sã prakṛtir jaḍa-rüpikā śriḥ para prakṛtiḥ proktă cetană visņu-samśraya sat tām akṣaram param prahuḥ parataḥ param akşaram harir eväkhila-guna akṣara-trayam iritam 7 kala-kāṣṭhā-nimeṣādi-kala-sūtrasya gocare yasya saktir na śuddhasya prasīdatu sa me harihad on your hel: 02 procyate parameso yo yaḥ śuddho’py upacarataḥ prasidatu sa no viṣṇur ātmā yaḥ sarva-dehinām to idw edw 1021 Sri Bhagavat Sandarbha onl अत्र स्वामिभिरेव व्याख्यातं च - कलाकाष्ठानिमेषादिकाल एव सूत्रवत् सूत्रं जगच्चेष्टानि- यामकत्वात् तस्य गोचरे विषये यस्य शक्तिर्लक्ष्मीर्न वर्तते । स्वरूपाभिन्नत्वान् नित्यैव सा कालाधीना न भवतीत्यर्थः । अत एव तस्याः स्वरूपाभेदाच्छुद्धस्येत्युक्तम् । Śrīdhara Svāmi has also explained these verses: “Time, which is divided into kalā kāsthā, nimesa and so on, is like the cos- mic thread (sutra) that governs the functions of the cosmos, but the Lord’s potency, Laksmi, does not fall under its domain. This means that because She is nondifferent from the svarupa of the Lord, She never comes under the control of time. Therefore, being nondifferent from His [pure] svarupa, She is said to be the potency ‘of the pure’ (suddhasya). adha ननु यदि लक्ष्मीस्तत्स्वरूपाभिन्ना कथं तर्हि लक्ष्म्याः पतिरित्युच्यते । तत्राह - प्रोच्यत इति । परा चासौ मा च लक्ष्मीस्तस्या ईशः परमेशः । यः शुद्धः केवलोऽपि उपचारतो भेदविवक्षया प्रोच्यते । द्वितीयो यच्छब्दः प्रसिद्धौ इति । “Objection: ‘But if Lakṣmi is nondifferent from the svarupa of the Lord, why is He referred to as the husband of Lakṣmi?’ This is answered in the second verse, beginning with the word procyate. The word parama is a compound made up of para (transcenden- tal), and mā (the Goddess of Fortune), and it refers to Laksmi. Her controller (īśa) is Śrī Visnu ( parameśa). Although He is pure (sud- dha), meaning one without a second, He is figuratively called the husband of Lakṣmi in order to convey distinction. The second pronoun, yat (that which), is used to indicate that this is a well- known fact.” Here ends Sridhara Svāmī’s commentosadi एवमेवाभिप्रेत्य प्रार्थितं श्रीब्रह्मणा तृतीये (भा० ३।९।२३) ed no os har namin With this intention alone Śrī Brahma prayed in the Third Canto: एष प्रपन्नवरदो रमयात्मशक्त्या यद् यत् करिष्यति गृहीतगुणावतारः । तस्मिन् स्वविक्रममिदं सृजतोऽपि चेतो युञ्जीत कर्मशमलं च यथा विजह्याम् ॥ ५०२ ॥ इति । So that I may not be contaminated by my work, even as I cre- ate this universe, which is a display of His power, may the Lord, who fulfills the wishes of those who take refuge in Him, engage 1022 100 Lakṣmi Is the Lord’s Eternal Consort In my mind in the pastimes He performs, manifesting many virtues at od while appearing with His personal potency, Rama. (SB 3.9.23) blow अतो यत् तु (भा० ७।९।२) - Therefore, when it is stated in the description of Lord Nrsimha’s appearance that Lakṣmi had never seen or heard of such a form, it should be understood to be the result of bewilderment: a साक्षाच्छ्रीः प्रेषिता देवैर्दृष्ट्वा तं महदद्भुतम् । दृष्टाश्रुतपूर्वत्वात् सा नोपेयाय शङ्किता ॥ ५०३ ।। Whet bredend stil Lakṣmi was personally requested by the gods to approach the Lord. Seeing that most wondrous form, She dared not go near Him, since she had neither seen nor heard of anything like it before. (SB 7.9.2)” ni brindan इति श्रीनृसिंहप्रादुर्भूतावुक्तम् । तत्रादृष्टाश्रुतपूर्वत्वं सम्भ्रमादेव जातमित्यूह्यम् । तस्मात् साधु व्याख्यातम् “अनपायिनी भगवती” इत्यादि ॥ श्रीसूतः ॥ kimb bom RA eftibron 9 99 riguant nsvs emot lancers Consequently, the explanation of the anapayini bhagavati verse has been shown to be appropriate. saused sad oh nas broj add doidw Jady abrow Torito ni to sing anesm viles Commentary bro di 18 ansom i stol sale gridayns rolshed it asbleed atzixe adt gnidion si sred Eto bosdaud addiH tedy as oddswords f do IN THE PREVIOUS SECTION, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmī explained the inter- nal energy of Bhagavan and its various manifestations. The person- ification of His internal energy, or svarupa-sakti, is called Lakṣmi Devi. She always appears to the left side of the Lord, and is also rep- resented by a streak of golden hair, called Śrīvatsa, on that side of His chest. Because the Lord’s body is complete in itself, all the ener- gies that manifest externally also inhere in it. Just as one embraces one’s beloved to one’s chest, so Lakṣmi has Her place on the chest of the Lord, above His heart. cer 10 molair esa prapanna-varado ramayatma-śaktyä yad yat kariṣyati gṛhita-guṇāvatāraḥn tasmin sva-vikramam idam sṛjato’pi ceto yunjita karma-samalam ca yatha vijahyam sākṣāc chrīḥ preṣitā devair drṣṭvā tam mahad adbhutam adṛṣṭāśruta-pūrvatvāt sa nopeyāya sankita sā (bad so issa inclad tavan) 1023 TRO Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha 000 She accompanies the Lord whenever He appears in the material world. Thus, She is called anapayini (inseparable). According to the mood and pastime of Śrī Viṣņu, Lakṣmi takes a corresponding mood. Laksmi is different from Māyā, the external energy, who is too shy to appear before Him and so serves the Lord at a distance. The flower garland (vana-mala) on His body is a representation of Māyā, since it is external to the Lord’s body and thus indicates her external nature. An objection may here be raised: If Laksmi is the svarupa-sakti of Bhagavan and thus nondifferent from Him, how is it that the Lord is called Lakṣmi-pati, or the husband of Lakṣmi? The husband is dif- ferent from the wife. One cannot be the husband of one’s own self. Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi says that there is no actual difference. It is only figurative. Energy is subservient to the Energetic Source, just as a chaste wife is surrendered to the husband in Vedic culture. It is in this sense that the Lord is called the husband. As explained in the last anuccheda, Bhagavan’s energies also have personal forms, even though they are nondifferent from Him. We have energy, but it cannot exist as a person outside of ourselves. But the Lord can do that because He is omnipotent. The word suddha lit- erally means pure, or in other words, that which is unmixed with anything else. Here it means that the Lord is fully independent and there is nothing that exists besides Him. Therefore, when it is said that He is the husband of Lakṣmi, it is through the assumption of a difference, when in reality there is none. This is the philosophy of acintya-bheda-abheda. A further objection is raised: In the Seventh Canto, it is described how Hiranyakasipu tortured his saintly son, Prahlada. The Lord, appearing in an enraged and ferocious form as Nrsimha Deva, slayed Hiranyakasipu. Afterwards the gods were afraid to come before the Lord, so they requested Laksmi Devi to pacify Him. The verse (SB 7.9.2) cited in this anuccheda explains that Laksmi had never seen this form of the Lord before. If such is the case, how can it be said that Laksmi is the eternal consort of the Lord? In response, Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi says that adṛṣṭāśruta-pūrva (never before seen or heard) means that when Lakṣmi Devi saw 1024 100 Lakṣmi Is the Lord’s Eternal Consort the Lord in this most ferocious mood, She was nonplussed. In that perplexed state She thought that this was not Her Lord. Śrīla Viś- vanatha Cakravarti Thakura says that this was arranged by the lilä- sakti of the Lord so that Lakṣmi could taste adbhuta-rasa, or the aesthetic experience of the extraordinary. This means that Bhaga- vān’s līlā-śakti made Lakṣmi Devi feel as if She had never heard of or seen such a person and was thus awestruck. In the next anuccheda, Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī goes on to explain that contradictory characteristics are harmoniously sheltered in Bhaga- van’s body. For this reason, He can be understood only through the canons of the Vedic literature. त Shipy Jasy in sanerresort von ders show good yaw war i sad diaragada tedy bring glass and lodne basi ront/ttle bawobns all not lifteld hostalsamo Jaroty hentai albastrens boring Ens tresnow, aldevies Hngodile zil alroq bioelt die Beads Hanbi bus aiH at baby-le shaw royalf of rol on zu oft aquod benmatino Less to sale qulham to of legal at box sidiaivibo augimale side slidus bes (ming an Intimalnu ateslinem lud in budovode adgled nevez 1025 Tartalowylgir snd boom and pom bird nebyl ods lawa guodadev balirely beamwait page sandeeds ana Anuccheda 101 Bhagavan Can Be Known Only through the Vedas bada around १०१ । तदेवं सच्चिदानन्दैकरूपः स्वरूपभूताचिन्त्यविचित्रानन्तशक्तियुक्तो धर्मत्व एव धर्मित्वम् । निर्भेदत्व एव नानाभेदवत्त्वमरूपित्व एव रूपित्वम् । व्यापकत्व एव मध्य- मत्वं सत्यमेवेत्यादिपरस्परविरुद्धानन्तगुणनिधिः स्थूलसूक्ष्मविलक्षणस्वप्रकाशाखण्ड- स्वस्वरूपभूतश्रीविग्रहस् तथाभूतभगवदाख्यमुख्यैकविग्रहव्यञ्जिततादृशानन्तविग्रहस् तादृशस्वानुरूपस्वरूपशक्त्याविर्भावलक्षणलक्ष्मीरञ्जितवामांशः स्वप्रभाविशेषाकारप- रिच्छदपरिकरनिजधामसु विराजमानाकारः स्वरूपशक्तिविलासलक्षणाद्भुतगुणलीलादि- चमत्कारितात्मारामादिगणो निजसामान्यप्रकाशाकारब्रह्मतत्त्वो निजाश्रयैकजीवनजीवा- ख्यतटस्थशक्तिरनन्तप्रपञ्चव्यञ्जितस्वाभासशक्तिगुणो भगवानिति विद्वदुपलब्धार्थश- ब्दैर्व्यञ्जितम् । IN THIS WAY, through words that convey the experience of real- ized scholars, it has been clearly stated that Bhagavan has an eternal, conscious and blissful form. He is endowed with incon- ceivable, wonderful and unlimited energies that are intrinsic to His nature. Although He is these attributes, He is also in posses- sion of them; while having no divisions, He has various divisions; though He has no form, He has form; while all-pervading, He is of medium size. He is an ocean of such real, unlimited, mutu- ally opposing attributes. His divine form is distinct from gross and subtle objects, self-luminous, indivisible, and is integral to His essential nature. He has one primary divine form, called Bha- gavan, having the above characteristics, but manifests unlimited such forms. His left side is adorned by Laksmi, the manifestation of His personal potency, in a form corresponding to His. He exists 1026 101 Bhagavan Can Be Known Only through the Vedas in His various abodes with a form, dress, ornaments and asso- ciates, all of which are particular aspects of His own effulgence. He astonishes even the ātmārama sages with His extraordinary attributes, pastimes, and so on, all of which are manifestations of His svarupa-sakti. Brahman is His generic manifestation with- out attributes. He is the sole support and life of the intermediary potency called the jiva, and manifests unlimited universes by His external energy. तत्र तत्स्वभावं वस्त्वन्तरमपश्यतामविदुषामसम्भावना युक्तेति विविदिषून् श्रद्धापयि- तुं प्रक्रियते । तत्रैकेन श्लोकेन तस्याविदुषां ज्ञानागोचरत्वं किन्तु वेदैकवेद्यत्वमेवेत्याहुः ( भा० १०।८७।२४) - Those who have not awakened discrimination, and who are unable to recognize the nature of the Lord, which is distinct from matter, cannot entertain the possibility of the Lord’s existence. This is appropriate [for them]. But to instill faith in those who wish to know, this explanation about the Lord has been tendered. In a single verse, the Śrutis explain that the Lord is imperceptible to the non-discriminating, but can be known exclusively through Vedic knowledge: क इह नु वेद बतावरजन्मालयोऽग्रसरं यत उदगादृषिर्यमनु देवगणा उभये । तर्हि न सन् न चासदुभयं न च कालजवः किमपि न तत्र शास्त्रमवकृष्य शयीत यदा ॥ ५०४ ॥ bas Alas, how can the people in this world, who take birth and die after the creation, know You, the creator, who existed prior to everything and from whom appeared the seer [Brahmā], fol- lowed by both classes of gods [the controlling deities of both the microcosm (the living being) and the macrocosm (the cosmos)]? When You withdraw the scripture into Yourself and go to sleep, then nothing else remains, whether gross or subtle, or any com- bination of these two, nor is there any flux of time. (SB 10.87.24)1 1ka iha nu veda batāvara-janmālayo’gra-saraṁ yata udagad ṛṣir yam anu deva-gana ubhaye tarhi na san na casad ubhayaṁ na ca kala-javaḥ kim api na tatra sastram avakṛṣya sayīta yadā 1027 Śri Bhagavat Sandarbha Aveyar बत अहो हे भगवन् । इह जगति अग्रसरं पूर्वसिद्धं त्वाम् । अवरजन्मलयः अर्वाचीनोत्प- त्तिनाशवान् को नु पुमान् वेद जानाति । ईश्वरस्य पूर्वसिद्धावन्यस्य च अर्वाचीनत्वे कारणं वदन्त्यो ज्ञानकारणाभावमाहुः - यत उदगादिति । यतस्त्वत्त एव ऋषिर्ब्रह्मा उत्पन्नः । यं ब्रह्माणमनु उभये आध्यात्मिका आधिदैविका उत्पन्नाः । आध्यात्मिका अत्र व्यष्टिगता एव ज्ञेयाः । अतोऽर्वाचीनाः सर्वे । snag Hansad । Tar H Bata [is an expression of surprise], “O my Lord!” How can a per- son in this world, who has taken birth and will die in these present times, know You, who existed prior to everything, i.e., who was established before all this? Explaining the reason behind the Lord’s being primeval and the recentness of others, the Śrutis point to the lack of any means for acquiring knowl- edge [about Him] by saying, “ from whom appeared the seer, fol- lowed by both classes of gods.” From You alone, the seer (rși), i.e., Brahma, was born. And both the adhyatmika and adhidaivika gods come after Brahmā; ādhyātmika here should be understood as the gods who preside over the microcosm, or all the functions related to individual embodiment. Therefore, all created beings are of recent appearance. riguo ass and gna यदा तु भवान् शास्त्रं स्वविज्ञापकं वेदमवकृष्य वैकुण्ठ एवाकृष्य शयीत जगत्कार्यं प्रति दृष्टिं निमीलयति तर्हि तदा अनुशायिनां जीवानां ज्ञानसाधनं नास्ति । यतस्तदा न सत् स्थू- लमाकाशादि न चासत् सूक्ष्मं महदादि न चोभयं सदसद्भ्यामारब्धं शरीरम् । न च कालज- वस्तन्निमित्तभूतं कालवैषम्यम् । एवं सति तत्र तदा किमपि इन्द्रियप्राणाद्यपि न । When You withdraw the scriptures ( śāstra), namely the Vedas, which disclose You, retracting them into Vaikuntha, and go to sleep, i.e., when You withdraw Your vision from the material cre- ation, at that time the living beings, who sleep in response to Your cosmic sleep, have no means to acquire knowledge. This is so because at that time the gross elements, like the sky (sat), the subtle elements, like mahat (asat), the body, which is a product of both sat and asat, and their cause, the variety created by the flux of time (kāla-java), do not exist. This being so, at that time there are surely no senses, life-force and so on. अयमर्थः :- यदा सृष्टिसमये वेदप्रचारितं तादृशं भगवज्ज्ञानं तदार्वाक्सृष्टिगतत्वाद् देहाद्यु- पाधिकृतान्तरत्वात् कालकर्मवशेन मलिनसत्त्वात् तेषां तदवधारणे सामर्थ्यं नास्ति यदा तु 1028 101 Bhagavan Can Be Known Only through the Vedas तव प्रलयसमये न बह्वन्तरमस्ति तदापि तेषां वेदान्तर्धानमहातमोमयसुषुप्तिभ्यां साधना- भावान् न तवानुभवसामर्थ्यमिति । This is to be understood as follows: During the period of cre- ation the living beings do not have the capacity to ascertain the knowledge of Bhagavan promulgated by the Vedas for three prin- cipal reasons: first, because their attention is drawn towards the inferior material creation; secondly, because of the obstruction created by the limiting adjuncts, such as the body; and thirdly, because of impurities of the heart, arising from the influence of time and karma. On the other hand, although there are not many obstructions between You and the jivas at the time of total disso- lution, they do not have the ability to experience knowledge of Bhagavan even then, because of the absence of any means to do so, since the Vedas are unmanifest at that time and the living beings are absorbed in the deep sleep of great ignorance. तथा च श्रुतयः “न तं विदाथ य इमा जजानान्यद् युष्माकमन्तरं बभूव”। “यतो वाचो निवर्त- न्ते अप्राप्य मनसा सह” ( तै० २।४।१) । “को अद्धा वेद क इह प्रवोचत् कुत आजाता कुत इयं विसृष्टिः । अर्वाग् देवा अस्य विसर्जनेनाथा को वेद यत आबभूव” । ईश०४ — no band 976 In this regard, the following Śrutis are relevant: “You do not know Him, who created this world. That other is situated within You” (RV 10.82.17). “Words, along with the mind, turn away, being unable to reach Him” (TU 2.4.1). “Who really knows who spoke this knowledge? Who knows how, and from whom this creation appeared? The gods were born after the creation; therefore, who knows Him from whom it occurred” (RV 10.129.6)? Isa Upanisad says: अनेजदेकं मनसो जवीयो नेदं देवा आप्नुवन् पूर्वमर्षद् । तद्भावतोऽन्यानत्येति तिष्ठत् तस्मिन्नपो मातरिश्वा दधाति ।। ५०५ ।। 2 na tam vidatha ya imā jajananyad yuşmakam antaraṁ babhuva yato vaco nivartante apräpya manasa saha 697 4ko addha veda ka iha pravocat kuta äjätä kuta iyaṁ visṛstih arvāg devā asya visarjanenāthā ko veda yata ababhuva про 1029 and Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha o The One does not move, yet is more rapid than the mind. Previ- ously, the gods were unable to understand Him, for He had gone or before them. Though standing still, He surpasses all those who run. Vayu offers the actions of living beings to Him. (ISA 4)5 id ton ob agaiad gaivil ads “न चक्षुर्न श्रोत्रं न तर्को न स्मृतिर्वेदो ह्येवैनं वेदयति” इत्याद्याः ॥ श्रुतयः श्रीभगवन्तम् ॥ Or, “The Vedas alone describe Him. He cannot be known through the eyes, ears, logic or the memory.” Many more such verses can be found. Commentary 36 gbstwohesus send villide 901 vend pun ob vådt moltul IN THIS AND THE NEXT SECTION, Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmi concludes Bha- gavat Sandarbha. There are specific processes to acquire different types of knowledge. Bhagavan, or the Absolute Reality, can be understood only through the medium of the revealed scriptures. This is because He is beyond the scope of material sense perception (adhokṣaja). The senses are made of matter, and thus they can per- ceive only matter. The other means of acquiring knowledge, such as inference, are based on direct perception and thus also have the same limitation. 9111 Moreover, Bhagavan is pratyag-ätmä, or self-illuminating like the sun. The sun is seen by the power of its own light as well as by the eye, which is presided over by the sun-god. This means that human beings cannot independently see the sun. The sun reveals itself by its own magnificence. If one desires to see the sun at night, he will be baffled. Although the sun is the source of light in the universe, it is also the cause of darkness. This offers us a glimpse of how the Lord can accommodate contradictory characteristics. This is why He can be understood only through the Vedas, which are His words. He can- not be understood by any amount of logic or empirical research. For more details on this subject, readers are advised to refer to Tattva Sandarbha, Anucchedas 9-11. 5 anejad ekam manaso javiyo nedam deva äpnuvan purvam arşad 6 tad-dhavato’nyan atyeti tisthat tasminn apo matariśvā dadhāti na cakṣur na śrotram na tarko na smrtir vedo hy evainam vedayati on 1030101 Bhagavan Can Be Known Only through the Vedas The Lord is the source of everything, thus it is not possible for anyone to know Him. The Lord Himself told Arjuna: Neither the gods nor the sages know My origin, for, in every respect, I am the source of the gods and sages. (GĪTĀ 10.2)” If a child wants to know about the childhood activities of his father, he cannot use the process of direct perception. Past and future events cannot be perceived directly. Similarly, no one can know the source of the Lord, who is the origin of everyone. More- over, He has no source, so how could anyone know it? The Lord’s actions, although eternally existent, cannot be understood by a com- mon person because they are beyond the approach of the material senses. As we have already seen above, this was the subject dealt ove, this with by the Śrutis in their prayers. Although the Vedic knowledge is available during the period of creation, the living beings are not in a pure state. They are cov- ered by the subtle and gross bodies, which create a distance between them and the Lord and disqualify them from knowing Him. More- over, the Lord creates, and after creating disappears; therefore, the jīvas cannot see Him. If someone suggests that the jivas should be able to see the Lord during the period of dissolution, because at that time they are not obstructed by the subtle and gross bodies, the Śrutis reply that at that time they do not have the means to acquire knowledge, namely, the senses and the Vedas. But this does not mean that no one can access knowledge of the Lord. One is imbued with knowledge of the Lord through pure devotion. This will be described in the last anuccheda. “na me viduḥ sura-gaṇaḥ prabhavam na maharsayah (a) window s aham adir hi devānāṁ mahaṛṣīnam ca sarvaśaḥ 1031 Tolidity on abtient grows le spune ardal bod T bespo freds wowy die gadarju blod alsamik falsall mild wint at snovn They Anuccheda 102 boodbids adi rode with of atreve birds pai Bhagavan Can Be Realized through Devotion Alone povas to igizo ora biol 102.1 Svods १०२ । अथ तत्पूर्वकं विदुषां भक्त्यैव साक्षादनुभवनीयत्वमाह त्रिभिः (भा० ९।८।२२) – AMSUMAN STATES IN THREE VERSES that those of highly refined discrimination, having become acquainted with theoretical knowledge of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, experience Him directly exclusively through the cultivation of devotion: ITAD bo न पश्यति त्वां परमात्मनोऽजनो न बुध्यतेऽद्यापि समाधियुक्तिभिः । तोऽपरे तस्य मनःशरीरधीविसर्गसृष्टा वयमप्रकाशाः ।। ५०६ ।। Even to this day, the unborn [Brahma] is unable to see or under-do stand you, who are beyond the self, either through samadhi or reasoning. How then could other living beings, who have evolved from his mind, body and intellect, do so, or even we, who have no illumination? (SB 9.8.22) अजनोऽजो ब्रह्मापि त्वामद्यापि न पश्यति न च बुध्यते । कथम्भूतम् ? आत्मनः परं प्रत्य- ग्रूपम् । कैर्हेतुभिरपि न बुध्यते न पश्यति च ? समाधियुक्तिभिः ब्रह्मसमाधिनाप्यपरोक्षं न पश्यति । युक्तिभिः परोक्षमपि न सम्यग् बुध्यत इत्यर्थः । अपरेऽर्वाचीनास्तु कुतस्त्वां पश्येयुर्बुध्येरन् वा । अर्वाचीनत्वे हेतुः – तस्य ब्रह्मणः । मनश्च शरीरं च धीश्च ताभिः सत्त्व- तमोरजःकार्यभूताभिर्विविधा ये देवतिर्यङ्नराणां सर्गास्तेषु सृष्टाः । तत्रापि वयमप्रकाशा अज्ञाः कुतः पश्येम इत्यर्थः । The unborn (ajana) Brahmā neither sees nor comprehends You even to this day. So then, what kind of being are You? You are the 1032 102 Bhagavan Can Be Realized through Devotion Alone one who is beyond the [individual] self, namely the indwelling Paramātmā. And Brahma is unable to know You or see You even by which means? Even by trance (samadhi) or by logic (yukti). This means that He is unable to see You directly, even by absorp- tion in trance on Brahman, nor is he able to understand You completely, even just indirectly, through reasoning. Then how can those of recent appearance see or know You? The reason for their being of recent appearance is that they are created by Brahma’s mind, body and intelligence, which are products of the gunas of translucence, dynamism and inertia, and appear in var- ious species, such as gods, subhumans and humans. Moreover, how can we, who have no illumination, i.e., who are devoid of knowledge, see You? This is the import of the verse. Commentary ALTHOUGH BHAGAVAN is described in Vedic literature, only a devo- tee can understand Him. Devotion is the key to realization of the Vedic knowledge. Any attempt to understand the Lord without pure devotion is like licking the outside of a honey jar. In this anuccheda, Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī cites three verses from the prayers Amśuman offered to Śrī Kapila. Amśuman was a grandson of King Sagara, who once performed a horse sacrifice. Indra stole the horse and tethered it in Śrī Kapila’s asrama. When the sons of Sagara found the horse, they took Kapila to be a thief posing as a yogi and insulted Him as he sat in meditation. When Kapiladeva opened His eyes, the princes were burnt to ashes. Later on, Amśuman traced out his lost uncles and came to understand the true glory of Śrī Kapila. He offered prayers to appease the Lord, in which he mentions that even Śrī Brahma, the first being in the universe, cannot see Him, what to speak of those who have come after Brahmājī. An evolutionist may claim that people evolved and developed better senses, but their theory is not supported by the Vedas. Śrī Brahma is the creator, and if he does not have the ability to see the Lord, then how can those he created have such ability? 1033 Suns Śri Bhagavat Sandarbha pada p 102.2 wbni ada qisman se subivibri ad booyed si odw sno mere 5 way 592 10 Boy word of sidsan al den hot अपरे तर्हि किं न पश्यन्ति ? तत्राह ( भा० ९ ८ | २३) dandaiw -groada yd stih uoY 55% of sidamu ai shed: ensom air Do any others see Him then? In response, Amśuman says: i o adt gainoase dgnouit wod ये देहभाजस्त्रिगुणप्रधाना गुणान् विपश्यन्त्युत वा तमश्च यन् मायया मोहितचेतसस्त्वां विदुः स्वसंस्थं न बहिःप्रकाशाः || ५०७ ॥ ad bong as doidw songilletai bus vbod brbn am The embodied beings, being dominated by the three gunas, and whose intellect is bewildered by Your maya, perceive only the material objects made of those gunas or sometimes nothing other than darkness. They are unable to see You, situated in their hearts, because they see only the external world. (SB 9.8.23)1 ये देहभाजस्ते स्वस्मिन् सम्यक् स्थितमपि त्वां न विदुः किन्तु गुणानेव विपश्यन्ति । कदाचिच् च केवलं तम एव विपश्यन्ति । यतस्त्रिगुणा बुद्धिरेव प्रधानं येषां बुद्धिपरतन्त्रतया जाग्रत्स्वप्नयोर्विषयान् पश्यन्ति सुषुप्तौ तु तम एव न तु वस्तुतो निर्गुणानां सर्वेषामात्मना- मात्मभूतं त्वाम् । सर्वत्र हेतुः - यत् यतो मायया यस्य तव मायया वा मोहितं चेतो येषां ते । lwend Although You are fully situated within them, the embodied beings do not know You. They see only the gunas, or in other words, the external objects made of the gunas, and sometimes they see nothing other than darkness. This means that when operating predominantly under the influence of the intelligence (buddhi), which is formed of the three gunas, they can see only the objects of the waking and dream states, because they are depen- dent on this buddhi. In deep sleep, however, [when buddhi is non-operational] they see only ignorance [and not the products of the gunas]. [This absence of buddhi in deep sleep, however, does not mean that what is perceived is the nirguna state]. In truth, they do not see You, who are the Self of all selves and free from the three gunas. The reason for all of this is that their consciousness is bewildered by Your māyā. 1 ye deha-bhājas tri-guna-pradhānā guṇān vipasyanty uta vā tamaś ca yan mayaya mohita-cetasas tvaṁ viduḥ sva-samstham na bahiḥ-prakāśāḥ 1034 102 Bhagavan Can Be Realized through Devotion Alone Commentary In the previous verse it was said that even Brahma is unable to see or understand Bhagavän. Now the question is, can anyone else see Him then? Here too the answer is no. The senses are products of the mate- rial elements. Of all the elements, the mahat-tattva, which is con- sidered the cosmic intelligence, is supreme. According to Śrī Kṛṣṇa (SB 11.13.27), the states of wakefulness, dreaming and deep sleep are manifested by the intelligence (buddhi) under the influence of sat- tva, rajas and tamas. Intelligence, however, perceives objects only in the waking and dreaming states. It cannot perceive anything dur- ing deep sleep (suşupti). Then how can it perceive Bhagavan, who is beyond the turīya state, or the fourth dimension of consciousness, known as Brahman? 102.3 to zanup srls vd bere तथापि त्वं विचारेण ज्ञास्यसीति चेन् मैवम् । यतो नास्मद्विधानां ज्ञानगोचरस्त्वम् । किन्तु भक्तानामेवेत्याह (भा० ९१८१२४ ) - Even then, if the Lord says, “You will know Me through delibera- tion,” we reply, “Not so.” You are not accessible to the knowledge- acquiring faculty of people like us, but only to devotees. To express this, Amśuman said: d A buzangra vd bos तं त्वामहं ज्ञानघनं स्वभावप्रध्वस्तमायागुणभेदमोहैः । सनन्दनाद्यैर्हृदि संविभाव्यं कथं विमूढः परिभावयामि ॥ ५०८ || bidw O my Lord, how can I, an ignorant person, conceive of You, who are the embodiment of condensed awareness, and can be contemplated in the heart only by sages, such as the four Kuma- ras [Sanat, Sanaka, Sanandana and Sanatana], who have cast off the illusion of duality generated by the three gunas of material nature, through establishment in the self [or through Your own devotion]? (SB 9.8.24)2 2 taṁ tvām ahaṁ jñāna-ghanaṁ svabhāva-pradhvasta-māyā-guṇa-bheda-mohaiḥ WO sanandanadyair hṛdi samvibhavyam katham vimüḍhaḥ paribhavayami Tavs at th 1035 annotave Śrī Bhagavat Sandarbha | तं नानाश्चर्यवृत्तिकपरशक्तिनिधानं त्वां कथं परिभावयामि । किं स्वरूपम् ? ज्ञानघनं सत्य- ज्ञानानन्तानन्दैकरसमूर्तिम् । अत एव “अनिर्देश्यवपुः” इति सहस्रनामस्तोत्रे । अयं भावः - ज्ञानघनत्वान् न तावत् ज्ञानविषयस्त्वम् । विचारविषयत्वेऽपि मायागुणैरभिभूतोऽहं न विचारे समर्थ इति । How can I conceive of You, who are the abode of innumerable transcendental potencies, which are replete with extraordinary functional capacities? What is Your nature? You are condensed awareness (jñāna-ghana), which is to say that Your form is the personification of eternality, consciousness and unlimited bliss. Therefore, in the Sahasra-nama-stotra You are called anirdesya- vapu, or one whose body cannot be defined. The sense is this: Because Your form is constituted entirely of consciousness, You cannot be the object of consciousness, and even if You could be understood through deliberation, I am unable to think of You because I am overpowered by the guņas of māyā. ननु तर्हि मम तथाविधत्वे किं प्रमाणम् ? The Lord raises an objection, “But then what is the proof that I am actually like that?” (8F131201) (8F13 तत्राह – स्वेन त्वदीयेन भावेन भक्त्या स्वस्यात्मनो भावेनाविर्भावेनैव वा प्रध्वस्ता माया- गुणप्रकारकृतमोहो येभ्यस्तैः सनन्दनाद्यैर्भगवत्तत्त्वविद्भिर्मुनिभिर्विभाव्यं विचार्यं साक्षाद- नुभवनीयं चेत्यर्थः । [Arśumān answers: ] “You are meditated upon and directly real- ized by sages, such as Sanandana and others, who know the reality of Bhagavan and have shattered the delusion created by the divisions generated out of the gunas of nature. They have cast off this delusion through sva-bhāva, which means either through Your (sva) devotion (bhāva), or through awareness of, or establishment (bhāva) in the self” (sva). तस्मादुलूकैः प्रकाशगुणकत्वेनासम्मतेऽपि रवौ यथान्यैरुपलभ्यमानतद्गुणकत्वमस्त्येव तथार्वाग्दृष्टिभिरसम्भाव्यमानमपि त्वयि तद्गुणकत्वं त्वद्भक्तविद्वत्प्रत्यक्षसिद्धमस्त्येवेति भावः । monemmaildbias Now Sin Owls may not accept that the sun has the attribute of light, but it is everyone else’s experience that it does. Similarly, ordinary 1036 102 Bhagavan Can Be Realized through Devotion Alone people of modern vision may not accept that You have various extraordinary attributes, but it is the direct experience of Your realized devotees that You do. तथा च श्रुतिः (कठ २।१।१ ) - lay fin The Śruti confirms this, such as: S 19bro Isyor Isar पराञ्चि खानि व्यतृणत् स्वयम्भू स्तस्मात्पराङ्पश्यति नान्तरात्मन् । कश्चिद्धीरः प्रत्यगात्मानमैक्षदावृत्तचक्षुरमृतत्वमिच्छन् || ५०९ || इत्याद्याः । nddrab The self-born Supreme Lord created the senses to perceive exter- nal objects, and therefore, one sees them and not the indwelling Self. Only a sober person, desiring liberation, turns his vision inwards and sees the indwelling Self. (KU 2.1.1)3 “भक्तिरेवैनं नयति भक्तिरेवैनं दर्शयति भक्तिवशः पुरुषः भक्तिरेव भूयसी” । कठ १।२।२३- And again: “Only bhakti leads to Him. Only bhakti reveals Him. The Supreme Lord is controlled by bhakti. Bhakti is the only potent means” (Mathara-śruti). And also in Katha Upanisad: втих नायमात्मा प्रवचनेन लभ्यो न मेधया न बहुना श्रुतेन । यमेवैष वृणुते तेन लभ्यस्तस्यैष आत्मा विवृणुते तनूं स्वाम् ॥ ५१० ॥ इत्याद्याच ॥ The Supreme Lord is not attained through study, nor through the intellect, nor through hearing many scriptures. Only he whom the Lord chooses attains Him. Unto him, the Lord reveals Himself. (KU 1.2.23)shits g tanno to song et yd bevisneg sd अंशुमान् श्रीकपिलदेवम् ॥ विवृतौ ब्रह्मभगवन्तौ ॥ In this way Brahman and Bhagavan have been described. 3 5 parāñci khāni vyatṛṇat svayambhu stasmātparānpaśyati nāntarātman kaściddhiraḥ pratyagātmānamaikṣa dāvṛttacakṣuramṛtatvamicchan bhaktir evainam nayati bhaktir evainam darśayati bhakti-vaśaḥ puruṣaḥ bhaktir eva bhūyasian atuh yam evaișa vṛnute tena labhyaḥ tasyaiṣa ātmā vivṛṇute tanum svām 1037 Śri Bhagavat Sandarbhadhe इति कलियुगपावनस्वभजनविभजनप्रयोजनावतारश्रीश्रीभगवत् कृष्णचैतन्यदेवचरणानु- चरविश्ववैष्णवराजसभासभाजनभाजनश्रीरूपसनातनानुशासनभारतीगर्भे षट्सन्दर्भना- मके श्रीश्रीभागवतसन्दर्भे श्रीश्रीभगवत्सन्दर्भो नाम द्वितीयः सन्दर्भः ॥ ७ Thus ends Bhagavat Sandarbha, second volume of Bhāgavata San- darbha called Sat Sandarbha, which is written according to the instructions of Śrīla Rūpa and Śrīla Sanatana, who are revered members of the universal royal order of Vaisnavas. They are unalloyed servants of the lotus feet of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the purifier of the jivas in Kaliyuga, who descended to distribute the benediction of His own service. श्रीभागवतसन्दर्भे सर्वसन्दर्भगर्भगे । भगवत्सन्दर्भनामा सन्दर्भोऽभूद् द्वितीयकः ॥ 12 grillow This Sandarbha, called Bhagavat Sandarbha, is the second among the Sandarbhas called Sri Bhagavata Sandarbha. TH Blased vino mill of rosel in Vina or a Intala समाप्तोऽयं श्रीश्रीभगवत्सन्दर्भः ॥ anton al oala al oals baA (2 HERE ENDS BHAGAVAT SANDARBHA. Commentary241 amerique bar Śrī Brahmā designed the senses in such a way that they perceive only outwardly - they cannot perceive the individual self or the Supreme Self within, even during the waking and dreaming states. The Supreme Self can, however, be perceived by the grace of bhakti, which is the Lord’s internal potency. Śrī Kṛṣṇa asserts this: “Only through pure devotion coupled with faith can I be understood and realized” (SB 11.14.21). Just as one can smell only through the nose and hear only through the ear, one can see the Lord only through bhakti. The devotees who have shattered their illusion by the grace of the Lord can see the Lord within and without - premañjana-cchurita bhakti vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeşu vilokayanti. 6 bhaktyäham ekaya grahyaḥ śraddhayātmā priyaḥ satām 1038 102 Bhagavan Can Be Realized through Devotion Alone Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi compares the atheist to an owl. An owl abhors the sun and does not open its eyes during the day. Though the owl may deny the sun’s existence, human beings would have no regard for its point of view. Similarly, atheists keep their eyes turned away from the Lord and foolishly declare that there is no God, or that God is dead. However loudly such people may rail against God’s exis- tence, the devotees, who relish rendering service to the Lord, pay no attention to their foolish entreaties. Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmi concludes by citing a verse from Katha Upanisad, which declares that only those who are blessed by the Lord can understand Him. This is also his hidden blessing for the faithful reader. Here the reader receives the Lord’s (or the author’s) bless- ings, so he or she can understand the analysis of Absolute Reality presented in Bhagavat Sandarbha and thus cross the ocean of mis- eries. Śrī Brahma spoke a similar verse while instructing Narada about the Lord’s various avataras: Only those to whom the Infinite Lord has bestowed His grace, who have taken refuge in His feet with their whole being, without any vested interest, are able to cross His māyā, which is very difficult to transcend, and not those who identify themselves with the body, which is food for dogs and jackals, or who think of it as their own. (SB 2.7.42)” Therefore, to realize the Absolute and make one’s human life suc- cessful, one should take to devotional service. A detailed analysis of devotional service will be presented in the fifth volume of the Sandarbhas- Bhakti Sandarbha. śri-gurormukhābjac chrutvā śrī-haridāsa-śāstriṇaḥ yatha-mati kṛtā tīkā satām eṣā prasīdatām kārttikasya pūrṇimāyāṁ mahāprabhor vrajotsave sünye bane randhre netre țikeyam pūrṇatām gata END OF JIVA-TOȘANI COMMENTARY. yeṣām sa esa bhagavan dayayed anantaḥ sarvātmanāśrita-pado yadi nirvyalikam te dustarām atitaranti ca deva-mayam naiṣāṁ mamāham iti dhiḥ śva-śṛgala-bhakṣye 1039 ReferencesEditors’ Notes EACH ANUCCHEDA of Bhagavat Sandarbha with commentary is pre- sented as a chapter. If an anuccheda has more than one main verse, each verse has usually been placed in a separate section within the chapter. The numbering of anucchedas follows the edition of Śrī Haridāsa Śāstrī. The numbering of verses from Śrimad Bhagavatam and Bhagavad Gitā follows the edition of Gita Press. The numbering of verses from Mahabharata and Padma Purāṇa follows the edition of Nag Publishers. Within the Sanskrit text, sandhi is sometimes broken into com- pound words, e.g., sat-cit-ananda instead of saccidananda, or acintya- bheda-abheda instead of acintya-bhedabheda. 1043 To madeaf sulford, aby sa amb el Las navignila alf to yks The Language of Transcendence - Key Terms and Concepts by Navadvip Das (Bruce Martin) IN THE WORK OF TRANSLATING THE SANDARBHAS, careful atten- tion has been given to the language used to convey specific terms and concepts. The emphasis has been on maintaining consistency with the overall theme of the work and, in particular, with the spe- cific vision developed by Śrī Jiva Gosvāmi. The Ṣat Sandarbha, also known as Bhāgavata Sandarbha, is no ordinary exposition of theism, for it defines Bhagavan in terms of nondual consciousness (advaya- jñāna). By so doing, it opens the field of investigation of nondual real- ity to new insights, and so creates a basis for interface with other wisdom schools, as well as with the fields of transpersonal psychol- ogy, transcendental phenomenology, and the leading edge of quan- tum physics, cosmology and consciousness studies. Jīva Gosvāmi’s treatise certainly took into account the most important philosoph- ical views of his day, and there is much in his writing that can be of great value to modern fields of knowledge as well. So the lan- guage used in translating his work has been chosen to facilitate such correspondence. Beimin abrowbeastgxgisd To assist the reader we have supplied below an explanation of key terms that appear throughout the text so that the underlying mean- ing that has informed them can be clearly understood. In this regard, three terms in particular require special attention so that their sense may be correctly understood by the reader: “nondual devotion” as a translation (in select passages) for uttama-bhakti, the “Nondual Personal Absolute” and the “Complete Whole” as translations for 1045 References Bhagavan, and “Radical Nondualism” for the Absolute Idealism of Sankara’s Advaita Vedānta. In going through this vital introduction to the language of the Sandarbhas, we hope you will discover that this is not merely a glos- sary of terms, but an interconnected framework of revelatory con- cepts. With this in mind, the selection begins with acintya, the trans-rational, because it contains a discussion of sabdyate, how the Absolute is describable in words. ACINTYA (TRANS-RATIONAL) This term refers to that which is beyond conventional logic or reason, yet not altogether inexpress- ible through language and thought. The Nondual Absolute is not alto- gether inconceivable because it can be conceived, but only through trans-rational logic. Śrīdhara Svāmī as well as Jiva Gosvāmī define it is tarka-asaham - beyond the range of conventional or linear logic. Just as there exist higher order laws operating within the quantum domain that don’t conform to mechanistic science, so also there are higher order dynamics existing within the transpersonal domain that surpass conventional logic. It is these trans-rational dynam- ics that make possible transcendent variety and distinction within the nondual whole while still preserving perfectly intact its nondual nature. So although acintya literally means beyond thought or incon- ceivable, it actually points to the realm of trans-conventional being, which is nonetheless describable in words. The transpersonal reality is, of course, beyond mind and thought and is incapable of being grasped merely by mental striving; yet being of the nature of self-luminosity, or self-revelation, it can nonetheless disclose itself even through thought and language. So acintya, rendered as inconceivable, does not imply incapability of being expressed in words. Bearing this in mind, acintya should not be equated with Sankara’s notion of anirvacaniya, or inexpressibil- ity through words. If Brahman is no more than unqualified being, devoid of characteristics or potencies, then nothing more can be said about it, because any description would ultimately be an imposition of a thought construct upon inscrutable reality. [nIf, however, as the Bhagavata maintains, the Absolute is replete with unlimited potency, then unlimited words, which are themselves 1046 The Language of Transcendence - Key Terms and Concepts potencies emanating from that source, can appropriately describe that Reality. This is exactly the point that Jiva Gosvāmī makes in Bha- gavat Sandarbha (Anuccheda 87). The Vedas are transhuman words emanating from the divine source that accurately depict its true inherent nature, because the Vedas are infused with the self-revela- tory power of the intrinsic potency. Jiva goes a step further by saying that even human speech that is similarly infused with the intrinsic potency and thus in correspondence with the divine source can also describe the Absolute. This is the final purpose for which the intel- lect, mind and senses were created in the first place. In the words of the Bhagavata (10.87.2), these material instruments were created “ultimately to transcend the act of filtering experience through the screen of prior assumptions (akalpanaya), or in other words, for liberation.” So in answer to the question, “how can thought and lan- guage describe the Absolute?” it can simply be said, “because they were created specifically to do so.” MASAS Hence, the word sabdyate, “describable in words,” is used in ref- erence to the Nondual Absolute, mentioned in the Bhāgavata’s sem- inal verse (1.2.11). It is for this reason that the knowers of truth (tattva-vit) refer to it as Brahman, Paramātmā and Bhagavan. It is in this light too that Śrī Jiva defines acintya as śāstraika-gamyatvam- that which is knowable only through the revealed word of God or of realized devotees. He did not conclude it to be ineffable. quivil STE BRAHMAN (THE UNQUALIFIED ABSOLUTE) This refers to the Nondual Absolute (advaya-jñāna), devoid of all distinctions, such as names, forms, qualities and action, and hence devoid of inher- ent potency (svarupa-śakti). Such distinctions (bheda) are perceived through conventional logic to be limiting adjuncts (upadhis) that would confine the Absolute, leading to the inevitable dualism of subject and object (i.e., the name is different from the named and potency different from ’the potent’). Thus Brahman is sometimes conceived as that which remains upon negation of the sum total of the phenomenal. Such conventional logic, of course, presupposes all distinction as ‘phenomenal distinction.’ It cannot at all account even for the possibility of trans-phenomenal distinction (acintya bheda) because 1047 eneral Lines References that is necessarily beyond the predetermined range of its own inves- tigative validity. It cannot make any claims whatsoever in regard to possibilities lying beyond this limit. So, in effect, all that can be definitely concluded by this method is that for the Absolute to be nondual, it cannot have material names, material forms and so on. If there are such things as trans-phenomenal names, forms, qual- ities, action and personhood that are inherently nondual, or that exist as inherent potencies of the Nondual Absolute, an altogether different method and logic, trans-rational in nature, is required to apprehend them. Hence, to be precise Brahman is not so much the Absolute devoid of all distinction as the indistinct vision of the Abso- lute. In other words, it is the indistinct view of Reality as disclosed by the path of jñāna. It is not the distinct view of Reality inclusive of a trans-phenomenal interiority, as disclosed by the path of nondual devotion (see uttama bhakti and svarupa-sakti below). PARAMĀTMĀ (THE SUPREME INDWELLING SELF OR, SIMPLY, THE SUPREME SELF) This refers to the immanent feature of the Absolute, pervading the cosmos and the individual living beings as the Supreme witness, internal guide and regulator. Paramātmā is the Supreme Self of all individual selves (ātmā), and so He may also be referred to as the Supreme Immanent or the Supreme Immanent Self. Though Paramātmā remains uninvolved with prakṛti and the living beings as impartial witness, He is, nonetheless, their origi- nator and the facilitator of their operations. As such He is Ïśvara, the Supreme Controller, Master, Source and Foundation. Yet Param- ātmā should not be equated with ’the Creator God’ because primor- dial nature and the living beings are His eternal potencies. Hence, Paramātmā is the Nondual Absolute in His feature of immanence. In contrast with Brahman, Paramātmā is replete with trans- phenomenal distinction, including name, form, qualities, action and personhood, all of which are inherent in Him. While yet non- different from Bhagavan, He is but a portion of a portion of the original Complete Person (Svayam Bhagavan). So while He Himself in His own self-effulgent nature is fully transcendent, His sphere of influence is tied to the perpetual play of creation, known as sṛṣṭi- lilă. Thus He does not manifest the full extension of transcendental 1048 The Language of Transcendence - Key Terms and Concepts variegatedness as in the case of Bhagavan. So Paramātmā is Bhaga- van with the limited role of sheltering the modifications of prakṛti and the jivas who are involved with her. Uses hab se sables ида BHAGAVAN (THE NONDUAL PERSONAL ABSOLUTE) Etymolog- ically, the word bhagavan is composed of bhaga + vat, endowed with or encompassing all opulence (bhaga). That which encompasses everything is the Complete Whole, implying that it includes and yet transcends everything. Bhagavan may also be rendered as the Complete Person (Pūrṇa Puruṣa) when emphasizing that the Com- plete Whole is inherently personal in nature. The former term may be more appropriate, or universally applicable, when stressing sim- ply Bhagavan’s general characteristic of all-inclusivity. In the most generic sense Bhagavan may be referred to simply as the Supreme Person or the Supreme Being. When speaking of the Absolute as nondual awareness (advaya- jñāna) and Bhagavan as the complete distinct vision of nondual awareness, it may be appropriate to refer to Bhagavan as the Non- dual Personal Absolute in keeping with the context. In contrast with Brahman, Bhagavan is the distinct vision of the Nondual Absolute, inherently self-endowed with intrinsic potency (svarupa-śakti), and hence eternally replete with transcendental name, form, qualities, action and personhood. As discussed above, though all of these dis- tinct characteristics inhere in Him, He is yet one and nondual in nature, which is made possible through His unprecedented trans- rational power (acintya-sakti). So the metaphysical system that depicts this state of being is known as acintya-bheda-abheda. In con- trast with Paramātmā, who is but a portion of the Complete Whole, Bhagavan’s variegatedness is entirely beyond the realm of creation, being exclusively the play of divinity, known as divya-lilā. Hence, Bhagavan may be understood as the Nondual Absolute in His feature of supreme transcendence.sbtopi kiadto The Nondual Personal Absolute, Bhagavan, is not just the Com- plete Whole, but an integrated whole. He is not whole because of being devoid of distinct parts that might otherwise contradict His undifferentiated unity. Rather, He is inherently inclusive of varieties of distinct energies as their supreme source and refuge. 1049 grand lineare References! These energies have no existence apart from Bhagavan and thus in this sense are nondifferent from Him. Yet, while these energies exist as distinct aspects of His inherent nature, He is more than the sum total of them. He thus includes and yet transcends them. He is therefore an integrated whole having individual parts that are distinct from, and yet one with, Him. There is nothing which exists independent of Bhagavan.mlow stafquot THE JIVA (THE INDIVIDUAL LIVING BEING) This refers to the conscious self (ātmā) as qualified by the intellect (buddhi), ego (ahankara), the mind (manas), the senses and the physical body. In this sense the jiva is known as the embodied self or the empirical self. Yet, the jiva’s individual selfhood (i.e., its supra-empirical selfhood rooted in the very identity of the ātmā) is not a product of mere illu- sion that vanishes on the awakening of its identity with Brahman. Though the jiva is one in identity with Brahman, this does not signify absolute non-distinction as advocated by Sankara. The jiva is in fact a conscious part of Paramātmā. By this it is not meant that the jiva is a broken-off part but an integrated part of the Complete Whole. S70 The jiva eternally partakes of identity with Paramātmā and can never be ontologically separated from Paramātmā, even in the so- called state of bondage. The jiva, as conscious or integrated part (cid-amsa), is never truly bound. The jiva, however, is sometimes referred to as vibhinnāmsa, a separated part. This separation is purely psychological, owing to beginningless ignorance. Even in this state of psychological or self-imposed bondage, the jiva is no other than an integrated part of the integrated whole. This is due to the fact that the jiva is an eternal distinct potency of Paramātmā known as taṭastha-sakti, the intermediary potency. It is so-called because it belongs neither to the intrinsic spiritual potency (svarupa- śakti) nor to the extrinsic material potency (māyā-śakti), but can be influenced by both. So the jiva is eternally distinct from and yet one with Paramātmā, by virtue of the trans-rational potency (acintya- śakti) of the one Nondual Absolute. UTTAMA BHAKTI (PURE OR UNALLOYED DEVOTION) First of all, because the entire discussion of Bhagavata Sandarbha proceeds on the basis of the definition of Ultimate Reality as nondual 1050 The Language of Transcendence - Key Terms and Concepts consciousness (advaya-jñāna), and because Bhagavan is shown to be nondual consciousness in its highest completion, it seems only appropriate to consider bhakti, which is the means of realizing the Nondual Personal Whole, Bhagavan, as being of the nature of nondu- ality. In light of this consideration, nondual devotion does not refer to devotion merely as a means of realizing the unqualified Nondual Absolute (i.e., Brahman). Such a notion would be more appropri- ately rendered as devotional nonduality, wherein nonduality is the subject and devotion merely a qualifier. Rather, nondual devotion is meant in the sense of the inherent potency of the complete Nondual Absolute, Bhagavan, which reveals Him as the unity that upholds all distinction. It is the devotion opened to when all separative and dualistic self-concepts operating under the influence of the gunas have been transcended. The purity of uttama bhakti signifies that it is altogether beyond the influence of the gunas of primordial nature, and thus it is also known as nirguna bhakti (see the discussion that follows below). DEVOTION MIXED WITH THE GUNAS (DUALISTIC DEVOTION) Correspondingly, if nondual devotion is the means that discloses the Nondual Absolute as Bhagavan, then devotion mixed with the gunas must necessarily be dualistic in nature. This is exactly what Kapiladeva states in the Bhagavata (3.29.8-10). He uses the terms bhinna-drg-bhava (of separatist vision) and pṛthak-bhava (a sepa- ratist) to describe the performers of devotion mixed with any one of the three gunas. In Bhakti Sandarbha, after the description of äropa-siddha bhakti (attributive devotion) and sanga-siddha bhakti (associative devotion), there follows the explanation of uttama bhakti (i.e., svarupa-siddha bhakti). But the delineation of uttama bhakti proper is preceded by a discussion of bhakti in the gunas, which is marked by these three types of separatist or dualistic visions. The key point is that the performer is still rooted in dual- ism, considering him or herself separate from Bhagavan. Sadhana is thus performed with this dualistic mentality, as a means only to an end and therefore causal in nature, rather than as an end unto itself, acausal in nature, as immediate and present connection with Bhagavan, here and now. daduchovel, among 1051 References NIRGUNA BHAKTI (DEVOTION FREE FROM THE GUNAS) BY By contrast with mixed devotion, devotion free from the gunas is com- pared (SB 3.29.11) to the natural, continuous, unobstructed flow of the Ganga to the sea, because the Ganga, while distinct from the ocean, is nonetheless in no way disconnected from the ocean, which is its final refuge. Jiva Gosvāmi states in Tattva Sandarbha that the oneness of the jiva and Brahman is in terms of identity of being, yet he clarifies that this oneness in no way implies absolute non- distinction. It could also be stated the other way, that the distinc- tion between the jiva and Paramātmā in no way implies absolute or categorical separation. In fact, as an integrated part of the Complete Whole, the jiva can never be separated from Paramātmā, even in the state of bondage. The sense of separation is merely psychological, having no ontological reality whatsoever. Hence, devotion in which the performer holds to the egoistic position of being a doer or subject separate from the ultimate ‘object’ (Bhagavan) is most appropriately referred to as dualistic devotion. By placing this discussion as a preface to uttama bhakti, Jīva Gosvāmi clearly recognizes this mentality as a significant and promi- nent pitfall among those who presume themselves to be on the path of pure devotion. So the terms nondual devotion and dualistic devo- tion are helpful in clarifying this most important distinction. And what does this distinction imply in practical terms for the practi- tioner? It is not we who perform devotion, rather it is devotion that performs us. That is to say that devotion enacts itself through its own power of self-revelation, and in so doing it reveals the living being in its true identity, lending its inherent nature of awareness and bliss to the instrument of its manifestation. Beginning from the sense organs, the tongue, ears, eyes, hands, and so on, it works its ways inward, pervading the internal organs, the vital system, the emotions and the mental quantum of mind, ego, and intellect, till it reaches at last to the ātmā, making the ātmā one with its essential nature. In what sense then can the practi- tioner truly be said to be a practitioner or a performer of devotion? One who holds to the egoistic and separatist conception of being a performer of devotion, a chanter of the name, a doer of acts of 1052 The Language of Transcendence - Key Terms and Concepts good to others and God and so on, is caught in dualistic devotion, impeding this transcendental flow. When we abandon this sepa- ratist identity, we become but instruments through which devotion itself flows unimpeded, the interactive screen upon which the divine name arises, the playground in which the drama of worship unfolds. Karma (DualistiC ACTION) In the same light, karma, even in its nişkāma form in which the desire for the fruit of action is relin- quished, is necessarily dualistic because the performer holds to the notion of being separate from the object and the result of action. It is for this reason that Jiva Gosvāmī as well as Sanatana Gosvāmī dis- agree with Śrīdhara Svami in not accepting karma offered to Bhaga- vän as bhakti. Even when the desire for fruit is given up, the sense of doership remains. So, when the discussion again carries refer- ence to the Absolute as nondual awareness, karma is appropriately referred to as dualistic action. In a more general context, it may be rendered as goal-oriented or result-oriented action. This is just another way of saying the same thing because all dualistic action is carried out by a performer seeking some particular result that is sep- arated both from the performer and the act itself in time and place and is therefore causal in nature. rod dosadach O SANKARA’S ADVAITA VEDANTA (RADICAL NONDUALISM) This is but one school of Vedanta and hence but one school of nondual- ism. From the Bhāgavata (1.2.11) and from Jiva Gosvāmi’s analysis throughout the Sat Sandarbha, it is clear that there is also theistic or devotional nondualism. In fact, Jiva Gosvāmi’s entire vision devel- ops from his understanding of the Absolute as nondual awareness, and from his recognition of nonduality as the common ground and the lowest common denominator from which a discussion of the Absolute can proceed. Thus the Bhagavata’s vision of nonduality, which Jiva seeks to bring forth, is a unique one, far exceeding the generic oneness of Sankara. soression TheSo it is essential to speak of different schools of nonduality with different emphasis. It is in this light that we refer to Sankara’s view as Radical Nondualism, from the Latin radix, or connected to the root, implying that his view denies all distinction to the very core. It is absolute in its denial of distinction. 1053no big sms References no Sankara’s doctrine claims to represent the quintessence of the Upanisads. Yet in the Upanisads we find two types of statements, i.e., those that accommodate trans-phenomenal variety within unity and those that emphasize oneness and non-distinction. Examples of the first type are svabhäviki jñāna bala kriya ca, “The Supreme Per- son has multifarious potencies that are intrinsic to His being, includ- ing knowledge, will power and action” (Svetäśvatara Upanisad 6.8), and, nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām eko, “There is one supreme eternal amongst all the eternal living beings and one supreme con- scious source amongst the multitude of conscious entities” (Katha Upanisad 2.2.13). Examples of the second type are sarvam khalv idam brahma, “All this is indeed Brahman” (Chandogya Upanisad 3.14.1), and, neha nānā ‘sti kiñcana, “There is no diversity here whatsoever” (Katha Upanisad 2.1.11). Sankara has given importance only to those statements that emphasize oneness alone and treated the statements advocating unity in variety as secondary, denying primary meaning to them without giving any satisfactory explanation or reason. qThe question may be asked, how can nondualism be put forth as the most valid description of reality when it is practically observed that there is a distinction between subject and object, between Spirit (Brahman) and the world (jagat or prakṛti), between con- scious beings (jivas) and insentient matter? Sankara’s solution is to advocate nondualism (lit. not two) by denial of the object: brahma satyam jagan mithya (the world is unreal, only Brahman is real), so that in effect there is only Brahman, there is only the subject and no object, there is only one. So because Sankara’s nondualism denies the object to the very root (radix), it may be referred to as Radi- cal Nondualism. That is to say that it can account for oneness only (abheda) and not for distinction. Distinction is admitted only in an empirical sense (as mithya) but without fundamental ontological existence. He can in no way accommodate trans-phenomenal dis- tinction (acintya-bheda) because he cannot accommodate inherent potency (svarupa-śakti) within the nondual whole. nd An alternate meaning of radical is “that which is a departure from tradition.” Sankara’s Vedanta or Nondualism is radical in this sense too because it is a departure from the traditional or 1054 The Language of Transcendence - Key Terms and Concepts mainstream Vedantic view that acknowledges the ontological real- ity of prakṛti, Iśvara and the living being. Sankara may have thought it necessary to reinterpret this view in order to legitimize and stress the nondual nature of the Absolute, but in doing so, he introduced a strategic error that ultimately undermined his own system, that of Brahman’s becoming overwhelmed by māyā. It is for this rea- son that his doctrine is sometimes rightly referred to as Māyāvāda, because māyā, which is said by him to be devoid of ontological real- ity, is yet able to overcome Brahman, the one and only real. Because of this mutation of mainstream Vedantic thought, his system may appropriately be referred to as “Radical Nondualism.” Again, Sankara’s attempt to establish nonduality by denial of the object proves to be inadequate and unsatisfactory. His contribution is significant in what it attempts to accomplish, but it begs a more comprehensive and far-reaching understanding of nonduality. In a way, Sankara’s view can be seen as a reaction to, and the counterpart of, the Buddhist doctrine of anatta (or anatma), which by contrast establishes nonduality by denial of the subject. Both of these views, though establishing nondualism from opposite starting points, stop short of a truly authentic trans-rational metaphysics, resorting to conventional logic to establish a limited and hence morphed nond- uality. Still both are useful in urging conventional devotion out of its tendency to get stuck in dualism. It is finally the acintya-bheda- abheda metaphysics of the Bhāgavata and Jiva Gosvāmi that com- pletes and surpasses the limited nondualistic views of Sankara and the Buddha. NONDUALITY OF THE BHAGAVATA (THEISTIC NONDUALISM) By comparison, the nonduality of the Bhagavata may be referred to as theistic nondualism, which finds its most complete expression in the visionary view known as acintya-bheda-abheda, the trans- rational inherence of distinction within the integral Nondual Whole. In this view, like that of Sankara, there is only one vastava vastu, or ontological existent that is nondual in nature, yet unlike Sankara, it is admitted that unlimited potency of different categories inheres in this one existent. Though the inherence of distinction apparently contradicts its nonduality from the point of view of conventional 1055 References reason or logic, from the trans-rational perspective (acintya), it is perfectly in keeping with the higher internal laws (or constituting nature) that govern the trans-phenomenal reality. To take it a step further, nondualism that can accommodate oneness only and not distinction remains impoverished and hence can hardly be admitted as the Complete Whole. vd bo 168 to Therefore, theistic nondualism extends far beyond Sankara’s view. Yet if Bhagavan is wrongly interpreted merely as the creator or regulator God, then this would seem to advocate dualism. This is a gross error that has allowed nondual devotion to be reduced to dual- istic worship. Theism in general is almost automatically equated with dualism and is thus conceived to be inferior by the schools of nondualism that advocate either Brahman or nirvana as ultimate. The highest state of the transpersonal is concluded through con- ventional logic to be non-personal. But this is exactly the point at which conventional logic breaks down. The logic that exhausts itself at the doorway of Brahman or nirvana becomes the barrier to the hidden interior of nondual awareness, an expanded nonduality that accommodates distinction in oneness.subcondidas dauo This is why it is imperative to begin the discussion of reality at the point of advaya-jñāna and to correspondingly understand Bhaga- vān as the Nondual Personal Absolute. In this way we eliminate the possibility of the misplaced reduction and force the investigation of reality to proceed beyond its general limit, that of unqualified, indis- tinct, monolithic Brahman. That is the real purpose of the Bhaga- vata and Jiva Gosvāmi’s presentation of the Bhagavata Sandarbha - to lead the discussion into the interiority of nondual awareness. SVARUPA-SAKTI (THE INTERIORITY OF NONDUAL AWARENESS) This refers to the inherent potency with which the Nondual Abso- lute is eternally self-endowed. When the Nondual Absolute is con- ceived as unqualified and devoid of potency, it is known as Brah- man. When the same Nondual Absolute is conceived as inherently self-endowed with all potency, it is known as Bhagavan. The onto- logical entity is one and the same, yet a higher order, or, in other words, trans-rational, logic is required to understand how distinc- tion (bheda) can be possible without violating the basic nature of 1056 The Language of Transcendence - Key Terms and Concepts nonduality (abheda). This is worked out in detail in the Bhāgavata and the Sat Sandarbha. In short, the inherent nature of the Nondual Absolute cannot be other than nondual. And it is the inherent nature or intrinsic potency of the Nondual Absolute that discloses its inte- riority, that discloses its variegated display of transcendent being, awareness and bliss. So it is the intrinsic potency (svarupa-śakti), particularly in the form of nondual devotion (uttama bhakti), that discloses the interiority of nondual awareness. EKAPĀDA & TRIPADA VIBHŪTI (ONEFOLD AND THREEFOLD DIMENSIONALITY OF BEING) These terms are commonly ren- dered as “the one-quarter manifestation of Reality” (i.e., the mate- rial realm) and “the three-quarter manifestation of Reality” (i.e., the spiritual realm). Strictly speaking, however, this has nothing to do with any sort of mathematical ratio between the material and spiritual domains. If the spiritual realm is infinite, should it not be infinitely more vast than the material world? (In fact, even the mate- rial realm is infinite, and conventional mathematics fails at the level of infinity, infinity being trans-rational.) Moreover, if the 3:1 ratio is merely symbolic to indicate the magnitude of Spirit in relation to matter, why then express it by such a paltry ratio as 3:1 instead of, say, a million to one? After all, we are speaking about infinity and 3:1 just doesn’t seem to cut it. As Jiva Gosvāmī demonstrates in Bhagavat Sandarbha (Anu- ccheda 67), 3:1 refers to something quite specific. Tripäd vibhūti, which is another name for the spiritual realm, refers to three qual- ities or dimensions of transcendental being, namely immortal- ity (amṛtatva), fearlessness (abhaya), and auspiciousness (kṣema). These are three qualities woven into the fabric of transcendence. Ekapāda vibhuti, on the other hand, which is a name for the material world, refers to mortality alone. Thus, in the material world, ‘being’ culminates moment to moment in death alone. Fear and inauspi- ciousness, which are the material counterparts of the other two spir- itual characteristics, are subsumed within the simple inescapable fact of mortality. So it is clear from this analysis that we are speaking about dimensions or aspects of being and not about mathematical ratios. 1057 References Further, a parallel can be drawn between the three qualitative dimensions of transcendental being and the well-known descrip- tion of Spirit as sat-cit-ananda. Immortality can be equated with sat because it signifies eternal existence. Fearlessness can be equated with cit because it is a state of awareness, and auspiciousness can be equated with ananda because it is a state of beatitude and hence bliss. Jiva Gosvāmi goes on to explain that kṣema, or auspiciousness, specif- ically refers to all-auspicious devotion, which culminates in prema (i.e., ānanda). MOTORBY Anat & METARE alon dianuge to ubingem ad Jo basal goes vins doux vdi ban Top oond of Proten last lahture unde fol am for EGES aned b 1058 Glossary ABHIDHEYA The methodology by which the ultimate goal is achieved; a methodology that enables the radical shift in awareness from absorp- tion in matter to immersion in the one Absolute Reality. Accord- ing to Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī, bhakti is the prescribed process in Śrīmad Bhāgavatam. ACARYA Spiritual preceptor also called guru; one who teaches scriptures, follows them and also guides his/her students to follow by his/her example. ADHVARYU PRIEST Officiating priest. While reciting the Yajurveda, it was his duty to build the altar, prepare sacrificial vessels, bring wood and water, light the fire, bring the animal and sanctify it. ADHYAROPA Another word for adhyāsa. ADHYASA Superimposing one object or its qualities onto another. This implies wrong knowledge, such as mistaking a rope for a snake in semi-darkness. ADVAITA Nonduality; the metaphysical view based on the Upanisads that ultimate Reality is nondual in nature. ADVAYA-JÑANA Nondual consciousness; the supreme nondual conscious source as defined in SB 1.2.11. AHANGRAHOPĀSANA Worship of oneself as embodying the Supreme. This hot practice is included within worship of the Absolute with attributes. Through this practice the potencies of God become manifest in the practitioner, as was the case with Prahlada, as understood from the Visnu Purāna. Because this practice in general is not intended for the exclusive pleasure of God, it is excluded from the definition of bhakti. Moreover, it is rejected by pure devotees because the sense of oneself being God precludes the possibility of seva, which is the very essence of bhakti. 1059 References ANĀDI Beginningless; that which is without beginning but which can come to an end, such as the bondage and ignorance of the living beings. ANANDA Spiritual bliss or ecstasy; the potency of Bhagavan that relates to His aspect of bliss. This corresponds to the hladini potency. ANTARANGA-SAKTI The intrinsic potency of God (see svarupa-śakti). ANUBHAVA One of five essential ingredients of rasa; the external symp- toms of ecstasy, such as dancing, rolling on the ground and singing, that display or reveal the emotions situated within the heart. ANUCCHEDA Śrī Jiva Gosvāmī divides each Sandarbha into sections called anucchedas. These anucchedas are organized around one prominent Eboy verse from Srimad Bhagavatam and conclude with the name of the ned speaker and hearer of that principal verse. In this translation, we sometimes refer to the anucchedas using the Sanskrit word, and sometimes as “text” or “section.” ANVAYA Positive concomitance; an affirmation used to substantiate the validity of an assertion; used in connection with vyatireka (negative concomitance) which further corroborates the original assertion by demonstrating the defect that results from non-application of that assertion. APASIDDHANTA Metaphysical propositions that are not validated by a school of philosophy. APAURUSEYA That which is not a product of the human mind; trans- human; the self-revealed Vedic scriptures. ASRAMA Four stages of life within the varṇāśrama system, with a grad- uated course of duties meant to lead an individual towards realiza- tion of ultimate truth. The four stages are brahmacarya (study of the Tad Vedas while practicing celibacy), gärhasthya (sacrifice, worship and charity within the context of family life), vanaprasthya (retirement quoise from social duties and gradual intensification of spiritual practice), and sannyasa (detachment from all worldly objects and absorption in aldr knowledge of the self and God). Togla ASRAYA Ultimate shelter; the tenth of ten topics of Srimad Bhagavatam. From the other nine topics of Śrīmad Bhagavatam it can be understood that the tenth topic refers to that which is the shelter of all creation, 15 of all that relates to sustenance, of all forms of dissolution, and even tanid of liberation itself, residing on the far shore of the ocean of causal- lity. That which is the shelter of all manifestation and even of libera- onstion is the ultimate shelter, the one nondual awareness, the Complete Whole, experienced in the intimacy of love as Śrī Kṛṣṇa. 1060 Glossary AṢTANGA-YOGA The classical eightfold yoga system of Patañjali consisting halw of: yama (restraint of detrimental behavior), niyama (adoption of conscious attitudes of self-purification), asana (regulation of posture to facilitate prănic flow and stability of consciousness), prāṇāyama (expansion of vital energy through regulation of breath), pratyāhāra (withdrawal of the mind from external sensory perception and direct- ing it inward), dhāraṇā (concentration of the mind on one point), dhyāna (meditation that proceeds as a continuous flow), and samādhi (complete absorption of awareness in the object of one’s meditation). ASURA Adversary of the gods; one who opposes the authority of God and the theistic order of the cosmos; the anti-divine. ATMA In accordance with the context, this can refer to the body, mind, intelligence, fortitude or endeavor. It most often denotes the pure self, who is an individual unit of consciousness, the living being. In other contexts it can signify the supreme consciousness, or the Supreme Immanent Self, Paramātmā. ATMA-TATTVA The essence of all ātmās; the Supreme Self; knowledge or truth of Ultimate Reality. ĀTMĀRĀMA One who rejoices in the pure Self alone, one who is altogether free from identification with, or attraction to, all that constitutes the non-self, consisting of the physical, the vita-emotional, the mental and the intellectual. أعلم AVADHŪTA An ascetic beyond the bounds of conventional, moral or cultural sensibilities. EWE AVASTU That which has no-existence; an illusory object. AVATARA Descent; appearance or manifestation of God upon the earth in any of His transcendental forms, to establish dharma and to enact the boot divine play of transcendence. AVIDYA Ignorance; an aspect of maya that covers a person’s true self- awareness. BHAGAVAN The supreme personal manifestation of God; that Supreme Entity who is complete to an unlimited degree in six opulences: beauty, wealth, strength, fame, knowledge and renunciation; the Complete Whole, encompassing even Brahman and Paramātmā; non- dual awareness inherently self-endowed with trans-phenomenal form, personhood and limitless transcendental attributes that invite participation in the infinite play of divine love.MNADE 1061 References BHAKTI Devotion to God; a unique potency of God, stemming from His own to not intrinsic nature and endowed with consciousness and bliss. When the same eternal potency infuses the individual awareness of the Boliving being, it takes the shape of love and flows back to its origi- dinal source, Bhagavan, causing the waves of His own ecstasy to swell. payThe word bhakti comes from the verbal root √bhaj, which means to iniog serve. Hence the primary meaning of bhakti is to render service with full participation of the being, without cause or motive, without (obradulteration of any partial pursuit, for the exclusive pleasure of and bab communion with the Complete Whole, Bhagavan. BHAṢYA A commentary, especially a commentary that explains the hati meaning of a sutra (aphorism) word by word. AMA BHAVA Being, existence, presence; contemplation, awareness, meditation; and feeling, emotion, love; a stage of bhakti; the first sprout of prema, or Do pure love of God (see bhava-bhakti). BHAVA-BHAKTI The initial stage of perfection in devotion. A stage of bhakti in which suddha-sattva (the essence of the Lord’s intrinsic potency consisting of spiritual knowledge and bliss) is transmitted into the heart of the practicing devotee from the heart of one of the Lord’s eternal associates and softens the heart by different kinds of taste. JetBhava-bhakti is the first sprout of prema (pure love of God). Bhāva- bhakti is the seventh of the eight stages of development of the bhakti- lată, the creeper of devotion. Bhava-bhakti is also said to be the fruit of sadhana-bhakti, not as a causal effect, but rather as the blossom- ing of the very same potency into an existential state of being and awareness within the receptacle of the heart. BHŪTA-SUDDHI Purification of the elements of the body as a preparation for worship. According to the principle, “To worship God, one must be of the nature of God,” (devam bhutva devam yajet), it is understood that to worship the divine in truth, one must be immersed in the same divinity. Even the physical body should be constituted of the same divine nature. This purification of the body is approached in different amer ways in the various spiritual disciplines. Because bhakti is essentially awareness in love, purification of the body, known as bhūta-śuddhi, is approached on this path through a conscious process. BRAHMA-JÑANA Nondual awareness; knowledge of impersonal Brahman; Las knowledge aiming at impersonal liberation; also known as kaivalya- jñāna. BRAHMA-SŪTRA A compilation of concise statements called sutras (apho- 1062 Glossary Matiorisms) written by Vyasa, providing the essential meaning of the Upanisads. Also known as Vedanta-sutra. BRAHMACARI The first asrama (stage of life) in the varṇāśrama system, characterized by celibacy, study of the Vedas from a teacher and jag practice of austerities. BRAHMAJYOTI The impersonal effulgence emanating from the body of Suru Bhagavan. BRAHMAN The Nondual Absolute, divested of all form, quality and action; the impersonal aspect of the Supreme Truth; the effulgence emanat- ating from Bhagavan, the Complete Whole, who is the core of nondual awareness, just as heat and light radiate from the sun. Brahman is thus said to be a generic feature of God, devoid of distinguishing characteristics. BRAHMANA One of the four varnas (social divisions) in the varṇāśrama sys- tem; a priest or teacher. Their specific duties are study and teaching of scriptures, charity, performance of sacrifice for themselves and others and acceptance of gifts. 2001 107 of sdr BRAHMA The primal cosmic being or creator god; the four-headed god who carries out the work of secondary creation (visarga) in the uni- verse under the inspiration and direction of the Supreme Immanent Self, Paramātmā. He is born from the lotus navel of Garbhodakaśāyī Visnu and is one of the three guṇāvatāras. The secondary creation involves the revelation of the subtle creative ideation in accordance with which individual concrete forms come into being. This specif- ically refers to the sending forth of moving and non-moving living beings. BUDDHI Intellect, perception, comprehension, understanding, discrimina- Teintion, judgment, discernment; the highest faculty of the psyche, con- sisting of intellect, ego (i.e., the “I-principle”) and mind; the second Barno of the twenty-five elements of Sankhya in its microcosmic or individ- duated aspect. Its macrocosmic counterpart is mahat, cosmic intellect or the collective wisdom principle. am kainew 20 guixaw 901,3 CATURMASYA A sacrifice performed every four months at the beginning of the lunar months of Kārtika, Phalguna and Aṣāḍha; a vrata fol- lowed by sannyasis during the four lunar months of the rainy season beginning in Aṣādha. CITTA Mind, heart, thought, intention; in Patañjali’s aṣṭānga-yoga sys- Atem, citta specifically refers to mind, which has three components: 1063References mind (manas), intellect (buddhi) and ego (ahankara); the individual consciousness in contrast to mahat (universal consciousness). CITTA-VṚTTI Mental modifications. According to Advaita Vedanta, when be the luminous mind is projected outward through the sense organs, it reaches the objects and is modified into their forms. This mental mod- To hification is called citta-vṛtti. According to the classical yoga tradition of Patanjali, the mental modifications are of five types: pramāņa (true noir cognition), viparyaya (erroneous knowledge), vikalpa (imagination), nidrā (sleep) and smrti (memory). Luba DEVA A celestial being; devas are gods residing in the heavenly planets who are endowed with great piety, tremendous life spans, and supe- rior mental and physical prowess. They are entrusted with specific powers for the purpose of universal administration. DEVATA God (see deva). DHAMA A holy place of pilgrimage; the abode of God, where He appears and enacts His transcendental pastimes. DHARMA Religion; prescribed duty; nature; justice, virtue, morality, law. In its conventional sense, dharma refers to the socio-religious duties prescribed in scripture for different classes of people in the varṇāśrama system. In its transcendent aspect, dharma refers to bhagavat-dharma (the transcendent potency of devotion stemming from Bhagavan and meant exclusively for His pleasure) because this is the spiritual function that actualizes the pure self’s highest losga potential. EKĀDĀSĪ The eleventh day of the waxing or waning moon. Fasting from Engrains and other vows are observed by Vaisnavas on this day in wor- opship of Bhagavan. This fast is observed only on suddha (unmixed) bacos Ekādāśī, which means that the tenth lunar day should be entirely biyib completed prior to the ninety-six minute period before sunrise on the malloy day of Ekādāśī. If the tenth lunar day extends even fractionally within this ninety-six minute period before sunrise of the Ekādāśī day, the fast is observed on Dvādaśī instead, the twelfth day of the moon. EKAPADA-VIBHŪTI The one-fourth manifestation of the Supreme; the material realm consisting of onefold dimensionality of being, namely mortality. (Contrast with tripada-vibhūti.) GAUDIYA VAIṢNAVA An adherent of the Bengal school of Vaisnavism founded by Śri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu in the 16th century AD. 1064 Glossary GAUDIYA VAIṢNAVISM The school of Vaisnavism founded by Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahaprabhu. GAYATRI A Vedic mantra chanted by the twice-born, dvijas, at the time of sunrise and sunset. It is considered to be the mother of the Vedas. GOSVĀMI Originally a renounced Vaisnava holy man; a person belonging to certain Brāhmaṇa Vaiṣṇava families associated with a temple; a person born in the dynasty of an acārya. GUNA The three constituent aspects of prakṛti (primordial nature) embody- ing both psychic and physical force: sattva (luminosity), rajas (dynamism), and tamas (inertia). The word guna in Sankhya is dis- tinguished from its conventional meaning of “a quality,” because the Sankhya doctrine admits no distinction between substance and attribute. Rather, quality and substance together form a single whole, and it is the concrete unity of both that any material thing repre- sents. The term guna thus means a component factor or constituent of prakṛti. HLADINI The delight-giving potency, which is an aspect of God’s svarupa- sakti, the potency that constitutes His very nature. It is this hladinī potency that gives bliss to Bhagavan and His devotees, just as the light emanating from a luminous object illuminates both the lumi- nous object itself and all other items in its sphere of radiance. This doo hladini potency, manifesting as bhakti within the heart of a devotee, flows back to the Lord in the form of love, thus expanding His own delight. Bhakti is the supreme aspect of this intrinsic potency. ца JIVA The conscious self (ātmā) as qualified by the intellect (buddhi), ego (ahankara), the mind (manas), the senses and the physical body; Brio the embodied self or the empirical self; an individuated part of the taṭastha-sakti (intermediary potency) of God; an individual living being.colorpoiled JIVAN-MUKTI Living liberation; the state of being liberated from the influ- ntence ence of the material gunas while still embodied. tuot JÑANA Knowledge, awareness, omniscience; the path of knowledge directed towards awareness of oneness with Brahman, and having Ho suas its ultimate aim liberation from material existence; awareness of inscrutable being that pervades all form yet is without form, that 10s is the source of all manifestation, yet lies beyond the manifested cosmos; absorption in that one nondual state of being. busi 1065 References JNANA-MARGA The path of jñāna, as described above.Vie JÑANI One who pursues or has perfected the path of jñana, directed Rem towards awareness of oneness with Brahman. KAIMUTYA A principle of logic that draws on comparison to establish a con- clusion; the principle of “how much more true.” By showing the valid- ity of a proposition of lesser significance, the proposition of greater significance is thereby concluded. This principle is used throughout the text, and may be exemplified as follows: “If even unconscious chanting of the name of God leads to emancipation, how much greater 921 must be the effect of conscious chanting.” KAIVALYA The state of “aloneness;” the state of the unconditional existence of the Self; liberation from material bondage; knowledge of the iden- tity between unqualified Brahman and the pure living being; the state of unconditional devotion. KALIYUGA The fourth in a cycle of four ages; the iron age of quarrel, hypocrisy and degradation, said to last for 432,000 years. It began about 5,200 years ago, the day Śrī Kṛṣṇa departed from earth. KALPA A day of Brahma, or 1000 cycles of the four yugas, being a period of 4,320 million earth years. At the end of Brahma’s day there is a par- itial devastation of the cosmos, and at the beginning of the next day, a wo new creation is enacted resembling the previous day in some but not all details. The Purānas describe events occurring in different kalpas, though related events are sometimes merged into one description and spoken of as if occurring on the same day. This accounts for incon- sistencies in certain details of descriptions that actually occurred on bod different days of Brahma. KALPANA Assumed or apparent reality; imagination; creation; a theoreti- anivil cal construct; the act of conceptualization. KĀMA Desire, longing; pleasure, enjoyment; love, affection; object of alta desire, or of pleasure, or of love; sensuality, sexual love; one of the four puruṣārthas (goals of human attainment) among dharma, artha, kāma and mokṣa. In this latter sense kama refers to enjoyment that is anot opposed to dharma and that follows as its outcome. KARMA-KANDA A division of the Vedas that relates to the performance of bal ceremonial acts and sacrificial rites directed towards attainment of bost heaven. Through purification of intent, this path can lead either to jñāna or bhakti.utheran 1066 Glossary KARMA-YOGA The performance of one’s prescribed duties in varṇāśrama in which one offers the fruit to the Supreme Lord only as a secondary process to attain one’s desired goal. This may be done either with a desire for material reward (sakama) or for purification aiming at liberation or devotion (niskāma). KIRTANA One of nine primary limbs of bhakti; recitation of or singing the glories of God; singing the names, form, qualities and pastimes of the Lord. KṢATRIYA The second of the four varnas (social divisions) in the varṇāśrama system; an administrator or warrior. Their specific duties are pro- tection of subjects, charity, performance of sacrifices, study of scriptures, and absence of attachment for objects of enjoyment. LILA An act of the Divine performed exclusively for transcendental delight and not under the influence of the law of karma; pastime; divine play; this word is commonly used for the sacred acts of Bhagavan and His associates. MAHAT The second element in the Sänkhya system (the first being prakṛti itself); the unindividuated or collective cosmic intellect; this is the macrocosmic counterpart of buddhi (individuated intellect); the first oevolute of prakṛti (primordial nature in the state of equilibrium). Mahat or buddhi is the cause of ahankara (ego), the next element of manifestation. MANTRA A Sound formula, consisting of the Names of God, which eb addresses any individual deity. Mantras are given to a disciple vite by a guru at the time of formal initiation (dikṣā) for worship and realization of God. Mantra is the sound form of the deity.da MANTRA-GURU The teacher who initiates the disciple by mantra recitation into the worship of the Lord. odd to W MANU The father of mankind; the ruler of a world cycle of humanity. A day of Brahma, called a kalpa, is divided into fourteen periods called manvantaras. A Manu is entrusted with the procreation of human beings and the managerial affairs of this period. Thus there are four- teen Manus in a day of Brahma. The first of these was a son of Brahma. Now the seventh Manu, Vaivasvata, is ruling. MANVANTARA A world cycle ruled by a Manu; the religious princi- ples established for the Manus, the progenitors and sovereigns of humanity; one of ten primary subjects of Srimad Bhagavatam. 1067 References MAYA Bhagavan’s extrinsic potency that influences the living entities to The accept the egoism of being independent enjoyers of this material drw world; the potency that constitutes the material world. MUKTI Liberation; the fourth goal of human attainment amongst dharma, artha, kāma and mokṣa; the goal aspired for through the path of knowledge; one of nine primary topics of Srimad Bhagavatam. T MUNI A sage intent on the life of contemplation. NIRGUNA Beyond the influence of primordial nature’s three intercon- onnected constituent principles of psychic and physical force, namely, tobisattva (illumination), rajas (dynamism) and tamas (inertia); exclu- sively of the nature of transcendence.co OM The sacred syllable embodying the Absolute (see praṇava). wal PARAMAHAMSA A title awarded to an ascetic of the highest order. The word paramahamsa may be divided into two words - parama (sup- reme), and hamsa (swan). The swan is said to be able to separate milk from water when these two fluids are mixed. Thus a paramahamsa refers to a topmost, swan-like person who can distinguish spirit from il matter, reality from illusion, and who can extract the very essence (muli of spiritual truth. This also refers to the fourth and final stage of Ja tas sannyasa, which has been referred to as nişkriya (freedom from all material obligations) in SB 3.12.43. PĀRAMARTHIKA Supreme; ultimate; absolute; transcendental to matter; a slybe word used by Advaita Vedantists to refer to the highest of three grades has qof existence, namely the ontologically real or the Ultimate Reality, Brahman. (Contrast with pratibhāsika and vyāvahārika.) sila PARAMĀTMĀ The Supreme Immanent Self; the Supreme Indwelling Self or the Supreme Witness of the total material energy (the metacosm), Aw of the individual universes (the macrocosm) and of the individuated all living beings (the microcosm). PAROKṢA-VADA Indirect reference or instruction; when something is described differently to conceal the real meaning. Scripture often Bids makes use of this method to instruct those on varying levels of aware- Downess. Only those on a higher stage of development can grasp the Tonhtrue intent, and it is rendered all the more relishable because of nangits mysterious nature. It is therefore said that the gods are fond of parokṣa-vāda.kato side to no 1068 Glossary PRADHANA Primordial nature, also known as prakṛti. The term pradhana Amal (primary, original, predominant) suggests the primary nature of prakṛti as the first cause of the aggregate of all effects in the world. This refers to the state of equilibrium of the three gunas, prior to their adly being set in motion by the puruşa, from which the cosmos evolves bif(see also prakṛti). PRAJAPATIS The original progenitors of the world’s population according to Puranic lore. These refer to the sons of Brahmã other than the Kumāras and Narada, who were celibate sages. PRAKRTI According to Sankhya philosophy, prakṛti is the uncaused cause of the whole world of effects, which are its modifications. It is the ulti- mate material cause into which the whole world is dissolved. It is infi- nite and all pervasive, inactive and immobile, subject to transforma- tion, but devoid of motion. It is one, unconditioned, indeterminate, devoid of parts, independent, and unmanifest. It is the state of equi- librium of sattva, rajas, and tamas, which are not attributes but con- stituents of prakṛti. In association with puruşa, it becomes active but unconscious, whereas purușa is inactive but conscious. According to the Bhāgavatam, the Supreme Puruşa, Mahāviṣṇu, glances at the unconscious prakṛti, thus animating it, and causing the gunas to inter- act with each other. This sets in motion a chain of cause and effect from which the manifested cosmos unfolds. (Contrast with purusa.) PRAMĀŅA Evidence; a means of valid knowing; any means by which valid knowledge of an object becomes known to a subject. Three such means of valid cognition are primary, namely pratyakṣa (perception), leanumana (inference) and sabda (revealed sound). ZARATAYARUR PRAMEYA The knowable; that which is to be known by any means of valid cognition. This especially refers to the ultimate Truth, Bhagavan, His energies, the means of attaining Him and the goal to be achieved in relation to Him. PRANAVA The sacred syllable Om, described as follows in the Uttara- khanda of Padma Purana: “Pranava is the seat of Brahman, and it is said to be the embodiment of the three Vedas [Sama, Ṛg and Yajur]. It consists of three letters, A, U and M. A represents Visņu, u repre- sents the goddess Laksmi and M represents the twenty-fifth element who is the servant of these two.” This syllable is often repeated as a form of spiritual practice that reveals one’s nature as a conscious part of the Supreme Whole, whose perfection lies in the spontaneous dedication of love. ad do not help hide s 1069 References PRASTHANA-TRAYi Tripartite authoritative scriptures: the Upanisads, the Joe Vedanta-sutra and the Bhagavad Gita; the threefold basis of Vedanta blow philosophy.org to PRATIBHASIKA Illusory; a mere appearance, such as dreams or water mis- vio perceived in a mirage; a word used by Advaita Vedantists to describe the illusory grade of existence. (Contrast with päramärthika and Mulevyavahārika.) PRATYAKSA Perception; knowledge arising out of the contact of a sense Ni organ with its object. It is of two kinds, namely, savikalpaka Szu (determinate) and nirvikalpaka (indeterminate). PRAYOJANA The goal to be attained in relation to the Supreme; the goal of Halal spiritual practice. In bhakti this refers to prema, or love of God (see below). PREMA A stage of bhakti characterized by the appearance of love; the per- fected stage of devotion. This is the eighth stage in the development of the creeper of bhakti; the mature state of love that completely melts the heart and gives rise to a deep sense of mamata (belonging) in relationship to Bhagavan. PRITI Supreme love for the Lord, also known as prema. PURUSA The Primeval Being as the Self and original source of the cosmos; the Supreme Being or Immanent Self of the cosmos; the animating principle in living beings. In other contexts this can refer to the indi- vidual self, or to spirit as opposed to prakṛti (matter). It can also refer then simply to a male or mankind. bil PURUṢĀVATĀRAS The three manifestations of Visnu for the purpose of cre- ation, also called the three Paramātmās. The first puruṣāvatāra is called Mahāviṣṇu or Karanodakaśāyi Viṣņu. He is the Paramātmā for Fb the complete extrinsic potency, prakṛti. The second is called Garbho- dakaśāyi Visnu, who is the Paramātmā for each individual universe. The third is called Kṣirodakaśāyī Visnu, who is the Paramātmā for each individual being, the jiva. The word paramātmā is commonly used for the third puruşăvatāra. RAJAS One of the three gunas (constituent aspects of material nature); the dynamic principle that propels the living beings to action and stimulates desires for material enjoyment. RASA Juice, liquor, potion; taste, flavor, relish; pleasure, delight; essence; the spiritual transformation of the heart that takes place when the 1070 Glossary be perfected state of love for Śrī Kṛṣṇa, known as rati or bhava, is con- verted into fluid emotions by combination with various types of transcendental ecstasies. In BRS 2.1.5, bhakti-rasa is defined: “When the sthāyi-bhāva (foundational love in one of the five primary rela- tionships of equanimity, servitorship, friendship, parental affection, or conjugal love) mixes with vibhāva (excitants), anubhava (extrin- it sic ecstasy), sättvika-bhāva (intrinsic ecstasy), and vyabhicārī-bhāva (intensifying ecstasy), thus producing an extraordinary taste in the heart of the devotee, it is called bhakti-rasa.” Rși A sage; one who has realized the Vedic mantras. SABDA A word; sound; the Vedas as sound revelation; a form of pramāṇa, i.e., evidence or a means of valid knowing. SADHANA Practices undertaken in various traditions as the means of attainment of their respective goals. SADHANA-BHAKTI Devotion in the stage of practice; devotion that purifies the heart and leads the devotee towards love of God; the practices of devotion, which can be condensed into nine primary aspects. SADHYA-BHAKTI The perfected stage of bhakti, when consciousness is per- meated with bhāva, the intrinsic potency of God predominated by awareness and bliss. This is the stage in which bhakti has completely transformed the being, making the self one with its own inherent nature and culminating in divine love of God. The word sadhya implies that this stage develops through sadhana (gradual culture of devotion). SAGUNA Related to the material influences of sattva, rajas and tamas. Bhakti is inherently free from the gunas, yet the bhakti of the performer still influenced by the gunas is called saguna. SAKĀMA Action performed with a desire for the fruit; duties prescribed in scripture and undertaken with a desire for enjoyment in this world and the next. Sve to get SAKTI Potency; the female principle of divine energy, especially when personified as the consort of the male expression of the Divine. SAMADHI Trance; complete absorption of all mental faculties into the one object of meditation; manifestation of the object of meditation only, devoid of the cognition of the act of meditation; the eighth stage in Patanjali’s aṣṭānga-yoga system. On the path of bhakti, samadhi refers to the manifestation of the Lord along with His associates, abode and 1071 References Phos pastimes in the state of supra-cognitive absorption, as experienced Jo es by Vyasa. this SAMASTI Aggregate. SAMBANDHA Knowledge of the interrelatedness between the Supreme not Being, His potencies and the living beings. This knowledge of rela- nimation is an essential support to the practice of devotion because it provides a clear understanding of the nature of the world we live in, the true nature of the self, the nature of God, and the essential function of the self in relation to God. This essential function can be summed up as dasya, wherein the part finds completion through identification with and service to the whole. Through bhakti in the stage of bhava (supra-mundane awareness), this generic identity blossoms into one of the relations of personal servant, friend, par- ent or lover. In a different context, sambandha refers to one of the four indispensible elements that are described in the introduction of every Vedic literature: adhikari (qualification of the reader), visaya (the subject matter of the book), sambandha (the relation of the book as signifier with the subject or truth that it signifies) and prayojana (the purpose to be achieved by reading and following the book). SAMPRADAYA A school of metaphysical thought and spiritual discipline that has its source in God and which transmits its teaching in a vise disciplic chain of guru-student. SAMSKĀRAS The latent desires for action, whether beneficial or detrimen- tal, that are generated along with corresponding acts and which remain lodged in the heart of the performer; the subconscious Wimprints recorded and stored in the mind from action, thought and sensory perception. These imprints give rise to desire that te perpetuates the cycle of action and reaction, binding one to samsara. SAMVIT The power of consciousness; an aspect of Bhagavan’s intrinsic ht bed potency by which He is conscious of all things and enables others to brow know. SANDHINI The power of being or existence; an aspect of Bhagavan’s intrin- wdw sic potency by virtue of which He is self-existent and supports the existence of everything else. SANKHYA One of the six systems of Indian philosophy; the path of knowl- Who nedge involving an analysis of Spirit and matter. The founder of bethe sankhya-yoga system is the sage Kapila, who is different from the avatara of Bhagavan known as Kapila, the son of Kardama and bntabDevahūti. This philosophy is atheistic in nature, being devoid of the 1072 Glossary aded concept of Isvara. In this system the cosmos unfolds as the inter- play of puruşa, the self, and prakṛti, primordial nature. When prakṛti, nish which is the state of equilibrium of the three gunas, is brought into the proximity of the purusas, it sets in motion a chain of cause and the effect that evolves the cosmos. In course of time, the cosmos is reab- bobsorbed into its primordial state. All of this takes place to facilitate the purusas in the pursuit of both enjoyment and eventual liberation. In the Bhagavatam conception of Sänkhya, however, the original puruşa is Mahāviṣṇu, who activates prakṛti through His glance. SANNYASA Renounced order of life, the fourth stage of life in the varṇāśrama system. trusă SANNYASI A member of the renounced order; the fourth asrama (stage of life) in the varṇāśrama system, characterized by detachment from all worldly pursuits, indifference to social status, and full absorption in knowledge or devotion. SARGA The original setting in motion of the material energy by the Lord; one of ten principal topics of Srimad Bhagavatam. The topic of sarga (primary creation) deals with the generation of the five gross ele- ments (bhūtas), the five subtle sense objects (matras), the five cog- erone nitive senses (indriyas), the universal or collective wisdom faculty (mahat-tattva), and the ego [ahankara, the “I”-principle, or the prin- ciple of individuation], resulting from the displacement of the equi- librium of the three gunas [i.e., primordial nature’s three interdepen- dent constituting principles of psychic and physical force], brought about through the intent of the Supreme Controller (Parameśvara). SĀRŪPYA-MUKTI One of the five types of liberation in which one attains a form similar to that of the Lord. ŚASTRA Scriptures, this includes the Vedas, Upanisads, Purānas, Smrtis dstv and Agamas; the authorized literature that is accepted as infallible. SAT Being or existence; that which is ultimately real.as nevegen SATTVA One of the three constituent aspects of prakṛti (primordial nature) that influences living beings toward the cultivation of wisdom and purity. bom SIDDHA Realized, perfected; liberated associates of Bhagavan who accom- pany Him in the material world to assist in His pastimes; those who attain perfection of realization in this life and thus transcend the influence of the gunas. SIDDHANTA The conclusive principle on a subject or of a school of thought. 1073References SIDDHI Paranormal powers or psycho-spiritual attainments that are the by- pin products of accomplishment in yogic practice. SMRTI-SASTRA Literally, that which is remembered; tradition as distin- bguished from śruti, revelation. The body of sacred literature that is dest composed in pursuance of the Śrutis (in contradistinction to śruti, or that which is directly heard by or revealed to the rșis). These include ho the six Vedāngas, the dharma-sastras (such as Manu-samhita), the Puranas and the Itihasas (Vedic histories). ŚRUTI That which is heard; revelation, as distinguished from smrti (tradi- motion); infallible knowledge that was received by Brahma or by the great sages in the beginning of creation and which descends in dis- To acciplic succession from them; the body of literature that was directly lam manifest from the Supreme Lord. This applies to the original four Vedas (also known as nigamas) and includes the Upanisads. SUDDHA-SATTVA The state of pure existence, beyond the three gunas of prakṛti; the self-luminous state of being in which Bhagavan is revealed along with His associates and abode. SVADHARMA That which is one’s own duty. In its conventional sense this refers to the duties prescribed in scripture that relate to one’s own caste and stage of life. In its transcendent sense, it refers to the nature ning and function of the pure self, distinct from all material identification. SVARUPA-LAKSANA An intrinsic characteristic; the essential character- istic of an object by which its identity is revealed. (Contrast with rio tatastha-lakṣaṇa.) SVARŪPA-SAKTI The intrinsic potency of Bhagavan that constitutes His very nature. It has three aspects: sandhini (the potency that accom- modates the spiritual existence of God and His associates), samvit (the impotency that is the basis of God’s own omniscience and that bestows 3d transcendental awareness of Him), and hladini (the potency by which Bhagavan enjoys transcendental bliss and awards such bliss to His devotees). SVARUPA Intrinsic nature of the self or God. TAMAS One of the three constituent aspects of primordial nature that promotes ignorance and indolence. TAPAS Ascetic and austere practices to purify the body and mind. TATASTHA-LAKSANA An extrinsic characteristic; an incidental defining Mayo characteristic of an object which, though not lasting as long as the 1074 Glossary object possessing it exists, helps to differentiate it from other objects. (Contrast with svarupa-lakṣaṇa.) menola TATASTHA-SAKTI The intermediary potency belonging to Paramātmā and consisting of the conscious living beings. TATTVA Essence; truth; Brahman; reality; principle. TRIPADA-VIBHŪTI The three-fourths manifestation of the Supreme; the eternal spiritual realm consisting of threefold dimensionality of being, namely, immortality, fearlessness and all-auspiciousness. (Contrast with ekapada-vibhuti.) TURIYA The fourth, the Absolute Consciousness; that which transcends the three states of waking, dreaming and deep sleep. This ultimately refers to Bhagavan, who is free from the three kinds of upãdhis, namely, virāt, hiranyagarbha and kāraṇa. sal UPADHI An artificial or material designation with which the eternal, tran- scendent self is identified; designations pertaining to the gross and subtle bodies. UPALAKSANA The implying of that which is not directly stated; a princi- ple often used by commentators in interpreting scriptural texts. In another context this can refer to the incidental determining charac- teristic of an object in contrast with viseṣaṇa (the intrinsic quality of an object). VAIKUNTHA The eternal spiritual domain; the majestic realm of the spiri- Baytual world that is predominated by Sri Narayana or His various expan- sions; that domain which is entirely free from the influence of the three gunas. VAIMUKHYA The state of having one’s face turned away from the Abso- lute; the state of absorption in the ephemeral, rooted in causeless ring ignorance. This is the basis of samsara, and can be remedied sim- ply by turning one’s face to encounter the Absolute directly, known as sammukhya. Jiva Gosvāmī says that jñāna and bhakti are the two direct methods to shift awareness towards the Absolute. Other meth- ods, such as karma, Sankhya and vairagya, may act as assistants to these two primary methods. In conclusion, however, bhakti is the sole method that engenders an embrace of the whole in completion. VAIRAGYA Detachment or indifference to the world; a spiritual disci- pline involving the acceptance of voluntary austerities to achieve detachment from sense objects. 1075 References VAISNAVA A spiritual practitioner adhering to the Bhagavata School of The- istic Vedanta; a person formally initiated by mantra and spiritual edu- Location into the worship of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, Śrī Visnu or any of the avatāras of Visnu. VARNA The four castes (brāhmaṇa, ksatriya, vaiśya and sudra) in which one carries out corresponding socio-religious duties in the system known as varṇāśrama. VARNASRAMA The Vedic social system, which organizes society into four occupational divisions (varnas) and four stages of life (asramas). VASTU A substance; that which exists eternally; the Supreme Existent or Water God. MTquals dash Tires VEDANTA One of the six theistic schools of Indian philosophy that is rooted in the teachings of the Upanisads and the Brahma-sutra of Vyasa. Vedanta stresses the nonduality of the Absolute, His potencies and His integrated parts, the individual living beings. VEDANTA-SUTRA See Brahma-sutra. VIDEHA-MUKTI Disembodied or final liberation; liberation that occurs at the time of giving up the material body. VISUDDHA-SATTVA Pure existence; a feature of Bhagavan’s intrinsic potency, known as cit-sakti, the conscious potency (see śuddha- sattva). VYASTI An individual entity. VYATIREKA Distinction, separation; negative concomitance or logical dis- qcontinuance, implying the non-possibility of an object’s existence To when some other object upon which the former is dependent is absent. For example, if there is no fire, then there is no smoke. This form of reasoning is used in connection with anvaya (positive la concomitance). VYAVAHĀRIKA Empirical reality, one of the three grades of existence won accepted by the Advaita Vedanta school. (Contrast with paramarthika ows and pratibhāsika.) VYUHA A self-expansion of Bhagavan, such as Vasudeva, Sankarṣaṇa, ra Pradyumna and Aniruddha. All of these are expansions of the orig- Binal Complete Person, Svayam Bhagavan Śrī Kṛṣṇa, and are almost equally powerful. YAJNA Vedic sacrifice; a method of communion with God or with the cosmic powers. 1076 Glossary YOGA A spiritual discipline aiming at union of the individual self with the universal Self. There are many different branches of yoga such as karma-yoga, jñāna-yoga and bhakti-yoga. Unless specified, however, yoga generally refers to the classical aṣṭānga-yoga system of Patanjali. YOGA-MAYA A function of Bhagavan’s intrinsic potency; a potency of Bha- gavan that makes possible the otherwise impossible and which assists in the unfolding of His eternal divine play. YOGA-PITHA The seat of Śrī śrī Radha Kṛṣṇa’s eternal transcendental pas- times at the center of the divine lotus, surrounded by their intimate associates. 20 YUGA An age of the world. The Vedas describe four yugas that proceed in a cycle: Krta or Satya, Treta, Dvāpara, and Kali. The duration of each yuga is respectively 1,728,000, 1,296,000, 864,000 and 432,000 years. The descending numbers represent the physical and spiritual deteri- oration of humanity in each age. The four yugas form an aggregate of 4,320,000 years and constitute a maha-yuga (great yuga). Ending hoth beoog - W 1077 26 dana upare locsdarandith yman er greid d endaya tipole Weidle Abbreviations Iressvinu BAU Bṛhad-aranyaka Upanisad BRS Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu CC Caitanya-caritămṛrta CHU Chandogya Upanisad GITA Bhagavad Gită GTU Gopala-tapani Upanisad HBV Hari-bhakti-vilāsa HNV Hari-nāmāmṛta-vyākaraṇa ISA Isa Upanisad KENA Kena Upanisad KU Katha Upanisad LBH Laghu-bhagavatāmṛta MANU Manu-samhita MB Mahabharata MNU Maha-nārāyaṇa Upanisad MUU Mundaka Upanisad NTU Nrsimha-tapani Upanisad PANINI Panini-sūtra PP Padma Purana RV Rg Veda SB Srimad Bhagavatam SD Sahitya-darpana śu Svetasvatara Upanisad TU Taittiriya Upanisad VP Visņu Purāṇa vs Brahma-sūtra (Vedānta-sūtra) 1078 stde to baby-nibbyy (dardy) gutheran lis ashod a sneh aang Subject Index was bo abhiniveśa as the fear of death, 84 Bhagavan free from, 314, 317 one of five types of affliction (sarklesa), 78 Vaikuntha free from, 81 absolute non-distinction (abheda) a barrier to the recognition of potency, 167 Kumāras’ experience of devotion contrasted with, 774 view formerly held by the Kumāras, 755 acausal (ahetu) as the innate disposition of Bhagavan (Nārāyaṇa), 35, 37 action four types of results of, 561, 568 not attributable to Kṛṣṇa’s body, 561, 563, 565, 568 goal-oriented (kamya-karma) always inauspicious, 793, 794 one of three types of karma, 421 Vyasa learned in, 796 rooted in ignorance (avidya-karma), 157 three types of, 421 aesthetic experience (rasa) brou a person acquainted with cannot abandon the Lord, 998 as a name for the Absolute, 11 covered Yasoda’s awareness of Kṛṣṇa’s all-pervasiveness, 286 devotees in sänta-rasa have the least intensity of love, 617 different in each of Kṛṣṇa’s prakasa manifestations, 427 formless interpretation in opposition to, 540 of bibhatsa (disgust), in regard to the body, 492 ( the gopis permeated by, 918 1079 References yuddha-rasa of Bhisma compared to kandarpa-rasa, 572 all-pervading (vibhutva) as being present everywhere, 291, 370, 373 Kṛṣṇa’s body as, 286 Kṛṣṇa’s form simultaneously localized and, 287, 293 anthropomorphism God’s appearance in individualized forms not a case of, 356 da anubhava of perpetual bliss, 979 pure, the bliss of, 214 kaivalya defined as, 217 personified, the Supreme Lord as, 234 ascetics (sannyāsīs) four types of, 682 three highest realms of the universe attained by, 715 atheists compared to an owl, 1039 deny the existence of a personal God, 519 modern viewpoint of contrasted with that of Hiranyakasipu, 168 study the cosmos to deny God’s existence, 170 attachment (rāga) as a natural sequel to egotism, 83 as the cause of the bodily concept, 84 Le one of the five types of affliction, 78, 81 MAX one of the five types of ignorance, 317 auspiciousness (kṣema) as a reference to the Lord’s abode, 652 as freedom from the influence of time, 713 as signifying protection, 265 as the inherent quality of Vaikuntha, 709, 715 indicated by the terms immortal and fearlessness, 708, 713 represented by Tapoloka, 717 aversion (dvesa) as a natural sequel to egotism, 83 as the cause of the bodily concept, 84 one of the five types of affliction, 78, 81 one of the five types of ignorance, 317 beginningless (anadi) Brahman as, 155, 914 ho 1080 Subject Index material nature and the living beings as, 624, 690 nobelle technical meaning of in regard to the jiva’s bondage, 273, 634 the jiva’s fallen condition as, 183, 622 the Lord and His energies are, 161, 205, 219, 288, 839 the Lord’s form as, 269, 272, 273, 496 bewilderment (vimudhah) cause of the perception of the body as beautiful, 492 bhava-bhakti as the permanent foundation of feeling-awareness for God, 7595 disappearance of through offence, 459, 615 bhagavad-dharma Vasudeva as He who manifests the wealth of, 1009 Bhüloka as part of the ekapāda-vibhūti, 717 as the world of mortals, 587 the lower planets counted as part of, 588 Bhuvarloka as part of the ekapāda-vibhūti, 717 as the residence of spirit entities, 587 included in the three planetary systems, 588 bliss (ānanda) as a characteristic of the Lord’s body, 560 as an aspect of Bhagavan’s nature, 663 as the nature of Vaikuntha, 663 as the unqualified substantive, 17lybaven Bhagavan (Viṣṇu), the primary meaning of, 868 Bhagavan as the substratum of, 828, 853, 856, 861 of Brahman Vaikuntha residents are of the nature of, 706 of the Lord’s abidance in His essential being (svarupananda) exceeded by that of bhagavad-ananda, 432 the Lord’s actions are a display of, 438 of the self’s abidance in its essential being (svarupananda) exceeded by that of bhajanananda, 741, 773 of unqualified being (nirviseṣa-svarupa-ānanda) the Kumāras’ experience conjectured as, 769 potency of as including the potencies of being and knowing, 1017 exists only in Bhagavan, 96 1081 References radiation of, the meaning of residence in Vaikuntha, 608m transcendental variety manifested by, 755 uir pure (kevala) the Lord is the shelter of, 217 body and senses op absorption in leads to assumption of phenomenal nature, 238 enlivened (or supported) by Paramātmā, 43, 486 material and spiritual, 807 spiritual endowed by the internal potency, 648 of Narada, 531 bondage, freedom from (mukta-bandhana) true self-identity emerges in, 807 brāhmaṇas aspire for the Lord’s abode, 676 assign appropriate names according to horoscope, 448 asuras take birth as in Kaliyuga, 278 attended the Rājasūya sacrifice, 532 must give up fruitive action to know the Lord’s abode, 663 Nrga fond of donating cows to, 410 render the abode of the Lord more brilliant, 668 respect for, a quality of the Lord, 248 supported by the Lord, 462 Caitanya Mahaprabhu Acintya-bhedabheda-vada ideology of, 26, 149 confirms the potency of the Name, 448 famous verse of, as the devotional ideal of bhūta-suddhi, 698 gave sixty-one explanations of the atmäräma verse, 801 introduced the fifth goal of human life, 762 prays in the mood of a fallen soul, 622 Cārvāka cause proposed no self or God, 168, 169 effect dependent upon (satkārya-vāda), 169 efficient Bhagavan as, of creation, 161, 238, 346, 355, 362, 516, 836, 953 devotion as, of Bhagavan realization, 10 time as, of creation and annihilation, 261 material 1082 as guṇa-māyā, 176, 222 Subject Index Bhagavan (or Brahman) as, of creation, 141, 160, 237, 346, 355, 362, 517, 836,953 pradhana as, of creation, 333 under the Lord’s control as time, 206. of all other causes (sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇa), Bhagavan as, 161, 566 celibacy, formidable vow of (brhad-vrata) attainment of higher planets dependent on, 720 celibate student (brahmacāri) Lord Vamana as, 354 two types of, 593 celibate student life (brahmacarya) attainment of the higher planets by, 588 involves tapas, 588, 593 Vaikuntha not understood by, 710 cognitive potency (jñāna-śakti) a characteristic of the psychical apparatus, 22 belongs to the Lord, 197, 201, 205, 480, 1004 manifests in the form of mahat-tattva, 139 confidential [knowledge] (rahasya) love of Kṛṣṇa as, 762 one of four topics of the Catuḥ-sloki, 898-903, 917-922, 924-926, 929 confidentiality (rahasyatva) concept of fulfilled here (in prema), 920 conjunction [or contact] (samyoga) one of two types of relations between objects, 20, 28 consciousness an attribute of the Lord’s body, 362 body, senses and mind devoid of, 82 covering of by [or absence of in] the universe (asta-dhiṣaṇa), 361, 362 nondual Absolute Reality characterized as, 5, 6, 40, 403 jñānis deny the existence of qualities in, 14 possessed by the living being, 38, 855 consumption (sāśana) and non-consumption (anasana) living beings move on the paths of, 718, 719 cosmic intellect (mahat) as a covering of the universe, 302 as a manifestation of the cognitive potency, 140, 143, 361 1083References as part of the material cause of the cosmos, 333-equ www.creates the cosmic egg and the body by the Lord’s grace, 859, 861 Kṛṣṇa as, 563, 838 Lord Vasudeva permeates, 844 non-existent during the Lord’s cosmic sleep, 1028 not present in Vaikuntha, 657 Nārāyaṇa comprises the cosmos, beginning with, 309 presided over by the ajanaja devas, 482 supreme among the material elements, 1035 the abode of Lord Siva beyond the covering of, 690 the cosmic form composed of, 500 the first modification of primordial nature, 138, 176, 221, 517 the source of material forms, 397 Śrī Kapila as, 218, 219 cosmic intelligence personified presiding deities as, 199 cowherd men (gopas) endowed with the full range of loving attitudes, 604 Vaikuntha revealed to, 813 cowherd women (gopis) an example of bhāgavata-paramahamsas, 14 attained the state realized by sages, 478 derive greater pleasure by seeing Kṛṣṇa, 633 Kṛṣṇa resides in Goloka with, 918 loved Kṛṣṇa unknowingly, when He took the form of their sons, 548, 551 non-awareness of Krsna’s grandeur induced in, 999, 1015 creation as protection of the devotees, 423 carried out by māyā, 209-211 the Lord accepts birth and form for, 471 demons (asuras) brāhmaṇas take birth as in Kaliyuga, 278 Hiranyakasipu chief of, 167 Hiranyākṣa and Hiranyakasipu, the most formidable of, 724 included within the gross cosmic form, 500 killed by the Lord, 338 Kṛṣṇa eulogized by, 352 Prahlada spoke to the sons of, 234 residents of Vaikuntha worshipable by, 84, 90, 105, 106, 229 1084 the Lord not visible to, 694 Subject Index the subterranean world created for by Brahma, 587 the word destruction (apyaya) applies to, 423 vanquished by Kṛṣṇa, 465, 466 Visnu’s qualities unknown to, 244 Vṛtrasura created to kill Indra, 682 devotee in the stage of practice (sädhaka-bhaktas) obtains a spiritual ego on perfection, 807 unable to directly perceive Bhagavan, 956 devotion amorous (madhurya-rasa), 617 as a friend (sakhya-rasa), 617 mixed with knowledge path of (jñāna-miśra-bhakti), 803 one-pointed (eka-bhaktyā) as undeviating devotional practice, 802 montavi Kardama first realized Brahman by, 804 parental (vätsalya-rasa), 617 peaceful (santa-rasa), 617 () supations leitan post-liberated state of, 805 respectful (dāsya-rasa), 572, 618 gadd to send hisdel Dhruvaloka 308 bistre candic as the supreme abode of Śrī Vişņu, 671, 683, 685 direct expression (vācaka) Om as, for Paramātmā, 949, 957 ylandiveng veraldleg Polem the word bhagavan as, of the Supreme Truth, 20, 30, 33 om direct witnessing (sākṣād-darśana) of the Lord’s birth and acts, 432 disharmony (vivāda) of different energies, 128 of philosophers, 126, 127 dispassion (vairāgya) sqms wil med tomo as an attendant of bhakti, 63 Devahuti instructed on, 135omation he one of six primary attributes of Bhagavan, 21, 32 perfected only through bhakti, 804 sometimes helpful in bhakti, 654 dissolution (samyama, pralaya or nirodha) 1085 References Bhagavan (or Paramātmā) as the source of, 35, 37, 38, 41, 146, 221, 261, 462, 480, 909, 911, 959, 1029 Bhagavan not subject to, 275, 393, 396 Brahman as the source of, 976 Brahma attains the Lord’s abode on, 598 comparable to the absence of light, 173 devotees do not fall down on, 621 how agency for can be attributed to Brahman, 144, 146, 147510 jivas cannot experience Bhagavan on, 1029, 1031 māyā carries out (through the gunas), 88, 210, 211, 272, 333 not a qualifier for the nirguna, 640 Nārāyaṇa lies in the waters of, 305, 306, 309, 316 Paramātmā merged in Bhagavan on, 959 presided over by Śiva (and Durga), 222, 332, 333 the Lord exists after, 143, 259, 863, 864, 910 the purpose of studying, 170 Vaikuntha free from, 674, 694 divine love (prema) a natural consequence of vijñāna, 904 as the meaning of rahasya, 900, 902, 917, 919, 921, 922, 924, 9292 freedom from all offenses on attainment of, 614 inherent in the nature of Bhagavan, 916/ Kardama attained, 806 Kumāras attained after seeing the Lord, 760 Kumāras were previously devoid of, 725 makes possible Bhagavan’s appearance, 7, 74 makes possible the Lord’s appearance, 346 netă means one who delivers, 21 sadhana as the component part of, 928 superiority of cannot be accounted for by upadhis, 777) Vaikuntha attained by, 658 duality apparent in the realm of maya, 200, 335 fear caused by, 70 freedom from leads to realization that Kṛṣṇa is one, 381, 385, 386, 388, 389 how philosophy can account for, 236 Kardama freed from, 805 knowledge dispels, 98 1086 Kumāras had cast off, 1035 Subject Index notion of arises in bondage, 204 of enjoyer and enjoyed, transcended in Brahman, 49 of word and meaning, 31, 33 overcome through devotion, 204 Supreme Reality beyond, 145 the cause of material misery, 14 the Supreme Lord is free from, 517, 543 Vaikuntha attained by those free from, 679 Vaikuntha free from, 725, 972 Sukadeva free from, 425, 765, 800 duties (karma) daily [or obligatory] (nitya), 421 incidental (naimittika), 421 to fullfill desires (kāmya), 421 ego (ahankara) material as a derivative of mahat, 143 as a reflection in the subtle body, 182 as an element of pradhana, 517 as an energy of cosmic manifestation, 132, 133 as the doer, 194 as the individual I-principle, 138, 140 dissolved in Brahman, 648 Kardama freed from, 805, 806 Kṛṣṇa as, 562, 838 macrocosm and microcosm created by, 859 one of five types of affliction, 78 one of five types of ignorance, 176 one of seven coverings of the universe, 300, 302 part of the field of action, 82 part of the mental body, 855 sages freed from, 469, 493, 752, 753, 798, 801 the devotee as free from, 633, 807 sunnig the Lord’s glory experienced in the state of freedom from, 836 the source of false independence and bondage, 335 tuleb to the Supreme Self realized when free from, 751 those freed from relish the topics of the Lord, 979 threefold, 218 1087 References Vaikuntha free from, 81, 657 spiritual attained on perfection, 805, 807 Kardama attained, 806 elements, five material (bhūtas) as energies of creation, 133 as part of the field of action, 82 Brahman grossly manifest as, 139 cannot know their own nature, 198, 199 enter the undifferentiated state on dissolution, 259, 264, 959, 1028 exist both within and distinct from material bodies, 917-919, 922, 923 material forms made of, 525, 529 permeated by the Immanent Self, 844 qualities of perceived by the cognitive senses, 828 the abode of the Lord free from, 670 the cosmic form generated out of, 36 the Lord’s body devoid of, 516, 559 the Lord’s form as the essence [i.e., the cause] of, 511 transformation of (bhūta-śuddhi), 698 energy [or potency] (śakti) conflicting, 133 conscious (cit) as the path of wisdom, 719 as viśuddha-sattva, 781 as yoga-māyā, 225, 379, 419 māyā under the control of, 206, 207 one of two divisions of the Lord’s potency, 165, 166 present in Vaikuntha, 229, 230 the Lord’s body constituted of, 776 inferior [or finite] (apară), 163, 165, 170, 178, 185, 1021 internal of awareness (samvit), 384 of being (sandhini), 96, 384, 999, 1004-1006, 1016, 10176 of bliss (hladini), 96, 384, 999, 1004-1006, 1013, 1016, 1017 of creation, 220 of dissolution, 220 of maintenance, 220 shadow (chāyā) māyā as, 176 1088 Subject Index the jiva as, 175, 184 888 to come moil baten transcendental [or infinite] (parā), 165, 166, 170, 1799 y beyond mind, speech and senses, 171 bo Call moil batsnams Laksmi as the personification of, 506, 1021 the jiva as, 178 unconscious [or inert] (acit) absent in Vaikuntha, 229, 230 d visne nafte wollat one of two divisions of the Lord’s potency, 165, 166, 226 enviousness (matsara) defined, 887 Śrimad Bhagavatam meant for those devoid of, 633, 885, 887, 892 equanimity, vision of (sama-cetasă or sama-drk) and more on devotion endowed with, 812 Kardama situated in, 804, 805, 808-811 evolutionists advocate that consciousness springs from matter, 168 existence three grades of, 122 fallen (patita) eft to loo the living beings as, 621-623 vd sword fon fire sacrifice (agnistoma), 950 sa v food body (anna-maya), 854, 859-861, 8660 sldeglitzow feed mot size alw original (svayam-rupa), 376, 531 form(s), of the Lord same in nature, but appearing different (tad-ekātma-rupa), 376, 531 fourth, the (turiya) max to enotn beyond the states of waking, dreaming and deep sleep, 1035 beyond the three guņas, 275 ninism bus Bhagavan [Nārāyaṇa] as, 37, 42, 46, 47, 49, 319 sly egy gods (devas or suras) abode of Lord Siva not attained by, 691 In obode appeared as Yadavas, 686 as controllers of the senses, 133, 482 as servants of Bhagavan, 258 to castorst attain the abode of the Lord after destruction of their subtle bodies, 596, 598 beyond the gross and subtle elements, 199 carry offerings to the Lord on their heads, 481, 482 Abstrinly 1089 References created from a portion of Brahma, 872, 882202 son decry the monists, 56 daar (10 emanated from the Lord, 287 follow after Brahma, 1027, 10280 4 form of the Lord indescribable by, 244 invest their qualities in the devotees, 250, 613 lost the protection of their guru, 681 pion brum Enoyed māyā as the opulence of, 225 bon) to hire punto so miseries brought about by, 125 names of actually name the Lord, 933 names of refer to their posts, 398 not free from the gunas, 89 ocean of milk churned by, 1015 opulence of, a fraction of that of the Lord, 115 praise of, indirect praise of the Lord, 279 senses of the Lord not under the control of, 486 the Lord takes birth amongst, 337 the Lord worshipable by, 778, 931 unable to understand the Lord, 1029, 1031 по under the control of the Lord, 166 agnied griy Vaikuntha worshipable by, 668, 675, 683 Vaikuntha not known by, 675 within the cosmic form, 500 Śrī Hari, the embodiment of all, 400 guṇāvatāra Hari as Garbhodakaśāyi Viṣṇu, Nārāyaṇa nondifferent from, 746 as manifestations of Kṛṣṇa, 335, 336, 338, 511 Brahma as, acknowledges the Lord’s supremacy, 257 creation, destruction and maintenance performed by, 422, 464, 467 Nārāyaṇa the source of, 130, 979 abode of, 671, 674, 675, 679, 684, 1013lete mu vied to bothe acts out of pleasure, 430 appeared as Vamana, 345 devotees of, 106 202 embodiment of all the gods, 400 bod to body p form of described, 112 free from birth and death, 262 glorified in the Vedas, 276 1090 Subject Index katha of taste of surpasses brahmananda, 650, 756e je rad-f Vyasa draws people toward, 792 living beings as servants of, 617 love for, 57 name of, 446, 451, 458, 460, 801 nature of, 288 atua no connection with the gunas, 96 has bo adeveringil qualities of, 244, 469, 798, 801yrives ambulans the one and only Reality, 875 vagaria to upholds the living beings, 582nd oral dru harmony (samvada) of different energies, 128 of philosophers, 126 I-awareness real [or transcendental], 805-807 ignorance (avidya) action rooted in, 157 bayiqails (no-acinio) swag aldertsoncom goor ton obathavasiny vd vnam as cholinem neved slouds asastimen reveali (obby-ogla) of as a function of māyā, 964, 999 as a name for the Lord’s will, 226 as a personified [intrinsic] potency, Bhagavan is beyond, 216, 314, 317 owens Value Jo shyne 996, 999, 1014 6.999, 1014 Bhagavan subjected to, according to Sankara, 141 dispelling of, 946 embraced by the jiva, 232, 719 of galboin four types of, 81, 82 leads to bondage, 184 fise gronds som not created by the jivas, 945, 953 andere al gen the cause of illusion [or superimposition], 122 Vaikuntha free from, 79, 81 Immanent Self (pratyag-atmani), 806, 831, 844, 921 immensity [or great], the as Brahman, 973 ido as the source of creation, 977d perceived both by yoga and sankhya, 497, 499 ( imperishable (akṣara) as a name for Vaikuntha, 677 Bhagavan as beyond, 215, 876-879, 883, 1021 Brahman referred to as, 846, 863, 876 1091 References Sanskrit letters as, 449 the Lord as, 560, 567, 883 za obnantimito lessenge impersonalists.com the afraid of ego, 805 Brahman cannot be approached by, 956 consider viśuddha-sattva as material sattva, 1017 consider Brahman superior to Vaikuntha, 81 inconceivable oneness and difference (acintya-bheda-abheda) as Bhagavan’s including variety within His nondual essence, 787 as the nature of Bhagavan’s relation with Laksmi, 1024 as the relation between Bhagavan and His energies, 26 Bhāgavatam propounds, 237 displayed in the brahma-mohana-lilā, 543 inconceivable power (acintya-sakti) acceptance of essential to understand the Lord, 626 Advaitavādīs do not accept, 179 Bhagavan manifests as many by, 543 Bhagavan manifests three sizes by, 397 indirect speech (parokṣa-vāda) an example of, Suka’s answer to Parikṣit, 954 descriptions of Krsna’s death as, 280 pleasing to Kṛṣṇa, 281 ineffable (anirvacaniya) acintya does not imply, 150 māyā as, according to Sankara, 179 inference (anumāna) 954 of Bhagavan’s existence, through material sattva, 100 of innate potency in Brahman, 159 of the eternality of the Lord’s form, 628 of the Lord’s having a body, 494 inherence (samavāya) se88,908 one of two types of relations between objects, 20, 28 the relation between the Lord and His qualities, 251am inspiring [or impelling] agent (hetu-kartā) Bhagavan as, 42 eek peri instrumentality, potency of (nimitta-śakti) as referring to the jiva, 176 intellect (buddhi) three states of, 36, 37, 39, 40, 42, 43, 1034, 1035 (mnen) 1092 Subject Index irreligion (adharma) as an external energy, 113 situated behind the Lord’s back, 521 Iśvara as conceived by the Vaiseṣikas, 536 as He who delights in His own Self and abode, 115 as the immanent invisible (apara-amürta), 870, 881, 882 eternality of the Lord’s from due to the potency of, 490 Kṛṣṇa as [i.e., as Paramātmā], 213, 215, 266, 305, 1002 pranava as, 453 dias y botilsup Josjs proposed as a product of maya by Advaitavādīs, 180 the Lord manifests as, to devotees influenced by majesty, 891 the supreme transcendence (para-tattva) is beyond, 36, 871 Iśvara Kṛṣṇa argues for the existence of a separate purusa in every body, 194 satkārya-vāda posited by, 169 Janaloka not what is meant by tripada-vibhūti, 713 one of four planets above heaven, 717 situated on the neck of the Lord’s cosmic body, 644 the Lord’s abode is beyond, 710 jñāna-śästra mibodms ad animalol Bhagavatam as superior to, 887 sänkhya as, 498 thods to imele on on, 502 (bybly min) Hazer) to mibodas siltas Tom jñāna-yoga ascertains truth through negation, 502 Bhagavan as the aim of, 824, 976 Brahman realized by, 7 jñāni-paramahamsas 888 disposed to the Absolute as unqualified being, 13, 14 Kaustubha gem 20 as the embodiment of all conscious beings, 581, 582 Bhagavan adorned with, 576, 737 one of the distinct features of the Lord, 701 statement regarding, 865ethroats knot of ego (grantha) vibe 120 as the knot of attachment, 799 ban exhalwood iliwaalus freedom from, as transcending the injunctions of scripture, 800 1093References sages freed from, 469, 621, 757, 798, 801 the Lord’s form is realized after cutting, 751, 75310 knower of the field (kṣetrajña) as the individual self, 157 knowledge concealed (guhya-vidya) base as bhakti, 1007 viśuddha-sattva known as when predominated by hladini, 1007 determinate oors as knowledge of an object qualified by its attributes, 24 as Kṛṣṇa’s final immediate perception of Narada, 70 in relation to objects, 68 preceded by indeterminate knowledge, 68 inconceivable (acintya-jñāna), 147, 149 indeterminate tags as Brahman awareness, 68, 71 as Kṛṣṇa’s first distant perception of Narada, 70 as simple perception devoid of knowledge of qualitative relation, 25 beyond sense perception, 69 of Bhagavan, Brahman as, 836 of sacrifice (yajña-vidya) Laksmi as the embodiment of, 1007 of the eightfold yoga (maha-vidya) Lakṣmi as the embodiment of, 1007 of the self (atma-vidya) Laksmi as the embodiment of, 1007 two functions of, 1006 path of (jñāna-marga) Bhagavatam completes what is lacking in, 888 bhakti includes and transcends, 813 the Absolute manifests as para-amurta for, 882 the goal of, also attained by devotees, 803 kriya-śakti amibodas git a division of the Lord’s potencies, 148, 205, 480, 971, 988, 989, 993 as a personified potency of the Lord, 1015 as the active stage of primordial nature [i.e., sūtra], 139 belongs to the Lord, 197 co-existent with knowledge and will, 205, 224, 228 kriya-yoga pantomim bilgile lito sim 1094 Subject Index as Deity worship, 637 kṣatriyas cannot know the Lord, 663 liberated while living (jivan-mukta) bihat galed mäyä flees from, 67 according to Advaitavāda, 779 ibeinujor as devotees who are nirguna, 64080 abode od mahesh fall from the status of, through offenses, 459 pageseib add liberation (mukti) naişkarmya-jñāna as, 794 as an example of post-non-existence, 273d bsoup itu-ul as obtaining form identical to the Lord (sarūpya), 107, 108, 610, 615, 700, Beyd basis antru 756 as obtaining opulence equal to the Lord (särṣṭi), 601, 609, 669, 756 as obtaining residence with the Lord (sälokya), 609, 615, 756, 886 as proximity to the Lord (samipya), 609, 615, 703yd as the state of absolute unity (kaivalya) attainable through devotion, 851 laedt of gain Bhagavan always situated in, 214-217, 221, 229 lass or ac knowledge of in sattva-guna, 1010 dévegada la livsda not possible where there is a tinge of māyā, 213 Bhagavatam carries one beyond, 762 balb spoy gordi bonist Bhagavan as the embodiment of, 393ly ylovesd sit move sanullavadeM Bashode anvegale 101 Bryony bhakti superior to, 820 definition of, 611, 617 devotees do not desire, 821 de Dhruvaloka not inferior to, 684 gradual (krama-mukti), 659, 717 immediate (sadyo-mukti), 659 people in general interested in, 792 setel amigos m sds of lethabaceart Ce, (99) 180-es how s sv vhod vad som the intellect and so on created for, 945, 953, 954 two types of, 946, 955 Vaikuntha as, 229, 654, 677, 681 living being (jiva) 208 home ga ne 1891 og 26 as intermediary potency (taṭastha-śakti), 12, 157, 158, 162, 164-166, 191, 382, 699, 701 ever-bound (nitya-baddha), 162 beginningless bondage of, 183, 627 difficult to grasp the concept of, 634 1095 References Lord ever-liberated (nitya-mukta), 162 eternal associates as, 624 original manifestations of (prakāśa) having individuated sense of Self, 435-voll allow bster20 Lord of death (Yamarāja) devotees beyond the jurisdiction of, 647, 649 the dead attain the abode of, 81 those who disrespect the Lord must face, 519 Madhvācārya Mathara-śruti quoted by, 739aixs-nun Jau oo comments on Brahma-sutra, 343, 380, 383, 428, 429 Kurma Purāņa cited by, 528 makes references to Brahma-tarka, 246 proponent of Dvaitavada, 236 Śrutis cited by, 288, 779, 972, 976, 992 mahā-māyā according to the Śākta view, 180 as the external potency, 185, 1014 as the will of Bhagavan, 226 Maharloka sovam to 99 EIS OVE stoval an ! nito sobolwato! Lat matovanih attained through yoga discipline, 588 beyond the heavenly planets, 717 10 1050 Mahāvaikuntha a synonym for Bhagavan’s abode, 681 the original Vaikuntha as seen by Brahma, 693, 694, 92821 transcendental to the material world, 673 material world an agent must have a body in, 145 as temporary, 81 as unreal according to Sankara, 237, 365 Brahma engaged in the design of, 80 compared to a dream, 366 creation of not due to the Lord’s desire, 209 devotees liberated from, 76 duality in, 204 Durga as the warden of, 125 energies of all objects inconceivable in, 146 full of misery, 363 1096 Subject Index functions through combination of prakṛti and puruşa, 195 God as material and efficient cause of, 237 gunas as the source of action in, 403 gunas not found in a pure state in, 89, 120 has the appearance of being eternal, 362qm internal potency the source of all action in, 171, 190 Kṛṣṇa as the source of, 142 or oranssilla Krsna has no contact with the architect of, 117 manifested by the external energy, 162, 3180 material cause different from the efficient cause in, 161 māyā maya’s influence limited to, 253 māyā manifests as inert matter in, 226 perceived through the senses, 487 purpose of not for suffering, 210dil af (brocir la purpose of the Lord’s appearance in, 259, 262, 281, 282, 471, 474 Rāmānuja describes as an adjective of God, 26 referred to as (eka) pada-vibhūti, 707, 711, 712, 716 renunciation of unnecessary, 1830 the Lord glances over, 268 the Lord transcendental to, 160, 408, 845 three attributes of, 362 Vaiṣṇavas accept as real, 124, 368 9168 within Krsna’s belly, 317, 321, 322 and witness different from the witnessed in, 43 bin Lady. instrumental aspect of jiva-māyā, 173, 175, 176, 179, 181, 183-185, 203, 220, 222, 225, 226, 230 ybod material aspect of (guna-māyā), 173-176, 179, 182-185, 190, 220, 222, 225, 226, 230, 607 means of valid knowledge (pramāna) Brahman as beyond, 153 nasion presumption as, 213, 731 sabda as A bañilesy in regard to the Lord, 450, 486, 515, 519, 555 inconceivable potency to be accepted by, 297, 298 supreme, in regard to transcendence, 566 sādhu as, 8390 m scriptural evidence as, 26 Śrimad Bhagavatam as, 6, 519, 892 1097 three types of, 628 References plus pollundmos figuel konyh meditative trance (samadhi) Josaurs tuss Brahman pervades the state of, 36, 37, 39 Brahma saw the Lord’s form in, 314 1672 100 of Brahma, the Lord imperceptible to, 1033 of the Kumāras, the Lord as the fulfillment of, 728, 730 the yogi in, loses all interest in the body, 763 mental body (mano-maya), 855 mental constructs [or conceptualization] (kalpana) absence of in Brahman, 443 all (material) names a product of, 443 artha, dharma and kama give rise to, 946 as prior assumptions screening the reality view, 945, 954, 956 freedom from (akalpana) is liberation, 945, 954, 956 of the Lord, māyā-śakti as, 1002 of the Lord’s name and class, non-existence of, 440-442, 444, 448 mental state(s) (citta-vṛtti) as an instrument of perception, 82 as feelings of happiness and distress, 364 as modifications in the material body, 780 bhakti not counted as, 781 Brahman manifests in the state of freedom from, 75272 Brahman manifests in those arising from pure being, 769, 770 experience [or perception] of objects as, 52, 59 miseries (threefold) arising from nature (adhidaivika), 125 laring-kudos arising from one’s own body and mind (adhyatmika), 125 inflicted by other living beings (adhibhautika), 125 monistic view decried by Brahma, 56 fails to account for intrinsic potency in the Absolute, 893 limited to the unqualified Absolute, 171 of Vaikuntha, as a manifestation of sattva, 90 theory of māyā according to, 179, 180 Mukta-phala author of committed to the formless Absolute, 658 defines the Lord as both with and without form, 907 description of, 914 Hemadri wrote a commentary on, 660 1098 Subject Index name(s) (nāma) Ajamila cried out while dying, 266 al brand as a verbal symbol to designate objects, 414, 421 Bhagavan the source of all, 504 of Bhagavan a manifestation of His internal potency, 474 affirmation and negation of, 499, 500, 504, 507 as beginningless, 508 iw bo as devoid of (material), 412-414, 417, 420, 422, 425, 505, 508 as granting liberation, 446, 450 as increasing the bliss of His devotees, 471 as self-manifest [or self-existent], 439, 443, 445, 449, 458, 963 devoid of conceptualization (kalpana), 440, 441 eternal in each of its letters, 444 922 identical to its repository (nami), 453, 454, 963, 972 incomprehensible, 433, 440, 456 of the nature of bliss, 451 transcendental, 422, 447, 448, 467, 497 Vasudeva as, 16, 570, 1008 of Kṛṣṇa, cannot be uttered by way of the senses, 202, 955 of Nārāyaṇa, etymological definitions of, 308-310 of the avataras, 282 of the devas originally belong to Visņu, 279 refer to the Lord’s associates in Vaikuntha, 398 refer to their posts, 398 the gods identified with, 400, 401 of the Absolute, 6, 9-11, 16 agad of Viṣṇu recitation of attracts the Lord, 962 Vaikuntha as, 78 offences to, 450, 456, 457, 459 patie sänkhya denies the existence of, 498, 502, 503 uttered by Narada, 411 yoga affirms the existence of, 497, 502, 503 negation (vyatireka) as a description of what Kṛṣṇa is not, 914 the purpose of describing the Absolute in terms of, 916 the truth should be investigated by, 925 1099 References New Age (philosophy) of inherent knowledge and love, 1016 Nimbārkācārya as a proponent of theistic Vedanta, 236 nirguna Bhagavan as, 27 Brahman as, 141, 146, 153, 154 deep sleep not to be equated with, 1034 devotees as, 640 Śakti as, 180 Śrutis as, 952 state of the intellect and senses, 947 the Lord as, 243, 245, 418 al the Lord’s form as, 536 the Lord’s qualities as, 243, 245 truth, lesser Purāņas not concerned with, 278 Vaikuntha as the shelter of, 641-643, 653 nirvāṇa as emptiness, 928 as extinction in Brahman, 397 Bhagavan as an ocean of bliss in the form of, 393, 396 non-enviousness (nirmatsara) as a qualification for hearing Śrimad Bhagavatam, 885, 892, 994 bhakti meant for those situated in, 633, 887 non-existence pre (prāg-abhava), 273, 396 non-inherent indicator (upalakṣaṇa) 00 Bhagavan’s qualities not in the category of, 22 distinguishes one object from another, 747 the Lord’s qualities not in the category of, 747 not this, not this (neti neti) abandonment of false self-concepts by, 657, 658 Advaitavādīs describe Brahman in terms of, 167 denies attribution of the Absolute, 401 material qualities denied in Brahman by, 988 process of as relative negation, 504 path of jñāna equated with, 502 Suka describes, 503 1100 Subject Index the Lord remains, when all is denied by, 403 the Śrutis describe the Absolute as, 235, 965, 969 oblations the gods consume, 476, 481 the Lord appeared to accept, 314 to the gods and the deceased (havya-kavya), 481 Viśvarupa gave to the Daityas, 682 offense (aparādha) committed due to ignorance, 614 devotees fear, 759 freedom from, 614 prema awakened in the state of, 901 obstruction by, 899 of Brahma, 304 of Durvāsā, 265 of the Kumāras, 757 of the Lord’s associates, to the sages, 722, 726, 734 to the name, 457, 459 onefold dimensionality of being (ekapad [or pada] vibhuti) inherent in the material world, 707 the cosmic counterpart of, 716 paramahamsas the Absolute realized by, as Brahman and Bhagavan, 10 the four Kumāras as the foremost of, 723 the Lord attained by treading the path of, 116, 119 two types of, 13, 14, 119, 682 perception (pratyakṣa) ES8 Sm determinate (savikalpaka), 24, 68 vs sh indeterminate (nirvikalpaka), 24, 25, 68, 236 perfected beings (siddha-purusa) devotees as, 614 the Kumāras as, 735 perishable (kṣara) happiness of Maharloka as, 717 basqsbal Kṛṣṇa as beyond, 215, 567, 846, 877, 879, 883 the cosmos as, 876, 877 the living beings as, 200, 846, 879 philosophers 1101 References Cārvāka as, 169 Boyd Laiash al llawenland consider the world as illusory, 365 loaded dhobating d establish the Absolute as unqualified Brahman, 290 Indian, considered liberation as ultimate, 761 materialistic, 168 mimāmsakas on the theory of the ātmā, 537 on three types of karma, 421 of Advaita, 519, 544 of Sankhya, on the theory of prakṛti and puruşa, 195 speculative arguments of, 56, 126, 127, 131 the Lord’s form beyond the conceptions of, 537 Vedic, prasthana-trayī accepted by, 181 philosophy affirming existence (asti-iti), 56, 497, 664 Bhagavan not controlled by, 59 negating existence (năsti-iti), 56, 497 of acintya-bheda-abheda coined by Jiva Gosvāmi, 149 regarding Laksmi, 1024 of Bhāgavatam acintya-bheda-abheda propounded by, 237 establishes one Absolute, 236, 881 of Advaitavada, that the Absolute is unqualified, 123 of Caitanya Mahaprabhu as acintya-bheda-abheda, 149 on the fifth goal of life, 761 of chanting the Holy Name, 823 of Carvāka, akin to modern evolutionists, 168 of Nyaya on the sense of hearing, 760 realistic, 495 of Sankhya regarding prakṛti and puruşa, 193, 195-197 regarding prakṛti as independent, 212 Śrī Kṛṣṇa teaches, 863 of the Saktas, regarding Śakti, 180 of Vivartavāda, denied, 945, 953 of Sri Kapila (theistic Sankhya), 803 1102 Subject Index use of the word māyā in, 226 le use of the word vibhutva in, 291 beden Vedic, on the eternality of an object, 273 mielo wiels poetic device (alankara) establishing one meaning by defining another (arthäntara-nyasa), 975, 977,978 hyperbole (atiśayokti), 731 polychromatic effect compared to maya’s covering of consciousness, 174, 175, 184 pranava [Om] as a name for the Absolute, 11 as an avatara of the Lord, 453 as auspicious, 5 as Parabrahman, 452 as the nearest name to Brahman, 950 as the representation of the Absolute, 952, 957 as the seed of the Vedas, 949 known as tāra, 446 Kṛṣṇa as, 305 Vişņu expressed by, 445 prema-bhakti as rahasya, 899, 901, 918 causes Bhagavan to appear, 75 presumption (arthapatti) Natulone laubuon bost acceptance of energy in the Lord by, 151, 416 energy of objects understood by, 147, 150 internal potency in kaivalya established by, 213 meaning of, 150 150 qualifier (viseṣaṇa) as an attribute of the Absolute, 19 energy of the substantive as, 17, 25 of objects, 23, 25 six qualities as, of Bhagavan, 20, 27 Radical Nondualists (Advaitavādīs) arguments of overcome by accepting the Absolute as inconceivable, 149 as the main obstacle to personal realization, 236 Bhagavan worshiped even by, 778, 781 pravaladdre Brahman devoid of name, according to, 544 In Formal 1103References claim Brahman as the only reality, 122, 912 mo claim that Brahman is described only by lakṣaṇa-vṛtti, 957 tou claim that the Lord’s form and attributes are unreal, 123, 145 concept of similar to that of Hiranyakasipu, 168 deny attributes and energy in Brahman, 160, 242 deny inconceivable power in the Absolute, 179, 227 deny Vaikuntha as transcendental, 653, 654 describe Brahman in negative terms, 167 ignorance overcome by knowledge alone, according to, 61 ng interpret param padam as Brahman, 681, 687 manufacture their own idea of Brahman, 56 on nirguna and saguna Brahman, 245 on merging in Brahman, 812 on the pleasure of the Kumāras on seeing the Lord, 771, 774, 775, 779 on the theory of perception, 204 realization of the self according to, 61 theory of Brahman of, based on the Upanisads, 847 Rāmānujācārya emphasizes the Absolute with form, 873 explains TU 2.1.1, 741 inspired by Laksmi Devi, 724 Subala Upanisad cited by, 876 taught qualified nonduality, 26 reconciliation, of various scriptures (samanvaya) Bhagavan as, 935 determined by six criteria, 935 the subject of the first chapter of Brahma-sutra, 631 reflected light (abhāsa) jiva-māyā as, 173, 175, 184 māyā as, 172, 915 renounced order of life (sannyasa) Satyaloka attainable by, 588 Vaikuntha not attainable by, 594 reverential service (dāsya-rasa) embraced by Bhisma, 572 sentails accepting the Lord as an elder, 617 Rṣabhadeva, 520-524, 526-531, 6179 Rūpa Gosvāmi defines āveśāvatāra, 524 1104 Subject Index vie oudite chaos Śakti defines auspiciousness, 517 describes the affiliated effects of sadhana-bhakti, 124 describes three types of expansions, 531 lists 64 qualities of Kṛṣṇa, 250 on cintă (a transitory emotion), 745 on Mahāvaikuntha, 693, 6940s on the bliss of devotion, 15 nor on the correspondence of worshiper and worshiped, 827.10 on the effect (on bhava) of offenses, 459, 615 on the five rasas, 617 on the progression of devotion, 901 on the self-manifest name, 458 on the semblance of love, 58 on the shelter of a guru, 796 on the transmutation of the senses, 202, 955 pure love explained to, by Caitanya, 294 states: bhakti destroys karma, 620 jñāna and vairagya helpful to bhakti, 654 as mula-prakṛti, 180 as Mahālakṣmi, 997 sadhana-bhakti sages drag to non affiliated effects of, 124, 125 as component part (tad-anga) of prema, 900, 928 ingelam begins with hearing, 75 Brahman realized by, 54, 802 beyond social norms (avadhuta)omise best of, defined, 527 ob Śukadeva as, 801 Rṣabhadeva as, 526, 527 blo delighting in the Self alone (ātmārāma) as they who describe the Lord’s birth and actions, 432 40 association of leads to Brahman realization, 837 attracted to the bliss of Bhagavan, 764 devoid of all other attractions, 752 engage in single-minded devotion, 766, 798 the Lord as, 437, 472 no 1105 References the Lord’s attributes captivate the minds of, 469, 475, 800, 1027 verse describing, 757 and loss bedilibadandanes would not delight in tales of the imaginary, 981, 983 Sukadeva as, 425, 438 Sänkhya philosophy as generic path of negation, 497, 498, 501-504, 507, 509 Brahman the destination of, 865 cannot captivate Bhagavan, 59now to dualistic doctrine of refuted, 188, 193, 195, 196 Kṛṣṇa as teacher of, 863 Kṛṣṇa as the source of, 2400 on modifications through rajo-guna, 775 Śrī Kapila propounder of, 803 Śańkarācārya comments on amṛta-vapu, 262 comments on the name Parayana, 604 comments on the name Sama, 809 famous verse of, 857 followers [or School] of consider Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes as empirical, 391 do not accept energies in Brahman, 33, 141 require devotion for perfection of path, 56 Śrīdhara Svāmī accepted by, 395 Māyāvāda theory of, an obstacle to personal realization, 236 on tapas as consciousness, 97 on inexplicable māyā, 179 on superimposition (āropa), 122 on the inherence of effects in energy, 149 on the non-existence of names in Brahman, 417 on the oneness of words twice-uttered, 427 on those afflicted by avidya, 81 refutes the Sankhya view of pradhana, 188 Sarvajña, teacher in the line of, 780 summarizing the view of Carvaka, 168 verse attributed to, 778 Sanatana Gosvāmī Caitanya explains the ātmārāma verse to, 801 on Bhagavan’s mercy, 282 on Brahma’s vision of the Lord, 315 1106 Subject Index on the bringing forth of living beings, 626 2017026 Satyaloka as temporary, 645 attainable by sannyasa, 588 bliss of not desired by jñānis, 14 conventional dharma leads no higher than, 663 Govinda as beyond, 558 Hiranyakasipu’s erroneous view of, 672 represents the cosmic tripăda-vibhuti, 717 situated on the head of the cosmic form, 644 the place of fearlessness, 717 Vaikuntha as beyond, 80, 597, 598, 693, 694 scriptural injunctions, transcendence of by perfected beings, 621, 799, 800 self, the as a knower of the field (kṣetra-jña), 157 as atomic, 62 as devoid of birth, 267 as inactive, 195 as non-distinct from Brahman, 53 as one with and distinct from Brahman, 64 as perceiver, 44, 82 as possessor of consciousness (vijñāna-maya), 854, 855 as pure, 660 as transcendental, 64 as unchangeable (aksara), 879, 883 as you-principle (tvam-padartha), 52 ātmā refers to, 43, 201, 815 attainment of, 825 128 (svol lanolaba) my Yontinent yd badan ma bondage of, 182, 191, 204, 208 to sin blasted distinct from the Absolute, 9, 12 ans establishment in, 51, 52 knowledge of, essential to understand Brahman, 43, 45 dua jed realization of, 59, 61 the paths of karma, upāsanā and jñāna meant for different levels of, 893 sense pleasure (bhukti) people interested in, 792 senses cognitive 1107 References as inert instruments of the jiva, 201, 484 td sto contact of sense objects with, 82 direct knowledge derived from, 994 linked to the mind, 828 living beings entangled with, 550i perceive their respective qualities, 828 external the Lord appears within (or to), of His devotees, 919, 924 the Lord is without, 484, 487 unable to know their own nature, 198 of Bhagavan as part of His essential nature, 482, 483 the senses of all beings arise from, 479, 480 transcendental by nature, 79, 80, 478, 484, 485 presiding deities of, 192, 482, 486 the jiva as possessor of, 477 separativeness (dvitiya) as the cause of bondage, 183 siddhis (paranormal powers) kāmāvasäyitä, 46, 48, 49, 240design on vasita, 46, 48, 49, 240 iśitä, 46, 48, 240 as impediments to realization, 821, 823 as liberation, 821 eight types of, in Kṛṣṇa, 234, 239, 747 eighteen types of, 234, 239 not desired by devotees, 50, 600, 601, 704, 822 sthayi-bhāva (foundational love) of the Kumāras, nourished by transitory emotion, 744 STE the residents of Vaikuntha eternally established in, 606 and subconscious impressions (vāsanā) as the will of Bhagavan, 226 substance [substantive or the Existent] (vastu) real (vastava), 121-124 unreal [or apparent] (avastu or avastava), 122-124 substantive qualified (visiṣṭa), 17, 19, 20, 23, 24, 26, 27, 827 unqualified (visesya), 17, 19, 20, 23, 25-27, 810, 827 subtle elements (tan-mātras) 1108 Subject Index as a covering of the universal egg, 690 Brahman (as objects) manifests as, 139 cannot know their own nature, 199 non-existent at the time of cosmic dissolution, 1028 not grossly perceivable, 525 permeated by Lord Vasudeva, 844 Sudarśana Cakra as the potency of Bhagavan, 584 chased Durvāsā, 265, 584d protected Ambarīṣa, 584 superimposition (adhyāropa or adhyāsa) as the cause of bondage, 195 definition of, 122 freedom from, 184 of the subtle body onto the self, 208 on Brahman, Bhagavan as, 770 the Lord’s body as free from, 570 supreme destination (param padam) as an opulence of the Lord, 839 does not refer to the formless brahmajyoti, 660 Vaikuntha as, 86, 103, 229, 598, 645, 659, 660, 681, 718 supremely independent (svarāt) onkāra as [as self-manifesting], 952 Bhagavan as, 339, 478, 481, 484, 4858 etymological derivation of, 477 Svarloka as part of the [cosmic] ekapāda-vibhuti, 717 as the residence of the celestial beings, 587 Taittiriya Upanisad BLE connection between Bhagavad Gita and, 856, 857, 860 identifies Bhagavan as the ultimate support, 861, 866 on tapas as consciousness, 97 on the ineffability of Brahman, 167 nohulli to od do shows Bhagavan’s superiority to Brahman, 847, 848, 853 Tapoloka as part of the cosmic tripăda-vibhuti, 7171 attained by vanaprastha, 588 represents kṣema, 717 situated on the breast of the cosmic form, 644 1109 References theory of illusion (Māyāvāda) dago letu ada anak co as an obstacle to personal realization, 236 (5 conceives the Absolute as devoid of energy, 236ll work my Vivartavāda another name for, 953200 to s threefold dimensionality of being (tripāda-vibhūti) a synonym for Bhagavan’s abode, 681 inherent in the Lord’s abode, 707, 712, 716 Jon location and nature of, 86, 103, 645, 673 late not to be interpreted as referring to heaven, 713 Śiva explains to Pārvati, 710 the cosmic counterpart of, 716 abno unlimited worlds and beings in, 706 truth [or unalloyed being] (satya) as a determinant of Brahman, 16 as a knowledge aspect of the self, 855 as a name for the Absolute, 11, 494, 500, 687, 934 Kṛṣṇa as, 558 Kṛṣṇa’s body as, 567 Vaikuntha as, 656 орг Visnu forms of the nature of, 539, 543, 827 truth of the Self (atma-tattva) Bhagavan as, 751-753 Brahman as, 66 48 80 see [gatrain tulasi spoken to Brahma, 460, 461, 860 the Kumāras situated in, 730 beautifies the feet of the Lord, 757 phoqess [imeo) on the Kumāras captivated by the fragrance of, 740-743 Visņu forms garlanded with, 328 universal egg (brahmanda) as a form of the Lord, 645 coverings of, 690 lies within Kṛṣṇa’s body, 329 Vaikuntha a manifestation of the internal potency, 78, 90, 93, 103, 106, 120, 139, 162, 590, 732 as eternal, 259, 263, 273 as mithyā, 226 1110 Subject Index as the highest abode, 77, 78, 80, 708 he woren downloa characteristics of, 586, 587, 589, 590, 713-715 deeds performed by the Lord in, 431 description of, 107, 108, 115 free from māyā, 229, 590 vitles sta free from affliction, delusion and fear, 77-79, 81 free from fear, 713 той free from the gunas, 84, 87-89, 108, 229, 263, 590, 591, 633, 720 free from the influence of time, 84, 87, 89, 229, 590, 709 0 free from the six transformations, 87, 89 gatekeepers of, 113 glorified by self-realized beings, 84 que Kumāras’ visit to, 379, 725, 726, 733, 762, 78751m at omne 2 Kṛṣṇa’s abode as the supreme form of, 111 remains after the cosmos is dissolved, 864 Adini yang residents of bodies of transcendental, 696 description of, 80, 106-1080 free from the knot of ego, 83 Taasduford A sile blovab galed bro med brod 507 no brol adi most 818 to have the same names as the devas, 398 magtula te transcendental, 710, 720, 729 seen by the cowherd men, 811, 813 8V 10 ilzom synonyms of, 229, 230 unlimited in number, 426 esmi betaus biolsels to amico weapons of the Lord left for, 584 tog leasini si to notremile lo Vaiseṣikas on theory of the ātmā, 536 Vedanta Vedas or to mot besnabb orsayarla Brahman the subject of, 71 galistastinem as ghedsarvegail o Brahma, the highest authority on, 330 bo boling rath devotional, 656 Kṛṣṇa as the propounder of, 932 s Neo-Vedanta, popular view of, 1016 b on theory of modification, 775 on theory of perception, 59 Śrimad Bhagavatam as a commentary on, 866 theistic, 236, 660 Visnu known by the study of, 933 1111 References dealing with meditation and worship (Upasana-kāṇḍa), 281, 890, 893, 972 dealing with three gunas, 969, 970, 972 dealing with transcendental Reality (nis-traigunya), 970-972 dealing with Ultimate Realtiy (jñāna-kāṇḍa), 281, 893, 894 ritualistic portion of (Karma-kāṇḍa), 281, 663, 665, 893, 8940 three divisions of, 281, 893 Vedavädis легнова на attitude of depicted, 664 08-18 18 claim heaven as supreme, 681 ottennoten Vedic revelation (sabda-pramāna or Sabdabrahman) as difficult to grasp, 454 as supreme in matters of transcendence, 566, 833 authority of on potency in the Absolute, 297, 298 on the Absolute as Bhagavan, 515, 519, 555 on the Lord being devoid of senses, 486 nondifferent from the Lord’s body, 555, 832 personification of, 818 Srimad Bhagavatam as supreme among, 519 Vikuntha mother of Vaikuntha, 638, 6932 viśuddha-sattva avatāras of the Lord situated in, 529 as a function of the internal potency, 93, 781, 999, 1006-1011, 1013 as transcendental, 102 avataras of the Lord situated in, 511 Bhagavan, the condensed form of, 770 Bhagavan’s body as a manifestation of, 98, 100, 103 indi distinguished from material sattva, 97, 99, 101, 102, 105, 769, 771, 775, 1017 Śrimad Bhagavatam, of the nature of, 181 mg transcendental ego and mind, of the nature of, 806 malay com Vaikuntha a manifestation of, 80, 89, 93, 103, 108, 120, 263, 618 vital [or life] force (prāna) activated by a particle of Brahman, 187-189 as the puruşa (prāṇa-maya), 854 Brahman as the vitality of, 967 200 tyre Brahman defined in terms of, 853 1112 Subject Index cannot know its own nature, 198ddboo five types of, 854, 855 purposes of, 210, 944, 954 reflected in the subtle body, 18218 the Lord enters the cakras with, 449 Vedic sound manifests within, 458 Vivartavāda denial of, 945, 953 description of, 953 vyabhicārī-bhāva (transitory ecstatic emotion) experienced by the Kumāras, 744 will as an attribute of a conscious being, 495 дет as inherent in the Lord, 147, 148, 151, 205, 224, 228, 246, 494, 971, 988, 989,993 as the personal power of Bhagavan, 220, 224, 228, 418 Bhagavan acts out of, 437 Bhagavan appears by His own, 314, 400, 404, 407, 409, 411, 412, 423, 468, 511, 525, 533, 569 devotion flows by its own, 592 names for, 226 not illusory, 227 of Bhagavän jīva-māyā as, 226 māyā adheres to, 319 never thwarted, 233, 424, 425, 1000 of the devotees, 609, 611 of the living being not opposed by the Lord, 277 proceeds from knowledge, 205 the name appears by its own, 458, 593 wisdom māyā as, 178, 22400 as a supporting leg of the Yogapitha, 113 as the shelter of the path of non-consumption, 719 Bhagavan as the shelter of, 718telin devotion as, 1003 effect of, 365 given by Kṛṣṇa, 205 1113References illuminated by the internal potency, 166 impurities burnt by, 766 Kumāras awake to, 729 should be offered to Bhagavan, 816 wisdom-teacher (sad-guru) as an embodiment of the Divine, 183 Krsna as the source of, 240 Vedas to be understood from, 281 word, force of (vṛtti) Yoga direct (abhidhã or mukhyā), 29, 938, 943, 957, 963, 9720 indirect (lakṣaṇā or gauņi), 29, 30, 938, 941-944, 957anagra suggestive or implied (vyañjana), 30, 942-944, 954, 957 BR of devotion (bhakti-yoga) as the supreme mystery, 922 Bhagavan realized only through, 7, 79, 961 Bhagavan to be attained by, 824, 825, 827, 976 Brahman realization impossible without, 55, 56 compared to the mind, 826 leads to complete realization, 829 Vaikuntha attained through, 588 of eight limbs (aṣṭānga-yoga) culminates in Brahman realization, 57 non-devotee adepts of, 250 Paramātmā realized through, 7 yoga-māyā manifested in the Kumāras through, 225 of knowledge (jñāna-yoga) sänkhya as, 502 Bhagavan to be attained by, 976 Brahman realized through, 7 paranormal powers of (aṣṭāngaiśvarya), 231, 234, 239, 240, 600, 601, 747 yoga-māyā accounts for variety of forms in the One, 349, 358 as the internal [or conscious] potency, 185, 225, 379, 382, 419, 1014 Kṛṣṇa concealed by, 240, 694 pastimes of the Lord manifested through, 339-341 the Lord’s forms manifested through, 461, 467, 572 vātsalya nourished through, 294 withdrawn by Kṛṣṇa, 328 1114 Verse Index abhāsaś ca nirodhaś ca (SB 2.10.7), 173 abrahma-bhuvanal lokāḥ (GITĀ 8.16), 603 acetanapi caitanya-yogena (Śärngadhara-samhita 1.5.100), 174 acyutam śāśvatam divyam (PP 6.227.13), 707, 874 adau grhitam avatara-śataika-bijam (SB 3.9.2), 510 adho’surāṇām nāgānām (SB 11.24.13), 587 aditya-varṇam tamasaḥ (PP 6.91.70), 675, 676 adṛśyataty-adbhūta-rupam udvahan (SB 7.8.18), 428, 429 advaita-vithi-pathikair (BRS 3.1.44), 759 adyaiva tvad-ṛte’sya (SB 10.14.18), 326, 332 aham bhakta parādhino hy (SB 9.4.63), 615 aham brahma ca devās (PP 6.91.67), 675 aham evāsam evägre (SB 2.9.32), 143, 293, 904 aham eva tridha bhinnä (PP 6.73.231), 177, 220 aham sa bharata-śreṣṭha (Hari-vamsa Purāṇa), 865, 955 aham sarvasya prabhavo mattah (GĪTĀ 10.8), 142 aham tv akāmas tvad-bhaktas (SB 7.10.6), 704 aham vai sarva-bhūtāni (SB 6.16.51), 831, 833 ahany ahani bhūtāni gacchantīha (MB 3.313.116), 81 aho bata mamānātmyam (SB 4.9.31), 670 aho bhagyam aho bhagyam nanda (SB 10.14.32), 330 ähur dhumra-dhiyo vedam (SB 4.29.48), 662 aiśvaryad rūpam ekam ca (Matsya Purana), 380 aiśvaryasya samagrasya (vp 6.5.74), 18, 19, 47 aiśvarya-yogad bhagavan (Kurma Purāna), 415 minium-ches alerg ajām ekām lohita-śukla-kṛṣṇām (śu 4.5), 235, 965s ajānatāṁ tvat-padavīm anātmany (SB 10.14.19), 228, 332-redons ajāta-janma-sthiti-samyamāyā (SB 8.6.8), 392 ajāyamānā bahudhā vijāyata (Mudgala Upanisad), 428 (d) mag2/pino 1115 References ajita-rucira-lilākrsta-sāra (SB 12.12.68), 425, 431, 540, 764, 766 ajñānād atha vā jñānād uttama (SB 6.2.18), 450 ajo hy eko juṣamāno’nuśete (śu 4.5), 235 akāmaḥ sarva kāmo vā mokṣa (SB 2.3.10), 829 akarod viśvam akhilam (Särngadhara-saṁhitä 1.5.100), 174 ākāśādiṣu śabdadau (Vişnu-dharma Purana), 844 akke cen madhu vindeta (Apte 1998), 773 akṣaram paramaṁ dhāma (PP 6.91.76), 677 akṣaraṁ śāśvatam nityam (PP 6.91.65), 675 akṣaram tat param brahma (VP 1.22.54), 876 akṣayyam ha vai cãturmasya (Vedas), 629, 663 amātro’nanta-mātraś ca (Mandukya Kārikā 29), 452 amāyo hiśvaro yasmāt tasmat (Vişnu-dharma Purana), 470, 506 amayo yaś ca bhūtānāṁ jāyate (SB 1.5.33), 501 amito hi guno yasman (Padma Purāṇa), 868, 869 amrtam kṣemam abhayam (SB 2.6.18), 714 amṛtam śāśvatam nityam (PP 6.91.56), 85, 86, 102, 103, 645, 673 amuni bhagavad-rūpe māyā te (SB 2.10.35), 503 anādimat param brahma (GĪTĀ 13.12), 155, 913 anadi-nidhanānanta (PP 6.239.15), 269 anadir ātmā puruso (SB 3.26.3), 219 anāmā so’prasiddhatvad (Brahma Purana), 440 ananda-cin-maya-rasa (Brahma-samhitä 5.46), 918 ānanda-mātra upapanna (SB 4.11.30), 11 ānanda-mātra-kara-pada (Narada Purāna), 479 ānanda-mātram ajaram puranam (BAU 4.4.19), 479 ānanda-maya-vijñāna-mayāviśvara (Pañcadaśī 6.212), 103 ananda-mayo’bhyāsād (vs 1.1.13), 850 änanda-murtim ajahād (SB 10.48.7), 541 anantam aparivyaktam (Vayu Purāṇa), 690 ananto bhagavan brahma (Brahma Purana), 868 ananya-nimitta-bhakti-yoga-lakṣano (SB 5.19.20), 946 anapayini bhagavatī śrīḥ (SB 12.11.20), 1019 aneka-koti-suryagni (PP 6.91.57), 673 anekatra prakaṭatā (LBH 1.21), 373 angāni yasya sakalendriya (Brahma-samhita 5.32), 485, 577 angusta-matra-purușa-madhye (KU 2.1.12), 388 aṇimā mahimā mürter laghima (SB 11.15.3), 239 anirdeśya-vapuh (Sahasra-nama-stotra 32), 1036 1116 Verse Index anirdeśyam arūpam ca (VP 6.5.66), 17, 18)ld vyevin begins anityāśuci-duḥkhānātmasu nitya (Yoga-sutra 2.5), 81ey are loc anor animne pariganya-dhämne (SB 8.6.8), 392 anor aṇīyan mahato mahiyān (KU 2.20), 397 antar bahiś ca vitatam (SB 6.16.23), 187, 193 antar-gataḥ sva-vivareņa (SB 3.15.43), 740 antas tri-lokyas tv aparo (SB 2.6.19), 715 ānukulyasya sankalpaḥ prātikulya (HBV 11.676), 760 anvaya-vyatirekābhyam (SB 2.9.35), 924, 925 anye ca samskṛtātmāno (SB 10.40.7), 352 anyonya-mithunāḥ sarve (Devi-bhāgavata Purana 5.7.44-46), 86, 87 apahata-papmā divyo deva eko nārāyaṇaḥ (Subala Upanisad 7.1), 862a0 apāņi-pādo javano gṛhītā (śu 3.19), 401, 483 apareyam itas tv anyām prakṛtim (GĪTĀ 7.5), 178 apaśyat puruşam pūrṇam (SB 1.7.4), 72 apaśyat sarva-bhūtāni (SB 3.24.45), 808 api ced asi papebhyaḥ sarvebhyah (GĪTĀ 4.36), 611 api smarasi cātmānam avijñāta (SB 4.28.53), 627 apo nārā iti proktā (source unknown), 308 aprākṛtam surair vandyam (Narada-pañcaratra, Jitante-stotra), 677, 678 aprasiddhas tad-guṇānām (LBH 1.248), 27 aprasiddher avacyam tad (Garuda Purāṇa), 990 aprasiddhes tad-guṇānām (Vasudevādhyatma), 439 apratyakṣam nirupamam (Brahmanda Purana), 678 a praveṣṭum aśakyam (PP 6.91.66), 675 aprāyaṇāt tatrāpi hi dṛṣṭam (Sauparna-śruti), 779 āpuḥ parām mudam (SB 3.15.26), 225, 732, 733 apunya-punyoparame (VP 2.8.100), 668, 669 apūrvo’nantaro’bahyo’ (Māṇḍūkya Kārikā 26), 452 āpūryamāņam acala-pratiṣṭham (GĪTĀ 2.70), 59 vā apy anya-cittaḥ kruddho va (Brahma Purana), 446 pinay mange fig arhanam upapeda ikṣaṇiyo (SB 1.9.41), 530 äropayanti janimat (Skanda Purana), 559 artho vācyaś ca lakṣyaś ca (SD 2.2), 29, 942 arväg deva asya visarjanenatha ko veda yata (Vedas), 286, 287 aśabdam asparśam arupam avyayam (KU 1.3.15), 414 asad-akaraṇāt upādāna-grahaṇāt (Sankhya-kärikā 9), 169 āsām muhurta ekasmin (SB 3.3.8), 371 asanga-niśita-jñānānala-vidhūtāśeṣa (SB 5.3.11), 766 d 1117 References asangaś cavyayo’bhedyo (Skanda Purāṇa), 564 asankhyam prakṛtisthānam (Padma Purana), 177 asataḥ śri-madandhasya (SB 10.10.13), 760 asid yad udarāt padmam (SB 2.8.7), 460, 461 āsīnam urvyām bhagavantam (SB 3.8.3), 275 aspṛṣṭa-bhūri-māhātmyā (SB 10.13.54), 539, 540, 827 aṣṭākṣara-svarupena (Närada-pañcaratra), 452 asthülo’naṇur amadhyamo (Madhva-bhāṣya-pramāņitā sauparna-śrutih), 288 asthülo’nurupo’sāv (Brahma Purana), 289 asti hy alocanam jñānam (Śloka-värttika 4.112), 25 astīti nāstīti ca vastu-nisthayor (SB 6.4.32), 497 asuran mohayan devaḥ (Skanda Purana), 564 asya mahato bhūtasya niḥśvasitam etad (BAU 2.4.10), 489 asyapi deva vapuso mad (SB 10.14.2), 55 ataḥ pumbhir dvija-śrestha (SB 1.2.13), 886) hop ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved (BRS 1.2.234), 202, 458, 955 atapatram tu vaikuntham (SB 12.11.19), 636 atarkyam tarkyam ajñeyam (Garuda Purana), 990 ata rṣayo dadhus tvayi mano (SB 10.87.15), 973 athaitat paramam guhyam śṛnv (SB 11.11.49), 922 atha khalu kratu-mayaḥ puruṣaḥ (CHU 3.14.2), 353 athānayāpi na bhavata ijyayoru-bhāra-bharaya (SB 5.3.7), 782 atha samira-vega-vidhūta-veņu-vikarṣaṇa (SB 5.6.8), 522, 527 atha te munayo dṛṣṭvā (SB 3.16.27), 79, 733 atha tepe sa suciram (Brahma-samhita 5.25), 118 athava bahunaitena kim jñātena (GĪTĀ 10.42), 192 atha ya ihātmānamanuvidya vrajanty (CHU 8.1.6), 602 atho muhurta ekasmin (SB 10.59.42), 372 son atho vibhutim mama māyaya (SB 3.25.37), 600 ātiṣṭha jagatām vandyam (SB 4.12.26), 671 ätmaivedam agra āsīt puruṣa-vidha (BAU 1.4.1), 559, 908 atma-māyā tad-iccha syat (Maha-samhita), 219, 220, 224, 418 ätmana evānusavanam añjasāvyatirekeņa (SB 5.3.8), 782 ātmānam asya jagato (VP 1.22.68), 582 vol ātmānam sarva-bhūteṣu (SB 3.24.45), 808 ätmani caivam vicitrāś ca hi (vs 2.1.28), 134 ätmani sarvendriyāni sampratisthäpyähimsan (CHU 8.15.1), 618 ātmānubhutyänugata-prapañcam (SB 3.24.33), 218 1118 Verse Index ātmāparijñāna-mayo vivado (SB 11.22.34), 56 ambać wg pl ātmārāmā hy āpta-kāmā (SB 10.32.19), 472, 473 Ring mentorjac ātmārāmāś ca munayo (SB 1.7.10), 469 atma-tattva-viśuddhy-artham (SB 2.9.4), 460, 461, 86000AYAgend atma-tulyaiḥ ṣoḍaśabhir (SB 6.9.29), 614, 700 ātmā vā are draṣṭavyaḥ śrotavyo (BAU 2.4.5), 832 ätma-vidyă ca devi tvam (VP 1.9.118), 1007 ätmecchānugatāvātmā (SB 3.5.23), 910, 959 atmeśvaro’tarkya-sahasra-śaktir (SB 3.33.3), 134 ato’cyuto’khile loke (Kāśī-khanda), 906 ato māya-mayam viṣṇum (Caturveda-sikha), 224, 418 ato’smi loke vede ca (GITA 15.18), 879 atraiva māyādhamanavatāre (SB 10.14.16), 316 atra pûrve ye ca sadhya (PP 6.91.72), 676 atropasṛṣṭam iti cotsmitam indirāyāḥ (SB 3.15.42), 737 aupaniṣadam puruṣam prcchami (BAU 3.9.26), 29, 66, 932 avaiṣṇavānām aprāpyam (Nārada-pañcarātra, Jitante-stotra), 85, 677, 678 avajānanti mām mūḍhā manuṣīm (GĪTĀ 9.11), 256 avatārā hy asankhyeya hareḥ (SB 1.3.26), 282 avekṣitam kiñcana yoga-sankhyayoḥ (SB 6.4.32), 497 avidyā karma-sañjñānyā (vp 6.7.61), 157 avidyāyām antare vartamānāḥ (MUU 1.2.8), 351 avijñāya param deham (Skanda Purana), 559 āvirāsīd yathā pracyām (SB 10.3.8), 428 avirbhāva-tirobhāva (VP 1.22.60), 876, 877 avyākṛtam bhāgavato’tha vaiṣṇavam (SB 4.14.39), 596 avyakta-vartmābhinivesitātmā (SB 3.8.33), 513 ayam ātmāpahata-päpmā (CHU 8.15.1), 415, 623 ayam paramo läbho yad (Yajnavalkya), 790 ayanam tasya tāḥ pūrvam (source unknown), 308 babhūva tenaiva sa vămano batuh (SB 8.18.12), 344, 583 baddhaḥ parikaras tena (Skanda Purana), 446 baddho mukta iti vyakhyā (SB 11.11.1), 182 bahu-mürty-eka-murtikam (SB 10.40.7), 343, 351, 352 bahyato ghana-toyasya (Vayu Purāṇa), 690 bandha-mokṣa-karī ādye (SB 11.11.3), 1762) barhismann etad adhyatmam (SB 4.28.65), 628 bhagavac-chabda-vacyāni (vp 6.5.79), 19, 22, 417 bhagavad-bhakti-yuktena (SB 3.24.46), 808, 809 Daybird 1119 References bhagavan eka äsedam agra (SB 3.5.23), 905, 910, 959 bhagavantam parikramya (SB 3.16.28), 79, 733 bhagavantaṁ vasudevam (SB 4.24.28), 843 ob bhagavato gunamaye sthüla-rupa (SB 5.16.3), 253 bhajato’pi na vai kecid (SB 10.32.19), 472 (ex bhaktir evainam nayati bhaktir evainam (Vedas), 507, 739, 1037 bhaktis tvayi sthiratara (Kṛṣṇa-karṇāmṛta 107), 822 bhakti-vaśaḥ puruṣaḥ (Mathara-śruti), 1037 bhakti-yoga-vidhänārtham (SB 1.8.20), 99 bhakti-yogena manasi (SB 1.7.4), 72 bhaktyä grhita-caraṇaḥ (SB 3.9.5), 514 bhaktyāham ekaya grahyaḥ (SB 11.14.21), 75, 202, 334, 412, 1038 bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (GĪTĀ 18.55), 810) bhartur mithaḥ suyaśasaḥ kathanānuraga (SB 3.15.25), 646 bhava-cchidaḥ pāda-mulam (SB 4.9.31), 670 bhavānīnāthair (SB 5.17.16), 268 bhavanti tapasāṁ śreṣṭha (VP 1.3.2), 144 bhavatānudita-prāyam (SB 1.5.8), 791 bhavyam ca viśvam maitreya (VP 2.8.102), 668, 669 bhayam dvitiyābhiniveśataḥ syad (SB 11.2.37), 183 bhidyate hrdaya-granthis (SB 1.2.21), 83 bhoktāram yajña-tapasām sarva (GĪTĀ 5.29), 43 bhrājiṣṇubhir yaḥ parito (SB 2.9.12), 107 bhramatas tasya cakrasya (Vişnu-dharma Purana), 581 bhṛtya-prasādābhimukham (SB 2.9.16), 112 bhūma-ninda-prasaṁsāsu nitya (Kāśikā 5.2.90), 32 bhūpa mūrtam amurtam ca (VP 6.7.47), 500, 869 bhūṣaṇāyudha-lingakhyā (SB 6.8.32), 579 bhūta-bhrn na ca bhūta-stho (GITĀ 9.5), 290 bhūteṣu ghoṣa-rupeņa (SB 11.21.37), 454, 458 bhuvi puru-punya-tirtha (SB 10.87.35), 493 bibharti kaustubha-mani (VP 1.22.68), 582k) brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (GĪTĀ 18.54), 778, 810, 878 brahmacary upakurvāņo naiṣṭhiko (Kurma Purana 1.2.77), 593 brahmaṇaḥ sadanād urdhvam (Itihasa-samuccaya), 678-680 brahmanando bhaved eṣa cet (BRS 1.1.38), 15, 755 brahmana saha te sarve samprapte (Kurma Purāṇa 1.12.273), 598, 717 brahman brahmany anirdeśye (SB 10.87.1), 937 brahmane darśayan rupam (SB 2.9.4), 460, 860 der 1120 Verse Index brahmaṇo’pi bhayam matto (SB 11.10.30), 7105 brahman parodbhave kṛṣṇe (SB 10.14.49), 549 milandasi esh idadeh brahma puccham pratiṣṭhā (TU 2.5), 848-850, 855, 856sing ryhbreds brahma-tejo-mayam divyam (Hari-vaṁśa Purana 2.114.9), 865, 955 hasdab brahmeti paramātmeti (SB 1.2.11), 5) bṛhac ca tad divyam acintya (MUU 3.1.7), 135 bṛhac-chariro’bhivimana-rupo (PP 6.227.7), 874 bṛhad-upalabdham etat (SB 10.87.15), 973 bṛhattvad bṛmhaṇatvat ca yad (VP 1.12.55), 880 buddhindriya-manaḥ-präṇān (SB 10.87.2), 944 buddhir jñānam asammoham (source unknown), 988 buddhyā viśuddhaya yukto (GĪTĀ 18.51), 810 caityasya tattvam amalam (SB 3.28.28), 581 cakāra teṣām sankṣobham akṣara (SB 3.15.43), 740, 863 wild Ala menaydb cakṣur-dipāv apeksyete (Pañcadasi 7.93), 61 Arto canda-pracandau prag-dvāre (PP 6.228.14), 113, 114 candrika-viśada-smeraih (SB 10.13.50), 463 dit) run-oyou-zelly l caranam pavitram vitatam puranam (Vedas), 508aab caturvidha bhikṣavas te (MB, Anusasana-parva 141.89), 131ste des vivi cayas tviṣām ity āvadhāritam (Siśupāla-vadha 1.3), 69-6m cerur vihāyasā lokāän lokeṣu (SB 3.15.12), 7652) magen ce dydde ceto’livad yadi nu te padayo rameta (SB 3.15.49), 756, 773 chandāmsi sarva-mantraś ca (PP 6.228.24), 114 cic-chakti svarupa-śakti (cc 1.2.101), 162 km Yu Exlzog-vidd el cid-acic-chakti-yuktaya (SB 7.3.34), 165 cintayed brahma-bhūtam tam (VP 6.7.83), 870 ciram iha vrjinārtas (SB 10.51.58), 754 (a citram bataitad ekena (SB 10.69.2), 370, 426 cittam brahma-sukha-spṛṣṭam (SB 7.15.35), 764 dadarśa kevalam dhväntam (Brahma-samhita 5.23), 118 dadarśa taträkhila-sätvatām (SB 2.9.14), 109, 926 dadṛśur gagane tatra (PP 6.73.230), 177 daivātma-śaktim sva-gunair (śu 1.3), 235 daivi hy eṣā gunamayi (GĪTĀ 7.14), 61, 95 darśayāmāsa lokam svam (SB 10.28.14), 652, 653 darśayāmāsa tam kṣattaḥ (SB 3.21.7), 554 dāsa-bhūto harer eva nanyasyaiva (PP 6.226.37), 616 deha-dehi-bhidă cătra (Maha-varäha Purana), 542 1121 References deham ca tam na caramaḥ sthitam (SB 3.28.37), 768 vedd igncomiend dehānte devas tārakam brahma vyācaṣṭe (NTU 1.6), 967 dehendriya-prāṇa-mano-dhiyo’mi (SB 6.16.24), 187 dehendriyasu-hīnānām (SB 7.1.34), 634, 696 dehendriyasu-hṛdayāni caranti yena (SB 11.3.35), 35 deho’savo’kṣā manavo (SB 6.4.25), 198 devakyām deva-rupinyām (SB 10.3.8), 428 devasyaiva svabhāvo’yam (Māṇḍukya-kārikā 1.9), 430 deva-tiryan-manuṣyakhyā (vP 6.7.71), 872 deveṣu ca māhā-devo mahā-deva (Kurma Purāṇa 1.4.6), 280 dharma-dhruvädyās tiṣṭhanti (VP 2.8.101), 668, 669 dharmaḥ satya-dayopeto vidya (SB 11.14.22), 804 dharyamāṇam samantāt tu (Vayu Purana), 690 dhautātmā puruṣaḥ kṛṣṇa-pāda (SB 2.8.6), 58, 610 al dhyānam cinta bhaved iṣṭänäpty (BRS 2.4.136), 745 dhyana-yoga-paro nityam (GĪTĀ 18.52), 810 dhyana-yoga-paraś caiva (Itihasa-samuccaya), 678, 679 dhyāyanti puruṣam divyam (Itihasa-samuccaya), 678, 679 diparcir eva hi daśāntaram (Brahma-saṁhitā 5.46), 516 diviva cakṣur atatam (VP 2.8.103), 668, 669 divye brahma-pure hy eşa (Vedas), 666 dorbhyām stanāntaragatam (SB 10.48.7), 541 dor-danda-sanda-vivare harată parardhya (SB 3.15.41), 737 doṣaḥ kathañcin naivātra (Viṣṇu-dharma Purana), 470 dravi-bhāva-pūrvikä hi manaso (Śri-bhagavad-bhakti-rasayana-ṭīkā 1.1), 780 dravya-samanya-matra-vṛttitvam (Nyaya-siddhanta-muktavali 86), 828 drg-darśana-śaktyor (Yoga-sutra 2.6), 82(x dṛṣṭvānuyantam ṛṣim ātmajam (SB 1.4.5), 8000 drtaya iva śvasanty asu-bhṛto (SB 10.87.17), 858, 859 dvārakām hariṇā tyaktām (SB 11.31.23), 685 dvayor apy eka evartho (SB 3.32.32), 824, 975 dve brahmaņi veditavye sabda (Maitrayani Upanisad 6.22), 555 dve rupe brahmanas tasya (VP 1.22.53), 876 dve vidye veditavye tu sabda (Brahma-bindu Upanisad 17), 833 dvijā dhāmākutobhayam (SB 12.11.19), 636, 709 dvijendra tava mayy astu (Narada Purāṇa), 709 dyupataya eva te na yayur (SB 10.87.41), 203, 985 eka-deśa-sthitasyägneh (VP 1.22.54), 173 Met bind-dolu L 1122 Verse Index eka eva padarthas tu tridhā (Nīti-śāstra), 364 21 viato svieyinca matig eka eva paro vişnuḥ (Matsya Purana), 380dblum soyey ekam santam bahudhā dṛśyamānam (Vedas), 343, 378, 479 ekas tvam ātmā puruṣaḥ puraṇaḥ (SB 10.14.20), 557 eko naneyate tadvad (SB 3.32.33), 824) eko nārāyaṇa āsīn (Vedas), 904, 905 eko vaśī sarvagaḥ kṛṣṇa idya (GTU 1.19), 352 enam sarva-vedan adhitya vicārya ca (Caturveda-sikha), 931 eṣa ātmāpahata-papmā vijaro (CHU 8.7.1), 424 eṣā māyā bhagavataḥ (SB 11.3.16), 220 eṣa sankhya-vidhiḥ proktaḥ (SB 11.24.29), 863 al sab eṣa sarva-bhūtāntarātmā divyo deva (Subala Upanisad 7.1), 875 etad iśanam iśasya prakṛti (SB 1.11.38), 223 etāḥ param tanu-bhṛto bhuvi (SB 10.47.58), 551g ma etal lokā na vidur loka-sāram vidanti (Pippalada-sakha), 667 eta me siddhayaḥ saumya (SB 11.15.5), 234) etam samyad vama ityācakṣate (CHU 4.15.2), 4150 etan nānāvatārāṇām (SB 1.3.5), 872 le etasmäd brahma-sabdo’sau (Padma Purana), 868, 869 etat tvaya na vijñeyam (MB 12.339.45), 407 etau tau pārṣadau mahyam jayo (SB 3.16.2), 733 etavad eva jijñāsyam (SB 2.9.35), 924, 925 ete canye ca bhagavan (SB 1.16.30), 248) evam ādi-gunopetam (PP 6.91.60), 673 evam ca janmāni karmāņi (SB 1.3.35), 431, 438 evam etǎn mayādiṣṭā (SB 11.20.37), 652 M) evam gajendram upavarṇita-nirviseṣam (SB 8.6.30), 399, 400 фра evam harau bhagavati pratilabdha (SB 3.28.34), 57egy makes ad evam hi pranavaṁ jñātvā (source unknown), 452, 453 evam hiranyākṣam asahya-vikramam (SB 3.19.28), 689 evam manaḥ karma-vasam prayunkte (SB 5.5.6), 617 evam nityānapayinya mahālakṣmyā (PP 6.228.47), 1015 evam prākṛta-rūpāyā (PP, 6.91.54), 85, 86, 102, 103, 645, 673 evam sakṛd dadarśājaḥ para (SB 10.13.55), 330, 545 evam tadaiva bhagavan aravinda (SB 3.15.37), 722) sqm evam vadanti rajarṣe (SB 10.77.30), 271, 279, 563, 564 dba Imbain evam yaḥ kurute vidvän (Bodhāyana), 689, 690 evam yathā jagat-svāmi (VP 1.9.140), 1020 gatir bhartā prabhuḥ sākṣi (GITA 9.18), 161 1123References gatram santyajya cutraive (Skanda Purāṇa, Prabhāsa-khanda 4.1.13), 275 gauna-mukhyayor mukhye karya (Bhagavan-nama-kaumudi 1), 457 vla gaurim lakṣmim dharam (PP 6.73.234), 220 b Edburied goloka eva nivasaty (Brahma-saṁhitä 5.48), 918 gopi-janävidya-kala-prerakaḥ (GTU 1.8), 998 gopikolukhale damnä (SB 10.9.14), 284 govinde svayam akaroḥ saroja (BRS 2.4.114), 977 grantho’ṣṭādaśa-sahasraḥ (Garuda Purana), 889 grhesu dvy-asta-sahasram (SB 10.69.2), 370 grhnita yad yad upabandham (SB 2.7.30), 322 grīvāyām janaloko’sya (SB 2.5.39), 6448 guṇābhimanino devāḥ sargādiṣv (SB 3.29.44), 486 guna-doṣau māyayaiva (Viṣṇu-dharma Purana), 470ng whe guṇaḥ pradhanam puruṣaḥ param padam (Stotra-ratna 14), 838 meg guṇaḥ sarve’pi yujyante (Vişnu-dharma Purana), 470d gunaiḥ svarupa-bhūtais tu (Brahma-tarka), 244 guņāmś ca doṣāmś ca mune vyatīta (VP 6.5.83), 417 guna-prakāśair anumīyate (SB 10.2.35), 98 guṇāśrayā namas tasyai (VP 1.19.76), 165, 166 guṇāvabhāse viguņa (SB 3.24.42), 80220 gunā viruddha api tu (Kurma Purana), 415, 472 guneṣv avisate ceto guņās (SB 11.13.7), 245 guru-pādāśrayas tasmāt kṛṣṇa (BRS 1.2.74), 796 hamsa-śriyor vyajanayoḥ śiva-väyu-lolac (SB 3.15.38), 728 hamso na kuryāt stri-sangam (Maha-nirvana-tantra), 527 hanti kaluṣam śrotram sa yato (VP 6.8.57), 981, 991 Vene hareḥ padam varṇayitum na śakyam (PP 6.91.63), 674, 675 added mys harer gunākṣipta-matiḥ (SB 1.7.11), 469, 982) m pratyakṣatvam harer janma (Padma Purana), 558, 559 ma hari-druhina-rudrāṇām (Devi-bhāgavata Purāṇa 1.2.22), 275 harir hi nirguṇaḥ sākṣāt (SB 10.88.5), 95, 96, 463dsm heyopādeya-rahita naiva (Maha-varaha Purāṇa), 542 hiranmayam mokṣapadam (PP 6.91.59), 673 aa) hlada-tāpa-karī miśra (VP 1.12.69), 96, 1003, 1004 hlādinī sandhini samvit (VP 1.12.69), 96, 1003, 1004 iccha-dveṣa-vihinena (SB 3.24.46), 808, 809, 811 icchan muhūrtān naśyeyam (MB 12.339.45), 407 idam bhāgavatam nāma (SB 2.7.51), 921 nud day hays 1124 Verse Index idam puccham pratiṣṭhā pṛthivi (TU 2.5), 848) idam śarīram mama durvibhāvyam (SB 5.5.19), 521 evitated isleken bolibava am idam tu te guhyatamam pravakṣyamy (GITA 9.1), 994d novigimasinat ihaika-stham jagat kṛtsnam (GĪTĀ 11.7), 317 ihātma-tattvam samyag jagada (SB 2.7.5), 762, 763 ijyācāra-dayāhimsā (Yajnavalkya), 790) indriyasyendriyasyarthe raga-dveṣau (GĪTĀ 3.34), 83 iśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānām (GĪTĀ 18.61), 590 iti ca parama-guhyam sarva (PP, Bhāgavata-māhātmya 6.102), 896 itihasa-purāṇābhyam vedam (MB 1.1.267), 402 iti mūrty-abhidhānena (SB 1.5.38), 795 iti stutavantas te devās (PP 6.73.230), 177 iti tasmai varan dattva (SB 10.41.52), 601 itthambhūta-guno harih (SB 1.7.10), 757, 798, 801 ittham vidita-tattvāyām (SB 10.8.43), 325 ity acarantam sad-dharman (SB 10.69.41), 375, 378 jaḍāndha-mūka-badhira (SB 5.5.29), 527 jagad-dhitaya so’py atra (SB 10.14.55), 546 jagad-vyāpāra-varjyam (vs 4.4.17), 48 jagad-yoner acintyasya (Śārrigadhara-saṁhitā 1.5.99), 174 jagāma lokam svam akhanditotsavam (SB 3.19.28), 689 jagat-trayantodadhi-samplavode (SB 10.14.13), 304 janana-maraṇa-karaṇānām (Sankhya-kärikā 18), 194 janma karma ca me divyam (GĪTĀ 4.9), 267, 433) jātasya hi dhruvo mṛtyur (GITA 2.27), 266 jaṭharāntāyutāṁśānta (Vişnu-dharma Purana), 289 jaya jaya jahy ajām ajita doṣa (SB 10.87.14), 961 jaya-kāle tu sattvasya (SB 7.1.8), 466 jijñāsitam adhītam ca (SB 1.5.4), 788 jitāsano jita-śvāso jita-sango (SB 2.1.23), 318, 501 jitendriyasya dāntasya jita (SB 11.15.32), 49 jivac-chavam bhajati kantam (SB 10.60.45), 292, 488 jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā (SB 1.2.10), 951 (us) og div Lugy Lanzed meisiedical uld byclaved bel undishave shave tipos devendunelavs ng-edbbut asalays widdunemislavs sydd in all disyne old jivayanyasya sargena nare (Vişnu-dharmottara Purana 1.81.13), 626 jñānaṁ paraṁ man-mahimāvabhāsam (SB 3.4.13), 110, 902, 9030 jñānam parama-guhyam me (SB 2.9.30), 898 ham jñānam svataḥ śvasanato (SB 11.4.4), 480 jñānam viśuddham paramartham (SB 5.12.11), 10 jñānam yan nirvikalpakhyam (Nyaya-siddhanta-muktavali 58), 68 1125 References jñāna-śakti-balaiśvarya (VP 6.5.79), 19, 417 alinowy daughabl jñāna-śaktyādikalaya yatrāviṣto (LBH 1.17), 523ib ch jñāna-vairāgyayor bhakti (BRS 1.2.248), 654 jñāna-vijñāna-sampanno (SB 11.13.5), 815 jñāna-yogaś ca man-nistho (SB 3.32.32), 824, 975 yenerale jñānena hīnāḥ paśubhih sāmānāḥ (Hitopadeśa 1.25), 82 Bemus minor.co jñānena śāstra-margena (PP 6.91.66), 675 ver jñāni-jñāna-paricchedya (VP 1.19.77), 165, 166, 170 jñeyam yat tat pravakṣyāmi (GĪTĀ 13.12), 155, 913 ka itthā veda yatra sa (Vedas), 658, 659, 663 kaivalyam sättvikam jñānam (SB 11.25.24), 10094) vsh kālaḥ pacati bhūtāni sarvaṇy (MB, Santi-parva 239.25), 265 kalā-kāṣṭhā-nimeṣādi (VP 1.9.44), 1021, 1022 kalā-muhūrtādi-mayaś ca kālo (VP 4.1.84), 249 kālo daivam karma jivaḥ (SB 10.63.26), 182 kālo māyā-maye jive (SB 11.24.27), 12, 225, 863 kalpa-manvantara-yuga (LBH 1.4.27), 281 kāmam bhavaḥ sva-vrjinair (SB 3.15.49), 756, 773 kāmasya nendriya-prītir (SB 1.2.10), 951 karmākarma vikarmeti veda (SB 11.3.43), 631095 karoti viśva-sthiti-samyamodayam (SB 5.18.38), 209 kaścid dhiraḥ pratyag-ātmānam (KU 2.1.1), 749, 1037 kasmai yena vibhāsito’yam (SB 12.13.19), 45502/ katham caranti śrutayaḥ (SB 10.87.1), 937 AT ma kaustubha-vyapadeśena (SB 12.11.10), 581 kecit kevalaya bhaktya (SB 6.1.15), 612d? kecit svadehäntar-hṛdayāvakāśe (SB 2.2.8), 385 kevalānubhavananda-svarupaḥ (SB 7.6.23), 234 kevalāra śuddha-prema aiśvarya (cc 2.19.203), 294 kevalātmānubhāvena sva-māyām (SB 11.9.19), 2210 kha eva rajāmsi vanti vayasa (SB 10.87.41), 985 kidṛśaḥ kasya vā sāpo hari (SB 7.1.33), 634 kim anyaiḥ kāla-nirdhūtaiḥ (SB 7.3.11), 672, 694 eavimbe meva mal ameri kim svapna etad uta devamāyā (SB 10.8.40), 322, 324 kim tu jñāna-virakty-ādi-sadhyam (BRS 1.2.251), 804 kim uta punaḥ sva-dhama-vidhutāśaya (SB 10.87.16), 978, 979 kim vā parair īśvaraḥ (SB 1.1.2), 885, 989 kim vā sudrṣṭam hrdi me tadaiva (SB 10.14.15), 312 kirīṭinam kuṇḍalinam catur-bhujam (SB 2.9.16), 112 1126 her ankl Verse Index ko hy evānyāt kaḥ pranyat (TU 2.7.1), 861, 967 mile kosalās te yayuḥ sthanam (SB 9.11.22), 523.LV) meylaviex ko vetti bhuman bhagavan parätman (SB 10.14.21), 340 krīḍārtham adyātta-manuṣya-vigraham (SB 10.37.24), 1000 kṛpālor asamarthasya (An old saying, Caṇakya), 473, 474 kṛṣṇa evam bhagavati mano-väg (SB 1.9.43), 387, 390 kṛṣṇam enam avehi tvam (SB 10.14.55), 546, 557, 856 kṛṣṇasyānanta-viryasya (SB 10.69.25), 379 kṛṣṇena brahmane nabhi (PP 6.194.68), 896 kṛṣṇo muktair ijyate vita-mohair (MB), 778 kṛta-pādaḥ suparṇāmsa (SB 6.4.36), 507 d of memol til usumfel kṛtsna-prasāda-sumukham spṛhaṇīya-dhāma (SB 3.15.39), 731, 732miant kṛtsnasya cantar jathare jananya (SB 10.14.16), 316 kṣaraḥ sarvāni bhūtāni (GĪTĀ 15.16), 846 kṣarākṣara-svarūpe te (VP 1.22.53), 876) kṣemam kāla-māyādi-rahitam (SB 11.20.37), 655 kṣemam vindanti mat-sthānam (SB 11.20.37), 652 kṣipram bhavati dharmātmā (GĪTĀ 9.31), 616 kumudaḥ kumudākṣaś ca (PP 6.228.14), 113, 114 has any bough kurma-loma-pata-cchannaḥ śaśa (Alankara-kaustubha), 368 denum led-ey dushayam long in mayam kūrmaś ca nāgarājaś ca (PP 6.228.24), 1148) kurute kevalānandad (Nārāyaṇa-samhita), 429, 430 kurvanti caiṣām muhur atma-moham (SB 6.4.31), 126 kurvanty ahaitukim bhaktim (SB 1.7.10), 469, 757, 798 kutaḥ punaḥ śaśvad abhadram (SB 1.5.12), 792, 793 kūṭastho’kṣara ucyate (GITA 15.16), 879 kuto’pare tasya manaḥ śarira-dhir (SB 9.8.22), 1032 yl-shadain iysar kvacid ajayātmana ca carato’nucaren (unknown source), 949, 961 deqovem kvāham tamo-mahad aham (SB 10.14.11), 300 goed game him kva vā katham vā kati va kadeti (SB 10.14.21), 340, 349 mining milan kvedrg-vidhävigaṇitanda-parānu-carya (SB 10.14.11), 300avedalo slour labdhāśiṣaḥ punar avekṣya tadiyam anghri (SB 3.15.44), 743 xaviy num labhante te’cyuta-sthanam (Itihasa-samuccaya), 678, 679 svaged lakṣaṇā śakya-sambandhas (Kärikā 82), 941ddad līlādhṛtā yad api sattvamayi (SB 12.8.45), 90, 91, 222 100 drug dan miriam lokābhirāmām sva-tanum dhāraṇā (SB 11.31.6), 280 syrud-slin hafold w lokādhiṣṭhātuḥ śrī-bhagavad-vigrahasya teṣām (SB 5?), 372 and m lokam vaikuntha-nāmānam (Narada-pañcaratra, Jitante-stotra), 85, 649, 677, 678 1127 References lokānāṁ loka-pālānāṁ mad (SB 11.10.30), 713) des te vd u lokavat tu līlā-kaivalyam (vs 2.1.33), 429, 4374) ml doveland loko yato’bhayam utātma-sukham (SB 12.8.40), 90, 1006 ro madhura-madhuram etan mangala (Skanda Purāṇa, Prabhasa-khaṇḍa), 451, 452 madiyaṁ mahimānam ca (SB 8.24.38), 54, 835, 955, 991 maha-bhūtāny ahankaro buddhir (GĪTĀ 13.5), 82 mahārha-vaidurya-kirīța-kundala-tviṣā (SB 10.3.10), 576 maha-vaikuntha-lokasya (LBH 1.91), 693 mallānām aśanir nṛṇām naravaraḥ (SB 10.43.17), 880 mamaivāmśo jīva-loke jiva (GITA 15.7), 190, 550 mama yonir mahad brahma tasmin (GĪTĀ 14.3), 105, 211, 536 mām bhajanti guṇaḥ sarve (SB 11.13.40), 243 mām ca yovyabhicārena bhakti (GĪTĀ 14.26), 849 mānasam manasaivāyam upabhuńkte (MANU 12.8), 367 mangalaya ca lokānāṁ kṣemāya (SB 1.14.35), 518 maṇir yathā vibhāgena (Nārada-pañcarātra), 344 martyo mṛtyu-vyäla-bhita (SB 10.3.24), 261 mattaḥ parataram nanyat (GĪTĀ 7.7), 29, 151 māt-upadhāyāś ca mator (PANINI 8.2.9), 32 māyā-balena bhavatäpi (Stotra-ratna 16), 739 mayadau brahmane proktā, (SB 11.14.3), 895 mayadhyakṣena prakṛtiḥ suyate (GITĀ 9.10), 152 māyākhyāyāḥ kāma-dhenor (Pañcadaśī 6.236), 180 māyām tu prakṛtim (śu 4.10), 148, 154, 964, 965 mayi nirbaddha-hṛdayaḥ (SB 9.4.66), 75, 356, 615 mayopabṛmhitam bhūmnā (SB 11.21.37), 454, 458 mriyamāņo harer nama gṛṇan (SB 6.2.49), 265 muktim prarthyamānam mām (Hari-vaṁśa Purana 3.30.30), 277 müle mülābhāvād amulam mülam (Sankhya-sütra 1.67), 194 muni-gana-nṛpa-varya-sankule’ntaḥ (SB 1.9.41), 530 munir vivaksur bhagavad (SB 3.5.12), 792 murtam bhagavato rupam (VP 6.7.78), 870, 883 murtim naḥ puru-kṛpaya babhāra (SB 5.25.10), 269, 274 na bhajati nija-bhrtya-varga-tantraḥ (SB 4.31.22), 997 na bhārati me’nga mrsopalakṣyate (SB 2.6.33), 919 na bhedad iti cen na pratyekam atad-vacanãd (vs 3.2.12), 381 na ca kāla-vikramah (SB 2.9.10), 84, 87, 229, 262, 605, 709 1128 Verse Index na cakṣur na śrotram na tarko (Madhva-bhāṣya-pramāņitā sauparṇa-tih), 971, 1030 na ca mam te dadṛśire na (MB 12.339.13), 412 na ca mat-sthani bhūtāni (GITA 9.5), 289, 290, 311 na cantar na bahir yasya (SB 10.9.13), 284, 292, 378 na cyavante hi mad-bhaktā (Kāśī-khanda), 906 näham prakāśaḥ sarvasya yoga (GITA 7.25), 240, 694 nāham tu sakhyo bhajato’pi (SB 10.32.20), 472, 473 näham vedair na tapasa na (GĪTĀ 11.53), 750 nāhaṁ vipro na ca nara-patir (Padyavali 74), 698 na hi varṇayitum śakyam (PP 6.91.62), 674 na hy antas tvad-vibhutinām so’nanta (SB 4.30.31), 505 na hy ato’nyaḥ śivaḥ pantha (SB 2.2.33), 925 naicchan mukti-pater muktim (SB 4.9.29), 670V naiṣām ādiś ca saṁyogo (Devi-bhāgavata Purana 5.7.44-46), 86, 87 naiṣkarmyam apy acyuta (SB 1.5.12), 792, 793 naite yadopasasṛpur nikhilātmakatvät (SB 8.6.30), 399, 400 naiva jānanti yad rūpam (Kalika Purana), 244 naivānyadā loham ivaprataptam (SB 6.16.24), 187 na jātu kāmaḥ kāmānām upabhogena (SB 9.19.14), 795 na kalpanāmṛte’rthasya (vP 5.18.54), 440 na karhicin mat-parāḥ śānta-rupe (SB 3.25.37), 602 nāma cintamanih kṛṣṇaś (Padma Purana), 453, 454 namaḥ sarva-guṇātīta (Nārada-pañcarātra), 243 nāma-karma-svarūpāņi (vP 5.2.19), 433, 440, 441 nāmāni rūpāņi ca janma-karmabhir (SB 6.4.33), 505 namas tubhyam bhagavate brahmane (SB 10.28.6), 252 nāmātmarāmāṇāṁ munīnām anavarata (SB 5.3.11), 766 nāma-vyāharaṇam vişnor (SB 6.2.10), 962 na me hṛṣīkāņi patanty asat-pathe (SB 2.6.33), 919 na me pārthästi kartavyam (GĪTĀ 3.22), 421 na me viduḥ sura-gaṇaḥ prabhavam (GĪTĀ 10.2), 1031 nāmnām akāri bahudha nija (Sikṣāṣṭaka 2), 448 nanāma pādāmbujam asya (SB 2.9.17), 116 na nama-rūpe guna-janma-karmabhir (SB 10.2.36), 456 nandam sunandam garuḍam (SB 11.27.28), 701) nānubhūtam kvacānena dehenädṛṣṭam (SB 4.29.64), 368 nānuvrajati yo mohad (Viṣṇu-bhakti-candrodaya-dhṛta-vacanam), 450, 4 na pārameṣṭhyam na mahendra (SB 11.14.14), 704V) References na paśyati tvāṁ paramātmano’jano (SB 9.8.22), 1032 at kan le narāj jātāni tattvāni (unknown source), 308 nārāyaṇābhidhānasya (SB 11.3.34), 35, 36) nārāyaṇaḥ param brahma tattvam (MNU 11.4), 875, 883 nārāyaṇam ajam devam (Itihasa-samuccaya), 678, 679 nārāyaṇa-padāmbhoja (PP 6.228.3), 706-12) ixer nārāyaṇa-parāḥ sarve (SB 6.17.28), 759, 809, 822 nārāyaṇas tvam na hi (SB 10.14.14), 306, 3072) nārāyaṇe turīyākhye (SB 11.15.16), 36, 46 närthasya dharmaikāntasya (SB 1.2.9), 951 na sadhayati māṁ yogo na (SB 11.14.20), 59.0) na śakyaḥ sa tvyā drṣṭum (MB 12.336.20), 314 na sa punar ävartate (CHU 8.15.1), 603 naşte loke dvi-parärdhāvasāne (SB 10.3.25), 259dlon na sthānato’pi parasyobhaya-lingam sarvatra hi (vs 3.2.11), 380 na tad asti pṛthivyām vā divi (GĪTĀ 18.40), 892) na tad bhāsayate suryo (GĪTĀ 15.6), 619, 683 na tad bhāsayate suryo (PP 6.91.61), 674 na tadīdṛg iti jñeyam (unknown source), 987, 988 natāḥ sma sarva-jagatām (vP 1.14.23), 932 na tasya karyam karanam ca vidyate (su 6.8), 147, 480, 486, 970, 971, 988m na tatra māyā māyī vā (Viṣṇu-dharma Purana), 470 na tat-samaś cabhyadhikaś ca dṛśyate (śu 6.8), 147, 153, 847, 963, 970, 971 natyantikam viganayanty api te prasādam (SB 3.15.48), 647, 754, 779 deman naumiḍya te’bhra (SB 10.14.1), 546 (0) na vidyate yasya ca janma (SB 8.3.8), 413dered squat ezinko na vikriyetatha yada vikaro (SB 2.3.24), 451 na vişnor na ca muktānām (Brahma-tarka), 244 na yad vacaś citra-padam harer (SB 1.5.10), 648 na vivṛṇvanti rūpāņi (Kālikā Purāna), 244 Inn En 62 nāyam ātmā pravacanena labhyo (KU 1.2.23), 543, 1037 YA nayam guṇaḥ karma na san na casan (SB 8.6.24), 398 na yasya māyā-guna-citta-vṛttibhir (SB 5.17.19), 268 na yatra kalo’nimiṣām (SB 2.2.17), 657 na yatra māyā kim utapare (SB 2.9.10), 84, 229 na yatra natha vidyante (VP 5.18.53), 440 na yatra sattvam na rajas (SB 2.2.17), 657 na yatra śruyate māyā (SB 10.28.6), 252 na yogitvādīśvaratvāt (Varaha Purana), 489, 490 1130 Verse Index necchāmi te vilulitan uruvikrameņa (SB 7.9.24), 703 mg meadhang meng neha nānāsti kiñcana (BAU 4.4.19), 479sual nemam viriñco na bhavaḥ (SB 10.9.20), 286) dem nemur nirikṣya na vitṛpta-drśo muda (SB 3.15.42), 737, 773 netă gamayită sraṣṭā (VP 6.5.73), 18, 19 nijena tasya manena ayur varṣa (VP 1.3.5), 2642) nimeṣādir vatsaranto mahiyāms (SB 10.3.26), 48, 208, 260 nirahankṛtir nirmamaś ca (SB 3.24.42), 804 nirantaram sama-gana (PP 6.228.4), 706 edit nirdhūta-doṣa-pańkānām (VP 2.8.99), 668, 669 nirgata-gunebhyo guna yasya (SB 1.10.19), 245 nirguṇasyāprameyasya (VP 1.3.1), 144 nirgune brahmani mayi (SB 11.15.17), 46 nirīkṣya ca na vitṛpta-dṛśa (SB 3.15.42), 772 nirmamā nirahankarā (Itihasa-samuccaya), 678, 679 niṣṭhām arhatha no vaktum (SB 11.3.34), 35 nityaiva să jagan-mātā (VP 1.8.15), 1020 nityam ca parama-vyoma (PP 6.91.76), 677 nityam sambhogam iśvarya (PP 6.227.13), 707, 874 nityam tad-rupam iśasya (PP 6.227.12), 707 nityāvyakto’pi bhagavan (Nārāyaṇādhyatma), 406, 561 nityo’kṣaro’jasra-sukho nirañjanaḥ (SB 10.14.20), 557 nunam daivena vihata ye cäcyuta (SB 3.32.19), 649 onkära evedam sarvam (CHU 2.23.3), 452 onkāras catha sabdaś ca dväv (unknown source), 5 yas mendilg om namo bhagavate tubhyam vasudevaya (SB 1.5.37), 795g soleházig om pūrṇam adaḥ pūrṇam idam (ISA 1), 161 pādās trayo bahiś casann (SB 2.6.19), 715 pādeṣu sarva-bhūtāni (SB 2.6.18), 714 Aday blambang paramānanda-sandohã (Maha-varaha Purana), 542 panthās tu koti-śata-vatsara-sampragamyo (Brahma-samhita 5.43), 2887 paramahamsa-mahāmunīnām anveṣaṇiya (SB 3.15.37), 722, 765 mg paramahamsa-parivrajakaiḥ (SB 6.9.33), 666tday paramāṇv-anta-paryanta (Vişnu-dharma Purana), 289 V vad BET param brahmeti yad vidur (Itihasa-samuccaya), 678-680 evro dstodin param na yat-param (SB 2.9.9), 77, 78, 80, 708 param padam vaiṣṇavam amananti tad (SB 2.2.18), 503, 657g muling pāram param viṣṇur apărapära (VP 1.15.55), 847) g 1131 References param pradhānam puruşam (SB 3.24.33), 218 letra imbrasom parāñci khāni vyatṛṇat (KU 2.1.1), 409, 749, 1037)ill main ede parasya brahmaṇaḥ śaktis (VP 1.22.54), 156) davidd on corsivame parasya saktir vividhaiva śruyate (śu 6.8), 147, 148, 166, 221, 966, 970, 9718m parāvarāṇāṁ parama aste (SB 11.9.18), 217 pareņa bhakti-bhāvena (SB 3.24.44), 806) pareņa nākam nihitam guhāyām (NTU 5.10), 667 parīkṣya lokān karma-citan (MUU 1.2.12), 5892) pariņāma-tāpa-samskara-duḥkhaiḥ (Yoga-sutra 2.15), 364 parisphurat-kundala-mauli (SB 2.9.11), 106 paritrāṇāya sadhūnām vināśāya (GĪTĀ 4.8), 423 parokṣa-vādā ṛṣayaḥ (SB 11.21.35), 281, 920, 954 paro rajaḥ savitur jāta-veda (SB 5.7.14), 94 parthivād dāruņo dhumaḥ (SB 1.2.24), 465, 1016 paryupāsitam unnidra (SB 6.9.29), 614, 700 paścãd aham yad etac ca (SB 2.9.32), 143, 293, 904 paśyāmi viśva-sṛjam ekam aviśvam ātman (SB 3.9.3), 511 paśyanto’pi na jānanti (unknown source), 987 paśyanty ātmani cātmānam (SB 1.2.12), 54 paśyaty acakṣuḥ sa śrņoti (śu 5.19), 130 patir gatiś cāndhaka-vṛṣṇi (SB 2.4.20), 109 patni vikuṇṭhā subhrasya vaikunthaiḥ (SB 8.5.4), 692 patni vikuntha subhrasya vaikunthaiḥ (SB 8.5.4), 638, 692 pātu sarvaiḥ svarūpair naḥ (SB 6.8.33), 579 pitāham asya jagato mātā dhātā (GĪTĀ 9.17), 305 pītāmśuke pṛthu-nitambini visphurantyā (SB 3.15.40), 735 plāvayāmāsa tām śünyam (VP 5.38.9), 686 pradhana-parama-vyomnor (PP 6.91.55), 85, 86, 102, 103, 645, 673 prāduräsid yathā pracyām (SB 10.3.8), 262 prādurāsīt kuru-śrestha (SB 6.4.35), ,507 (8lbs) in prāduścakartha yad idam puruhuta rupam (SB 3.15.50), 761 pradyumnāyāniruddhaya (SB 1.5.37), 795 prākṛtair heya-samyuktair (PP 6.227.41), 27, 417 prākṛtam tāmasam jñānam (SB 11.25.24), 1009 prakṛtau puruşe caiva (Vişnu-dharma Purāna), 844 prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni gunaiḥ (GĪTĀ 3.27), 194, 403 prakṛtiḥ sa mama para (Hari-vamsa Purana 2.114.11), 865 prakrtim puruşam caiva viddhy (GITA 13.19), 627 prakṛtiś ca prākṛtam ca (Suparna-śruti), 992 1132 Verse Index prāṇasya prāṇam uta cakṣuşaś cakṣur (BAU 4.4.18), 479 praṇavam hiśvaram vidyat (unknown source), 452, 453 pranavo hy aparam brahma (unknown source), 452, 453 prarthyä mahattvam icchadbhir (SB 1.16.30), 248 pratidṛśam iva naikadhārkam (SB 1.9.42), 380, 381, 385 pratijagmuḥ pramuditāḥ (SB 3.16.28), 79, 733 pratilomānulomābhyam (SB 11.24.29), 863 pratyag-dhämä svayañjyotir (SB 3.26.3), 219 pratyak-praśānta-dhir dhirah (SB 3.24.43), 804 pratyüşe bhyetya suślokair (SB 10.87.13), 960 pravala-vaidurya-mṛṇāla (SB 2.9.11), 106 pravartate yatra rajas tamas (SB 2.9.10), 84, 229, 262 praviṣṭāny apraviṣṭāni (SB 2.9.34), 917 prāyaḥ svāyambhuvädyākhyāḥ kalpe (LBH 1.4.30), 282 prayātu sukṛtasyāstu (Visņu-dharma Purana), 844 prayeņa munayo rajan nivṛttā (SB 2.1.7), 650 prayujyamāne mayi tām (SB 1.6.29), 531 premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena (Brahma-samhita 5.37), 918, 1038 preńkham śrita ya kusumā (SB 2.9.13), 107ey prītas tato’sya bhagavan (MB 12.323.11), 408dd prītir na yavan mayi vasudeve (SB 5.5.6), 524, 617 priyaḥ priyam prita-manāḥ (SB 2.9.18), 116, 295 procyate vişnur evaikaḥ (Brahma Purana), 868 von prṣthe kṛto me yad adharma arād (SB 5.5.19), 521 pṛthag vaktum guņās tasya (Padma Purana), 868, 869 enem illy pa pṛthivi vayur ākāśa apo (SB 11.16.37), 562, 838 pumsāṁ gatim mrgayatām iha yoga-margair (SB 3.15.45), 745, 746 pumso’sti prakṛtir nitya (Śärngadhara-samhita 1.5.99), 174vad veitbes punar api jananam punar api (Moha-mudgara 21), 82 pura maya proktam ajaya nābhye (SB 3.4.13), 110, 902, 903 pūrṇaḥ śuddho nitya-mukto (Padma Purana), 453, 454 pūrṇānandasya tasyeha (Nārāyaṇa-samhita), 429, 430, 472 puruşa evedam sarvam yad (RV 10.90.2), 712 purusa-vidho’nvayo’tra caramo (SB 10.87.17), 858) pūrvāparam bahis cantar jagato (SB 10.9.11), 284 purvāparānurodhena ko nv (unknown source), 629 (6:adanaa) sdb racanãnupapatteś ca nanumānam (vs 2.2.1), 195 rahugaṇaitat tapasā na yāti (SB 5.12.12), 595 rajaso mithunam sattvam (Devi-bhāgavata Purana 5.7.44-46), 86, 87tes 1133References rajas-tamaḥ-prakṛtayah (SB 1.2.27), 274 ans sa vank Zila STU Senang rākṣasāḥ kalim āśritya jayante (Caitanya-bhāgavata 1.11.298), 278veena rāmādi-murtiṣu kala-niyamena (Brahma-samhitā 5.39), 310 reme śriya’sau jagatāṁ jananyā (PP 6.227.7), 874 rg-yajuḥ-sāmātharvāņa (PP 6.228.21), 113 ṛte’rtham yat pratiyeta (SB 2.9.33), 172, 915 rūpa-bhedam aväpnoti (Nārada-pañcarātra), 344 rupam dṛśyam locanam drk tad (Drg-drsya-viveka 1), 44 rūpam sthaviṣṭham aja te mahad (SB 4.9.13), 499, 500 rūpam tavaitat puruşarṣabhejyam (SB 8.6.9), 393 rūpam yad etad avabodha-rasodayena (SB 3.9.2), 510 ing ding inac ay rūpaṁ yat tat prahur avyaktam (SB 10.3.24), 466, 535, 828, 841 sa ādi-devo jagatām (SB 2.9.5), 296 śabda-brahma paraṁ brahma (SB 6.16.51), 555, 831, 989 śabda-brahma sudurbodham (SB 11.21.36), 454, 458 śabdadin viṣayāms tyaktvā (GĪTĀ 18.51), 810 Ovenu śabdo na yatra puru-kārakavan (SB 2.7.47), 65, 70-anods sa bhagavaḥ kasmin pratisthita iti sve mahimni (CHU 7.24.1), 658, 659 sa brahma-pāraḥ para-para-bhūta (VP), 845, 847 sa brahmaṇā sṛjati sa rudreņa (Maha Upanisad), 262 sā brahmaņi sva-mahimany api (SB 4.9.10), 395, 818 sa ca bhūteṣv aśeşeşu (VP 6.5.75), 18, 19 sa capi yatra puruso (SB 2.8.10), 905, 906 by BUY hy beym pilsdr sa ca vidhi-mantra-nämadheya (Artha-sangraha 1.10), 456 pag babaliny sad bhāva-vikärä bhavantīti (SB 2.9.10), 88able over wing sad eva saumyedam agra āsīt (CHU 6.2.1), 140, 1005 sadhavo hrdayam mahyam (SB 9.4.68), 615, 921) sa enän brahma gamayaty eṣa (CHU 4.15.5), 618 sa eșa jivo vivara-prasutiḥ (SB 11.12.17), 449 sa gunan samatītyaitan (GĪTĀ 14.26), 61, 849 sahasra-sirṣā puruṣaḥ (RV 10.90.1), 711 sa hovāca na vã are patyuḥ (BAU 4.5.6), 549 sa iśitvam avāpnoti (SB 11.15.15), 46 sakṛd api parigitam śraddhaya (Skanda Purana, Prabhasa-khanda), 451, 452 sakṛd uccaritam yena (Skanda Purana), 446) sākṣād adhokṣaja uru-vyavasanandha (SB 10.64.18), 405 sākṣāt tam darśayāmāsa (MB 12.336.12), 408 sākṣi cetā kevalo nirgunaś (śu 6.11), 504 śaktayaḥ sarva-bhāvānām (VP 1.3.2), 144 Thorunetega 1134 Verse Index sälokya-särṣṭi-sāmīpya (SB 3.29.13), 609, 756ddua nevemetices samaḥ sarveşu bhüteşu (GĪTĀ 18.54), 778, 810D-AV-Evisa samānādhikya-rahitam (PP 6.91.59), 673 samantad ghana-vätena (Vayu Purāṇa), 690 samantad yena toyena (Vayu Purana), 690 sāmānyaviyute dure (PP 6.91.71), 676 samāpta-sarvärtham (SB 10.37.23), 233, 419, 441, 442, 1000 samarthasya tu tasyaiva (An old saying, Canakya), 473, 474 samasta-kalyāṇa-gunātmako hi (VP 6.5.84), 417 samasta-śakti-rūpāņi (VP 6.7.71), 872 sambharteti tatha bhartā (VP 6.5.73), 18, 19 sa munir bhūtvā samacintayad (Vedas), 889 sanandanadyair hṛdi samvibhāvyam (SB 9.8.24), 762, 1035 sangraho’yam vibhūtīnām (SB 2.7.51), 921 alled us san näpy asan näpy ubhayātmikä (Viveka-cüḍämani 111), 179 śāntāḥ sama-dṛśaḥ śuddhaḥ (SB 4.12.37), 605 śāntānāṁ nyasta-daṇḍānām (SB 10.88.26), 642 sa-pañcarātrān vijñāya (Brahma-tarka), 933 sa paraḥ sarva-saktīnām (VP 1.22.63), 877 sarahasyam tad-angam ca (SB 2.9.30), 898 sargādi yo ‘syanuruṇaddhi śaktibhir (SB 4.17.18), 132 śarīram yad avapnoti yac capy (GĪTĀ 15.8), 421 śarīra-van-manobhir yat karma (GĪTĀ 18.15), 196 sarva-bhūta-guṇair yuktam (MB 12.339.46), 407 sarva-bhūteşu bhūpāla (vp 6.7.63), 157 sarva-bhūteṣu sarvātman (vP 1.19.76), 165, 166 sarva-bhūteṣv evam eva brahma ity acakṣata (Vedas), 380 noyabavila sarva-kāmaḥ sarva-gandhaḥ sarva-rasah (Vedas), 414, 782 Evraz sarva-karmā sarva-kāmaḥ (CHU 3.14.2), 414 sarva-mangala-murdhanya (Narada Purana), 709 alevad suvsiz sarvam khalv idam brahma (CHU 3.14.1), 122, 154, 160, 832, 969, 976 sarvam puman veda guņāmś ca (SB 6.4.25), 198 sarva-śakti-mayo vişnuḥ (VP 1.22.61), 877 sarvāsām api siddhīnām hetuḥ (SB 11.15.35), 240 sarvasyādhipatiḥ sarvasyeśānaḥ (BAU 4.4.22), 964, 965 sarvasya pranavo hy ãdir (unknown source), 452, 453 in id insve sarvataḥ pāņi-pādam tad (GĪTĀ 13.13), 155, 380, 383, 485 tool w/ sarvatha tat-svarūpaiva (LBH 1.21), 373 sarvātmany akhilädhäre (SB 2.7.52), 921 The 1135 References sarva-vedamayam subhram (PP 6.91.58), 673) Availtolsa sarva-vedän setihäsän (Brahma-tarka), 9331 in) and nsa amez sarva-vyāpinam onkāram (unknown source), 452, 453 V) sarve catur-bāhava unmişan-mani (SB 2.9.11), 106 sarve hiranmayaḥ śuddhaḥ (PP 6.228.2), 706 sarvendriya-guṇābhāsam sarvendriya (GĪTĀ 13.14), 131 sarve nimeṣā jajñire vidyutaḥ (MNU 1.8), 2600 sarve nitya nirvikärä (PP 6.228.2), 706 sarve nityāḥ śāśvatāś ca (Maha-varaha Purana), 542 sarve pañcopaniṣada (PP 6.228.4), 7068 sarveṣām eva rogāṇām nidānam (Aṣṭānga-hṛdaya), 297 sarveṣām tu sa nāmāni karmāņi (MANU 1.21), 447b sarve vedamayā divyaḥ (PP 6.228.3), 706 sarvopadhi-vinirmuktam tat (BRS 1.1.11), 780 sarvopaniṣadām artham (PP 6.91.67), 675 sarvopanisado gavo dogdha (Sankarācārya), 857 sā sānkhyānāṁ gatiḥ pārtha (Hari-vamsa Purana 2.114.12), 865 sasarja chāyayāvidyam (SB 3.20.18), 176 sa sarva-drg upadraṣṭā (SB 10.88.5), 95, 96 sa-sarva-mantropaniṣad (SB 12.6.41), 949 sa sarva-nāmā sa ca viśva-rupaḥ (SB 6.4.28), 498 śāstra-yonitvät (vs 1.1.3), 938 śastre yuktau ca nipuṇaḥ (BRS 1.2.17), 629 1 sa śuddhaḥ sarva-śuddhebhyah (vP 1.9.43), 96 1 śaśvat praśāntam abhayam (SB 2.7.47), 65 rare sa tan-niketam parimṛśya śunyam (SB 8.19.11), 693 indo-sum sattvadayo na santīśe (VP 1.9.43), 96 vesti sattvāj jāgaraṇam vidyād (SB 11.25.20), 44 feme sattvam na ced dhatar idam (SB 10.2.34), 98 HD) demeured wine sattvam na kevalaṁ kväpi na (Devi-bhāgavata Purana 3.8.14), 89 sattvam rajas tama itīśa tavātma (SB 12.8.45), 90, 91, 222 m sattve ca tasmin bhagavan vasudevo (SB 4.3.23), 1008 sattve pralināḥ svar yanti (SB 11.25.21), 639 sa tvam hi nitya-vijitätma-gunah (SB 7.9.22), 206 sa tvam katham mama vibho’kṣa (SB 10.64.18), 405 sa tvam sākṣād visnur (SB 10.3.24), 534 sa tvam triloka-sthitaye (SB 10.3.20), 462ID satya-jñānānantānanda (SB 10.13.54), 330, 340, 539, 827, 1036 satyam jñānam anantam yat (SB 10.28.15), 608, 652, 653, 813 1136 Verse Index satyam saucam daya kṣāntir (SB 1.16.27), 27182) satyam vidhātum nija-bhṛtya-bhāṣitam (SB 7.8.18), 428, 429 imp satyāśiṣo hi bhagavams tava (SB 4.9.17), 547 satyat satyam ca govindas (MB, Udyoga-parva 70.12 (5.68.12)), 558 Ve satye pratisthitaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (MB 5.70.12), 558 viclod hopin sa va ayam asya sarvasya vaśī (BAU 4.4.22), 148 sa vă eșa puruṣo’nna-rasa-maya (TU 2.1), 848 sā vā etasya sandrastuḥ śaktiḥ (SB 3.5.25), 320 sa vai na devāsura-martya-tiryan (SB 8.6.24), 398 sa vai puṁsām paro dharmo (SB 1.2.6), 886 savidham jagrhe pāṇin (SB 3.3.8), 371 sa yad ajayā tv ajām (SB 10.87.34), 231, 965 sa yaiḥ sprṣto’bhidṛṣṭo vā (SB 9.11.22), 523 śayānam samrājam (unknown source), 960 sa yāti paramam sthanam (Narada Purana), 689, 690 sa yāti viṣṇu-lokam vai (Skanda Purāna), 679 seyam bhagavato māyā yam (SB 3.7.9), 163 siddha-lokās tu tamasaḥ pāre (BRS 1.2.280), 63 siddhante punar eka eva bhagavan (PP 4.93.26), 932 siddhayo’ṣṭādaśa proktā (SB 11.15.3), 233AM) g sisṛkṣāyām matim cakre (Brahma-samhita 5.23), 118 śivadam tāpa-trayonmūlanam (SB 1.1.2), 121, 885, 888 sivaḥ śakti-yutaḥ śaśvat (SB 10.88.3), 463 ślaghyanga-sanniveśo yah (BRS 2.1.45), 740 bbu snehāvaloka-kalaya hṛdi (SB 3.15.39), 731, 732, 767 so’mṛtasyabhayasyeśo (SB 2.6.17), 708 so’pi vavre’calām bhaktim (SB 10.41.52), 601 da so’py asti yat-prapada-simny avicintya-tattve (Brahma-samhita 5.40), 2882 śraddha maitri daya śāntis (SB 4.1.49), 1017 śreyaḥ sṛtim bhaktim (SB 10.14.4), 887 śreyan dravya-mayad yajñāj (GĪTĀ 4.33), 630) śrī-brahma-rudra-sanakă (Prameya-ratnavali 1.5), 724 śrīḥ svāḥ prajāḥ sa-karunena (SB 8.8.25), 1015 śrīmad-bhāgavate maha-muni-kṛte (SB 1.1.2), 885 śrir bhur durgeti ya (Maha-samhita), 219, 220 śrīr yatra rūpiņy urugaya-padayoḥ (SB 2.9.13), 107 śrīvatsa-lakṣmam gala-sobhi-kaustubham (SB 10.3.9), 576 śriyaḥ patir yajña-patiḥ (SB 2.4.20), 109 śriyam anucaratim (SB 4.31.22), 997 1137 References śriya pustyä gira käntyä (SB 10.39.55), 996) sṛjāmi tan-niyukto’ham (SB 2.6.31), 334 śrotavyaḥ kirtitavyaś ca (SB 2.2.36), 926 syruld sṛṣṭāv ivāham jagato vidhāna iva (SB 10.14.19), 228, 332 sṛṣṭy-adikam harir naiva (Nārāyaṇa-samhita), 429, 430 sṛti vicakrame viśvam (SB 2.6.20), 718 śrutes tu sabda-mulatvāt (vs 2.1.27), 134, 360, 480, 974 śruti-vākyoditam sūkṣmam (VP 6.5.68), 17, 18 dis sthānam tat paramam vipra (VP 2.8.99), 668, 669 sthity-udbhava-pralaya (SB 11.3.35), 35, 909 striya maya te kim jñeya (Kalika Purāna), 244 śuddham sanātanam jyotiḥ (Itihasa-samuccaya), 678-680 śuddha-sattva-mayam divyam (PP 6.91.57), 85, 86, 102, 103, 590, 645, 673 sudurlabham yat paramam padam (SB 4.9.28), 671, 684 suhrdam priyam ātmānam (SB 11.13.40), 243 śukla-kṛṣṇe gati hy ete jagataḥ (GĪTĀ 8.26), 719 sukṣmatvāt tad avijñeyam (GĪTĀ 13.16), 3978) sunanda-nanda-prabalarhaṇādibhiḥ (SB 2.9.14), 109 sunanda-nanda-śīrṣanya (SB 1.14.32), 111 y surām pītvā dvijo mohad agni (MANU 11.90), 456 sureṣv rṣiṣv iśa tathaiva (SB 10.14.20), 337 surya-candramasau dhāta yatha (RV 10.190.3), 119 almo svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriya ca (śu 6.8), 147, 205, 479, 970, 971, 988, 989, 993 svacchandopätta-dehāya viśuddha (SB 10.27.11), 570 sva-dharma-nisthaḥ śata-janmabhiḥ (SB 4.14.39), 5960 svadhamno brahmaṇaḥ sākṣād (SB 12.6.41), 949) bad vir sva-drṣṭavadbhir puruşair abhiṣṭutam (unknown source), 77, 708 svakarthānām iva rajah (SB 10.13.50), 463 Live miz svam lokam na vidus te vai (SB 4.29.48), 662 svānāṁ cananya-bhāvānām (SB 1.7.25), 471 svanusthitasya dharmasya (SB 1.2.13), 886 svapna etad uta devamäyä (SB 10.8.40), 322, 324 svapnāntam jāgaritantam cobhau (KU 2.1.4), 366 svapne preta-parişvangah (SB 10.42.30), 367 svardhuny-udardraiḥ sva-jaṭā-kalapaiḥ (SB 3.8.5), 274 svargānubhutir mṛṣtäṣṭir dvy (Sarva-siddhanta-sangraha 1.9), 168 svargāpavarga-narakeṣv (SB 6.17.28), 620, 759, 809, 822 svarupa-bhūtaya nitya (Caturveda-sikhā, Mādhva-bhāṣya-dhṛta), 224, 418 sva-sṛṣṭam idam āpīya (SB 10.87.12), 958 miles a 1138 Verse Index sva-sukha-nibhṛta-cetās tad-vyudas (SB 12.12.68), 425, 540, 764 dance c sva-tejasă nitya-nivṛtta-māyā (SB 10.37.23), 419, 442, 1000 svāvidya-samvṛto jivaḥ (Bhāvārtha-dipikā 1.7.6), 1004, 1005 svayam-rupas tad-ekātma-rupa (LBH 1.11), 376, 531 svayam upalabdha-nija (SB 6.9.33), 217, 666 svecchamayasya (SB 10.14.2), 55, 400 śyāmāvadātāḥ śata-patra-locanaḥ (SB 2.9.11), 106) śyame pṛthāv urasi sobhitaya śriyā svaś (SB 3.15.39), 731, 732 tac cej jala-stham tava saj-jagad-vapuh (SB 10.14.15), 312 tac-chraddadhānā munayo (SB 1.2.12), 54 tac-chuddham vimalam viśokam (SB 12.13.19), 927 tad abhayam ātma-sukham (SB 2.8.2), 92, 93 tad-adhigama uttara-pūrvärghayoḥ (vs 4.1.13), 757, 759 tadā gantāsi nirvedam (GĪTĀ 2.52), 620, 798 tad ante bodhayañcakrus (SB 10.87.12), 958 tad aśma-sāram hrdayam (SB 2.3.24), 451 tad-bhakteṣu ca sauhārdam (SB 10.41.52), 601 tad bhāti paramaṁ dhama (PP 6.91.69), 675, 676 tad-bhinnatve sati tad-gata (unknown source), 552 tad bhūri bhagyam iha janma (SB 10.14.34), 296 tad brahma nişkalam anantam (Brahma-samhita 5.40), 8415 tad brahma paramam nityam (VP 5.18.53), 440 tad brahma viśva-bhavam ekam anantam adyam (SB 4.9.16), 129 tad-darśanāhlada-pari (SB 2.9.17), 116 tad ejati tan naijati tad dūre (ISA 5), 130) tad etad akṣaram nityam (VP 1.22.60), 876, 877 tad etad bhagavad-vacyam (vp 6.5.69), 17, 18 tad etad varnitam rajan (unknown source), 948 tadopasamhṛtya giraḥ sahasranir (SB 1.9.30), 390 tad vā etat paraṁ dhama (NTU 5.10), 667 tad vā idam bhuvana-mangala (SB 3.9.4), 512 tad vai padam bhagavataḥ (SB 2.7.47), 65 tad vidyäd ätmano māyām (SB 2.9.33), 172, 915 tad-vijñānārtham sa gurum (LBH 1.2.12), 594 tad visnoḥ paramam padam (RV 1.22.20), 656 tad visnoḥ paramam padam (VP 2.8.103), 668, 669 tad visnoḥ paramam padam (SB 4.12.26), 671 tad visnoḥ paramam padam (NTU 5.10), 667 tad visnoḥ paramam padam (VP 6.5.68), 17, 18 encolinet 1139 References angvin- zanjuesv kväva tad visnoḥ paramam padam (PP 6.91.60), 673, 686cddin-ave tad visnoḥ paramam padam (PP 6.91.65), 675 tad vişnoḥ paramam padam (Itihasa-samuccaya), 678-680 tad-viśva-rupa-vairūpyam (VP 6.7.70), 870, 872, 873- tad yatheha karma-jito lokaḥ kṣiyate (CHU 8.1.6), 602, 629 tam adbhutam bālakam (SB 10.3.9), 576 tama eva nirälokam (Vayu Purana), 690 d tam ananta-guṇāvāsam (Brahmanda Purana), 678 tam anvagacchan divyäni viṣṇu (SB 11.30.45), 584 tāmasam dyūta-sadanam (SB 11.25.25), 641 tamasas tu rajas tasmat (SB 1.2.24), 465, 1016 tamaso’nte ca vikhyātam (Vayu Purāṇa), 690 tamaso yakṣa-rakṣāṁsi (SB 7.1.8), 466 tam eva bhāntam anubhāti (KU 2.2.15), 188, 189 tam eva saranam gaccha (GITA 18.62), 590 tam imam aham ajam śarīra-bhājām (SB 1.9.42), 385 tam matvātmajam avyaktam (SB 10.9.14), 284 tamolayās tu nirayam (SB 11.25.22), 639 tām praviśya bhavantiha (Hari-vamsa Purana), 865 tam priyamāņaṁ samupasthitam (SB 2.9.18), 116 tām ṛte paramātmānam (Nārāyaṇādhyātma), 406 tam saprapañcam adhirūḍha-samadhi-yogaḥ (SB 3.28.38), 763 tam tv āgatam pratihṛtaupayikam sva-pumbhis (SB 3.15.38), 728 tam tvām aham jñāna-ghanam svabhāva (SB 9.8.24), 762, 1035 tam tvām vidāma bhagavan (SB 3.15.47), 750 tan-madhyād bhāratīm (PP 6.73.231), 177 tantrikāḥ paricaryāryam kevalasya (SB 12.11.2), 637 tany eva te’bhirūpāņi (SB 3.24.30), 347&a tāsām aṣṭau mat-pradhānā (SB 11.15.3), 233, 239 tasmäd idam jagad (SB 10.14.22), 359 tasmäd vā etasmād vijñānamayad (TU 2.5), 855 tasmā idam bhagavate nama id vidhema (SB 3.15.50), 761 tasmai mṛdita-kaṣāyāya tamasaḥ pāram (Vedas), 763 tasmai namo bhagavate’nuvidhema tubhyam (SB 3.9.4), 512 tasmai sva-lokam bhagavan (SB 2.9.9), 77, 586, 926 tasmāj jñānena sahitam (SB 11.19 (or 13).5), 815 resquber tasman na māyaya sarvam (Viṣṇu-dharma Purana), 470, 506 scho tasmāt sarvātmanā rājan (SB 2.2.36), 926 tasmat taveha bhagavann atha (SB 12.8.46), 90, 91 1140 Verse Index tasmin bandha-vinirmuktāḥ (PP 6.91.74), 677 als er ubica tasmin yayau paramahamsa-maha-munīnām (SB 3.15.37), 722 tasya bhāsā sarvam idam vibhāti (KU 2.2.15), 140, 151, 156 tasya ha va ittham varṣmaṇā (SB 5.4.2), 526 tasyāḥ pāre para-vyomni (PP 6.91.56), 85, 86, 102, 103, 645, 673 tasyām bahu-tithe kale bhagavan (SB 3.24.6), 436 tasyāravinda-nayanasya (SB 3.15.43), 740 tasya tribhuvanadhiśaḥ (SB 9.21.15), 347 tasya tripād-vibhūtes tu (PP 6.91.77), 677 tataḥ kṛṣṇācyutānanta (VP 5.18.54), 440 tataḥ kṛtārthānāṁ pariņāmakrama (Yoga-sutra 4.32), 314 tataḥ sarve’pi te devāḥ (PP 6.73.234), 220 git-lis tathācyuta tvam vāñchitam tan (Vişnu-dharma Purana), 845 tathaiva ānanda-murtim upaguhya (SB 10.41.25), 541 tathaiva tattva-vijñānam (SB 2.9.31), 901 tathāpi bhuman mahima (SB 10.14.6), 51 tathāpi doṣāḥ parame (Kurma Purāṇa), 415 tathāpi lokāpyaya-sambhavaya yah (SB 8.3.8), 413 tathāpi śocasy ātmānam (SB 1.5.4), 7888 tatharthavādo harinamni kalpanam (PP, Brahma-khanda 25.15), 450, 457 tathāyam cāvatāras te (SB 1.7.25), 471 tato gantāsi mat-sthanam (SB 4.9.25), 671 tato mām tattvato jñātvā (GĪTĀ 18.55), 810 tato vaikuntham agamad (SB 10.88.25), 642) dog 97 ov-spel tato yanti param sthanam mokṣa (Bhavisya Purana, Uttara-parva 66.26), 619 tat-padaṁ jñānino viprā (PP 6.91.73), 676) meyin uzay-hai tat param paramam brahma (Hari-vaṁśa Purana 2.114.12), 865ngay.blam tat prasādāt parām santim (GĪTĀ 18.62), 590. tatra brahmābhavad (Brahma-samhita 5.22), 118 tatra sarvam idam protam (VP 1.22.64), 877 tatrayuta-siddhayoḥ sambandhaḥ (Tarka-bhāṣā 10), 28 tatremam ka upāsīran (SB 3.7.37), 906) tat sankulam hari-padan (SB 3.15.20), 589 tat tat śrī-bhagavaty eva (LBH 1.5.200), 827 tattvam eko maha-yogi (MB 12.347.91), 875 tattvaṁ jijñāsamānānām (MB 12.347.91), 875 tattvam param yoginām (SB 10.43.17), 879, 880, 883 tattvānāṁ bhagavams teṣām (SB 3.7.37), 906 tat tvayy apiha tat sarvam (SB 10.14.17), 321omodad domain somet 1141 References tavanto’si caturbhujās tad akhilaiḥ (SB 10.14.18), 326 tim sled aliend tävat prasanno bhagavan (SB 3.21.7), 554 tavat sarve vatsa-päläḥ (SB 10.13.46), 328 taya tirohitatvāc ca śaktiḥ (VP 6.7.63), 157 te’bhigacchanti mat-sthanam (anyatra), 6801) te’cakṣatākṣa-viṣayam sva-samadhi (SB 3.15.38), 540, 728, 771 te ha nākam mahimanaḥ (PP 6.91.73), 676 tejasäty-adbhutam ramyam (PP 6.91.60), 673 tenaiva satya-mãnena (SB 6.8.33), 579 tena satyena me papam (Vişnu-dharma Purana), 844 te präpnuvanti mam eva (GĪTĀ 12.4), 824, 825 teşv akṣareşu bhaviṣyaj-jagad-rupam (GTU 1.26), 444 te tam bhuktvā svarga-lokam (GĪTĀ 9.21), 664 te vă amuşya vadanāsita-padma-kośam (SB 3.15.44), 743 tiryan-naga-dvija-sarīsṛpa-deva (SB 4.9.13), 499, 500 titikṣavaḥ kärunikāḥ suhrdah (SB 3.25.21), 613) traigunya-viṣaya veda (GĪTĀ 2.45), 958 trailokyam akhilam daityo (Vişnu-dharma Purana), 581 tribhāva-bhāvanātīta (VP 6.7.76), 871 88 tribhir guna-mayair bhāvair (GĪTĀ 7.13), 95 tridaśānām agamyam tu (Vayu Purana), 690 triguṇātmikātha jñānam ca (Trikāṇḍa-seṣa), 224, 418 trilokyām gatayaḥ sarvaḥ (SB 11.24.13), 587 tripad-urdhva udait puruṣaḥ (RV 10.90.4), 712, 716 mag tripad-vibhuti-rupaṁ tu (PP 6.91.54), 85, 86, 102, 103, 645, 673 tripäd-vibhüter nityam syat (PP 6.227.11), 707 tripad-vyāptiḥ param dhamni (PP 6.227.11), 707 tritayam tatra yo veda (SB 2.10.9), 189 tri-varṇā varṇitäsmäbhiḥ (SB 11.3.16), 220 m turiyam aturiyam ātmānam anātmānam (NTU 6.1), 288 turye dharma-kala-sarge (SB 1.3.9), 1012 tvak-śmaśru-roma-nakha-keśa (SB 10.60.45), 292, 488 tvam adyaḥ puruṣaḥ sākṣād (SB 1.7.23), 213 tvam agnir bhagavan suryas (SB 9.5.3), 584 tvām aham drastum icchami (PP 4.73.12), 534, 535 tvam akaraṇaḥ svarad akhila (SB 10.87.28), 476 tvam asi yad ātmanā samavaruddha (SB 10.87.14), 233, 961 tvam bhakti-yoga-paribhāvita (SB 3.9.11), 7, 74, 346 tvam ca rudra mahā-baho moha (Varaha Purana 70.36), 278 1142 Verse Index tvam dharmas tvam ṛtam satyam (SB 9.5.5), 584 tvām iśvaram sväśrayam (SB 10.37.24), 1000 tvam pratyag-atmani tada (SB 4.11.30), 11 tvam uta jahāsi tām ahir iva (SB 10.87.38), 231 tvayi hi phalanty atan-nirasanena (SB 10.87.41), 203, 971, 985 tvayy eva nitya-sukha-bodha-tanäv (SB 10.14.22), 359 tyajet kulārtham puruşam (MB 5.37.17), 550 uddāma-kāñcy-angada-kankaṇādibhiḥ (SB 10.3.10), 576 ullanghita-trividha-sima (Stotra-ratna 16), 739 upariṣṭād rṣibhyas tvam (SB 4.9.25), 671 ürdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva (GĪTĀ 14.18), 592 urdhvottaram rṣibhyas tu (VP 2.8.98), 668, 669 utamṛtatvasyeśāna (Vedas), 708, 712 utkṣepanam garbha-gatasya (SB 10.14.12), 303 utpatti-sthiti-laya (SB 5.25.9), 268, 272 uttamaḥ purusas tv anyah (GĪTĀ 15.17), 215 uvāca puratas tasmai (Brahma-samhita 5.24), 118 vacako bhagavac-chabdas (VP 6.5.69), 17, 18 vācaś ca nas tulasivad yadi te (SB 3.15.49), 756 vadanti tat tattva-vidas (SB 1.2.11), 5, 6, 329, 880, 883 vadanti veda-śirasaś (PP 4.73.13), 534, 535 vaidharmyāc ca na svapnādivad (vs 2.2.2), 360 vaikunthaḥ kalpito yena loko (SB 8.5.5), 638, 692 vaikuntham tad-adhiṣṭhānam (SB 3.16.27), 79, 733 vakṣasi śukla-varna-dakṣinävarta (Sabda-kalpa-druma), 701 aliv Ando valgu-prakostha-valayam vinata-sutāmse (SB 3.15.40), 735min Byromis vallabhāya priya vahner (Brahma-samhita 5.25), 118 vanam tu sättviko vaso (SB 11.25.25), 641 vāpī-kupa-taḍāgaiś ca (Narada-pañcaratra, Jitante-stotra), 677, 678h varna eva tu sabda (unknown source), 444 varṇayanti sma kavayo (SB 1.3.35), 431, 438 vāruṇyām jaya-vijayau (PP 6.228.14), 113, 114 vasanti tatra bhūtāni (VP 6.5.75), 18, 19 vāso yathā parikṛtam madira (SB 3.28.37), 765, 768 vastv ekam eva duḥkhāya (vP 2.6.47), 364 vasudevam hareḥ sthanam (SB 9.24.30), 1013 vasudeve bhagavati sarvajñe (SB 3.24.45), 806 vasudevo bhagavatam (SB 11.16.29), 562, 570 1143References vasudevo vā idam agra āsīn (Vedas), 904, 9058 Samarbet vāyavyam svetam ālabhet (Taittiriya-samhita 7.1.30), 456fer V vayur vai kṣepiṣṭhā devată (Taittiriya-samhita 2.1.1), 456-gaging and veda brahmātma viṣayās tri (SB 11.21.35), 281, 954 vivid vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva (GĪTĀ 15.15), 28, 276, 665, 932, 936 veda-kriya-yoga-tapaḥ (SB 10.2.34), 98 vedānga-sveda-janita-toyaiḥ (PP 6.91.55), 85, 86, 102, 103, 645, 673 vedasya ceśvaratmatvät (SB 11.3.43), 631, 989 vedavan niścalam manye (Skanda Purāņa 5.3.121), 402 vede rāmāyaṇe caiva purane (Skanda Purāṇa, Kāśi-khaṇḍa 95.12), 276, 934 vedo nārāyaṇaḥ sākṣāt (SB 6.1.40), 989 vedyam vāstavam atra vastu (SB 1.1.2), 121, 885 vetsyasy anugṛhitam me (SB 8.24.38), 54, 835, 955, 991 vibhum sarva-gatam nityam (VP 6.5.67), 17, 18 viddho’sṛg-acito baddha (Skanda Purana), 564 vidyavidye mama tanu (SB 11.11.3), 176 vidyayavidyayā śaktyā (SB 10.39.55), 996 vidyotamānaḥ pramadottamādyubhiḥ (SB 2.9.12), 107 vidyut-kṣipan-makara-kundala-maṇḍanärha (SB 3.15.41), 737 vijñānam ānandam brahma (BAU 3.9.28), 560 vijñātāram are kena vijānīyād (BAU 2.4.14), 199, 200, 204 vikāraḥ puruṣo’vyaktam (SB 11.16.37), 562, 838 vikāraiḥ sahito yuktair (SB 3.11.40), 302 Engave vikaraṇatvan neti cet tad uktam (vs 2.1.31), 480 vilajjamānaya yasya (SB 2.5.13), 255, 1016, 1019 vimohitä vikatthante (SB 2.5.13), 255, 1016 vimucya nirmamaḥ śānto (GITA 18.53), 810 vinirgato’jas tv iti vän na vai mṛṣā (SB 10.14.13), 304 Ey virad hiranyagarbhaś ca (Bhavartha-dipikā 11.15.16), 42, 47 viṣṇau try-adhiśvare cittam (SB 11.15.15), 46-ban viṣṇoh kalevara-tyāgo bhu (Bhāgavata-tātparya), 528 visnoḥ pade parame tu (PP 6.91.68), 675, 676 viṣṇor nu kam vīryāņi pravocam (Nārāyaṇa-pūrva-tapani Upanisad 4.4), 203 viṣṇor yat paramam padam pradakṣiņam (SB 5.22.17), 671 od viṣṇu-śaktiḥ para proktā (VP 6.7.61), 157) mar visrjya daurātmyam ananya-sauhṛdā (SB 2.2.18), 503, 657 viśuddha-jñāna-murtaye (SB 10.27.11), 541, 563, 570 and viśuddha-sattvam tava dhāma śāntam (SB 10.27.4), 97 viśuddha-vijñāna-ghanam sva-samsthaya (SB 10.37.23), 233, 419, 442, 1000 1144 Verse Index viśvam puruṣa-rupeņa (SB 2.6.31), 334) even every y vivikta-sevī laghvāśī (GĪTĀ 18.52), 810 vrajaukasām sva-tokeṣu sneha (SB 10.13.26), 548 oshmoney may vyādha-prahāra-bhinnange (Skanda Purana, Prabhasa-khanda 4.1.14), 275 vyaktam hi bhagavan eva (Narada-pañcaratra), 452 vyaktam masṛṇatevä antarekṣyate (BRS 1.3.41), 58 vyakte vyaktam kala-vegena yāte (SB 10.3.25), 259 vyāpāravad asādhāraṇaṁ kāraṇam (Nyaya-siddhanta-mañjarī 1), 486 vyapeta-sankleśa-vimoha-sadhvasam (SB 2.9.9), 77, 78 vyasubhir vāsumadbhir vā (SB 7.3.37), 489, 493 yac ca vrajanty animiṣām ṛṣabhanuvṛttyä (SB 3.15.25), 646 yac-chaktayo vadatām vādinām vai (SB 6.4.31), 126 yad bhūtam bhavac ca bhavisyac ca (BAU 3.8.4), 427, 428, 986 yad aditya-gatam tejo jagad (GITA 15.12), 192 yad akṣaram veda-guhyam (PP 6.93.64), 674, 675 yad anda-maṇḍāntara-gocaram ca (Yamunācārya), 838 yadā paśyaḥ pasyateḥ rukma (LBH 3.1.3), 27 yad asaj jāyate yad vā janmanā (Vākya-padiya), 568 yadā te moha-kalilam (GĪTĀ 2.52), 798 yad-atmako bhagavan tad-ätmikä vyaktih (unknown source), 966 Y yad avidya ca vidya ca (SB 2.6.20), 180, 718 yad dhi pasyanti munayo (SB 10.28.15), 608, 652, 653, 813 yad gatam bhavac ca bhaviṣyac ca (BAU 3.8.4), 345 yad gatva na nivartante (GĪTĀ 15.6), 619, 683 yad gatva na nivartante (PP 6.91.61), 674 yadi nāmāsya kāyasya yad antas (Vaisnava-toṣaṇī), 492 yad-rupa-guna-karmaka (SB 2.9.31), 901, 902, 906 yad rupaṁ dhruvam akṛtam (SB 5.25.9), 268, 272 yad vai tan na paśyati paśyan (BAU 4.3.23), 191 yad visnoḥ paramam padam abhivadanti (SB 5.23.1), 671 yad yad dhiya ta urugaya (SB 3.9.11), 7, 74, 346mm yad yan niruktam vacasă nirupitam (SB 6.4.29), 498 yaḥ kaścana autpattika (SB 10.8.40), 322 yah param rahasaḥ sākṣāt (SB 4.24.28), 843 yaḥ sarvāni bhūtāny antaro (BAU 3.7.15), 193 yajate yajña-puruşam (SB 1.5.38), 795 yajña-vidyā mahā-vidya (vp 1.9.118), 1007 yam evaiṣa vṛnute tena labhyas (MUU 3.2.3), 406, 1037 yam imām puspitām vācam (GĪTĀ 2.42), 6640 एक 1145 References yam präpya na nivartante (PP 6.91.75), 67782) sain sang vary yam sarva-devā ānamanti mumukṣavo (NTU 2.4.10), 931 vdgali yam syāmasundaram acintya-guna (Brahma-samhita 5.38), 918 yām visṛjyaiva manavas tat (SB 12.3.6), 2072) ya nirvṛtis tanu-bhṛtām (SB 4.9.10), 395, 818 yāni yāni ca rocante (SB 3.24.31), 347 yan-mayam paramam brahma (Vişnu-dharma Purana), 844 yan-mayam vyaktam apy etad (Vişņu-dharma Purana), 844 yan-māyaya durjayaya (SB 2.5.12), 255-in yan-nāmāni ca gṛhṇāti loko (SB 3.16.5), 726 yan na spṛśanti na vidur (SB 6.16.23), 187 yan na vrajanty agha-bhido (SB 3.15.23), 646 yanty añjasācyuta-padam (SB 4.12.37), 605 yarhy eva karṇa-vivarena guham gato naḥ (SB 3.15.46), 748 yä sä bhagavati nitya (Devi-bhāgavata-mähätmya 2.36), 181 yasmād aṇḍam virāḍ jajñe (SB 2.6.21), 718, 719 yasmāt kṣaram atito’ham (GĪTĀ 15.18), 879 yasmin brahmani sarva-śakti-nilaye (VP 6.8.57), 991 yasmin pade acyuta iśvaro yaḥ (PP 6.91.63), 674, 675 yasmin prati slokam abaddhavaty (SB 1.5.11), 948, 949 yasmin viruddha-gatayo hy aniśam (SB 4.9.16), 129 yasmin viseṣah samanyam (Alankara-kaustubha), 977 yas tam na veda kim ṛca (PP 6.93.64), 674, 675 yās tu śrutā hata-bhagair nrbhir atta-sārās (SB 3.15.23), 646 yasya ātmā sarīram (Subala Upanisad 7.1), 862 yasya brahma ca kṣatram ca (KU 1.2.25), 663 yasya brahmă ca visņuś ca (Vayaviya-samhita 7.1.13), 275 yasya brahmadayo deva (Kalika Purana), 244, 398 und di yasyākṣaram śarīram eṣa sarva-bhūtāntarātmā (Subāla Upanisad 7.1), 862 yasya kukṣāv idam sarvam (SB 10.14.17), 321 yasyamatam tasya matam (KENA 2.3), 340 yasyambhasi śayānasya (SB 1.3.2), 872 yasyam na me pāvanam anga karma (SB 11.11.20), 62 yasyāṁśāṁśāṁśa-bhāgena viśvotpatti (SB 10.85.31), 41 yasyām vai śrūyamāṇāyām kṛṣṇe (SB 1.7.7), 612, 923 yasya prasādam kurute (MB 12.336.20), 314, 408, 409, 569 yasya pṛthivi śarīram (Subala Upanisad 7.1), 862 yasya rupam anirdeśyam (Vişnu-dharma Purana), 580 yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty (SB 5.18.12), 250, 612 6 1146 Verse Index yasyāvyaktaṁ śariram (Subāla Upanisad 7.1), 8626entov seguro ay yathā brahmanya-nirdeśye (unknown source), 948milukai maty yathācyutas tvam parataḥ parasmāt (Visnu-dharma Purana), 845 VLY yathāgniḥ su-samṛddhārciḥ (SB 11.14.19), 612 yatha harau bhagavati (SB 2.7.52), 921 yathaikātmyānubhāvānām (SB 6.8.32), 579 yathākāśa-sthito nityam vayuḥ (GĪTĀ 9.6), 304 yathā mahānti bhūtāni (SB 2.9.34), 917 yathā puskara-palāśa apo (CHU 4.14.3), 982 yathā sarva-gato visņus (VP 1.8.15), 1020 yathā śayānam samrājam (SB 10.87.13), 960 yathā somyaikena mrt-pindena (CHU 6.1.4.), 976 yathendriyaiḥ prthag-dvārair (SB 3.32.33), 824 yathopayeme bhagavan (SB 10.59.42), 372 yathorṇa-nābhir hṛdayad ūrṇām (SB 11.21.38, 11.9.21), 346 yātīta-gocarā vācām (VP 1.19.77), 165, 166 yat karmabhir yat tapasā jñāna (SB 11.20.32), 829 yat kaya eşa bhuvana-traya (SB 11.4.4), 94, 480 yato’to brahma-sabdena (Padma Purana), 868, 869 yato’to brahmanas tās tu (VP 1.3.2), 144 yato vāco nivartante aprāpya manasa saha (TU 2.4.1), 27, 70, 167, 984, 1029 yatra gavo bhūri-śṛnga (RV 1.154.24), 686 yatra gavo bhūri-śṛnga (PP 6.91.68), 675, 676 yatra hi dvaitam iva bhavati tad itara (BAU 2.4.14), 199, 204 yatraitad otam protam ca (VP 2.8.102), 668, 669 yatra laukika-parīkṣakāṇām (Nyāya-sutra 1.1.25), 354 yatra nārāyaṇaḥ säkṣän (SB 10.88.25), 642 199 yatra na vāyur vāti (NTU 5.10), 667, 669, 670 yatra svasya sarvam ātmaivābhūt (BAU 2.4.14), 199 yatra tvasya sarvam ātmaivābhūt (BAU 2.4.14), 199 yatreme sad-asad-rūpe (SB 1.3.33), 431, 438 yat sankhyaiḥ präpyate sthānam (GĪTĀ 5.5), 504 yat satvatāḥ puruṣa-rupam uśanti (SB 12.8.46), 90, 91, 1006 yat sevaya caraṇa-padma-pavitra (SB 3.16.7), 623 yat tad akṣaram avyaktam (MB 12.203.12), 884 yat tad avyaktam ajaram (VP 6.5.66), 17, 18 yat tad vapur bhāti vibhuṣaṇāyudhair (SB 8.18.12), 344, 583 yat tal lingam bhagavato (SB 12.6.39), 952 yat tat satyam param brahma (PP 4.73.12), 534, 535 carlad may oy 1147 References yat te’nutapa-viditair drdha-bhakti-yogair (SB 3.15.47), 750 SY yat tu satyam jñānam (unknown source), 988 vs yavad vatsapa-vatsakalpaka (SB 10.13.19), 548 yā vai kalā bhagavatas tāmasīti (SB 5.25.1), 268, 269, 274 yāvān aham yatha-bhāvo (SB 2.9.31), 901 ye bhajanti tu mām bhaktyā (GĪTA 9.29), 211, 919 ye caiva sättvikā bhāvā (GĪTĀ 7.12), 95. ye deha-bhājas triguṇa-pradhānā (SB 9.8.23), 1034 yenaika eva sarvātmā (Vişnu-dharma Purana), 844 yenaivāsau na tuşyeta (SB 1.5.8), 791 ye’nga tvad-anghri-śaraṇā bhavataḥ kathāyāḥ (SB 3.15.48), 647, 754, 777 ye’rcayanti harim viṣṇum (Itihasa-samuccaya), 678, 679 yeṣām aham priya ātmā sutaś ca (SB 3.25.37), 602, 617 yeṣām sa eşa bhagavan dayayed (SB 2.7.42), 1039 ye tu tvadiya-caraṇāmbuja-kosa-gandham (SB 3.9.5), 514 ye veda-märga-nirmuktās teṣām (Varaha Purana 70.42), 278 yo brahmāņam vidadhāti (GTU 1.26), 110, 924 yoga-kṣema vahamy aham (GĪTA 9.22), 633 yogas trayo mayā proktā nṛṇām (SB 11.20.6), 654 yogasya tapasaś caiva (SB 11.24.14), 587 yogena dhātaḥ saha nas tri-lokan (SB 8.6.9), 393 yoginām sāmparaya-vidhim (SB 5.6.6), 522 yo’ntarhito hrdi gato’pi duratmanām (SB 3.25.46), 748 yo’nugrahārtham bhajatām (SB 6.4.33), 505 yo’sau nirguna ity uktah (PP 6.255.39), 417 yo’syadhyakṣaḥ parame vyoman (RV 10.130.18), 986 yo vidya-śruta-sampanna ātma (SB 11.19.1), 816 yo viṣṇu-bhakto viprendra (Skanda Purana), 679 yo’yam kālas tasya (SB 10.3.26), 260 yuktasya tavad yogaja-dharma (Bhāṣā-pariccheda 65), 525 1148 A befestem av indible based رالصا Bibliography eldest but to ma קדם admed Primary Sources Acarya Lalita Kṛṣṇņa Gosvāmi, ed. 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Bahalgadh, Sonepat: (Ramalala Kapoor Trust, 1987. hulbs visnimilong sds bib (la Sanskrit-dhātu-kośa. Delhi: Drakshadevi Pyarelal Paropakari Trust, 1961. To get som att avnost volanturist wan baaloo oals of admin me or aslandi soonte Mismong abrow elmaveo svil fine leon adź not olfeggure aldaulavaid not (Husenet quo) zel Биел mes oraildung art golbing sol as low as lood at to satte sland abruoval als ob or vibertummo yoev below 550 valeons! esciul brides bus woods beliquos (volode stiv) land ived Cab galiving pd show aid and batalans qivbava einsamund 42 yd bob sew guberdoos asins zabni adt vol Ive nominiralaM yd has Hastane? end dievh he bus and V has adds cledna 280 clasA DOM zinafaa LA 5 287 vedling of alati VM ilgna norozi gudrabbar sin of meva svilo gutwash ont al 5sent joran llawer o altor to sigerg sift vot -ish i glad sldauley start to Ideol Island his are bas Боя эліч rowd botanExo (2 st) ne haiM vs art get sala goudrys bne gnizebringrash asos galbaaloong novel to gala bloow asd of snart sings you add sot babes I aids nol yahoo on Togo or bas gaissie bivali sgbolwombos of lif -uleval gas, ehson allegato vol amol stw augniloque aus stadels lleni nohtane lanomoq basanoitsua alda 1157 Acknowledgments. This book is an outcome of the combined efforts, cooperation and good wishes of many individuals. I am indebted to all of them. I sin- cerely thank Sri Jaya Radha Raman Das from France for his finan- cial support for the project. Sri Jagadananda Das (Dr. Jan Brzezin- ski) did the preliminary editing. Sri Navadvip Das (Bruce Martin) did the final editing and review after thoroughly rechecking the San- skrit text. He also coined new terminology to convey the meaning of Jiva Gosvāmi’s words precisely. My sincere thanks to Sri Gopinatha Das (Guy Tetreault) for his valuable suggestions for the front and back matter of the book as well as for guiding the publication team. Jaroslav Ovčáček worked very committedly to do the layout. Vrinda Devi Dasi (Vita Skoblikov) compiled the verse and subject indices. Navadvip assisted her in this work by providing descriptor phrases for the index entries. Proofreading was done by Sri Purusottama Das and Sri Advaita Das for Sanskrit and by Malati Manjari Devi Dasi, Denise McGrew, Ananta Ram Das, Subala Sakha Das and Vraja Kisora Das for English. My thanks to Dridha Vrata Das and Aljoša Basarić for the drawing of Jiva Gosvāmī, to Sonja Fink-Ocklenburg for the graphic of the tulasi plant on the front cover, as well as to Janja Pirc and Meera and Daniel Joshi for their valuable help in design- ing the cover. Malati Manjari (Miriam Saha) coordinated the work of layout, proofreading, cover design, indexing and everything else needed for this project. My very special thanks to her. I would also like to acknowledge David Březina and the Rosetta Type Foundry for supplying us with the fonts for our specific needs, and giving us valu- able suggestions and personal attention. Finally, I also thank Klaus 1158 Acknowledgements Schneider and Kösel GmbH & Co. KG for their cooperation and effort in printing this book. I thank Jaya Devi, who looks after the management of Jiva Insti- tute and thus provides me time to write. Others who have been very supportive of my service and given me encouragement include Kamala Mataji, Prof. Edwin Bryant (Advaita Prabhu Das), Dr. Partap Chauhan, and Dr. Teresa E. Warren (Hemalata Devi Dasi). My sincere gratitude to all of them. 1159