Beyond Renunciation and Knowledge

The Supreme Lord said: O Uddhava! Only by associating with my pure devotees one can destroy material attachment and attain me. One cannot attain me by aṣṭāḍga-yoga, distinction of ātmā from body, practice of nonviolence, study of the Vedas, austerity, sannyāsa, sacrifices, charitable projects, donations, vows, worship of devatās, secret mantras, holy places, or observing prohibitions and rules.

In the Twelfth Chapter, Kṛṣṇa glorifies association with devotees and, destroying all doubts, explains that the inhabitants of Vraja have the most exalted prema. Yogaḥ means practice of āsana and prāṇāyāma. Sāḍkhyam means distinction of ātmā from the body. Dharmaḥ means non-violence. Svādhyāyaḥ means study of the Vedas. Tapaḥ means austerities. Tyāgaḥ means sannyāsa. Iṣṭāpūrtam means sacrifice and charitable works such as digging wells or making gardens. Dakṣiṇā means giving donations to the public. Vratāni means cāturmāsya and other vows. Yajñaḥ means worship of devatās. Chamdāṁsi means secret mantras. The singular verb is used to indicate the verb rodhayati is to be repeated with each item. Plural words like vratāni should have the verb rodhayanti. The verb rudh means “to control.” Yoga and other processes are not causes of controlling me. I am not controlled by yoga and other processes. This means I am not attained by these processes. The reasoning is as follows. It is said:

na sādhayati māṁ yogo na sāḍkhyaṁ dharma uddhava

na svādhyāyas tapas tyāgo yathā bhaktir mamorjitā

O Uddhava, the unalloyed devotional service rendered to me by my devotees brings me under their control. I cannot be thus controlled by those engaged in mystic yoga, Sāḍkhya philosophy, pious work, Vedic study, austerity or renunciation. SB 11.14.20

The next statement is bhaktyāham ekayā grāhyaḥ: only by executing devotional service can I be attained. This reconfirms the previous statement “If one does not engage in bhakti, which arises usually by associating with my devotees, there is no means of escaping from material existence.” (SB 11.11.48) I am not attained by these methods but I am factually attained by association with devotees. The present tense (instead of the future tense) indicates that even before the appearance of bhakti, the Lord is controlled by the association of devotees. Then what to speak of after bhakti has made its appearance! Yathā in this verse does not mean “as much as” but rather “exactly.” Taking the statement bhaktyāham ekayā grāhyāḥ the word yathā in this verse has the same meaning as ekayā, pure bhakti. Because yoga and other processes are mixed with some bhakti, they also control the Lord to a small degree. Then yathā can have the ordinary meaning: those methods do not control me as much as association of devotees. This is the meaning given by some authorities. This association destroys all material attraction, because association controls the Lord.

bahavo mat-padaṁ prāptās

tvāṣṭra-kāyādhavādayaḥ

vṛṣaparvā balir bāṇo

mayaś cātha vibhīṣaṇaḥ

sugrīvo hanumān ṛkṣo

gajo gṛdhro vaṇikpathaḥ

vyādhaḥ kubjā vraje gopyo

yajña-patnyas tathāpare

In every yuga many living entities entangled in the modes of passion and ignorance gained the association of my devotees. Thus, such living entities as the Daityas, Rākṣasas, birds, beasts, Gandharvas, Apsarās, Nāgas, Siddhas, Cāraṇas, Guhyakas and Vidyādharas, as well as such lower-class human beings as the vaiśyas, śūdras, women and others, were able to achieve my supreme abode. Vṛtrāsura, Prahlāda Mahārāja and others like them also achieved my abode by association with my devotees, as did personalities such as Vṛṣaparvā, Bali Mahārāja, Bāṇāsura, Maya, Vibhīṣaṇa, Sugrīva, Hanumān, Jāmbavān, Gajendra, Jaṭāyu, Tulādhāra, Dharma-vyādha, Kubjā, the gopīs in Vṛndāvana and the wives of the brāhmaṇas who were performing sacrifice.

Four verses show that association with devotees brings the Lord under control, either secondarily or significantly, giving examples like Bāṇa and the gopīs. There are persons with mixed bhakti and pure bhakti. By association with persons with mixed bhakti some persons brought the Lord under control in a secondary way. By association with persons with pure bhakti, some persons brought the Lord under control significantly.

Yātudhānāḥ means Rākṣasas. Tvāṣṭraḥ means Vṛtrāsura. Kāyādhavaḥ is Prahlāda. Before their birth Vṛtra and Prahlāda had the association of Nārada. Vṛṣa-parvā is well known in the Purāṇas as a devotee of Viṣṇu who gave up his mother as soon as he was born and was raised by sages. Bali had association of Prahlāda. When Bāṇa’s arms were cut off, he got the association of compassionate Śiva. Maya, in building the assembly hall, got the association of the Pāṇòavas. Vibhīṣaṇa got the association of Hanumān. Sugrīva, Hanumān and Jambavān got the association of Lakṣmaṇa. Gajendra in his previous life had the association of Nārada. Jaṭāyu had the association of Garuòa and Daśartha. The merchant or tulādhāra is famous in Mahābhārata. His association is unclear. Dharmavyādha was a hunter. In his previous birth a brahma-rakṣasa, he got the association of a devotee king according to Varāha Purāṇa. Hari-vaṁśa tells how Kubja and others got the association of Nārada in a previous birth. The gopīs who were previously sages of Daṇòakāraṇya forest had plentiful association with devotees in that life. In their life as gopīs they got the association of nitya-siddha gopīs. The wives of the brāhmaṇas got the association of messengers of Kṛṣṇa--the garland makers and betel nut sellers who came from Vraja to Mathurā to sell their products.

They attained me, not by other processes, but by mixed or pure bhakti, which arose from association with devotees. They did not study the Vedas, and they did not worship great sages who understood the meaning of the Vedas, in order to get knowledge of the Vedas. They did not have vows or perform austerities. But they attained me, by association with me, caused by bhakti, caused by association with devotees. Association with devotees is equivalent to association with me.

The inhabitants of Vraja are most special. By bhāvas without mixture of karma or jñāna, without desires, by bhakti-yoga with mādhurya, vātsalya, sakhya, and dāsya bhāvas, they attained me. The gopīs attained me with mādhurya-rasa. The cows attained me by vāsatlya-rasa. The mountains like Govardhana attained me with sakhya-rasa. The animals, the trees and shrubs, though unintelligent, snakes like Kāliya attained me with dāsya-rasa. The nitya-siddha devotees attained me after expressing pūrva-rāga (attraction in separation before meeting the Lord during earthly pastimes, though they have associated with him in previous pastimes). Without beginning, the nitya-siddha devotees are already in possession of the Lord with their pure bhakti. Otherwise the word nitya-siddha would be meaningless.

The cause of pure bhakti is association with devotees, not other acts, though they are pious. Though one may be completely absorbed (yatnavān) in processes like yoga, one cannot attain me.

The love of the gopīs is the most outstanding of all. This is described in four verses. When I was decisively taken to Mathurā by Akrūra, the gopīs did not see anyone other than me to give them happiness, since their hearts were completely attached to me on the sixth level of prema-- anurāga, very intense love.1 Entering the next stage of mahābhāva, containing rūòha-bhāva, they suffered intense pain because of separation. The past tense is used: they did not see anything except me for happiness. This suggests that their suffering ended. After killing Dantavakra, I united with the gopīs again and remained in that state.

This verse shows the outstanding quality of rūòha-bhāva which is a type of mahā-bhāva. The seventh state of prema, mahā-bhāva is defined as kalpasya kṣaṇatā yoge viyoge tad-viparyayaḥ: in meeting the Lord a kalpa seems to be a moment, and in separation a moment seems to be a kalpa. (Ujjvala-nīla-maṇi 14.168) The nights of the rāsa dance with me, which lasted for a night of Brahmā, while I was situated in Vṛndāvana (vṛndāvana-gocareṇa) or while I was tending cows in Vṛndāvana, passed like half a moment. Nights of four praharas (twelve hours) became like many days of Brahmā because they could not tolerate that time in separation.

Ujjvala-nīla-maṇi explains that when one experiences intense emotions, one forgets everything even though one is not in a state of illusion. That is shown in this verse. Their minds were bound to constant association with me. By his amazing pastimes Kṛṣṇa stunned all the three worlds. By his constant association he bound up the gopīs with great strength. The functions of their intelligence became like desire cows for fulfilling Kṛṣṇa’s desires, bound up by constant association. They did not know their own bodies. In going to the rāsa dance, they did not know where they were, where they had come. They were not aware of this world or then next (adaḥ), though they had transgressed dharma. They were like sages in samādhi. In that state, experiencing Brahman, the sages remember nothing. However the gopīs experienced me, not the Brahman. Thus the example is useful to show forgetfulness, but is not meant to show the attainment. There is a great difference between the gopīs’ attaining prema and the sages attaining nirvāṇa since their feelings of possessiveness are different.

Seeing a husband or sons even without good qualities gives more happiness than seeing the moon, which gives great bliss and destroys all suffering. The cause is the possessiveness. One is more possessive of husband and sons than of the moon. Then what to speak of the bliss if one is unlimitedly possessive of Kṛṣṇa, the supreme Brahman, who gives unlimited bliss by his very nature, and is decorated with all good qualities! This possessiveness is the cause of the greatest bliss for the devotees.

brahmānando bhaved eṣa cet parārddha-guṇīkṛtaḥ |

naiti bhakti-sukhāmbhodheḥ paramāṇu-tulām api ||

The bliss of Brahman realization accumulated by samādhi lasting for half of Brahmā’s life cannot compare to one drop of the ocean of the happiness of bhakti. BRS 1.1.38

Brahman is attached to the devotees and under their control, but Brahman is not attached to the sages and not under their control. Just as rivers enter the ocean and do not know their name and form, the gopīs, in relishing rasa, did not know their names and forms. The comparison does not illustrate absolute non-difference of gopīs from Brahman.

Thus they attained me. Desiring me, they attained me, the supreme Brahman, who gave pleasure to them (ramaṇam). Śukadeva said:

bhagavān api tā rātṛīḥ śāradotphulla-mallikāḥ

vīkṣya rantuṁ manaś cakre yoga-māyām upāśritaḥ

Kṛṣṇa, seeing those autumn nights scented with blossoming jasmine flowers, decided to give pleasure to the gopīs, using his yoga-māyā. SB 10.29.1

They attained me, not as a husband, but as a lover (jāram). They did not know my svarūpa of power, since they experienced only my great sweetness. Or the meaning of asvarūpa-vidaḥ can be “they did not attain sārūpya, forms similar to mine like other devotees.” If they had attained forms similar to Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa could not perform rāsa dance with them. Another meaning of asvarūpa-vidaḥ is “they did not know the beauty of their own forms, but experienced the beauty of my form.” Or another meaning is “gopīs whose svarūpas no one knew.”

O Uddhava! Give up duties and forbidden acts, the path of enjoyment and the path of renunciation, desire to hear more about dharma, and what you have already heard about dharma. Surrender to me alone, the soul of all beings, using all methods, with bhāva in your mind. You will be fearless by my mercy.

In reply to Uddhava’s question about the qualities of the devotee, Kṛṣṇa described three types of devotees.2 By their respective association, one attains mixed or pure bhakti. In order to show that he is controlled by bhakti, he stated that he is controlled by association of devotees. After describing the devotees who associate with the saintly devotees, Kṛṣṇa praised pure bhakti-yoga, situated in the gopīs and others, as being very rare. The burning tears of love for the gopis which were deeply suppressed in his heart suddenly burst forth with his statement in verse 10, in which he indicated that the gopīs had reached the highest level as devotees. To inspire Uddhava with that high level of pure bhakti, Kṛṣṇa speaks this verse.

Give up rules and prohibitions. Give up prescribed acts and forbidden acts. “Should I take sannyāsa?” No. Give up the dharma of the sannyāsīs, renunciation as well as the dharma of the householders, enjoyment. Do not hanker to hear about dharma in the future, and forget what you have heard already. By all methods, by all bhāvas in the mind, such as dāsya and sakhya, taking support of me, surrender. You will be fearless by my mercy. You are not qualified for karma or jñāna. But if you identify with those processes and thus fear sin and continued saṁsāra because of neglect of duties and jñāna, I am here, to deliver you from those two fears.

My doubt is not dispelled. You previously said that I was qualified for karma by saying mayi sarvāṇi karmāṇi nirapekṣaḥ samācara: with disinterest, give all karmas to me. (SB 11.11.22) Previous to that you said:

yad idaṁ manasā vācā cakṣurbhyāṁ śravaṇādibhiḥ

naśvaraṁ gṛhyamāṇaṁ ca viddhi māyā-mano-mayam ||

The material universe that you perceive through your mind, speech, eyes, ears and other senses is a temporary creation that is equivalent to what is made of māyā when you perceive in the waking and to what is made of the mind when you perceive in the dream state. SB 11.7.7

tasmād yuktendriya-grāmo yukta-citta idam jagat

ātmanīkṣasva vitatam ātmānaṁ mayy adhīśvare

Therefore, bringing all your senses under control and thus subduing the mind, you should see the entire world as the object of enjoyment for the jīvas, expanded everywhere, and you should also see the jīvas as controlled by me, Paramātmā.

SB 11.11.7 and 9

By these verses you have told me to practice jñāna. Now you give me qualification for bhakti by saying “Surrender to me.” I do not understand. And later you will give me qualification for karma again. Uddhava uses crooked words arising from sakhya-rasa.

O my friend Uddhava! Do not think like this! In order to help all jīvas, I am depositing with you the gems of methods to attain me—bhakti, jñāna, special qualities, yoga, austerity and dharma, which should be understood by the best devotee. You do not have any shame in identifying yourself with each item. O Uddhava! Though I teach all jīvas to practice jñāna, karma, bhakti, yoga and austerity, what I have just spoken, what I am speaking now, and what I will speak is directed to you alone. But have you become qualified for each process by such commands? To me, you are who you are. At this time, you cannot do all of these methods. I say all this to you in a joking, comforting way. I, and no one else, know the meaning of the Vedas, from which one can understand how one jīva becomes qualified for karma, jñāna or bhakti according to his condition. I alone have appeared from the mouth of four headed Brahmā as the Vedas. Kṛṣṇa then speaks this verse.

I, the Supreme Lord, am called jīva since I give life. I am that person. Pointing with his forefinger he touches his chest. I make my appearance in the mulādhāra and other cakras (vivareṣu) on Brahmā’s body. That appearance is further described. I enter the ādhāra-cakra (guhām) along with prāṇa filled with subtle sound called parā or nāda (ghoṣeṇa). I attain the subtle, mental form (manomayam) called paśyantī in the maṇipūra-cakra (below the navel) and then madhyamā (in the anāhata-cakra in the heart) and finally in the viśuddhi-cakra (at the throat) I become gross sound called vaikharī with short and long sounds, high, low and medium pitches, and various syllables of the alphabet. I then became the various branches of the Veda.

The gradually manifestation of the Vedas is described with an example. Fire resides as invisible warmth in the space within wood when the wood is first rubbed. With more rubbing of the wood, fire appears in small amount with the aid of air, as a spark. When it clearly manifests as fire, it then increases with addition of oblations. Similarly I appear gradually as the sound of the Vedas. Without me who will understand the deep meaning of the Vedas? Having understood, who will establish the methods of bhakti, jñāna and karma for delivering the jīva from saṁsāra. By mercy, I am now giving these methods to you, the most qualified person, equal to me. The sages in Badarikāśrama, receiving this knowledge from you, will be successful.

Just as the Vedas which arise from my form appeared from the body of Brahmā, material sound arises from the body of material persons in a corrupted form. Gadiḥ refers to speech using the material voice. Śruti says:

catvāri vāk parimitā padāni tāni vidur brāhmaṇā ye manīṣiṇaḥ |

guhā trīṇi nihitā neḍgayanti turīyaṁ vāco manuṣyā vadanti ||

Wise men know the four aspects of speech. They do not reveal the three hidden in the body. Men speak the fourth form. Ṛg-veda 1.164.22

The meaning is this. Speech is measured in four phases. Three are called parā, situated in prāṇa at the base of the spine, paśyantī, situated in the mind in the navel, and madhyamā situated in intelligence in the heart. The sages do not reveal their forms. The fourth, called vaikharī is speech in the vocal organ.

Just as speech is manifested from me, the actions of all the senses of the total and individual jīvas are manifested from prakṛti. Action is the function of thehands. Movement is the action of the feet. Excretion is the function of the anus and genital. These are all action senses. Smell is the function of the nose. Taste is the function of the tongue. Seeing is the function of the eye. Touch is the function of the skin. Hearing the function of the ears. These are knowledge senses. Decision is the function of the mind. Discrimination is the funciton of intelligence and citta. Identity is the function of ahaḍkāra. Sūtra or mahat-tattva is the function of pradhāna. The transformations of rajas, sattva and tamas are adhyātma, adhidaiva and adhibhūta. All of these are manifestations of matter. The statement is a continuation of the last verse.

In order to say that the material world manifested from the Lord is not different from the Lord, first the Lord is described. This Lord (jīvaḥ) is the cause of the worlds composed of the lotus of Brahmā, being the form of māyā made of three guṇas. First of all, before the creation, he was one, with no manifestation of the world. In time, he becomes the Lord (ādyaḥ) who is composed of matter, many śaktis which are divided, such as the voice, and manifest as many forms such as devatās and humans. An example of one object becoming many is described. It is like seeds which obtain a suitable womb. From one seed many sprouts grow.

This universe which takes shelter of the Lord is not different from him since it is the pastime of his māyā. This is explained with an example. In the Lord, this universe is like a cloth which is spread out with vertical and horizontal threads. As the source of saṁsāra it is called saṁsāra. This is described as a tree. It is without beginning (purāṇaḥ), containing the current of karma (karmātmakaḥ). The flower is the first manifestation of the fruit. The fruits are happiness and distress, results of piety and sin.

The metaphor is expanded. It has two seeds, piety and sin. It has a hundred roots or unlimited desires. It has three trunks or three guṇas. It has five branches, the five gross elements. It produces five saps, the five sense objects. It has eleven branches, the senses. In the tree is a nest with two birds, jīva and Paramātmā. It has three layers of bark, vāta, pitta, and śleṣmā. It has two fruits, happiness and distress. It spread up to the sun. One who goes beyond the sun becomes free of saṁsāra.

. || 11.12.23 ||

adanti caikaṁ phalam asya gṛdhrā

grāme-carā ekam araṇya-vāsāḥ

haṁsā ya ekaṁ bahu-rūpam ijyair

māyā-mayaṁ veda sa veda vedam

The vultures or householders eat one fruit of the tree and the swans or sannyāsīs eat another fruit of the tree. He who knows the universe of many forms produced by māyā by accepting worshipable gurus, knows the meaning of the Vedas.

This verse describes the enjoyers of the fruits. The vultures (gṛdhrāḥ), those who desire enjoyment, are the householders (grāme carāḥ). They eat the one fruit of the tree, suffering, made of avidyā. There is only one fruit since both hell and heaven are forms of suffering produced by avidyā. The sannyāsīs (haṁsāḥ) eat one fruit, happiness, arising from vidyā, by discrimination, since things related to jñāna all give happiness. He who knows about the many forms arising through māyā-śakti, through worshipping gurus, knows the real meaning of the Vedas.

Knowing this, having accomplished the purpose, give up all sādhana. By the axe of jñāna sharpened by the main process of bhakti which has taken a secondary role, cut the subtle body made of the three guṇas. On attaining Paramātmā, give up the practice of jñāna, the weapon. I am directing all these instructions to you (though you are beyond jñāna), just as I gave all types of instructions to Arjuna in the Gītā. You should not fear that this is detrimental for you.

Thus ends the commentary on Twelfth Chapter of the Eleventh Canto of the Bhāgavatam for the pleasure of the devotees, in accordance with the previous ācāryas.