Commentary
Commentary
This is the reply: The Lord (prabhuh) created intelligence, mind, senses and prana of the jivas (jananam) for their enjoyment of objects arising from karma (matra artham), and for their causing actions leading to repeated births (bhava artham).
Matra means those which are perceived (miyante): objects.
He did this so that the jivas would make an offering (kalpanaya) of their intelligence, mind, sense and prana to the Lord in the form of Brahman, paramatma and bhavagan (atmane).
Or another meaning is : He did this in order to make the jivas use their intelligence, senses mind and pranas to worship him. Ca is repeated three times to show the importance of all three items.
The meaning is this: Without the intelligence, senses, mind and pranas there can be no enjoyment of karma such as svarga (bhava artham), nor the acton itself (matra artham), nor any jnana with its limbs of sama and dama, nor any astanga yoga, nor even bhakti yoga with hearing and chanting (atmane akalpanaya). Therefore the Lord created them for the jivas.
But your answer is like saying I ate curd rice when someone asks Where are you going now? To the question How are the Vedas capable of describing brahman? an unrelated answer has been given: The Lord created intelligence, senses, mind and pranas for the jivas enjoyment and liberation.
That is not so. The Lord says, The sages speak indirectly. I am fond of such indirect expression. Sb 11.21.35 Therefore to a direct question, it is very suitable to reply with suggestion.
You are saying that the brahman is indescribable because of its very nature is beyond the power of words. If the Lord did not create the senses, intelligence, mind and pranas, then even sound, touch, form, taste and smell would be indefinable, just like the Brahman. For a person deaf and blind from birth till now, sound and form are as inconceivable as Brahman. Just as he gives perceiving senses to us, so that sound and sight can be experienced and understood, he mercifully may give someone the ability grasp the Brahman, and therefore, by creating some means of sound functioning beyond generic class, object, quality and action, or even by not creating that means, he can convey Brahman through sound. Why? Because he is the Lord, capable of making the indescribable describable. The srutis should therefore easily perform their work of describing Brahman.
Thus, Matsya says, You will be thoroughly advised and favored by Me, and because of your inquiries, everything about My glories, which are known as param brahma, will be manifest within your heart. Thus you will know everything about Me. Sb8.24.38
The meaning of this is: You will know my glories my great form, spread everywhere, called Brahman.
How will I know?
You will know Brahman directly, defined by sound, by the statements of sages saying Brahman is like this, in answer to your question what is Brahman like? The reason is the attainment of my mercy. Without my extreme mercy, it is not possible to realize directly brahman through sound.
One should not interpret this verse spoken by Matsya to mean some indirect or metaphorical understanding of Brahman, otherwise the words by my mercy would be meaningless. If it were indirect understanding, the word sabditam (expressed through sound) also becomes meaningless if it were brahman were not expressed.
Just as you will directly realize that Brahman in your heart by my mercy, by the mercy of the Lord, Arjuna also realized directly that impersonal Brahman. The Lord said to Arjuna in the Harivamsa in relation to the stealing of the brahmanas sons, That great shining entity composed of the light of Brahman is myself, o best of the Bharatas. It is my eternal effulgence. It is my eternal superior prakrti, both manifest and unmanifest. The best knowers of yoga become liberated on entering it. It is the goal of those practicing sankhya, yoga and austerity. The whole universe worships that supreme Brahman. You should know that the intense effulgence is mine.
Or another meaning of the answer is as follows.
O king, the Vedas never delineate the impersonal Brahman.
But Brahma says that Brahman is beyond sound. (Sabdo na yatra puru karakavan kriyarthah) (sb 2.7.47) Thus the Vedas do not touch upon even personal aspect of brahman, that sac cid ananda form, because it also is beyond material reals like substance, class, quality, and action.
However, the Visnu Purana states that the material gunas like sattva do not exist in the Lord. (sattadayo na santise yatra ca prakrta guna.) This means that material gunas like sattva does not exist, but spiritual qualities do. And again the Svetasvatara upanisad saying the witness is conscious and without qualities. (Saksi ceta kevalo nigunas ca) indicates that nirguna must mean only without material qualities because being a witness is a quality. And the smrti (gita) says. I am known by the Vedas. (vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyah).
By this statement it is understood that, since the Lord possess spiritual varieties, qualities, forms and actions, which can be expressed through the function of sound, the Vedas can directly describe that Lord who has infinite spiritual qualities.
The word buddhi in the present verse means mahattattva. Indriya means not only the senses but also their source of existence, the tan matras like sound and the gross elements such as ether. Therefore the second meaning is as follows:
The Lord creates mahattatva, the senses, sense objects, elements, mind and prana for their functioning (matra artham) in relation to (personal) Brahman (atmane), for the welfare of the jivas (bhava artham) so that they can engage the spiritual (in the case of the perfected devotee) and material (in the case of the practicing devotee), buddhi, indriya, mana and prana in the worship of the Lord.
Matra can mean function, division, place, or ear ornament according to the teachings. Bhava can mean auspiciousness, Siva or attainment according to the teachings. Because speaking is not possible without the prana, mind and senses, they are created for the functioning of speaking.
Gopal tapani upanisad (12.1) says:
sat pundarika nayanam meghabham vaidyutambaram dvbhujam mauna mudradyam vanamalinam isvaram
Govinda has lotus eyes, complexion like a cloud, and cloth like lightning. He has two hands in the position of mauna and wears a forest flower garland.
Because of the siddha devotee being able to grasp the spiritual lotus, cloud and lightning by spiritual intelligence and senses, the spiritual upanisad easily conveys the Lords eyes, body and cloth which are compared to these things. However, the sadhaka devotee, though he cannot grasp these things with his intelligence and senses, by applying the concepts of a material lotus, cloud and lightning to the Lord he can make them enter his intelligence. By concenterating his mind in this way, he then becomes joyful, under the impression that he is meditating on the Lord, though not even touching the Lords effulgence. But the Lord, controlled by waves of unlimited mercy, thinks My devotee is meditating on me. The Lord brings that devotee to his feet for service when his bhakti reaches maturity. Thus by the mercy of the Lord alone, the Vedas are able to convey the form of the Lord.
Commentary
These two previous verse in the form of question and answer are like an upanisad dealing with Brahman. These verses were not created by us two, but simply made their appearance, because previously the same verse were discussed by Sanaka and others who came before Narada and others.
Commentary
To reinforce the faith in what was said, he relates the history. Concerning this subject (atra), I will tell a history (gatham) in the form of a dialogue which showing Narayana as supreme.
Commentary
Narada went to see the eternally liberated (sanatanam) Narayana Rsi (son of Dharma).
Commentary
Narayana rsi was performing austerities from the beginning of the first day of Brahma (akalpat) for the welfare of men now and in next life (ksemaya svastaye).
Commentary
Narada offered his respects to Narayana who was seated there, and asked about this topic (idam): O brahaman, how can the srutis describe the indescribable Brahman?
Commentary
He (bhagavan), seated among the rsis spoke, to Narada(tasmai) this,topic, which was previously discussed among the residents of Janaloka
Commentary
When the performers of sacrifice who are all equally qualified perform sacrifice it is called karma satra. Where the listeners and speaker of spiritual topics are equally qualified it is called brahma satra. O son of brahma (svayambhuva), the qualified inhabitants of Janaloka, the mental sons of brahma, previously held this discussion on Brahman (brahma satra).
Commentary
Where did I go? Why I did not know about it?
You went to Svetadvipa to see the Lord. That very same question (ha ayam)) arose that you asked me.
Commentary
Since they were all filled with knowledge, who was the speak and who were the questioners? Since there was no difference in their learning, austerity and character there were no groups of for, against and neutral. Although all were qualified to be the speaker, for pleasure, they made one of themselves the speaker.
12-13.According to the words of Sukadeva the question that Pariksit asked in verse one (brahman brahmany anirdesya) was previously asked by Narada to Narayana Rsi (verse seven), and previously according to the statement of Narayana Rsi, the same question was asked first on Janaloka, by Sanaka and other sages to Sananda.
Then Sananda, speaking from the uttara portion of the Brahmopanisad (the second half ot the upanisad consisting to two verses), replied with verse two (buddhindra manah pranan). In relation to that, in the present verse, he then recites a history in order to establish that the srutis are self proven, the original proof. Destroying at the time of pralaya this universe created by himself (sva srstam idam), the Lord lay down in yoga like a sleeping person. And then at the end of this period, at the time of creation, the srutis woke him up by words indicating the Lord (tal lingaih). They taught him, even though he knows everything, because of their enthusiasm for the meaning of the prayers about him.
Commentary
O unconquerable Lord! May you remain in all your glories (jaya jaya). May you reveal all your excellent qualities. Jaya is repreated twice out of great respect or joy.
By what means should I reveal my glories?
By being merciful to the jivas, but letting them attain the sweetness of your lotus feet. Destroy that ignorance (ajam) which in unfavorable for attaining your feet of all the jivas with stationary and moving bodies (agajagad okasam).
But Maya is full of good qualities. How does she act unfavorably for the jivas attaining me?
She has the quality of covering knowledge, making the jivas accept false identity in material bodies (dosa ghrbita gunan). Another meaning is:
She possesses the modes of nature (sattva, raja and tama) which hide your presence. Her qualities produce anarthas which are not favorable for attainment of your lotus feet.
(In the word ghrbhita, bh is a substitute for h (ghrhita), permitted in prayers.)
O unconquerable one (ajita), you cannot be conquered by her, but others such as Brahma are conquered by her qualities.
You say that I am unconquered by her, what is the symptom of that?
Because (yat) you are endowed with all powers (samavaruddha samasta bhaga) through your svarupa (atmana)--because you have complete control over maya.
But even if ignorance slackens, one cannot attain me except by bhakti, for concerning bhakti I have said, bhaktya aham ekaya grahyah (sb 11.14.21) I am obtained only by unalloyed devotion.
O awakener of all saktis! Having created intelligence, the senses, mind and pranas, you arouse all the saktis of the jivas such as the sakti for doing work and enjoying the fruit of work. In the same way, you, by your mercy, awaken all the saktis for executing jnana and bhakti yoga in order to attain you in your forms of Brahman, paramatma and bhagavan. And when theses practices are mature, you then awaken the saktis to give realization of Brahman, paramatma and bhagavan
What is the proof of this?
Here the srutis themselves speak, but out of humility they speak in the third person.
The srutis (nigamah) serve you, who only at the time of creation (kvacit) engage in activities with your external energy (ajaya), but at all times engage in activities with your internal energy (atmana). Our serving you (describing you) produces the proof of your carrying out these functions. In other words, we the srutis establish that you act at the time of creation and destruction of the material world, and that you act at all times for devotees realization of yourself. Therefore the statement of the Brahmopanisad is correct in saying that you created the intelligence, senses, mind for the benefit of the jivas.
Thus the Lord, Brahman, is endowed with eternity, full knowledge and bliss.
Here are the proofs:
Eko devah sarvabhutesu gudhah sarva vyapi sarva bhutantaratma
Karmadhyaksah sarvabhutadhivasah saksi cetah kevalo nirgunas ca
The one Lord is hidden in all living beings, pervades everywhere, and is the soul within all living being. The Lord is the controller of action, resides in all entities, is the witness, consciousness, one, without material qualities.
Svetasvatara Upanisad 6.11
Yah sarva jnah sarvavit yasya jnanamayam tapah
He is complete knowledge, endowed with cit sakti.
Mundaka upanisad 1.1.9
Sarvajna means complete knowledge. Sarva vit means the cit sakti of the Lord whose quality is to awaken all saktis, which can be realized only by her grace. Jnanamayam means filled with recollection or inference. Tapa means glorious powers.
sarvasya vasi sarvasyesanah
He remembers everything, as all glories, controls all, is worshipped by all because he gives the fruits of karma
Brhad aranyaka 4.4.22
Vasi means power to control. Isana means giver of fruits of all karma, therefore he is worshipped by all.
yah prthivyam tisthan prthivyam antarah
He is all pervading, and remains hidden from all, difficult to understand.
Brhad aranyaka3.7.3
He resides in the earth because he is all pervading. Being within the earth means that no one knows him.
Sokamayata bahu syam
The Lord desired: may I become many.
Taittiriya upanisad 2.6.1
The Lord has desire which existed before the creation. Because that desire is purely spiritual it indicates his auspicious qualities.
sa iksata
Aitareya upanisad
1.1.1
The Lord decided to create.
tat tejo srjat
The Lord creates by his amsa, mahavisnu, or by his all pervasive nature.
Chandogya Upanisad 6.2.2
Satyam vijnanam anandam brahma
Brahman has qualities of satya, vijnana and ananda.
Taitiriya 2.1.2
( It looks like many of the references given in bhagavatam are not correct. Some of the quotes look like two texts merged together. I could not vind so kamayata bahusyam together in one upanisad. Others I could not trace. )
.
yasya prabha prabhavato jagad-anda-kotim-
kotsivv asesa-vasudhadi-vibhuti-bhinnam
tad brahma niskalam anantam asesa-bhutam
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami
I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who is endowed with great power. The glowing effulgence of His transcendental form is the impersonal Brahman, which is absolute, complete and unlimited and which displays the varieties of countless planets, with their different opulences, in millions and millions of universes. (Brahma-samhita 5.40)
Madiyam mahimanams ca param brahmeti sabditam
vetsyasy anugrhitam me samprasair rtam hrdi
You will be thoroughly advised and favored by Me, and because of your inquiries, everything about My glories, which are known as paraṁ brahma, will be manifest within your heart. Thus you will know everything about Me.
SB8.24.38
satyam jnanam anantam yad brahma-jyotih sanatanam
yad dhi pasyanti munayo gunapaye samahitah
Lord Krsna 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 modes of material nature.
Sb 10.28.15
Brahmano hi pratisthaham
I am the basis of the impersonal Brahman
Bhagavad Gita 14.27
These statements show the Lord as Brahman, paramatma and bhagavan (and their relationship).
Yato va imani bhutani jayante
From him all entities are born.
Taitiriya Upanisad 3.1.1.
This verse show his creative aspect.
Aksayam ha vai caturmasya yajinah sukrtam bhavati
One who has worshiped by means of the vows of caturmasya attains pious credits which never become depleted.
Apastambha Srauta Sutra, Black Yajur Veda 8.1.1
This verse shows the process of karma.
Brahmavid apnoti param
Attaining knowledge of brahman one attains the supreme.
Taitiriya Upanisad 2.12
Tam eva viditva atimrtyum eti
Knowing him, one surpasses death.
Svetasvatara Upanisad 3.8.
These verses show the process of jnana.
Satam caika ca hrdayasya nadyas tasam murdhanam abhinim sritaika tayordhvam anayan amrtatvam
There are one hundred and one subtle nerve channels which emanate from the heart. One of these extends to the top of head; by passing up through it one transcends death. Chandogya Upanisad 8.6.6.
This verse shows the process of yoga.
Bhakti alone leads to the Lord.
saccidanandaika rase bhakti yoge tisthati
He is revealed through bhakti yoga, in the one rasa of eternity, knowledge and bliss.
Gopal Tapani Upanisad Uttara 79
This verse demonstrates the process of bhakti.
Commentary
But you, the srutis, do not only speak of me as being supreme with verses like the following:
Indro yatovasitasya raja
Indra is the king of all moving and non moving entities.
Rig veda 1.32.15
Agni murdha divah
Agni is supreme.
Rig veda 3.2.14
Because the definition of Supreme Lord is reserved for the ultimate cause of the universe, and we do not see that the devatas are the ultimate cause, you alone, the cause of the universe, are the Supreme Lord. Indra and others have their limited powers bestowed by you. With this intention the srutis speak this verse.
The srutis know everything perceived by the senses such as ears and eyes, including Indra (etat upalabdham), as the Brahman (brhat). Why is this? Because you always remain (avasesataya). There is an example (va). Just as in earth there are appearance and disappearance of its transformations such as pots, so in you, as its ingredient cause, there is appearance and disappearance of the universe, caused by you.
That would mean that I transform?
No, because you are devoid of transformation (avikrtat).
This is certainly astonishing: you are not transformed even though you are the ingredient cause of the universe. Gajendra says, All obeisances to you who are the cause of everything, not the cause of everything, the astonishing cause of everything. SB 8.3.15
This will be explained by Sridhara Swami. By being the ingredient cause, there is no transformation as with clay. The devatas say (6.9.34) that you create, maintain and destroy this universe without being transformed. We also say the same thing.
Or, it can be said that you are the real ingredient cause of the universe since prakrti as the ingredient cause is just your energy. You also say, The material universe is real, having prakrti as its original ingredient and final state. Lord Maha-Visnu is the resting place of nature, which becomes manifest by the power of time. Thus nature, the almighty Visnu and time are not different from Me, the Supreme Absolute Truth. SB 11.24.19
However, since she is not your svarupa sakti, prakrti does transform, and you do not transform. That your svarupa is beyond maya is well known in the scriptures.
For this reason (atah), the sages place their service of meditation and kirtana in you (manovacanacaritam), not in the separate transformations like Indra.
Then there is an example to illustrate the case in the last line of the verse.
Whenever men living on this earth place their feet, how can they avoid placing their feet on the earth? As the feet placed on bricks, earth or any substance cannot avoid the earth, the Vedas, though speaking of any transformation of yourself in the form of objects in existence, unavoidably always must point out you, the Supreme Lord, the cause of all.
Thus the srutis say sarvam khalv idam brahma : Everything is Brahman.
Chandoga Upanisad 3.14.1
vacarambhanam vikaro namadheyam mrttikety eva satyam
Earth, which transforms and is given the name pot, is the cause (satyam).
Chandogya Upanisad 6.4.1
The word satya means cause, as is stated in the bhagavatam.
A material object, itself composed of an essential ingredient, creates another material object through transformation. Thus one created object becomes the cause and basis of another created object. A particular thing may thus be called real in that it possesses the basic nature of another object that constitutes its cause and original state.
SB 11.24.18
That is the meaning in the sruti also.
Commentary
That you are worshipable because you are supreme is then confirmed by citing the behavior of the devotees. O Lord of all in the upper, middle and lower worlds! Because you are the supreme (iti), those with discernment (surayah) dive in the ocean of nectar of your pastimes which destroy all faults of karma even in its subtlest forms and give up the austerities which are an anga of jnana, or all material sufferings (tapamsi). This is concerning the sadhakas. What then to speak of the perfected devotees, who by their spiritual forms (sva dhamna) have given up all bad qualities (asaya guna) in the mind such as attachment and all effects of time such as old age (kala guna)! O supreme one (parama)! They worship your feet in such a way that they experience unlimited bliss. In other words, they give up all suffering.
visnor nu kam viryani pravocam yah parthivani imane rajamsi
Who can enumerate Visnus glories, even if he can count all the particles of dust in the air? (kam for kah, pravocam for pravocat.)
Rig Veda 1.154.1
This illustrates that the Lord has pastimes or glories.
Eko vasi sarvagah krsna idya ekopi san bhudha yovabhati
Tam pithagam yenuyajanti dhiras tesam sukham sasvatah netaresam
Krsna is in one place but is all pervading. He is worthy of worship, and though one, spreads himself in many forms. Those who worship him in his dhama attain happiness and not others.
Gopal tapani Upanisad Purva 21
In such verse the srutis show the process of worship in devotion.
Commentary
What happens to people who do not follow the worship mentioned in the previous verse? This verse answers.
Having no life, similar to a dead body, these persons breath like bellows because of no devotion to you. But if they become favorable to you (anuvidha), if they become obedient devotees, they can be called living.
But the subtle and gross bodies of those who do not worship you seem to be living, not dead.
Through mercy gained by worshipping the Lord, the mahat tattva (consciousness), ahankara, intelligence, mind and all the senses, which produce the gross and subtle bodies,
create this universal body in totality and individuality (vyasti samasti). The devatas of the elements, such as consciousness and ahankara, are seen to worship the Lord as in theirs prayers sb 3. 5.39 O Lord, Your lotus feet are like an umbrella for the surrendered souls, protecting them from all the miseries of material existence. The bodies of those whose consciousness, ahankara and senses do not worship the Lord, do not posses consciousness, ahankara and senses, and are therefore like dead bodies.
Then what form of mine should they worship?
The form of a man (purusa vidha): that person is bhagavan. You are also the paramatma of all beings and the great form of bliss called Brahman. But in relation to the annamaya gross body, prana maya life air, manomaya mind, vijnana maya jiva and ananda maya paramatma and their respective vasti puccha purusa, prthivi pucccha purusa, atharvanira puccha purusa, mahah puccha purusa, and brahma puccha purusa mentioned in the srutis, you are the final purusa (carama), anandamaya brahma puccha.
Why am I not all the other purusas such as annamaya purusa as well?
They answer. You have also entered (anvaya) all of these. Because you are the cause, and the annamaya and other purusas are effects, you are all of them, but not in your svarupa. Your svarupa is the ananda maya purusa, the cause of all causes, paramatma.
Moreover among all these, you are the final end (avasesam). You who are described in the srutis as rasa itself, Raso vai sah (Taitiriya upanisad 2.7.1) and in Bhagavatam as Cupid incarnate, strinam smaro murtiman, (SB 10.43.7) are superior to all the gross and subtle coverings (sad asat param) such as the annamaya purusa.
Or another meaning of sad asad param is: You are superior even to the ananda maya purusa (sat) as well as the lower vijnana, mana, prana and anna maya purusas (asat).
This is illustrated in the following statements.
yo sau jagrat svapna susuptim atitya turyatito gopalah
He who is beyond waking, sleeping, deep sleep, and the spiritual state is Gopala.
Gopala Tapani Upanisad Purva 96
Brahmano hi pratisthaham
I am the basis of Brahman.
Bhagavad Gita 14.27
The Gita makes it clear that the form of Krsna is the most attractive of all.
This is the truth (rtam).
Or rtam can mean this: We, having attained our forms as srutis by austerity, have realized this. (This is because r can mean go or goal, for the purpose of obtaining or knowing. Rtam therefore means that which is obtained.)
Asurya nama te loka andhena tamasavtah
Tams te pretyabhigacchnti yeke cantma hano janah
The killer of the soul, whoever he may be, must enter into the planets known as the worlds of the faithless, full of darkness and ignorance
Isopanisad 3
This shows the fault that occurs without bhakti. The word asura according to the Agni Purana and Visnu Dharmottara Purana means a person devoid of visnu bhakti.
dvau bhuta sargau lokesmin daiva asura eva ca
visnu bhakti paro daiva asuras tas viparyayah
In this world there are two types of created beings, the deva and the asura. The deva is a devotee of Visnu and the sura is the opposite.
nityo nityanam cetans cetananam eko bahunam you vidadhati kanam
tam pithagam ye tu yajanti dhiras tesam santih sasvati netaresam
He is the chief eternal, and the chief consciousness, one among many, who fulfills the desires of all. Those learned persons who worship him in his abode attain eternal perfection, and not others.
Gopal Tapani Upanisad Purva 22
Such sruti verses as this show that by possessing devotion, good qualities develop.
sa vai purusonna rasa mayas tasyedam eva sirah
ayam dasksinah paksah ayam uttarah paksah
ayam atma idam puccham pratistha
The Lord has become the form of a man. This is his head. That is his right side. That is his left side. That is his torso. This is his lower porton or feet, the shelter.
Taittiriya Upanisad 2.1.2
This verse described the annamaya, prana maya, manomaya and vijnana mayapurusas.
Then the Taittiriya describes the fifth purusa.
Tasmat va etasmad vijnana mayad anyontara atma ananda mayas
Superior to the vijana maya purusa (soul) is the other, the soul within (paramatma), which is full of bliss.
Tasya priyam eva siro moda daksinah paksah pramoda uttara paksa ananda atma brahma puccham pratistha
The head (anna maya) pleaasurable, the right side (pranamaya) is joyful, the left side (manamaya) is more joyful, the middle portion (jiva) is blissful, Brahman (paramatma) is the end, the basis.
Taittirya upanisad 2.5.1
The above statements of the Taittiriya upanisad establish the position of jiva, paramatma and Brahman.
Yo vijnane tisthan vijnanad antaro yasya vijnanam sariram
He is situated in the vijnana, but different from the vijnana. He creates the vijnana.
Brhad Aranyaka Upanisad 3.7.22
This sruti statement explains the soul and the paramatma within. He who is situated in the vijnana means he who is situated in the soul. Thus, vijnana maya refers to the jivatma and the other persons, the ananda maya purusa, refers to the paramatma who pervades all and worshipable by all. This is the vaisnava conclusion.
The words priya moda pramoda ananda above should not be explained in terms of the happiness generated from seeing a son. Rather, in order to describe a progressive excellence of bliss generated from paramatma, the form of complete bliss, the different names are given. Because of the greater quantity of bliss in the Brahman mentioned in this verse (paramatma), he is called the basis or shelter of bliss (brahma puccham prastisham). Pratistha means shelter or to established within that, as in brahmano hi pratistham.
After the Taittiriya upanisad makes the final upanisadic statement rasoh vai sah, establishing that rasa is the highest, the Gopal Tapani Upanisad establishes that Krsna the highest form of bliss, being higher than the fourth form, paramatma (turyad atitah gopalah), with a body of prema rasa, is the highest of all.
From the statement of the Gita all of this world is manifested by one of my parts (BG 10.42), it is understood that the paramatma is just one of Krsnas parts. That the thoughtful upanisads thus took up the worship of Krsna is described in the Brhad Vamana Purana. That they attained worship of Krsna as gopis is also shown by verse 23 of this chapter recited by the srutis striya urugendra bhoga bhujadanda.
And understanding that the srutis had concluded that Krsna is the most attractive among all the forms of the Lord, Narada right in front of Narayana will later say in verse 46 in a loud voice Let me offer m respects to Krsna, of spotless glory and offers his respects to Krsna.
Commentary
Verses 16 and 17 spoke of bhakti, with the object of worship being bhagavan for the devotees. The present verse speaks about yoga, with paramatma as the object of worship for the yogis.
The Gita says I am the vaisvanara situated in the body of living beings. (BG15.14) Thus udara in this verse refers to the paramatma in the form of vaisvanara situated in the stomach region, who bestows kriya sakti.
Those of the sampradaya of sages, having gross vision (kurpa drsah, literally with dust in their eyes) worship this form in the abdomen.
This is because the abdomen is grosser than the heart. Kurpa can also mean subtle however. Then the meaning would be : Those sages worship the Lord in the abdomen with the vision of later approaching the more subtle heart region.
The Arunis worship the Lord of the jiva situated in the heart , who bestows jnana sakti, stimulating the intelligence. That form is hard to understand, being subtle (daharam). The place is spread with nadis (parasara paddhatim). This is the particular distinction of the heart region. The result of this particular quality of having nadis is described.
From the heart (tatah ), O Ananta, the effulgent place of realization (dhama) of the paramatma has ascended to the head.
In other words, starting from the muladhara, then the heart, the dhama appeared at the brahma randhra. The dhama or place of the supersoul appeared in all three places. Having attained the topmost dhama on the head, they do not fall again into the material realm (krtanta mukhe). This means that those with gross vision (sarkaraska) worship Brahman in the abdomen and the arunis worship Brahman in the heart.
Mahan prabhur vai purusah sattvasyaiva pravartakah
Svetasvatara Upanisad 3.12
Angustha matrah purusontaratma sada jananam hrdaye sannivistah
The great Lord is the purusah the instigator of the gunas. He is the size of the thumb situated within the hearts of men at all times.
Svetasvatara 3.13
satam caika ca hrdayasya nadyas tasam murddhanam abhi nihsrtaika tayordhvam anayan amrtatvam eti Visvanya upakramena bhavati
There are one hundred and one subtle nerve channels which emanate from the heart. One of these extends to the top of head; by passing up through it one transcends death. Chandogya Upanisad 8.6.6.
Commentary
If the supersoul expands into many forms and enters all varieties of bodies then he would seem to become modified according to the body, and thus be similar to the jiva. Therefore how can he be worthy of worship? This verse answers.
As if entering as the cause into the various bodies created by yourself, you reveal in each one your sakti in varying degrees. The srutis say tat srstva tad evanupravistat Having created the world, you entered it. Because it is impossible that the Lord literally enters, the word as if is used. Your display of sakti is appropriate to each body created by you from Brahma to the immobile ones, like the fire displays itself in coals. Therefore those of pure intelligence (viraja dhiyah) know your eternal (avitatha) supreme svarupa possessing no distinctions (samam), a form tasting only pure bliss (ekarasam) in all the temporary bodies (vitasu amusu). Who are these who know? They are those who ar free of material dealings completely (abhi), devoid of karmic results in this life and the next. Because you are the final cause, because you are independent, because you are devoid of variations created by limited bodies, because your powers never fail, you are worthy of worship.
Srutis which illustrate the verse are as follows.
Tat srstva tad evanupravisad
Having created it, he entered it.
Taitiriya Upanisad 2.6.1
Eko devah sarva bhutesu gudah sarva vyapi sarva bhutantaratma karmadyksah sarvabhutadhivasah saksi cetah kevalo nirgunas ca
He is the Lord, hidden in all creature, pervading everywhere, residing in all beings, the controller of action, the witness, the consciousness, without material qualities.
Svetasvatara Upanisad 6.11
Commentary
Having established that paramatma was the object of worship, this verse established the position of the jiva as his worshipper, by his similarity to the paramatma. The enjoyer, (purusam) the jiva (in singular form to express a class), exists in all bodies of men and other creatures, created by their karma. They say that the jiva is created as if one of the parts of you, the holder of all energies. Actually the jiva is well known as the tatastha sakti, not an amsa, but he is similar to your expansion.
Visnu purana says,
visnu saktih para prokta ksetrajnakhya tatha para
Thereh is the spiritual energy of Visnu and the knower of the body which is also spiritual.
The Gita says, prakrtim viddhi me param jiva bhutam.
Beyond this is another, superior energy, the jiva.
BG 7.5
Narada pancaratra says
yat tatastham tu cid rupam sva samvedyad vinirgatam
Ranjitam guna ragena sa jiva iti kathyate
The jiva is defined as the spiritual tatastha energy which has become separate from the interal energy, and becomes coloered by the gunas.
Though the jiva is tatastha sakti, he is like an amsa. This is stated in the gita by the Lord.
Mamaivamsa jiva loke jiva bhuta sanatanah
The jiva is my part.
BG 15.7
Maha varaha purana shows the soul is similar to amsa:
Svamsas catha vibhinnamsa iti dvedhamsa isyate
Amsino yat tu samarthyam yat svarupam yatha sthitih
Tad eva nanumatro bedhah svamsamsinoh kvacit
Vibhinnamsolpasaktih syat kincit samarthya matra yuk
There are two types of amsas of the Lord: the sva amsa and vibhinna amsa. The svama is not in the least different from the Lord, having the same svarupa and capabilies. The vibhinnamsa has little power, and just some similarity.
What is the jiva like? It is not at all accepted as part of the external energy or the internal energy (bahir antara samvaranam). Or, it does not fail to be covered internally and externally, by the subtle and gross coverings.
Thus (iti), considering the situation of the jiva being bound up by maya or his tatastha position (nr gatim), while living on this earth, the sages, having faith, worship the desire trees of your feet, planted in the field of the Vedas , and which destroy material bondage (abhavam). The faithful are those who have faith in the Lords words:
mama eva ye prapadyante mayam etam taranti te.
He who surrenders to me crosses the ocean of maya.
Bg 7.14
Sruti statements supporting the verse are as follows.
Dvau suparnau bhavato brahmanomsa bhutas tathetaro bhokta bhavati anyo hi saksi bhavati
Of the two birds, one is the enjoyer, who is an expansion of the Supreme, and the other is the witness.
Gopala Tapani Uttara 18
Bhoktaro vrksa dharma tisthate
They both reside in this tree, the body.
Gopala Tapani Uttara 19
Mathura mandale ya tu jambu dvipe sthitotha va
Yo rcayet pratimam prati sa me priyataro bhuvi
One who, while living in the district of Mathura or else anywhere in Jambudvipa, worships Me in My Deity form, becomes the most dear person to me in the entire world.
Gopala Tapani Upanisad Uttara 47
Commentary
In order to emphasize the excellence of bhakti yoga whose object of worship is bhagavan, and what the upanisads are themselves indicating as the best process, they again glorify bhakti in four verses.
O Lord, the pastimes of your form which appears in the world to make known (nigamaya) your own form, qualities, pastimes powers and sweetness (atma tattvam), which cannot be understood by the jivas (duravagamam), are great oceans of nectar. Those rare devotees (kecit) who become tired by diving into and rising up repeatedly in these w hirlpools and waves, do not desire even the pleasure of liberation (apavargam), what to speak of the happiness of artha, dharma and kama. The fatigue of diving in and rising out of the waves of nectar is actually happiness. Just as young, materialistic persons who cannot tolerate labor consider the fatigue from sex life as the highest pleasure of all, so your devotees consider as the highest pleasure the fatigue with symptoms of singing, and dancing, shouting ,stumbling, fainting, getting up, crying, and running around, which arise from drinking the sweetness of narrations of your pastimes, and consider the happiness of Brahman like the happiness of animals chewing grass.
Sridhar Swami says: Those fortunate ones who blissfully play in the nectar ocean of your pastimes consider the four vargas like grass.
They more specifically describe the cause of attaining happiness from you. Being absorbed in tasting the sweetness of your lotus feet, by association with a group of greatest devotees (hamsa) they have given up the happiness from wife and children (grhah).
The srutis show the superiority of bhakti over mukti:
Yat sarve deva namanti mumuksavo brahma vadinas ca
Those brahma vadis desiring liberation worship he whom all the devas worship.
Nrsimha Tapani upanisad, 2.4
Sankharacarya in his commentary on this statement of the Nrsmha Tapani has written:
mukta api lilaya vigraham krtva bhagavantam bhajante
The liberated souls make an image of the Lord for pastimes and worship bhagavan.
Madhvacarya has quoted other srutis:
Mukta hy etam upasate muktanam api bhakti hi paramananda rupini
Even the liberated worship him. For the liberated souls, bhakti is the supreme bliss.
Amrtasya dhara bahudha dohamanam caranam no loke sudhitam dadhatu om tat sat
May the foot which yields abundant streams of nectar bestow blessings on us of this world.
Taittiriya Brahmana 3.12.3.4
Commentary
After describing the devotes who renounce the enjoyments of the house, the srutis lament the jivas who are attached to the house and do not perform bhakti yoga. This nest of the bird (kulayam) called jivatma, the body, is suitable for performing bhakti yoga (tvad anupatham), since it has ears, tongue and other organs suitable for hearing and chanting. kulayam, the body, can also be derived differently: that which merges (laya) into the earth (ku)). This body shines as the self, the friend and dear one. As the body does not appear as the self, friend and dear one when dead, it acts in this manner only by relationship with you. How unfortunate (bata) that they derive not enjoy in you, who are inclined to be merciful to them (unmukhe; a benefactor (hite), since you are their friend; who are dear because of such closeness to the body and soul; the paramatma (atmani), most easy to serve. They do not worship you with service attitude. By bad practices of studying and preaching false scriptures or having too much affection for sons, wife, house and body (asad upasanaya), having desires for those objects of attraction, they take on lower births (ku sarira bhrtah), and wander in the material world (uru bhaye). They are thus killers of themselves.
Aramam asya pasyanti na tam pasyanti na kascana
They do not see the world of the Lord, not at all. They see the place of the Lords enjoyment as the world of pots and cloth.
Brhad aranyaka 4.3.15
Satapath Brahmana 14.7.1.15
Na tam vidatha ya ima jajananyat yusmakam antaram babhuva
Niharena pravta jalpyas casu trpa uktha sasas caranti
O those engaged in argument, you do not know him. You do not know that the Lord created all this. Being different from the beings he created, he has entered you (he is close to you who propound theories of atoms). Being completely covered by ignorance, satisfying your life airs (asu trpah), you wander here and there, engaging in karma.
Rg Veda 10.82.7
Asurya nama te loka adhena tamasavrtah
Tams te pretyabhigacchanti ye ke cantmahano janah
The killer of the soul, whoever he may be, must enter into the planets known as the worlds of the faithless, full of darkness and ignorance
Isopanisad 3
Commentary
In order to speak of the supreme position of bhakti yoga directed only to Krsna and the supreme position of Krsna among all the forms of bhagavan, first the srutis denigrate jnana yoga which has as its goal impersonal Brahman.
The sages who engage in steadfast yoga by fully controlled airs, mind and senses, worship in the pure heart (which also becomes Brahman) that same Brahman which the demons who appeared when Krsna descended attained by remembrance of him with animosity. Such is the greatness of Krsnas form. The sages, meditating with unbroken attention, still remain worshiping that Brahman, but Kamsa and other demons, though seeing the Lord for a short period, though they were impure in mind because of sinful nature, though devoid of realization of the sweetness of Krsnas body because of being Krsnas enemies--just by remembrance of his form, attained Brahman and remained fixed there. We do not know when the sages will attain that Brahman.
Having stated in the first part of the verse that the sages with effort attain a taste of Brahman which was also attained by the enemies, the srutis say that they, with effort, will attain a taste of prema rasa attainable by friendliness to the Lord.
The women of Vraja (sriyah) were attracted with great love to the arms of Krsna which were like the body of the king of snakes, and worshiped, served and realized his lotus feet, placing them on their breasts (anghri saroja sudhah).
This is described in the verse yat te sujata carnamburuham stanesu sb 10.31.19
Your lotus feet are so soft that we place them gently on our breasts, fearing that Your feet will be hurt.
Next the srutis in ecstatic longing imagine that they have attained those feet (vayam api)
But you must be similar to the gopis.
By some special observances, we attained bodies of gopis (te samah).
How exactly was that?
By following after them with our vision (sama drsah).
Four types of people have been described here: in the first half to the verse, the sages and the demons, who achieved the same goal, and in the last half of the verse, the gopis and the srutis who attain the same goal. This is understood from using the word api twice.
There is a history in the Brhad Vamana Purana.
The planet filled with bliss of Brahman is called vaikuntha. The resident there, the supreme Lord, was praised by the resident Vedas. After some time, being pleased with those prayers, he spoke invisibly to them.
I am satisfied. You should ask for some benediction, whatever you desire.
The srutis said, We have developed the desire to worship you as the gopis on your planet worship you with prema, thinking of you as a lover.
The Lord said, This desire of yours is very rare and very hard to fulfill. But I agree, so it definitely come true. After the next Brahma is born and begins creation, during the sarasvata kalpa, you will become gopis. On the earth, in the land of Bharata, in Mathura mandala, in Vrndavana, I will become your lovers in the rasa dance. Having attained very strong attachment and affection to me, though you are married to someone else, you will have your desires fulfilled.
Brahma said, Hearing this they meditated on the form of Krsna for a long time, and when the time came they became gopis and attained Krsna.
Sruti verses support the topic of this verse.
Atma va are drastavyah strotavyo mantavyo nididhyasitavyah
One must see the Lord, hear about him, think about him, and meditate on him.
Brhad Aranaka Upanisad 4.5.6
One must directly see the Lord. The means of doing this are then stated. You must hear from the guru the conclusion by proper method. You should repeatedly think about it, excluding impossible or opposite meanings. You should meditate on it with conviction. According to the jnanis the impersonal form is the conclusion. According to the vaisnavas, the form of bhagavan with spiritual variety and qualities is the conclusion, as the following sruti explains:
Yam evaisa vrnute tena labhyas tasyaisa atma vivrnute tanum svam
One cannot understand the supreme soul by studying the Vedas or by hearing many scriptures or by ones mental energy. The Lord reveals his body to the person who accepts the Lord as his master. That person alone attains the Lord.
Katha Upanisad 1.2.23
One must see (drastavyah) bhagavan who has a body (tanum) of all auspicious qualities. Then the way of achieving it is explained: by hearing, considering, meditaing.
One should hear (stroavyah). From the guru one hears the mantra of the Lord. This is the same as the body of the Lord. The Krama Dipika and other scriptures state that the mantra and the svarupa of the Lord are the same.
One should consider (mantavyah). One should remember, or concentrate on the meaning of both the mantra and its words.
One should meditate (nididhyasatavyah). According to amara kosa nirdhyana means seeing. The desire to see is called nididhyasana. Concentrating on the meaning of the mantra, while doing japa repeatedly, one should desire to see the deity mentioned in the mantra. By repeatedly desiring to see, one should see the Lord.
The desire for kama like the gopis is expressed in the Vedas in Gopal Tapani Upanisad, in the words of Krsna:
Yam mam smrtva niskamah sakamo bhavati
He who remembers me with no personal desires, becomes a desirer of me.
Gopal Tapani Uttara khanda 4,
Vraja sri jana sambhuta srutibhyo brahma sangatah
Through the srutis who becoming women of Vraja, as told in the vamana purana (as the gopal tapani upanisad), Krsna attained the status of being part of the Vedas.
Gopala Tapani Uttara Khanda 57
Commentary
Therefore bhakti is the best process, easily executed. On the other hand, knowledge of you, who are the object of worship in bhakti, is always difficult to perform. O Lord! In the world, who with recent births and deaths fully knows you, who are born before all?
For it is from you that the Vedas (rsih), which to some small extent informs us about you, first arose. Even the Vedas seek out you, veda guhyani hrt pateh (you are hidden in the Vedas. sb 1.3.35.) and after the Vedas, the devatas of the senses, like the directions, vayu and the sun, and the devatas of the planets like Brahma appeared. Those who are more recent than them certainly do not know you. When you destroy everything and lie down, the gross elements like akasa, the subtle elements like mahat tattva, the body generated by them, even the subtle disturbance of time which is the cause of those bodies, and senses, prana and even scriptures cease to exist.
This is the intention: at the time of creation, because of the existence of scriptures, and the possibility of sadhana, even if there are many obstructions created by the coverings of material bodies, a little knowledge of you is possible. But at the time of destruction, though there are no longer numerous obstructions, because of absence of scripture, absence of sadhana, there no knowledge of you at all. Therefore giving up the quest of knowledge of you, it is better to practice bhakti towards you.
The srutis speak the same subject.
Ko ddha veda ka iha pravocat kuta ayatah kuta iyam visrstah
Arvag deva asya visarjanenatha ko veda yata a babhuva
Who knows directly (addha) where this world has come from? There is no one to give the knowledge. Who spoke it?
After he created everything, the devas arose. Who knows him from who this universe arose?
Rig Veda 3.54.5
Commentary
Not only is your nature hard to understand, but because, there is no unity of opinion among the learned, true knowledge is almost impossible for the jiva aspiring for highest truth to get knowledge.
Patanjali and others say that liberation, attaining Brahman, arises from matter ( janim asat). The logicians (naiyayikas) speak of liberation as the destruction of the consciousness (satah mrtim), with its twenty one types of suffering: the six senses, the six whirlpools (heat, cold, greediness, illusion, hunger and thirst), the six objects, happiness and distress and body. Sankhya philosophers speak of liberation as separation of the soul from its qualities, or separating spirit from matter (atmani bhidam). The mimasakas say that enjoying the results of karma, such as attainment of svarga, is the highest goal (vipanam rtam). All these teach by attribution, not by seeing the truth. If the jiva were made of the three gunas, then these would all be true. But this is not so, the jiva is without material qualities. This is what the srutis imply by their words in the third line.
The modification of the jiva in the form of the three gunas is caused by your avidya sakti (abodha krta), but it is not factual transformation. And that modification takes place only in the jiva and not in you, the paramatma. The covering of ignorance of the jiva does not take place in you (tvayi na tatah). Why? Because you are beyond maya (paratra). Ignorance is a function of maya, and maya is under your control, for you are endowed with complete knowledge (avabodha rase). Darkness cannot cover the light of the sun, but can cover objects like gold or silver which have small portions of light.
Avidyayam antare vartamanah svayam dhirah panditam manyamanah jamghanyamanah pariyanti mudhah andhenaiva niyamana yathandah
Those who think themselves learned but are actually ignorant, involve themselves in arguments and counterarguments, and wander about like blind leading the blind.
Kena upanisad 1.2.5
Commentary
Referring to the removing of the guns from the jiva mentioned in the prevous verse, according to the jnanis, the difference between the jiva and paramatma is that the jiva is covered by the three gunas, due to ignorance. By knowledge, the ignorance is destroyed and therefore the difference disappears. The jiva then becomes the paramatma. Therefore the jiva and paramatma are not actually different. Bondage and liberation arise from ignorance. And the perceived universe known as this also arises from ignorance.
The whole universe born of the material elements made of three gunas and including the jiva appears to be real, but actually is not. It is only the action of the mind. The srutis say:
Asatodhimanosrjyat manah prajapatim asrjat
Prajapatih praja asrjat, tadva idam manasyeva paramam pratisthatam yad idam kim ca
From the cause called Brahman (asatah) came adhi or ignorance, which manifested as the mind. Then the mind, in its state of totality, created or made manifest Prajapati, who identified with the creation. Prajapati created offspring. Therefore this world is created by the mind.
Taittiriya Brahman 2.2.9.59
According to the sruti asat can mean Brahman as in: asad va idam agra asit (taittiriya Upanisad 2.7.1).
But the learned knowers of the self say the world is real. How can you say it is unreal?
They know it as real, as it is a product of the atma. It is not different from atma. When the material cause becomes the effect, it is perceived in that form, and used.
They illustrate this with a common example in the third line. When gold transforms into an earring, it is not rejected by those wanting gold, because the earring is in essence gold.
Thus this universe created by the Lord and which he enters as the purusa, is ascertained by the jnanis to be the same as the Lord. This is spiritual knowledge which yields liberation from the bondage of the material world.
Commentary
In the previous two verses in regards to the highest attainment, five different opinions have been stated: Patanjalis attainment of Brahman by material arrangement (asat utpatti vada): Nyayas destruction of the jivas consciousness (sat vinasa vada); sankhyas separation of the jiva from qualities (sagunatva bheda); karma mimamsas pious actions for enjoyment in the material world (vipina vada) ; and the mayavadas claim of an illusory world (vivarta vada). In this verse the srutis discuss service to the Lord (paricarya vad). According to its proponents, the vaisnavas, the jivas are particles of consciousness, with a small amount of knowledge, a small capacity for pervasion. They are dependent and without material qualities. Only bhakti, and none of the other processes such as jnana, is effective for destroying the suffering of material existence and attaining the Lord. The following texts illustrate this.
daivi hy esa guna mayi mama maya duratyata mam eve ye prapadyante mayam etam taranti te.
This divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three modes of material nature, is difficult to overcome. But those who have surrendered unto Me can easily cross beyond it.
BG 7.14
Bhakty aham ekaya grahyah
I am obtaine by bhakti alone.
SB 11.14.21
According to these statements of the Lord, bhakti is the only process. And according to the statements such as verse 21, this is the process, and this is the goal. Propounding the vaisnava philosophy as superior to all others, the srutis place the vaisnavas in the topmost category and condemn all other philosophers.
Te stands for tvam. Pari caranti is split, but this is permissible for metrical reasons in verse.
The devotees serve you (te), with mood of the accepting the reality of all worlds (akhila sattva niketataya), who take shelter of the philosophy of a real world.
Madhvacarya raises this upanisad statement to support the reality of the world.
Satyam hy evedam visvam asrjata
The Lord created this real world.
The bhagavatam also shows that reality of the material world is distinct from God.
pradhana pumbhyam naradeva satya krt.
The Lord is the real creator of matter and the living entities. SB 7.1.11
Another meaning can be given to the phrase akhila sattva niketataya. Akhila may be analayzed as follows. Khila means impure or inferior. Akhila therefore means pure or the best, though its common meaning is all. Then the phrase refers to the Lord who has real pure abodes such as vaikuntha. Therefore the meaning would be Those who serve you, who have real, pure abodes
Those who serve you certainly (uta) without paying respect, place their foot on the head of death. They cross over the material world without paying much attention.
But by the other methods such as jnana mentioned by the srutis previously, those philosophers also can suprass death.
No, you bind up like animals these particularly intelligent (vibudhan) propounders of various philosophies with the ropes of words such as Asato manodhi srjyata manah prajapatim asrjat mentioned in the previous purport.
One should not say that the vaisnavas because they do not present logical arguments are ignorant. One should understand they are in full knowledge direct knowledge according to the statement of the sruti:
Yasya deva para bhakti yatha deve tatha gurau
tasyaite kathita hy arthah prakasante mahatmanah
To he who has as much devotion to guru as he does in the Lord, all the meanings related here are revealed.
Svetasvatara Upanisad 6.23
Therefore those who have established prema (sauhrdah) for you certainly purify others. Being themselves purified, they purify others by teaching what they know to others. Those who are not devotees (vimukhah) do not purify others.
Nityo nityanam cetans cetananam eko bahunam yo vidadhhti Kaman
Tam pithagam ye nu yajanti vipras tesam siddhih sasvatim netaresam
He is the chief eternal, and the chief consciousness, one among many, who fulfills the desires of all. Those learned persons who worship him in his abode attain eternal perfection, and not others.
Gopal Tapani Upanisad 22
Justam yada pasyaty anyam isam asya mahimanam iti vita sokah
Rco ksare parame vyoman yasmin deva adhivisve niseduh
Svetasvatara upanisad 4.7-8
When the Lord is served with devotion (anyam isam justam), then one realizes (pasyati) his glory. By such means, one surpasses death (vita sokah), in the supreme sky called mahavaikuntha, which has an eternal form (aksare), to which all the devotees (deva visve) have ascended, as mentioned in the verses (rcah).
Commentary
You say that the jivas who are dependent and servants of the Lord should serve the Lord who is independent. But that is not so. I also like the jiva are dependent on senses, since I have eyes ears and arms. Where is the question of independence and powers?
No, you are without senses (akaranah), you are devoid of mind, eyes and ears which are under the influence of false identity.
Then where do these eyes ears and mind come from?
You exist with your spiritual eyes hear and other senses arising from your svarupa (sva rat). You posses senses which are not material (a khila, not inferior karaka senses), sense which are full of knowledge and bliss arising from your svarupa.
The sruti says,
caksusas caksur uta strotrasya strotram
You are the eye of the eye and the ear of the ear.
Kena upanisad 2
Thus you possess the power (sakti) moving the material senses. You are not the material senses, but you are not without senses. Rather you possess spiritual senses arising from your svarupa sakti, and bestow the powers of hearing , seeing and hearing to the material senses.
It is said in the sruti:
Na tasya karyam karanam ca vidyate na tat samas cabhyadhikas ca drsyate
Parasya saktir bahudhaiva sruyate Svabhaviki jnana bala kriya ca
He has no senses or activities of the senses. There is no on equal or superior to him. The variegated energy of the Lord, which are of his own nature, consisting of knowledge, strength and action, are well known.
Svetasvatara Upanisad 6.7
They next speak of his great power. The devatas like Brahma (animisah) carry or bring to you and offer you articles of worship (balim), along with even maya (ajaya), their authority, who is also offering to you. They consume the offerings made by man by your mercy, just as the leaders of various provinces give offerings made by the citizens to the leader of the whole country. In what manner do they do this? They perform their assigned duties in fear of you.
bhisasmad vah pavate bhisodeti suryah bhisasmad agnis candras ca mrtyur dhavati pancamah
The wind blows out of fear of him. The sun rises out of fear of him. The fire, moon and death, the fifth, run out of fear of him.
Taittiriya Upanisad 2.8.1
Commentary
Having spoken of the independence and power of the Lord as reasons for his being worthy of worship, now the srutis speak of the reasons for the jiva being the worshipper: his lack of power and lack of independence.
O ever-liberated Lord! When you, situated far from maya, without associating (tatah parasya), play with your maya by sending a glance, the jivas develop bodies endowed with movement or inertia.
If all the jivas are merged in me, how do they appear again?
The subtle bodies of the jivas, or the activities of the jiva, become manifest by your glance (uttha nimitta yuja). There is merging of the jivas because of merging of their upadhis or illusions of identity at pralaya. The jivas again appear by the appearance of the upadhis through your glance. In this way, the jivas lack of power is indicated by his being controlled by karma.
Then this stimulation to activity takes place simply by my whim?
No, because in you there is no injustice, because you are separate from the creation which is full of injustice. In the Supreme Lord (parasya) there cannot be any sense of mine and others (parah aparah), just as the ether (viyata), which cannot be contaminated, is free of all fault. But that does not mean that you are just equivalent to ether; rather ether has some similarity to you. You accept a comparison to ether (sunyas tulam dadhatah).
The srutis say:
Yathagneh ksudra visphulinga vyuccaranti evam evasmad atmanah sarve pranah sarve lokah sarve devah sarvani bhutani sarve eta atmano vyuccaranti
Just as sparks come out of the fire, all the pranas, all the planets, all the devatas, all the living entities, all the souls, come out from the Lord.
Brhad Aranyaka Upanisad 2.1.20
Commentary
There are many opinions about this jiva who accepted different moving and non moving bodies. One is the theory that there is one ignorance and one jiva.
But then if one jiva becomes liberated from one ignorance, all should become liberated. And if ignorance were variously distributed in various parts of the one jiva (to give the appearanace of many jivas), then because some parts would remain in ignorance in the world, there would be no liberation. Therefore there must be many jivas.
But if the jivas are very small in size, they could not pervade the whole body.
If it were medium sized, then it could spread throughout the body, but then it would not be eternal. Therefore the jivas should be all pervading or big and also eternal, without birth. Then there would no be fault ascribed above (the jiva being covered by maya), because of the impossibility of bondage or liberation by part of avidya or part of its sakti for such jivas.
The srutis then explain in this verse that others do not accept this philosophy.
If the jivas (tanubhrta) are unlimited in number (aparimita) and eternal (dhruva), not generated by you, and are all pervading, then, being equal to you, the scriptures would not say that they are under your control. O Lord of eternal form (dhruva), in the opposite condition, this would not be so (na itaratha); that is, if they were generated from you, then they would not be all pervading, and thus would be under your control. How is this? Though coming into existence as an effect of brahman, Brahman would be their controller, not rejecting them because he is their source. What is this Brahman? He is similar to all jivas in his expansion as paramatma. If someone asks what is known by the word tat (paramatma), someone answers it is this, but, for those who want to know (anujanatam), it is almost not known (amatam), because the Vedas state that there is fault in that knowledge (mata dustataya).
The srutis say this.
Yasyamatam tasya matam matam yasya na veda sah
Avijnatam vijanatam vijnatam avijanatam
The person who thinks he cannot know brahman completely can know brahman. He who thinks he knows brahman completely do not know brahman. For those who think they know brahman, brahman cannot be realized. For those who understand that they cannot know brahman completely, brahman can be realized.
Kena Upanisad 2.3
(Avacanenaiva provaceti
sa ha tusnim babhuva
By not speaking he spoke. He then became silent.
I could not find these phrases in any of the major upanisads or Vedas, brahmanas etc. sa ha tusnim asa occurs in chandogya upanisad but without the first phrase. Perhaps this is some altnerative version of the kena upanisad since the previous and following verses are both from there.??????)
Yadi manyase suvediti dabhram evapi
nunam tvam vetha brahmano rupam
yad asya tvam yad asya devesu atha nu mimasyam eva te
O student, if you think you know brahman well, then you know minutely the qualities of brahman. Therefore, since you know very little, you should now inquire into the brahman which is in you and in the devatas.
Kena upanisad 2.1
Commentary
It is seen that others criticize this doctrine. If you say that the jivas are born from the paramatma, then that means the jivas are not eternal. Every day, things created would be destroyed and uncreated things would come into being. Moreover liberation would be the destruction of the jivas svarupa. But the jivas svarupa is Brahman. Just as the unlimited sky, limited by the pot, when the pot is broken, remains unlimited, when the
the upadhis of the jiva are broken, then the liberation is attained. The appearance of the upadhis is called the birth of the jivas. Jiva itself is not born.
The srutis express this doctrine in this verse.
In this regard, does the form of the jiva arise from prakrti, from the purusa or from both? If the jiva arises from prakrti, then the jiva would be without consciousness. If jiva arises from the purusa, the purusa would be changeable. The srutis in the first line of this verse reject the third alternative, that the jiva arises from both prakrti and the purusa, because the srutis declare that the jiva is not born of both them (ajayoh).
Ajam ekam lohita sukla krsnam bhavih prajah srjamanam svarupah
Ajo hy eko jusamano nusete jahaty enam bhukta bhogam ajo nyah
The jiva, the unborn, remain close to her , the essence of the three modes, goodness, passion and ignorance, and is completely bewildered by her, enjoyed by the jiva, whereas the other unborn, Lord remains unattached to her.
Svetasvatara Upanisad 4.5
Thus, by the combination of prakrti and purusa the coverings (tanubhrtah) of prana, mahat and others are born, like bubbles in water. Just as water and air alone do not produce bubbles, but produce bubbles by their combination, so the combination of prakrti and purusa produce the coverings or upadhis of the jiva. Thus by the birth of upadhis we speak of birth of the jiva, though actually the jiva is not born. Because the scriptures speak of the upadhis merging into Brahman again when they are destroyed, even their birth is not actual. This the srutis state in the third line of the verse.
Since the jivas (te ime) are not actually born (tatah), they merged along with their various names and qualities into you. There merging is of two types. There is a final merging of the resultant upadhis in the form of the gross and subtle bodies and the causal upadhi called ignorance in liberation or mukti, as rivers merge in the ocean.
But, during deep sleep or pralaya, there is merging of the resultant upadhis of gross and subtle bodies, but not of the causal upadhi, ignorance. That merges its particularities, but it remains in a general state, just as in honey the tastes of the nectar of different flowers cannot be perceived individually, but are present in a general way.
The srutis state the same. The first illustrates the jiva in liberation and the second in pralaya.
Yatha nadyah syandamanah samudre stam gacchanti nama rupe vihaya
Tatha vidvan nama rupad vimuktah paratparam purusam upaiti divyam
Just as the rives flowing into the ocean give up their names and forms and go to their home, so the wise man, freed from names and forms, achieves the supreme spiritual person.
Mundaka 3.2.8
Yatha samya madhu madhukrto nististhanti
nanatyayanam vkrsanam rasan samavaharam ekatam rasam gamayanti
te yatha na tara vivekam labhante amusyaham vkrsasya rasosmy amusyaham vrksasya rasosmity evam eva khalu saumyemah sarvah prajah sati sampadya na vidhuh sati sampadyamahe
Just as bees make honey by collecting saps from trees of various types and make one liquid, and the various saps cannot say I am the sap of this tree or that tree, all the living entities when merged together are not aware that they have been mixed.
Chandogya Upanisad 6.9.1-2
Commentary
Having proposed various philosophies and rejected them, the srutis now establish the Vaisnava philosophy.
Understanding these erroneous opinions of people who think themselves wise mentioned in the previous two verses, the intelligent persons offer love (bhavam) such as dasya or sakhya, filled with continuous bliss (anuprabhavam), or birth after birth, to you who destroy material entanglement.
The Visnu Purana says,
natha yoni sahasresu yesu yesu bhramamy aham
tatra tatracyuta bhaktir acuyastu drdha tvayi
Oh Lord, O Acyuta! May I have undeviating devotion to you in all my thousands of births wandering in this world.
But then, with lack of knowledge of tat and tvam, and without hatred of the material world, they should not cease material existence.
How can fear of material existence follow them, because that leaves them even at the beginning of becoming your servant? Only because of extreme desirelessness and feeling of insignificant arising from their cultivation of devotion, they still identify themselves as fallen in the material world. Thus, the moving of your eyebrow in the form of the three fold sharp-bladed time, creates fear of birth and death only for those who fail to worship your feet. For you have said,
Sakrd eva prapanno yas tavasmiti ca yacate
Abhayam sarvada tasmai dadamy etad vratam mama
I vow that whoever even once surrenders to me, saying I am yours will be free of fear forever.
Ramayana, Yuddha-kanda 18.33
Daivi hy esa guna mayi mama mya duratyaya
Mam eva y prapdyante mayam etam tarnti te
This divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three modes of material nature, is difficult to overcome. But those who have surrendered unto Me can easily cross beyond it.
BG 7.14
This is the sense. The vaisnavas are not eager to destroy others opinions and establish their own as other philosophers are prone to do. They are extreme eager to engage in worshipping you, in that there is no challenging opponents of other philosophies at all. But the vaisnava philosophy is the essence of all scriptures. Taking you in the form of Krsna and Rama, the great ocean of wonderful form, qualities and pastimes as the object of worship, and taking themselves as the worshippers, they have knowledge of tat and tvam (God and self).
The sun is like bhagavan and the jiva is like the effulgence of the sun. This represents the oneness and difference of the Lord and the jiva.
The Lord says,
Suksmanam apy aham jivah
Of subtle things I am the jiva.
Sb 11.16.11
Eso nur atma cetasa veditavyo yasmin pranah pancadha samvivesa
One should know this atma as small in size, surrounded by the five pranas.
Mundaka Upanisad 3.1.9
Balagra sata bhagasya satadha kalpitasya ca
Bhago jivah sa vijneyah
The jiva is a part, one hundred of one hundred of the tipe of a hair.
Svetasvara Upanisad 5.8
Aragra matro hy avarohpi drstah
The jiva is as small ad the tip of a spoke.
Svetasvatara Upanisad 5.9
From these statements from sruti one can understand the infinitesimal size of the soul and its ability to pervade the whole body. It is not an inappropriate to compare the power of the small jiva in the body to the powder of a jewel or herb. Though placed on the head or chest, it had the power to spread its nourishing effects throughout the whole body.
The jivas going to heaven or hell is under the control of their upadhis. This is mentioned by Dattatreya. Refering to the prana he says that by prana man takes repeated birth in the world (yena samsarate puman).
The jivas plurality and eternity is shown in the srutis.
Nityo nityanam cetanas cetananam eko bahunam yo vidadhati kaman
Katha Upanisad 2.2.13
One should understand that the jivas who arise in the creation have oneness with the Lord because they are the tatasha sakti of the Lord. Some are conditioned, covered by cloud-like ignorance, and others are liberated, freed from the coverings of ignorance by knowledge with a tinge of devotion. And others, with pure or predominately pure bhakti, are perfected devotees freed from the covering of ignorance, with cit ananda bodies suitable for service. And others are the eternal associates who never had connection with ignorance at all. These are the four types of devotees. Their characteristics are mentioned in the Narada pancaratra.
Yat tatastham tu vijneyam sva samvedyad vinirgatam
Ranjitam guna ragena sa jiva iti kathyate
The jiva is defined as the spiritual tatastha energy which has become separate from the interal energy, and becomes coloered by the gunas.
The tatastha energy should be particularly known (vi jneyam) as a spiritual particle.
The sruti says yathagneh ksura visphulinga vyuccharanti as the small sparks come out of the fire.
Brhad Aranyaka Upanisad 2.1.20
If the jiva comes out of the great quantity of cit (samvedyat) of the Lord, it becomes colored by the colors of mayas gunas. That means it takes up material form by influence of the material energy. But when by pure bhakti or almost pure bhakti maya is uprooted, the jiva is colored by the internal cit sakti of the Lord and its auspicious qualities and takes on a spiritual form, produced by great attachment to the Lord. Because the jiva is situated between the material and spiritual energies it is called tatastha. When the jiva becomes liberated by jnana tinged with bhakti, it becomes situated without differentiation in Brahman, not colored by the gunas. This is the description of the worshippers.
As the person connected to the king is sometimes equated with the king, so tat (that) and tvam (you) are sometimes equated, as in tat tvam asi. Some persons say that tat stands from the possessive case (his) as an element in a compound word. Thus tat tvam asi menas You are his.
Now let us describe the object of worship. The sun is compared to bhagavan, and the rays of light spreading from the sun are compared to Brahman. As Narasimha Purana says,
brahma samjnam abhud ekam jyotir yat sarva karanam
What is called Brahman is one light that is the cause of all.
Harivamsa says
Mamaiva tad ghanam tejo jnatum arhasi bharata
You should know the Brahman to be my condensed effulgence.
The inner disk of the sun is compared to paramatma. The sun god, with his chariot, charioteer, other assistants, with beautiful form endowed with face, eyes, hands and feet, is compare to bhagavan with his associates. Persons situated far from a town cannot perceive the details, but see only a glowing object as the town. When they are not too far away, they see groups of trees and flagpoles and flags. When they are near, they see the town with its houses, towers, pleasure groves, streets, palaces. In this way, persons who are situated far away from the Lord see the Lord as effulgent Brahman. When they are somewhat closer they see paramatma with scant spiritual details. When they are close they see bhagavan with infinite spiritual details. When they enter into intimate association however, and experience the unprecedented sweetness of God, at realization is called Krsna.
This is just as the previous authorities have spoken.
cayas tvisam iti avadharitam pura tatah saririti vibhavitakrtim
vibhur vibhaktavayavam puman iti kramad amum narada iti abodhi sah
First a mass of light was perceived; then his form, with a body. Then he realized it is a man with various limbs. Finally he realized that it was Narada.
Some vaisnavas to such extent take care to understand their philosophy. Others however give no regard for it. But they always give regard to their type of worship.
The srutis explain the same.
Etad visnoh parama padam ye nityod yuktah samyajante na kamat
Tesam asau gopa rupah prayatnat prakasayed atma padam tadaiva
The Lord in the form of a cowherd boy with great care reveals his own nature to those who constantly worship the supreme manifestation of Visnu without material desire.
Gopala Tapani Upanisad Purva 23
Commentary
They should perform astanga yoga to make their minds steady in worshipping me.
No, by firm devotion to the feet of guru they easily make the mind steady. This has been stated already:
caitad sarvam gurau bhakya puruso njasa jayet
A person will conquer all this by devotion to guru.
Sb 7.15.25
And without devotion to guru, even yoga which has its purpose to control the mind is futile. Those who attempt to control the mind, a wild horse which is untamed even by controlling the sesns and life airs, without service to the feet of guru become worried about other processes (upaya khidah), become afflicted by many calamities (vyasana satanvita), and remain in this material world (iha). O unborn Lord, they are like merchants in the ocean without having appointed a pilot.
The srutis say as follows.
Tad vijnanartham sa gurum evabhigacchet samitpanih strotriyam brahma nistham
One, with firewood in his hands, should approach a guru, learned and fixed in devotion to the Lord, in order to understand thoroughly about God.
Mundaka Upanisad 1.2.12
Acaryavan puruso vedah
Accepting a guru one gets knowledge.
Chandogya Upanisad 6.14.2
Yasya deva para bhakti yatha deve tatha gurau
tasthaite kakthita hy arthah praksante mahatmanah
To he who has as much devotion to guru as he does in the Lord, all the meanings related here are revealed.
Svetasvatara Upanisad 6.23
Commentary
In this way, the srutis have spoken about pure bhakti of the vaisnavas, unmixed with yoga or other processes. Now they establish that such bhakti should be devoid of other desires.
When you reveal your form as paramatma, to that person among men who serves you, what is the value of all enjoyables such as servants, sons with good qualities, beautiful body, beautiful loving women, wealth such as gold and jewels, luxurious house, spacious land, physical health, and vehicles such as horses and elephants since you are filled with all bliss (sarva rase)?
The srutis say
Etasyaivanandasyanyani bhutani matram upajivanti
Other beings subsist upon he who is filled with bliss.
Brhad Aranyaka upanisad 4.3.32
What value is there in this world for those who do not know this highest happiness, who unite together for sex pleasure for pleasure? They get pleasure from their servants, house, land etc. Why can these things not give pleasure? They are perishable, being under the grip of time (sva vihita), and therefore are by their nature devoid of good qualities even from their inception (sva nirasta bhagah). They are condemned by saints who understand the changeable nature of the material world.
According to Amara kosa, bhaga can mean wealth, love, glory, courage, effort, the sun and fame. Sva vihita and sva nirasta bhaga also have the alternative reading svavihite and sva nirasta bhage. In that case those words modify iha. The servants and house give pleasure to such persons in this world which is temporary and devoid of good qualities by nature.
The srutis say:
Bhaktir asya bhajanam tad ihamutropadhi nairasyenamusmin manah kalpanam etad eva naiskarmyam
Bhakti is worship of the Lord, concentrating the mind on him, renouncing all material desires for enjoyment (upadhi)in this world and the next. It destroys all karmas.
Gopala Tapani Upanisad Purva 15
Commentary
Therefore the devotees, giving up servants, sons and the other items mentioned, live in the tirthas which are favorable for their worship of the Lord.
The devotees (rsayah) dwell in the tirthas with great punya and the abodes of the Lord (sadanani) on this earth without pride. Because they take your lotus feet in their hearts, their foot water cuts off all sins. It goes without saying that such persons never worship servants, sons, body women and house, when even those persons who just once fix their minds on your eternally blissful form do not worship houses which steal away the intelligence, steadiness, tolerance and other good qualities of men (purusa sara hara).
In regard to tirthas, the Gopala Tapani Upanisad says the following.
Sakamya meroh srnge yatha sapta puryo bhavanti
Tatha niskamyah sakamyas ca bhugola cakre sapta puryo bhavanti
Tasam madhye saksad brahma gopala puri hi
Gopala Tapani Uttara 29
Just as there are seven cities on the peak of mount meru for those with material desires, so there ar seven cities on the bhu mandala for those with material desires and those without material desires. Among them the city of Gopala is purely spiritual.
Mathurayam sthitir Brahman sarvada me bhavisyati
Cit svarupam param jyotih svarupam rupa varjitam
Hrdi mam samsmaran brahman mat padam yati niscitam
Goapal Tapani Uttara 45-46
My spiritual residence in Mathura is eternal. He who in his heart remembers me with spiritual form devoid of material form,the form of the highest light, certinaly attains my spiritual abode.
Commentary
But how can you criticize the dwelling place for taking away the good qualities of men (verse 34) and at the same time praise the residence for giving men good qualities ( verse 35)? It cannot be said that a mirage of water can be either thirst quenching or throat parching.
This is discussed by the srutis propounding sat karya vad (the effect is inherent in the cause: sankhya philosophy) with the srtis propounding asat karyavad (the effect is non existent in the cause before production: nyaya philosophy) in this verse.
This world is sat because it arises from sat. It is not sat in itself. Just as a pot when resolved to its cause is not a pot, but merely the real expressing itself through the pot.
If you maintain the non difference of the effect from the cause, then because there is perception of difference just by your indication of one comeing from the other, there is contradiction in your reasoning. It is defeated by logic (nanu tarkahatah). The proposition of spiritual and material being non different is denied by all the sources of proof.
We do not propose that they are the same. But we are denying their difference, since they are produced from the sat, just as earrings arise from gold. Effects can never exist without existence of a cause. They cannot be separated, as seen in the difference between father and sons. (vyabhicarati kva ca)
But just as the illusion of silver has no existence apart from the shell, so the world has no existence separate from the existence of the Lord, its support.
No, you cannot say that just as the silver in the shell is unreal, so the world is unreal. The real is in both (ubhaya yuk). The sruti says, That is real (tat satyam): both the world and the Lord are real. But, the existence of the cause is eternal and the existence of effect is temporary. This can be seen: without the reality of the effect (this world), no dealings of this world could take place (vyavahrtaye vikalpah isita). The world is real and by real objects such as pots actions can take place. By unreal pots, water could not be taken up.
But we see that business can be carried on with fake wealth.
That is effected by mutual ignorance, not by mutual knowledge (ajna paramparaya). Buying and selling is not carried out by the intelligent people using false coins, as it is with the ignorant. One cannot use counterfeit money to get good effect from medicine or to gain effects of charities. Therefore the world is real, according to the wise men such as Narada and Dattatreya, because of the execution of useful actions. If the world were not real, the actions would also be unreal, just like the illusory silver of the shell. By this teaching, the world is real, but, being changeable, it is non eternal.
But the karma vadis say that the results of karm are eternal and therefore the world is eternal, and will never be otherwise, raising such veres as apamasomam amrta abhuma (drinking soma we become immortal.) They do not accept the creation and destruction of the world.
This proposition is invalid. O Lord, your message in the form of Vedas (bharati) bewilders those holding opinions contaminated with material rituals because of the possibility of interpreting them in many ways , either literally or metaphorically.
The meaning is this.
The Vedas never claim that the results of karma are eternal. However, by non-literal words the Vedas praise karma. Otherwise there would be a contradiction between one statement and another. Such statements as the following show there is contradicton between them and with the srutis supported by logic.
Tad yatheha karma jito lokah ksiyate evam evamutra punyajito lokah ksiyate
Just as the karmic reactions of this world are destroyed so the pious credits of the next world also get destroyed.
Chandogya Upanisad 8.1.6
Therefore, the philosophy of those intoxicated with karma is erroneous.
The srutis say.
Yathornanabhih srjate grhnate ca
Yatha prthivyam osadahayh sambhavanti
Yatha satah puruosat kesa lomani
Tathaksarat sambhavantiha visvam
Just as the spider creates and withdraws its web, just as the herbs appear in the earth, ust as the hairs spring from the body of a man, so this world appears from the indestuructible Lord.
Mundaka 1.1.7
The word aksara indicates the eternality of the cause, the subject of the examples given before it, and the reality of the effect. The effect is real, not false, but temporary. Here the srutis state the opinion of the vaisnavas.
Commentary
The stutis supporting sat karya vad repeat what they previous said with logic and clarity.
This known universe, did not exist before the creation, and after destruction in the future will not exist. It exists only between these two as an object of knowledge (mitam). Where does this happen? It happens within you, the Supreme Lord who considers, I create this world. This world cannot be eternal, since it was previously not existing and will be destroyed in the future. It is shown to be real, by similarity with the earth and gold producing pots and earrings, rather than false, like the rope and shell appearing as snake and silver.
The vi in vibhati indicates the perceivable nature of the creation.
The jnanis who think this world is false, a production of the mind, and karma mimamsakas who think the world is real but eternal, are actually without knowledge (abudhah).
Commentary
Having declared the reality of the world composed of the material gunas and designated by the term (idam), they now speak of the inferiority of the jiva dwelling in this world. The jiva though having a spiritual form, , assumes the gunas by coming under the power of maya.
Because (yat) the jiva associates with material energy by her influence, and becomes tained with upadhis, attaining similarity to the body and senses, coming from the gunas, after that (tad anu), the jiva, his qualities like bliss being covered, attains repeated birth and death in this world (mrtum bhajati).
But do I, the Lord, also not get covered by ignorance, since I am of very similar spiritual nature to the jiva?
No, it is not so. The jiva is a particle of consciousness and you are a huge repository of consciousness. The glow of gold, brass or copper can be covered by darkness, but the light of the sun cannot be covered. You, on the other hand (uta), reject it (jahati).
The meaning is this. Maya sakti is a product of the yoga maya skati which comes from the Lord. Her powers are described in the Narada pancaratra in the conversation between the srutis and vidya.
Asya avarika saktir mahamayakhilesvari
Yaya mugdham jagat sarvam sarve dehabhimaninah
This covering sakti of yogamaya is called mahamaya. She is the mistress of all in the material world, by whom the whole world becomes bewildered and all entities think they are bodies.
She arises only for your expansion, yogamaya, and is not regarded by you as part of your interal energy. She is separated from you. She is thus called the external energy, maya sakti. Just as the snake does not consider the skin which he was separated himself from and given up as himself, you reject this maya, since you have eternal, intrinsic glories.
They then reinforce their statement. You are worshipped in your supreme eightfold powers such as the eight mystic opulences which are already eternally perfect. What is their nature? You have unlimited powers, unlike the powers of others, which are lmited by place and time. Your power is immeasurable because it is intimately related to your svarupa."
The srutis say as follows.
Ajo hy eko jusamano nusete jahaty enam bhukta bhogam ajo nyah
One unborm associates and enjoys her, and another unborn avoids her who is enjoyed by others.
Svetasvatara Upanisad 4.5
Commentary
Thus in three verses, the fact that the house and material life takes away mans good qualities has been established. The sages who are mentioned in the verses are of two types: those worshiping the nirguna Brahman, called jnanis; and those worshiping the saguna Brahman, called devotees or bhaktas. If they perform their practices properly (vimadah), they both become successful. However,the results if they behave badly are explained in two verses.
O Lord, if the sannasis, worshipers of the nirguna Brahman, do not uproot the roots of desire situated in the heart, then you are hard to attain, though you are situated in their hearts. Why? Because you become like a forgotten jewel around their necks. Though the jewel is hanging around the neck, because a person forgets about it, it becomes as good as not being there. That is not all. Those yogis who try to satisfy their senses, who make a pretense of yoga, end up with suffering in this life and the next. They describe the misery of this life. They experience suffering in the form of death before it comes, through the pains of getting adoration of others, the pains of accruing wealth, and the pains of deprivation of the objects of enjoyment. Then the suffering of the next life is described. They suffer because they do not attain your svarupa. Conversely, it means that they also suffer from the intense pains of hell given by you (since they dont get liberation).
The srutis say.
Kaman ya kamayate manyamanah sa kamabhir jayate tatra tatra
The sannyasi who contemplates enjoyment and enjoys will take birth again and again by those desires.
Mundaka Upanisad 3.2.2
Commentary
But the devotees who have bad practice do suffer in this life and the next like the impersonal sannyasis. Rather, they attain success.
One who has the quality of knowing you as his object of worship, does not know the results of good or bad actions produced by you.
Bhaktir asya bhajanam tad ihamutropadhi nairasyena amusmin manah kalpanam etad eva naiskarmyam
Bhakti is worship of the Lord, concentrating the mind on him, renouncing all material desires for enjoyment (upadhi) in this world and the next. It destroys all karmas.
Gopala Tapani Upanisad Purva 15
Since the devotee in performing worship destroys all reactions of karma, the good and bad events which occur are not the results of karma, but rather are results produced directly by you (bhavat uttha subhasubhayoh). These are effected by you in order to keep the secretiveness of devotion to you, to avoid uprooting the opinions of the materialists, or to increase the longing in the devotee. Or it could be the result of offense to your devotee. It is implied that you make those experiences appear to be suffering from karma.
He does not know the good and bad qualities resulting from those good and bad experiences.
When others say This devotee is merciful, tolerant, and generous, or This devotee is attached to sense enjoyment, is greedy, and proud. The devotee is not overly concerned about it. At that time, he is not concerned with the praise or criticism of other men either exalted or low. He thinks, If these men praise me seeing some false good qualities, let them do it. If those people criticize me seeing true faults in me, let them criticize, for that is only right. The cause is then mentioned.
By the flow of singing day after day and yuga after yuga the names and qualities of you who are an ocean of spiritual qualities, being saguna (saguna kirtana paramparaya), you fill their ears (sravana bhrtah) and give prema bhakti (apavarga gatih).
This meaning of apavarga gatih is according to the prose statement in the fourth canto. Or aparvarga can mean apakrsta varga or the despicable four goals of dharma, artha, kama and moksa. Therefore apavarga gatih means in this verse you are the goal beyond the lower four vargas.
Tair aham pujaniyo vai bhadra krsna nivasibhih
Tad dharma gati hina ye tasyam mayi parayanah
Kalina grasta ye vai tesam tasyam avasthitih
Yatha tvam saha putrais ca yatha rudro ganaih saha
Yatha sriyabhiyuktoham tatha bhakto mama priyah
I am the object of worship for the inhabitants of the forests of bhadra and krsna. Though breaking the rules of proper conduct, though afflicted by Kali, they are my devotees, and dwell in Mathura. As you are affectionate with your sons, siva is affectionate with his followers or myself with laksmi, I am devoted to my devotees.
Gopala tapani upanisad 51-53
In the previous quotation, being devoid of dharma and afflicted by kali indicate bad character. Among the two types of fallen worshippers, the impersonalist sannyasi is criticized and the devotee is praised by the Lord.
Yas tvasamyata sad vargah pracandendriya sarathih
Jnana vairagya rahitas tri dandam upajivati
Suran atmanam atma sham nihnute mam ca dharma ha
Avipak kasayosmad amusmac ca vihiyate
That person with no control over the six urges, who is the charioteer of wild senses, who is devoid of knowledge and renunciation, who makes a living out his sannyasa, and who avoids me situated with him, , and the devotees, being a destroyer of dharma, full of passions, is deprived in this world and the next.
SB 11.18. 40-41
Api cet suduracaro bhajate mam anyanyabhak
Sadhur eve sa mantavya samyag vyavasitohi sah
In this way the Lord praises his devotee. By all means, the Lord agrees with the srutis who are his followers at the end of their praises of him.
BG 9.36
Commentary
The srutis, who attempted to define the nature of the supreme Lord, the vast ocean of sat cid ananda, through their verses of glorification, being unable to find a limit to his qualities, then gave up, and conclude their praises by indicating they had come to agreement.
Even the Lords of the upper planets such as Brahma (dyu patayah) do not find your limit. Who are we to do so then?
But you have finer vision than them. You will find that end. Do not give up.
You also do not know your limit (tvam api). That being so, what to speak of others?
How can that be? I am full of knowledge and power.
It is so because of your being without end. Ignorance of illusory things does not destroy your omniscience, and not attaining and end does not destroy your all powerful nature.
They then describe his unlimited nature.
Inside of you, all the universes, each with seven layers ten times the thickness of the previous layer (savaranah), wander about by the wheel of time, like dust particles in the sky, not once but repetitively (saha). Therefore, because of your greatness, we srutis, have become successful by having made you the object of our prayers. Though unable to define the whole nature of you, we srutis at least in making you the subject of our verses, have been successful.
Why then are you depressed?
After Vyasadeva described Brahman, paramatma and bhagavan, again needing to explain them more elaborately, he chose Brahman. In order to explain about that (tat) he first had to negate the material world (atat). But many philosophers have rushed into that subject and joined together to discuss the atat, the material energy and material objects. Just as in a jewel mine, one must remove the earth, pebbles and water to get the jewels, by removing the material coverings of atat, one can attain Brahman. We negate all the material objects which are immanent death (bhavat nidhanam), because we are unable to count all of the classes, qualities, vyakti and karmas of all the moving and nonmoving entities, even by starting at the beginning of creation and up untill its destruction. But, having negated all these things, how is it possible for us to describe and come to a conclusion about the states of Brahman, paramatma and bhagavan which are difficult to understand and unlimited? Therefore, only if we or others get your mercy, will the difficult topics become easy to understand. This has been indicated previously in verses 14, 27 and 32.
The negation of the material realm has been dealt with in the srutis.
asthulam ananv ahrasvam adirgham alohitam asneham acchayam atamo vayv anakasam asangam arasam agandham acaksukam astrotram agamano tejaskam aprapam asukhma amatram antanaram abahyam
It is not big, not small, not short, not long, not hot, not cool, not in shadow, not in darkness, not the wind, not the ether, not in contact with anything, and has no taste, no smell, no eyes, no ears, no motion, no potency, no air of life, no pleasure, no measurement, no inside and no outside.
Brhad aranyaka 3.8.8
Commentary
The sons of Brahma having heard through the twenty eight verses of praises by the Vedas, the elaboration of the brahma upanisad consisting of the second verse of this chapter, instructions on the supreme soul, attained their goal, bhagavat prema, and worshipped Sananda.
Commentary
O son of Brahma, Narada (dayada)! With devotion, taking this supreme teaching which destroys attachment to the world, wander on this earth as you desire.
Commentary
Holding the meaning of what he had heard in his mind (sruta dharah), holding strongly to his promise (vira vratah), Narada spoke.
Commentary
Narada, discerning the real meaning of the praises of the Vedas, then indicated the supreme position of Krsna alone, according to his promise. Among the different paths metioned in the praises, jnana, yoga and bhakti, bhakti is the best. Among the worshippers the devotees are the best. Among the objects of worship, brahman, paramatma and bhagavan, bhagavan is the best. This has been concluded from all the statements of the srutis. Even in bhagavan, however, Krsna is shown to be the best form, as understood from verses 17 and 23.
To indicate this, he recites this verse in Narayanas presence, directly in front of him. In a loud voice he spoke, I offer my respects to Krsna. To say I offer my respects to Narayana would have been contrary to his feelings. I offer my respects to he who is famous for removing the contaminion of ignorance by giving liberation even to the demons (amala kirtaye).
Oh, are you offering your respects to Krsna and not to me, your guru, Narayana who is standing before you?
He accepts various beautiful forms (usatih kalah) such as your self for destroying material existence (abhavaya). This implies that by offering obeisance to Krsna, Narada has also offered his respects to Narayana. With this verse Narada has extracted the essence from the praises of the Vedas which have arisen from the churning of the ocean of an unlimited collection of Upanisads and Puranas. Similarly Gopal Tapani Upanisad says the following .
Tasmat krsna eva paro devas tam dhyayet tam rasayet tam bhajet tam yajed iti om tat sat
Therefore krsna is the supreme worshippale object. One should meditate on him, relish him, worship him and surrender fully to him.
Gopala Tapani Upanisad Purva 50
Commentary
Iti can mean either method or completion. Thus ther e are two meanings of the verse.
Paying respects to Narayan rsi in this manner (iti), by reciting prayers to Krsna, he left the asrama and went to vyasadevas asrama.
Or the meaning can be:
After having completed his prayers to Krsna (iti), then paying his respects to Narayana rsi, he then left the asrama and went to the asrama of Vyasadeva.
Commentary
Being honored by Vyasa (bhagavata), being offered a seat, and accepting a seat, Narada described to Vyasa (tasmai) the knowledge of God he had heard from Narayana.
Commentary
I have replied to you how the mind can conceive of God who is beyond material conceptions and without material qualities. The answer is: the mind can perceive God by the power of bhakti arising from the mercy of the Lord.
Commentary
Having collected together the meaning of all the praises of the Vedas, Sukadeva makes us again remember the facts.
He, glancing (utpreksakah) upon this world (asya) and awakening the karmas of the materialistic jivas sleeping next to maya, having created the intelligence, mind, senses and prana, in order for them to attain the fruits of their karma, in order for them to enjoy, in order that the jnanis can attain their goal of merging, as a result of jnana, and in order that the devotee can attain a position as an associate of the Lord in prema as a result of bhakti, thinks of where he can send each jiva in the material realm.
Sukadeva next speaks of existence in the three aspects of time. The Lord exists at the beginning middle and end of this unverse. That means he existed before the universe, during its existence, and will exist after its destruction.
Aham evasam evagre nanyat sad asat param
Pascad aham yad etac ca yo visisthyeta sosmy aham.
Brahma, it is I, the Personality of Godhead, who was existing before the creation, when there was nothing but Myself. Nor was there the material nature, the cause of this creation. That which you see now is also I, the Personality of Godhead, and after annihilation what remains will also be I, the Personality of Godhead.
Sb 2.9.32
Next Sukadeva speaks of the Lords being the cause of all and the controller of all. He is the cause and the controller (isvarah) of this whole material world,composed of maya (avyakta) and the jiva. Because they are his energies and because his energies are not different from their source the saktiman, he is also maya and the jiva. This indicates that he is the material cause of the world and jivas, their efficient cause and their controller.
Next he speaks of the entrance of the Lord in the world and the secondary creation there. He, having created this world, created the bodies (purah) of the devas, men, animals and others through the agency of Brahma (rsina) and controls them by his expansion as the paramatma, who, like a rsi, is not contaminated by the world. (the word rsi therefore has two functions here. )
Then he speaks of the jivas escape from the world, by bhakti. The jiva, embraced by ignorance (anusayi), surrenders to this Lord. According to Sridhara Swami, the word anusayi indicates that the jiva lies down paying dandavats again and again (anu sayi) to the Lord. The jiva gives up maya (ajam) who creates all the objects of this world. It could be argued that even the devotee who has surrendered to the Lord still has a material body. Therefore Sukadeva says that the jiva is like a sleeping person who gives up identification with his own body (kualayam). Though that body still exists, he is not aware of it. This means that the devotee, giving up his ignorance, gives up his identification with his material body. It should be understood however that sometimes this giving up of ignorance is a cause of not surrendering to the Lord (as in the case of impersonalists), and that at other times without doing sadhana, the jiva escapes from the world.
That Lord removes the ignorance of the jiva (nirasta yoni) even in isolation from a cause (without sadhana for liberation).
Yam iha niriksya hata gatah svarupam
SB 1.9.39
Killed seeing his form, they became liberated.
From these words of Bhisma, one sees liberation even in the case of no sadhana for liberation as in the case of many such as baka, aghu and kesi. Krsna is indicated by this particular quality.
Certainly giving up all fear of all the various persons producing poisonous philosophies generated by their karma, one should continuously constantly meditate upon Hari, of the qualities described above, Krsna, who steals the mind of the person endowed with prema by his particular sweetness.
The person is described:
He bhakta dvary ayam cancad baladhi rauti vo manak
Prasadam labhatam yasmad visistah sveva nathati
O devotees, this person, of unsteady, dull mind, is offering praises at the door. You should let him have a little mercy since he is expert and quickly does the soliciting.
The word cancal baladhi can also mean wagging tail, since valadhih means tail according to Amara Kosa. Thus the meaning would be as follows.
O devotees this creature wagging its tail is barking at the door. You should please give him some food, since he appears to be special dog asking for help.
There is imbedded in the last line the authors name, visvanatha.
This is how visvanatha has given the meaning of the word.
Or the meaning can be: This is the derivation of the meaning of Visvanatha: one who begs in a special way.
Or the meaning can be: This, then is the method of achieving the association of the Lord of the universe.
O the meaning can be: Thus Visvantha has described the verses of the personified Vedas.
In the eighty seventh chapter the superiority of Krsnas form over all others is indicated by the Vedas personified. Narada reveals this through the mouth of his guru.
Let the devotees laugh at me taking the role of a gem seller, though I do not know anything about jewels. I, creating enjoyment for my own heart, am not ashamed. I do not have learning, devotion or detachment from material energy, but rather out of lust, because of their inaccessibility, I desire the heap of cintamani jewels in the form of the the object of worship. If we take the word satam to mean jnanis, then it would mean the path of jnana yoga, with Brahman as the object of knowledge. But then, the exposition of this Brahman cannot be delineated clearly in the Vedas. Thus he asks a question in this verse.
How do the Vedas indicate Brahman by direct meaning (saksat), rather than indirect reference, because Brahman cannot be defined (anirdesya), since it has no class, substance, quality or action (jati, dravya, guna, kriya). It is beyond qualities (nirguna); it is beyond substance (sat) such as earth, and beyond action of an object, whose nature is imcomplete (asat). As well it is beyond class (jati), since that inheres in substance, action and quality.
Or the statement can mean Brahman is beyond substance (sat) and everything else which is not substance (class and actions) (asat). How can the Vedas, whose existence depends on class, substance, actions, or, in other words, the aspects of quality (guna vrttayah), deal with this Brahman which devoid of class, object, quality and action?
(In philosophy padarthas or real things are enumerated: substance (dravya) such as earth, water, fire, etc time and space; quality ( guna) such as color, taste, smell etc.. action of objects (kriya) and prototype or genus (jati) such as humaness, cowness etc. Different philosophies will add or subtract items from this list. Impersonalists admit only one padartha Brahman.)