Entanglement in Fruitive Activities

In the Thirty-second Chapter, after speaking about returning to the world by sakāma-karma and not returning to the world by niṣkāma-karma, Kapila criticizes those who are not devotees.

Having explained the results of condemned sinful activities, now Kapila explains the results of prescribed activities with material desire. Living in his house, he enjoys the results of the various dharmas: kāma, artha and dharma. And again he performs those dharmas. After grazing the cows in the field one milks them, and then again, after getting the milk, one puts them back to graze.

Though the person performs activities according to scripture he is also to be criticized.

Having drunk soma on the moon (somapāḥ), he falls down to earth again (eṣyati).

What is the use if the planets are destroyed? The planets they attain are covered with water at the end of each day of Brahmā.1 The time mentioned is the destruction at the end of the day of Brahmā.

Having described sakāma-karma persons, Kapila now describes niṣkāma-karma practitioners. They do not desire the results of their actions of dharma (na duhanti). They are unattached (niḥsaḍgāḥ) and offer the results of their actions to the Lord (nyasta-karmaṇaḥ).

Engrossed in actions of detachment, with no sense of possessiveness or ego, with consciousness purified completely, having attained sattva by performance of prescribed duties, going by the path of the sun they attain the perfect Lord, the controller of higher and lower beings, who is the material and efficient cause of the universe.

Gaining knowledge, they attain the perfect (viśvato-mukham) Supreme Lord. This means they actually attain liberation. Śruti also says sūrya-dvāreṇa te virajāḥ prayānti tatrāmṛtaḥ puruṣo hy avyayātmā: purified, they go by the sun planet to the place where the indestructible immortal person resides. (Muṇòaka Upaniṣad 2.11) They attain the Lord who is the material cause (prakṛti) of the universe (asya) and the efficient cause (utpatty-anta-bhāvanam).

Brahmā is just a guṇāvatāra of the Supreme Lord. The worshippers of Hiraṇyagarbha by bhakti-miśra-jñāna gradually attain liberation along with Brahmā. Śruti2 says:

brahmaṇā saha te sarve samprāpte pratisañcare

parasyānte kṛtātmānaḥ praviśanti paraṁ padam

Those who are on Brahma-loka with exalted status at the time of dissolution go directly to the supreme abode, along with Lord Brahmā. Kūrma Purāṇa 1.11.284

However, if they worship only Hiraṇyagarbha without bhakti for Viṣṇu, then they do not attain liberation when Brahmā is liberated. That is explained in three verses. Loka refers to Brahmaloka. They meditate on Brahmā (parasya).

At the time of great dissolution, Brahmā becomes liberated. He desires to give up his body of Vairāja, surrounded by the elements starting with earth. He, composed of the three guṇas, but predominated by rajoguṇa, enters the Supreme Lord, the antaryāmī of prakṛti (Mahāviṣṇu), knowing the time of two parārdhas (parākhyam).

Those who worship Brahmā but do not have bhakti, do not attain liberation with Brahmā. Those yogīs who, having entered Brahmaloka, enter the body of Brahmā, then enter the Supreme Lord, the excellent Brahman (brahma pradhānam). Having the idea that they are the worshippers of Brahmā (agatābhimānāḥ), they do not permanently remain merged in the Supreme Lord, but temporarily. When the universes are again created, they enter into the universe.

Since without bhakti no one can become liberated, you should surrender to the Lord alone. O bhāvini (instead of bhāmini), who think of me, the Supreme Lord as your son! I have given teachings of bhakti to you, but that is useless since you are so advanced.

sa saṁsṛtya punaḥ kāle

kāleneśvara-mūrtinā

jāte guṇa-vyatikare

yathā-pūrvaṁ prajāyate

aiśvaryaṁ pārameṣṭhyaṁ ca

te 'pi dharma-vinirmitam

niṣevya punar āyānti

guṇa-vyatikare sati

Sometimes, Brahmā, creator of the moving and non-moving beings, the knower of the Vedas, along with the sages, the lords of yoga, the Kumāras and other perfected beings, and practitioners of yoga, because of seeing difference and false identity by conceptions of being a doer enters into the Supreme Lord by execution of activities with detachment, but is born again after some time by the force of the Lord in the form of time, with the disturbance of the guṇas. The sages also, endowed with powers by their pious acts, come back when the guṇas become disturbed.

“How can we understand that Brahmā gets liberation but he does not desire to liberate his devotees?” Brahmā’s liberation is also only an appearance. In the Gītā the Lord says mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te: those who surrender to me cross over my māyā. (BG 4.11) From this it is understood that even Brahmā does not get liberation if he does not have bhakti. What to speak of his inferiors then! That is explained these verses. Brahmā, though the cause (ādyaḥ) of living beings, though the knower of all the Vedas, along with sages like Marīci, the most perfect of yogīs, what to speak of practicing yogīs, has false identity because of seeing that he is different from the Lord. “I, Brahmā, am the creator, Viṣṇu is the maintainer, Śiva is the destroyer.” Thus thinking himself the best doer, he enters into Lord endowed with auspicious qualities (saguṇam) at the time of great destruction, and again, after some time, when mahat-tattva and other elements again appear because of disturbance of the guṇas, he is born again as Brahmā (yathā pūrvam). The sages accompanying Brahmā, enjoying powers such as aṇima by their karma, jñāna and yoga in the previous mahākalpa, come back again at the beginning of the next mahākalpa.

How is it possible for the greatest of yogīs like the Kumāras and other perfected beings and gurus omniscient through yoga practice to have false conceptions of identity and to see difference? How could they be great masters of yoga but have false identity and see difference? Without false conceptions, they search out the undifferentiated Brahman, but, having the conception that Brahman takes on variety only through māyā, they see difference in the personal form of Lord who actually excludes difference, just as one sees difference between material objects. And they identify themselves as realizers of Brahman and reject the Lord with form. With this vision and identity, they think they are doers, having a right to action. Therefore they return. What has been described here are Brahmā, sages, yogīs, jñānīs and Kumāras who are devoid of bhakti in some particular universe. The Brahmās and sages of all other universes have bhakti, and thus attain liberation and prema-bhakti with dāsya and other relationships according to their degree of bhakti.

Because of their absence of bhakti, Brahmā and others return to the place where people perform sakāma-karma. This is criticized in six verses. They perform kāmyā (apratisiddhāni) as well as daily duties (nityāni). These (though recommended in scriptures) are criticized. What to speak then of performing sinful actions!

Hari-medhasaḥ means “of he who knows (medhas) how to destroy (hari) saṁsāra.”

Topics about the Lord alone are sweet. Rejecting those, they hearing everything else—material subjects. Who would not enjoy nectar if they receive it? Pigs, rejecting milk and sweets, seek out only rubbish.

They are reborn among their sons and family members (prajāyante). They perform all prescribed activities of scripture from impregnation to the funeral rites.

How do they take rebirth on earth? This verse explains. Their pious results are exhausted and then they fall again. Udayaḥ means “acting for enjoyment.”

After describing those dedicated to nivṛtta-karma, Kapila advised his mother to surrender to the Lord (verse 11). After describing those dedicated to pravṛtta-karma, Kapila again advises his mother. Do not engage in pravṛtta-karma or nivṛtta-karma. Just worship the Supreme Lord with devotion, with your complete mind. How to do that? You should worship the Lord whose lotus feet are for the purpose of worship (bhajanīyam) by bhakti, caused by his qualities. To what honey bee would a lotus not give pleasure?

Even the person desiring jñāna should perform bhakti. Brahma-darśanam means realization of Brahman

When the mind of a person with some bhakti does not perceive differences such as good or bad in material objects which are equally accepted by the senses, by intelligence he then experiences himself as jīva endowed with detachment, with equal vision, devoid of conceptions of good or bad, and then realizes Vaikuṇtha or Brahman, which is almost achieved.

By what symptoms should jñāna and vairāgya produced by bhakti be understood? This verse answers. Jñāna occurs when the mind of a person with some bhakti, being fixed in the Lord by attraction to his qualities, does not accept inequality in material objects to be seen, heard or touched, which are actually all equal as far as being received by the senses. Inequality means “This is good to hear, this is not good to hear.” He treats equally stone and gold which may be criticized or praised by others. By intelligence he experiences the jīva, and by its detachment, he experiences Vaikuṇtḥa (padam) or Brahman, which is almost achieved.

In the chapter on bhakti yoga it is said:

paśyanti te me rucirāṇy amba santaḥ

prasanna-vaktrāruṇa-locanāni

rūpāṇi divyāni vara-pradāni

sākaṁ vācaṁ spṛhaṇīyāṁ vadanti

O mother! The devotees see my attractive, red eyes in my smiling face and my spiritual forms which bestow blessings. They speak pleasing words with me.

SB 3.25.35

From this it can been that the result of bhakti is to be the Lord’s associate, filled with prema, in the Lord’s abode. In the chapter on jñāna, it has been said:

mad-bhaktaḥ pratibuddhārtho mat-prasādena bhūyasā

niḥśreyasaṁ sva-saṁsthānaṁ kaivalyākhyaṁ mad-āśrayam

Becoming my devotee, understanding the ultimate truth, by my bountiful mercy, he easily attains the highest benefit, his svarūpa, called Brahman, which is under my shelter. SB 3.27.28

The result of jñāna is merging in Brahman. In the chapter on aṣṭāḍga-yoga it has been said:

muktāśrayaṁ yarhi nirviṣayaṁ viraktaṁ

nirvāṇam ṛcchati manaḥ sahasā yathārciḥ

ātmānam atra puruṣo 'vyavadhānam ekam

anvīkṣate pratinivṛtta-guṇa-pravāhaḥ

When the mind of the perfect yogī becomes devoid of material objects, under the shelter of the Lord, and detached from all material objects, that mind suddenly gets destroyed, just as a flame dies without oil and wick. The jīva, having destroyed misconceptions of his body, then sees his ātmā without coverings. SB 3.28.35

The result of yoga is merely liberation by jñāna and vairāgya. In verse 22 and 23 of this chapter it is said that all the results of bhakti, jñāna and yoga are achieved by performing bhakti alone. This is also stated in the following verses:

akāmaḥ sarva-kāmo vā mokṣa-kāma udāra-dhīḥ |

tīvreṇa bhakti-yogena yajeta puruṣaṁ param ||

The person desiring destruction of all desires, the person with all desires, even the person with the intense desire for liberation, if he has good intelligence, will worship the Supreme Lord with pure bhakti. SB 2.3.10

yat karmabhir yat tapasā jñāna-vairāgyataś ca yat

yogena dāna-dharmeṇa śreyobhir itarair api

sarvaṁ mad-bhakti-yogena mad-bhakto labhate 'ñjasā

svargāpavargaṁ mad-dhāma kathañcid yadi vāñchati

Everything that can be achieved by karma, penance, jñāna, vairāgya, mystic yoga, charity, dharma and all other auspicious means of perfecting life is easily achieved by my devotee through bhakti. If somehow or other my devotee desires Svarga, liberation, or residence in my abode, he easily achieves such benedictions. SB 11.20.32.-33

What is the logic behind this? The present verse answers. The one Bhagavān, full of six auspicious qualities, the Lord of Vaikuṇṭha, is perceived as different forms by different worshippers (bhāvaiḥ) with different sādhanas such as jñāna (dṛśi) (dṛśyādibhiḥ). Instead if īyate (perceived) sometimes īryate (is called) is seen. Dṛśyādibhiḥ can also mean “with visible (òṛṣya) and invisible (adṛśya) svarūpas.” The quality of the parabrahman is pure consciousness alone (jñāna-mātram). The quality of Paramātmā is the Supreme Lord (īśvaraḥ pumān). Because Bhagavān contains both Brahman and Paramātmā, by bhakti as sādhana to the Bhagavān one achieves the perfect of bhakti (sādhya) to Bhagavān—being the Lord’s associate full of prema, and as well, one attains merging with the Lord, the perfection of jñāna and yoga. On the other hand, by practicing jñāna for Brahman or yoga for Paramātmā, one does not attain the position of an associate of the Lord with prema, for this is no where stated in scriptures. Because of the formlessness of Brahman it is said to be invisible (adṛśya), and because Paramātmā also has a formless feature, he is also said to be invisible. According to some authorities, worshippers of Paramātmā realize a visible form of the Lord since that is described in the śruti such as Puruṣa-sūkta and in the Bhāgavatam:

kecit sva-dehāntar-hṛdayāvakāśe

prādeśa-mātraṁ puruṣaṁ vasantam |

catur-bhujaṁ kañja-rathāḍga-śaḍkha-

gadā-dharaṁ dhāraṇayā smaranti ||

Some yogīs meditate upon the Paramātmā measuring one pradeśa, who is residing in the heart within the body, and who holds the lotus, wheel, conch and club in his four hands. SB 2.2.8

Because Bhagavān is both Brahman and Paramātmā, he is said to be invisible (adṛṣya). When the Lord becomes visible as avatāra, he is both visible and invisible (since he contains Brahman and Paramātmā).

It is said in the Viṣṇu Purāṇa (1.2.55):

prākṛtaṁ brahma-rūpasya viṣṇoḥ sthānam anuttamam

tatrāvyakta-svarūpo ’sau vyakta-rūpo jagat-patiḥ

viṣṇu-brahma-svarūpeṇa svayam eva vyavasthitaḥ

Viṣṇu in the form of Brahman, the invisible form, is inferior. The Lord of the universe also has a superior, visible form. He is situated as both Viṣṇu and Brahman.

Anuttamam means inferior. Thus the invisible form of Brahman is lower, and the visible form is superior.

This verse describes common practice and results for all three types of worshippers. For the devotees, jñānīs and yogīs (yoginaḥ), by bhakti, jñāna and aṣṭāḍga yogas (etāvān yogena), complete detachment from sense objects (asaḍgaḥ) is recognized as the desired goal (abhimataḥ arthaḥ), since it helps achieve the desired goal. By complete detachment alone one’s desired goal of prema or liberation is achieved.

“I have a desire to perform bhakti, have heard about it and understood it. Curious about jñāna and yoga, I have heard about them and understood them. But in jñāna I have not understood completely about non-dual knowledge. Therefore explain that briefly.” Thus Kapila speaks about the jñāna approved by the followers of the theory of vivarta. What is called the one knowledge or non-duality or Brahman falsely appears by error of the jīva to be objects endowed with qualities by the senses which are turned towards material enjoyment, stimulated by māyā-śakti (parācīnaiḥ). Thus the jīva thinks “This drum sounds nice, this woman is beautiful, this milk is tasty.” In the absence of all the senses, because of absence of knowledge of distinctions, only the one knowledge, non-dual Brahman, exists. “Then is there complete falsity in the objects perceived through error?” No. Error simply means to perceive a shell to be silver, when one is not aware that it is actually a shell and one then thinks “That is silver.” (The existence of shell and silver are not denied.)

One sees forms by the eye. The eye is the sense. The person is the doer. And the knowledge has form as its object. There is merely experience of variety in Brahman which is actually consciousness alone. The different elements of knowledge, characterized by the doer, the sense and the action, are created by māyā, the external energy. One should understand that they are not false. Jīva, created by ignorance, a function of Brahman, errs from his natural knowledge and develops infinite types of knowledge because of distinguishing doer, sense and action. There is the manifestation of error in the jīva because of the various types of knowledge, the various objects (artha-rūpa). Though pure Gaḍgā water exists, cows and donkeys have an illusion of its existence in water troughs because of their thirst. There is no knowledge without error for mankind.

Because of distinction of the senses, when they are turned towards the Lord (opposite of parācīnaiḥ) one can appreciate the sweet sound of Kṛṣna’s flute and the beauty of his form. Thus knowledge of distinctions in spiritual objects is not rejected. The devotees speak in the above way in relation to the Brahman feature of the Lord.

The previous verse explained that the Brahman appears as various objects. Everything in the material world falls in the category of these objects (artha-rūpa). That is shown in this verse. The citta or mahat-tattva (mahān), the ahaḍkāra (ahaṁ-rūpaḥ), composed of three guṇas, and the five elements and sense objects, the eleven senses, the totality of jīvas and the individual jīvas (svarāt), the body of the pure jīva and the universe are the components from which the material universe appears. When mahat-tattva and other elements become the objects of intelligence, they become various objects or artha-rūpa.

This verse explains the qualification for jñāna. Etad refers to Brahman, the form of knowledge.

Now Kapila summarizes the topic to make it easier to understand. Gurvi means “O mother!”

Because of the necessity of jñāna in practice of yoga, in this discussion only two processes, jñāna and bhakti, are discussed. Though there are two different results, attaining Brahman and attaining the Lord, according to previous statements, there is actually only one ultimate result, attainment of the Lord, since the Lord includes Brahman. Jñāna is called man-niṣṭha (fixed in me) because Brahman is contained in Bhagavān. Jñāna is without guṇas (nairguṇyaḥ). The goal of jñāna and bhakti (bhakti-lakṣaṇaḥ) is one. What is it? The goal is he who is known by the word Bhagavān. The Lord also explains this in Gītā:

ye tv akṣaram anirdeśyam avyaktaṁ paryupāsate |

sarvatra-gam acintyaṁ ca kūṭa-stham acalaṁ dhruvam ||

sanniyamyendriya-grāmaṁ sarvatra sama-buddhayaḥ |

te prāpnuvanti mām eva sarva-bhūta-hite ratāḥ ||

But those who worship the unnamed, formless entity, all-pervading in space and time, the inconceivable, unchanging, eternal Brahman, completely subduing their senses, looking on all things equally, intent on the welfare of all, attain me alone-- in the form of impersonal Brahman. BG 12.4

brahmaṇo hi pratiṣṭhāham amṛtasyāvyayasya ca |

śāśvatasya ca dharmasya sukhasyaikāntikasya ca ||

I am the basis of impersonal Brahman, the basis of indestructible liberation, the basis of the eternal method bhakti and the basis of the bliss of the unalloyed devotee. BG 14.27

Both merging in Brahman and prema can be accomplished only by Bhagavān.

The Lord is not only realized by jñāna and bhakti. Because he has infinite powers, the Lord is realized by all sādhanas. An example is given. One substance like milk, the reservoir of many qualities like form and taste, is perceived in various ways by various senses operating on different paths (pṛthag-dvāraiḥ). By the eye, milk is perceived to be white, and by the tongue it is perceived as sweet. By touch it is cool, by the nose it is perceived as fragrant. By the ear, it is defined as milk. One by one, each perceivable quality is perceived by its particular sense, and not by other senses. It is realized as a possessor of a certain quality by that particular sense, and not as milk itself. But it is perceived by the king of senses, the mind, as something possessing all the qualities. “This substance is giving pleasure, satisfaction, white, sweet, cool, fragrant and is called milk.” Similarly, one portion of the Lord is perceived by karma, jñāna and other scriptural processes (śāstra-vartmabhiḥ), as the Lord who gives Svarga or as the ātmā or Brahman who gives liberation, since the Lord is also the form of Svarga and liberation. But by bhakti, the chief sādhana, Bhagavān, the object of prema, who includes all the other forms and who gives all results, is realized. This is explained by consulting Laghu-bhāgavatāmṛta (1.5.201-205).

yathā rūpa-rasādīnāṁ guṇānām āśrayaḥ sadā |

kṣīrādir eka evārtho jñāyate bahudhendriyaiḥ ||201||

dṛśā śuklo rasanayā madhuro bhagavāṁs tathā |

upāsanābhir bahudhā sa eko’pi pratīyate ||202||

Just as one substance such as milk is the shelter of many qualities such as form and taste as perceived through various external senses, such as white color by the eye and sweet by the tongue, so Bhagavān though one entity appears as many different forms according to the type of worship.

jihvayaiva yathā grāhyaṁ mādhuryaṁ tasya nāparaiḥ |

yathā cakṣur-ādīni gṛhṇanty arthaṁ nijaṁ nijam ||203||

tathānyā bāhya-karaṇa-sthānīyopāsanākhilā |

bhaktis tu cetaḥ sthānīyā tat tat sarvārtha-lābhataḥ ||204||

As the tongue alone and no other sense can perceive the sweet taste and as the eye or any other senses can perceive its specific sense object, so the different types of worship depending on the external senses perceive limited aspects of the Lord, and bhakti depending on the mind perceives all qualities in the Lord

iti pravara-śāstreṣu tasya brahma-svarūpataḥ |

mādhuryādi-guṇādhikyāt kṛṣṇasya śreṣṭhatocyate ||205||

Thus the best of scriptures explain the superiority of Kṛṣna over the Brahman aspect of Kṛṣna because of his full manifestation of qualities such as sweetness.

ātma-tattvāvabodhena

vairāgyeṇa dṛòhena ca

īyate bhagavān ebhiḥ

saguṇo nirguṇaḥ sva-dṛk

By pious actions, sacrifices, charities, by austerity, by study and discussion of the Vedas, by control of the senses and mind, by renunciation of all duties,

by practice of the various aḍgas of yoga, by the addition of bhakti to all these processes, by sakāma and niṣkāma varṇāśrama duties which are for enjoyment and liberation, by understanding the nature of ātmā, and by firm detachment, the Lord is perceived as Svarga, Brahman, Paramātmā and Bhagavān.

In three verses, the scriptural paths are explained. Pious actions, sacrifices and charity are actions for the householder. Austerity is for the vānaprastha. Study and discussion (marśanaiḥ) of the Vedic texts is for the brahmacāri. Controlling the mind and senses and renouncing all duties is for the sannyāsi. Bhakti-yogena, with the word ca, in the context, means bhakti-miśra duties, sacrifices and charities of the householder, since without mixing those actions with bhakti, those actions cannot give their desired results. The words eva and hi, indicating limitation and certainty, indicate that only (eva) by including bhakti can the results definitely (hi) be accomplished. Just as Bhagavān is the chief form of the Lord, bhakti is the chief among all processes.

Dharmeṇobhaya-cihnena means “by sakāma and niṣkāma dharma.” That is then clarified by saying pravṛtti-nivṛttimān. Saguṇa means attainment of Svarga by duties, sacrifice and charities. Nirguṇa means Brahman and Paramātmā attained by sannyāsa and yoga. Sva-dṛk means “the lord who sees only his own (sva) pure devotees because of attachment.” Or it can mean “the Lord in whom there is realization (dṛk) of his own form (sva), not partial forms like Paramātmā.” It means Bhagavān who is attained by pure bhakti.

Having summarized jñāna-yoga, and showing its dependence on bhakti to Bhagavān, who is attained by bhakti, by a suitable example Kapila showed Bhagavān to be the goal of all paths. Now Kapila summarizes bhakti-yoga and other processes in two verses. The four varieties of bhakti are bhakti in tamas, rajas, and sattva and bhakti which is beyond the guṇas.

Kapila shows those who are not qualified for these teachings. Some people attempt to understand by false bhakti for evil purposes (khalāya). Others are devoid of conduct as students (avinītāya). Others are proud (stabdhāya). Others have different opinions (bhinnāya). Others are fixed in dharma simply for material gain and fame (dharma-dvajāya).

Some persons, though devoid of the previous faults, are strongly attached to material enjoyment (lolupāya). Others, though not overly involved in material enjoyment, are attached to sons, wife and wealth. Though one may not have any of the above faults or other faults not mentioned, one is disqualified from the teaching if one is not a devotee. Out of error or inattention one may instruct such persons sometimes. However, one should never teach those who hate the devotees.

The previous items are in the locative case and the last item is in the accusative case. This indicates that the other persons are secondary, and the last person must be completely avoided. It the others cannot be taught, then what to speak of the person who hates devotees.

One should teach this to devotees having faith, to those with proper conduct, to those without hatred for any living being, who are friendly to all beings, who are eager to serve, to those who are detached from external objects, to those with peaceful minds, to those who are unselfish, to those who are pure, and to those for whom I am the most dear among all dear things.

Two verses list those who are qualified for instruction. Bahir-jāta-virāgāya means “to those who are detached from external objects.”

What to speak of the good fortune for the performers of these actions, hear about the good fortune that arises just from hearing and chanting about this topic. Fixing his mind on me (mat-cittaḥ), he attains the place where my feet rest (padavīm).

Thus ends the commentary on Thirty-second Chapter of the Third Canto of the Bhāgavatam for the pleasure of the devotees, in accordance with the previous ācāryas.