Volume Three
Pada 4
Invocation
tvaj-jätäù kalitotpätäù
mat-präëäù santy amitra-bhit
etän çädhi tathä deva
yathä
sat-patha-gäminaù
O Supreme Personality of
Godhead, O destroyer of enemies, my
life-breaths, which are born from You, have left the path of
virtue. O Lord, please bring them under control and push them on
the path that is right.
Adhikaraëa 1
The Präëas Are Manifested From the Supreme Personality of
Godhead
Introduction by Çréla Baladeva
Vidyäbhüñaëa
In the Third Pada
contradictory scriptural passages describing
the elements were harmonized. In the Fourth Pada contradictory
passages describing the präëas (life-force and senses) will
be harmonized.
The präëas are of two kinds: primary and secondary. The
secondary
präëas are the eleven senses, beginning with the eyes. The
primary präëas are the five life-airs, beginning with
apäna.
First the secondary präëas will be examined. In the
Muëòaka
Upaniñad (2.1.3) it is said:
etasmäj jäyate präëo manaù
sarvendriyäëi ca
"From this are born
präëa, mind, and all the
senses."
Saàçaya
(doubt): Is this description of the creation of the
senses metaphorical, like the description of the creation of the
individual
souls, or literal, like the description of the creation of ether
and the other elements?
Pürvapakña
(the opponent speaks): This is explained in the
following words of the Çruti-çästra:
asad vä idam agra äsét tad ähuù
kià tad äséd iti åñayo
väva te asad äsét tad ähuù ke te
åñaya iti präëä väva
åñayaù.
"He said: In the
beginning was non-being. They said:
What was that non-being? He said: The non-being was many sages.
They said: Who were those sages? He said: Those sages were the
präëas."
This passage from the
Çruti-çästra clearly shows that the
the senses, which are here called präëas or sages, existed
before
the creation of the material world. Therefore the senses are like
the individual spirit souls (and the scriptures' descriptions of
the creation of the senses are only allegories.)
Siddhänta
(conclusion): In the following words the author of
the sütras gives His conclusion.
Sütra 1
tathä präëäù
tathä - so;
präëäù - the präëäs.
The praëas are like
that.
Purport by Çréla Baladeva
Vidyäbhüñaëa
As ether and the other
elements were manifested from the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, so the präëas and the senses
were
also manifested from Him. That is the meaning here. In the
beginning of creation the ingredients of the material world were
merged together into one. Then the different ingredients were
manifested. This is described in Muëòaka Upaniñad
(2.1.3):
etasmäj jäyate präëo manaù
sarvendriyäëi ca
"From this are born
präëa, mind, and all the
senses."
The creation of the material
senses is not like the creation
of the conscious individual spirit souls, because the souls are
free from the six transformations that are always present in
matter. When they describe the creation of the individual spirit
souls, the words of the scriptures are all allegories, but when
they describe the creation of the senses, the words of the
scriptures are literal descriptions. This is so because the
senses are by nature material. This being so, the words
präëa and
åñi (sages) in this passage refer to the Supreme
Personality of Godhead.
This is so because both these words are names of the all-knowing
Supreme Person.
Here someone may object:
Is it not so that because the words
"präëäù" and
"åñayaù" (sages) are both in the
plural it is not possible that they can here be names of the
Supreme Personality of Godhead?
In the following words the
author of the sütras answers this
objection.
Sütra 2
gauëy asambhavät
gauëé -
secondary meaning; asambhavät - because of
impossibility.
This must be a secondary
use of the word, because the
primary use is impossible.
Purport by Çréla Baladeva
Vidyäbhüñaëa
The use of the plural in
this passage from the Çruti-çästra
must be a secondary usage of the plural. Why is that? Because
there are not many Gods, there is only one God, the plural cannot
be used to describe Him. Still, the plural may be applied to Him
to refer to His many different manifestations. Although the
Supreme Lord is one, He appears in His many incarnations like an
actor assuming different roles or a vaidürya jewel displaying
differentcolors. In this secondary sense the plural is
appropriate in relation to Him. This is confirmed by the
following words of the Çruti-çästra:
ekaà santaà bahudhä dåçyamänam
"Although He is one,
the Supreme Personality of
Godhead is seen to be many."
The
Småti-çästra also explains:
ekäneka-svarüpäya
"Although He is one,
the Supreme Personality of
Godhead appears in many forms."
Sütra 3
tat präk çruteç ca
tat - that; präk -
before; çruteù - from the Çrutiçästra; ca -
and.
Because the
Çruti-çästra declares that He existed before the
creation.
Purport by Çréla Baladeva
Vidyäbhüñaëa
Because in the beginning
of creation the varieties of
material nature were not yet manifested, and thus the material
world was all one, it is also not proper to accept the use of the
plural here in a literal sense. This is so because the Çruti-
çästras declare that in the beginning of material creation
only
the Supreme Personality of Godhead existed. Therefore the plural
here must be used in a secondary sense.
In the following words the
author of the sütras gives
another reason why the word "präëa" should be
interpreted
as a name of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Sütra 4
tat-pürvakatväd väcaù
tat - that;
pürvakatvät - because of being before;
väcaù - speech.
Because speech existed
before the material creation.
Purport by Çréla Baladeva
Vidyäbhüñaëa
The word
"väcaù" (speech) here means "the
names of things other than the Supreme Personality of Godhead,
the master of many spiritual potencies". This speech existed
before the pradhäna, the mahat-tattva, and the other features of
the material world were created. Because the names and forms of the
variousmaterial features were not yet created, and because
the material senses also were not yet created at that time in the
beginning of creation, the word "präëa" here must
be used
as a name of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Båhad-
äraëyaka Upaniñad (1.4.7) explains:
tad dhedaà tarhi
"In the beginning
they were not manifested. Only
later were the material forms and names manifested."
This explains that in the
beginning of the material
creation the material names and forms were not yet manifested.
Thus at that time the material senses as well as the elements
beginning with ether, were not yet manifested.
Adhikaraëa 2
The Senses Are Eleven
Introduction by Çréla Baladeva
Vidyäbhüñaëa
After refuting this false
idea about the senses, an idea
that contradicts the descriptions in Çruti-çästra,
the author of
the sütras refutes a false idea about how many senses there are.
In the Muëòaka Upaniñad (2.1.8) it is said:
sapta präëäù prabhavanti tasmät
saptärciñaù samadhiù sapta-homäù
sapteme lokä yeñu saïcaranti
präëä
guhäçayä nihitä sapta sapta
"From Him come the
seven präëas, the seven arcis,
the seven homas, and the seven lokas. These seven are placed in
every heart."
However, in the
Båhad-äraëyaka Upaniñad (3.9.4) it is said:
daçeme puruñe präëä
ätmaikadaça
"In the living entity
there are ten präëas. The soul
is the eleventh."
Saàçaya
(doubt): Are the präëas seven or eleven?
Pürvapakña
(the opponent speaks): The pürvapakña speaks the
following sütra.
Sütra 5
sapta-gater viçeñitväc ca
sapta - of seven;
gateù - because of going;
viçeñitvät - because of the specific description;
ca - also.
Because of the departure
of seven and also because of a
specific description.
Purport by Çréla Baladeva
Vidyäbhüñaëa
The präëas are
seven. Why is that? Because that is the
opinion of scripture. In the Çruti-çästra it is
said:
saptänäm eva jévena saha
saïcära-rupäyä gateù
"Accompanied by the
seven präëas, the soul leaves
the body."
In the Kaöha
Upaniñad (6.10) it is said:
yadä païcävatiñöhante
jïänäni
manasä saha
buddhiç ca na viceñöeta
täm ähuù
paramäà gatim
"The sages say that
the supreme goal is attained
when the five knowers are at peace and the mind and intelligence
are no longer active."
This passage describes the
condition of the senses in the
state of yogic trance. This passage describes five senses, which
begin with the ears. To them are added the mind and intelligence.
In this way the living entity has seven senses. The
Çruti-çästra
also describes five working instruments, beginning with the voice
and hands, but these cannot be called senses in the primary
meaning of the word because these instruments do not accompany
the soul when he leaves the material body and also because these
instruments are less useful to the soul than the seven primary
senses.
Siddhänta
(conclusion): If this is said, the author of the
sütras replies with the following conclusion.
Sütra 6
hastädayas tu sthite 'to naivam
hasta - the hands;
ädayaù - beginning with; tu - but;
sthite - situated; ataù - therefore; na - not; evam - like
that.
But when he is situated in
that way, the hands and other
instruments are also present. Therefore it is not like that.
Purport by Çréla Baladeva
Vidyäbhüñaëa
The word "tu"
(but) is used here to begin the
refutation of the Pürvapakña's objection. Although they
are not
included among the seven, the instruments beginning with the
hands are to be considered among the präëas. Why is that?
Because
as long as the soul is situated in the material body these
instruments help in experiencing various things and in performing
various tasks. In the Båhad-äraëyaka Upaniñad
it is said:
hastau vai grahaù sarva-karmaëäbhigraheëa
gåhétäù
hastäbhyäà karma karoti.
"The hands are a
sense, for with the hands one
grasps things and performs actions."
In this way there are more
than seven senses. There are five
knowledge-acquiring senses, five working senses, and the mind. In
this way there are eleven senses. In the
Båhad-äraëyaka
Upaniñad (3.9.4) it is said:
ätmaikädaça
"The ätmä
is the eleventh sense."
The word
"ätmä" here means "the mind". In
this way it should be understood.
There are five objects of
perception: sound, touch, form,
taste, and smell. To perceive these objects there are five
knowledge-acquiring senses: ears, skin, eyes, tongue, and nose.
There are five kinds of action: speech, grasping, moving,
excretion, and reproduction. To perform these actions there are
five working senses: voice, hands, feet, anus, and genital.
To co-ordinate the actions
of all these and to take
consideration of the three phases of time (past, present, and
future), there is the mind. Sometimes the mind is considered to
have four aspects. In this way the actions of the mind are:
desiring, coming to conclusions, understanding one's identity,
and thinking. To perform these actions the mind is divided into
the heart (manaù), intelligence (buddhi), false-ego
(ahaìkära),
and thinking (citta). In this way there are eleven senses.
Adhikaraëa 3
The Senses Are Atomic in Size
Introduction by Çréla Baladeva
Vidyäbhüñaëa
Next the author of the
sütras considers the question of the
nature and size of the senses.
Saàçaya
(doubt): Are the senses all-pervading or are they
atomic?
Pürvapakña
(the opponent speaks): The senses must be all-
pervading, for things can be seen or heard from far away.
Siddhänta
(conclusion): In the following words the author of
the sütras gives his conclusion.
Sütra 7
aëavaç ca
aëavaù -
atoms; ca - and.
They are also atoms.
Purport by Çréla Baladeva
Vidyäbhüñaëa
The word "ca"
(also) is used here to indicate
certainty. The eleven senses are atomic in size. This is so
because the Çruti-çästra declares that the senses
leave
the material body. Things can be heard from far away and in other
ways be perceived from far away because the quality, or power, of
the senses extend beyond the senses themselves. As the individual
spirit soul is all-pervading within the material body, from the
head to the feet, so the senses can also act at a distance. In
this way the theory of saìkhya philosophers, that the senses
are
all-pervading, is refuted.
Adhikaraëa 4
The Principal Präëa (the Life-Force) Has an Origin
Introduction by Çréla Baladeva
Vidyäbhüñaëa
In the Muëòaka
Upaniñad (2.1.3) it is said:
etasmäj jäyate präëaù
"From Him the
präëa (life-force) is born."
Here the word
"präëa" means "the principal
präëa".
Saàçaya
(doubt): Is the principal präëa (life-force) created
in the same way the individual spirit soul is "created"
or is this präëa created in the same way ether and the other
elements are created?
Pürvapakña
(the opponent speaks): The Çruti-çästra declares:
naiña präëa udeti nästam eti
"This präëa
is never born and never dies."
The
Småti-çästra also declares:
yat-präptir yat-parityäga
utpattir
maraëaà tathä
tasyotpattir måtiç caiva
kathaà
präëasya yujyate
"Birth and death come
and go. How can birth and
death affect the präëa?"
Therefore it is concluded
that the principal präëa is
created" in the same way the individual spirit soul is
created".
Siddhänta
(conclusion): In the following words the author of
the sütras gives His conclusion.
Sütra 8
çreñöhaç ca
çreñöhaç - the principal one; ca - also.
The principal one also.
Purport by Çréla Baladeva
Vidyäbhüñaëa
The principal
präëa (life-force) is created in the same way
ether and the other elements are created. This is confirmed in
the words of the Muëòaka Upaniñad (2.1.3):
jäyate präëaù
"The präëa
was created."
In its pratijïä
statement the Muëòaka Upaniñad
declares:
sa idaà sarvam asåjata
"He created
everything."
To avoid contradicting
these words it must be accepted that
the principal präëa was also created. For this reason the
scriptural passages stating that the präëa was never created
should be understood allegorically and not literally. One
präëa is
called the principal präëa because it maintains the material
body. So its meaning can be carried into the next sütra, this
sütra is given separately and not joined to the previous
sütra.
Adhikaraëa 5
The Principal Präëa (Life-Force) Is Not Air
Introduction by Çréla Baladeva
Vidyäbhüñaëa
Now the nature of the
principal präëa (life-force) will be examined.
Saàçaya
(doubt): is the principal präëa air alone, the
vibration of air, the activities of air, or a condition of air
when it goes to another place? Which is it?
Pürvapakña
(the opponent speaks): It is the external element
of air. This is confirmed in the following statement of Båhad-
äraëyaka Upaniñad (3.1.5):
yo 'yaà präëaù sa väyuù
"The präëa
is air."
Or, perhaps the principal
präëa is the activities of air,
the inhalation and exhalation of breath. In this way it is proved
that the principal präëa is air.
Siddhänta
(conclusion): In the following words the author of
the sütras gives His conclusion.
Sütra 9
na väyu-kriye påthag upadeçät
na - not; väyu - air;
kriye - action;påthak - different;
upadeçät - because of the teaching.
It is neither air nor the
activities of air, because the
teaching is that it is different.
Purport by Çréla Baladeva
Vidyäbhüñaëa
The principal
präëa (life-force) is neither air nor the movements of air.
Why is that? The sütra explains: "Because the teaching is
that it is different". The previously quoted passage of the
Muëòaka Upaniñad (2.1.3) said that both air and
präëa
are born from the Supreme. In this way it should be understood
that air and präëa are different, for they are mentioned
separately. If air and präëa were identical, then there
would be
no need to mention them separately in this passage. If präëa
were
the movement of air then there would also be no need to mention them
both in this way. It is seen that the movements of fire and the
other elements are not separately mentioned in this passage. The
statement of the Båhad-äraëyaka Upaniñad, that
"Präëa is air" means thatpräëa is a specific kind
of air, and that präëa
is not a separate element, like fire and the other elements. That
is the meaning here.
In the Kapila-sütra
(2.31) it is said:
sämänya-karaëa-våttiù
präëädyä väyavaù païca
"The five airs,
beginning with präëa, perform that
actions of the senses in general."
Thus the saìkhya
philosophers claim that präëa performs the
actions of all the senses. This cannot be, for it is not possible
for the single präëa to perform all the actions of all the
senses.
Adhikaraëa 6
The Principal Präëa (Life-Force) Is An Instrument Used By
the Soul
Introduction by Çréla Baladeva
Vidyäbhüñaëa
In the
Båhad-äraëyaka Upaniñad it is said:
supteñu väg-ädiñu präëa eko
jägarti. präëa eko
måtyunänäptaù. präëaù samvargo
väg-ädén samvåìkte.
präëa itarän präëän rakñati
mäteva puträn.
"When speech and the
other senses sleep, präëa alone
remains awake. Präëa alone is untouched by death.
Präëa controls
speech and the other senses. As a mother protects her children,
so one präëa protects the other präëas."
Saàçaya
(doubt): Is this principal präëa identical with the
independent spirit soul residing in the material body or is this
principal präëa an instrument that assists the spirit soul?
Pürvapakña
(the opponent speaks): Because the Çruti-çästra
describes this präëa as having many powers and glories, therefore
this principal präëa is the independent spirit soul.
Siddhänta
(conclusion): In the following words the author of
the sütras gives His conclusion.
Sütra 10
cakñur-ädi-vat tu tat saha
çiñöhyädibhyaù
cakñuù - the
eyes; ädi - beginning with; vat - like;tu - indeed;
tat - that; saha - with; çiñöhyä -
teaching;ädibhyaù - because of
beginning with.
Indeed, it is like the
eyes and other senses,
because it is taught along with the senses.
Purport by Çréla Baladeva Vidyäbhüñaëa
Here the word
"tu" (indeed) is used to dispel
doubt. The präëa (life-force) is an instrument used by the
individual spirit
soul. It is like the eyes or the other senses. Why is that? The
sütra explains: "Because it is taught along with the
senses." The präëa is described along with the eyes and
senses.
Things of a like nature are generally described together. as
example of that is the Båhadratha meters, which are described
together. This is also confirmed by the use of the word
ädi" (beginning with) in the sütra.
That the präëa
is here grouped with the senses is seen in
the following passage:
yatra väyaà mukhyaù präëaù sa
eväyaà madhyamaù präëaù
"There is a principle
präëa and there is a secondary
präëa."
In this way the idea that
the präëa is the independent spirit
soul is refuted.
Adhikaraëa 7
The Principal Präëa (Life-Force) is the Primary Instrument
of the Soul
Introduction by Çréla Baladeva
Vidyäbhüñaëa
Here someone may object:
Is it not so that if it is to be
counted among the senses, the principal präëa must have a
function to perform where it assists the soul? The principal
präëa has no such function. Also, if the principal
präëa is one
of the senses, then the senses, beginning with the eyes, would
be twelve in number.
In the following words the
author of the sütras answers this
objection.
Sütra 11
akaraëatväc ca na doñas tathä hi
darçayati
akaraëatvät -
because of not having a sepcific function;
ca - and; na - no; doñaù - fault; tathä - so;hi -
indeed; darçayati - shows.
Also, there is no fault in
not having a function, for the
scriptures show it.
Purport by Çréla Baladeva
Vidyäbhüñaëa
The word "ca"
(also) is used to answer the previous
objection. The word "karaëa" here means
activity". It is not a defect on the part of the präëa
that
is has no specific function to assist the soul, for it does have
an important function in that it is the support and the resting
place of the physical senses. That is the meaning here. In the
following passage, the Chändogya Upaniñad (5.1.1) shows
this:
atha ha präëä aham çreyasi vyüdire. . . .
"The senses argued
among themselves. Each one said:
`I am the best.' They then approached their father, Lord Brahmä,
and asked him, `O lord, who among us is the best?' Brahmä
replied, `He whose departure causes the greatest calamity for the
body is the best.
"Then the voice
departed from the body and stayed
away for an entire year. When he returned, he asked: `How is it
that you were able to live without me?' Although it could not
speak, still the body could breathe with the präëa, see with
the
eyes, hear with the ears, and think with the mind. Then the voice
again entered the body.
"Then the eyes
departed from the body and stayed
away for an entire year. When they returned, they asked: `How is it
that you were able to live without me?' Although it could not see, the
bodycould breathe with the präëa, speak with the
voice, hear with the ears, and think with the mind. Then the voice
again entered the body.
"Then the ears
departed from the body and stayed
away for an entire year. When they returned, they asked: `How is it
that you were able to live without us?' Although it could not
hear, still the body could breathe with the präëa, see with
the
eyes, speak with the voice, and think with the mind. Then the
ears again entered the body.
"Then the mind
departed from the body and stayed
away for an entire year. When he returned, he asked: `How is it
that you were able to live without me?' Although it could not
think, still the body could breathe with the präëa, see with
the
eyes, speak with the voice, and hear with the ears. Then the mind
again entered the body.
"When the
präëa was about to depart it began to
uproot all the senses. It became like a spirited horse uprooting
the posts to which it is tethered. Then the other senses appealed
to the präëa, "Please do not go. Please stay with us.
You
are the best of all of us."
In this way it is seen
that the principal präëa has an
important function to perform in relation to the spirit soul. The
soul is the enjoyer and the performer of actions. The soul is
like a king, the senses his royal attendants, and the principal
präëa his prime minister, who helps attain the king's
objectives.
In this way the präëa is the most important of the soul's
instruments. However, the präëa is still not independent of
the
soul itself.
Adhikaraëa 8
The Principal Präëa Has Five Functions
Introduction by Çréla Baladeva
Vidyäbhüñaëa
In the
Båhad-äraëyaka Upaniñad (1.5.3) it is said:
sa eña väyuù païca-vidhaù
präëo 'päno vyäna udänaù
samänaù
"The präëa
is air. There are five präëas: präëa,
apäna, vyäna, udäna, and samäna."
Saàçaya
(doubt): Are these five, beginning with apäna,
different from präëa, or are they merely different functions
of
präëa?
Pürvapakña
(the opponent speaks): Because they have
different names and functions, therefore they are different.
Siddhänta
(conclusion): In the following words the author of
the sütras gives his conclusion.
Sütra 12
païca-våttir mano-vad vyapadiçyate
païca - five; våttiù
- functions; manaù - the mind;vat - like;
vyapadiçyate - is said.
Like the mind, it is said
to have five functions.
Purport by Çréla Baladeva
Vidyäbhüñaëa
The präëa is
one, although it assumes five different
functions when present in the different places, such as the
heart, of the body. In this way the präëa is described. In
this way these are different functions of präëa and not
different
präëas themselves. Because these functions are different,
therefore different names are employed. Still, there is no
difference in their natures. In the Båhad-äraëyaka
Upaniñad
(1.5.3) it is said:
präëo 'päno vyäna udänaù samäna
iti. etat sarvaà präëa
eva.
"There are five
präëas: präëa, apäna, vyäna,
udäna, and samäna. These five are all one
präëa."
In this way
präëa is like the mind. In the Båhad-äraëyaka
Upaniñad(1.5.3) it is said:
kämaù saìkalpo vikalpo vicikitsä
çraddhä dhåtir adhåtir
hrér dhér bhér ity etat sarvaà mana eva.
"The mind's functions
are: desire, determination,
doubt, error, faith, steadfastness, unsteadiness, shame,
intelligence, and fear. All these are mind."
All these have different
functions and different names, but
they are not different from mind itself. They are the various
functions of the mind. In the yoga-çästra, also, it is
said that
the mind has five functions. This is the meaning of the
scriptures, either hinted at or explicitly shown in the texts.
Adhikaraëa 9
The Principal Präëa Is Atomic
Introduction by
Çréla Baladeva Vidyäbhüñaëa
Saàçaya
(doubt) Is the principal Präëa atomic or all-
pervading?
Pürvapakña
(the opponent speaks): In the Båhad-äraëyaka
Upaniñad (1.3.22) it is said:
sama ebhis tribhir lokaiù
"Präëa is
equal to the three worlds."
This and other passages of
Çruti-çästra declare that präëa
is all-pervading.
Siddhänta
(conclusion): In the following words the author of
the sütras gives his conclusion.
Sütra 13
aëuç ca
aëuù - atomic;
ca - also.
It is also atomic.
Purport by Çréla Baladeva
Vidyäbhüñaëa
The principal
präëa is also atomic in size. This is so
because the Çruti-çästras declare that the principal
präëa leaves
(the material body at the time of death). Scriptural passages
describing the principal präëas as atomic should be
understood to
mean that living entities everywhere are dependent on the
principal präëa.
Adhikaraëa 10
The Supreme Personality of Godhead is the Moving Force Behind the
Präëa
Introduction by Çréla Baladeva
Vidyäbhüñaëa
In the
Båhad-äraëyaka Upaniñad it is said:
supteñu väg-ädiñu präëa eko
jägarti.
"When speech and the
other senses sleep, präëa alone
remains awake. Präëa alone is untouched by death.
Präëa controls
speech and the other senses. As a mother protects her children,
so one präëa protects the other präëas."
In this way the function
of the principal präëa is
described.
The functions of the
secondary präëas are described in the
following passage:
sapteme lokä yeñu saïcaranti
"The päëas
move in seven realms."
Thus the secondary
präëas move among the senses.
Saàçaya
(doubt): Do the secondary präëas move by their own
power among the senses, or does something else create the movement
of the präëas? Are the präëas moved by the
demigods, the
individual spirit soul, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead?
Pürvapakña
(the opponent speaks): Endowed with the power of
action, the präëas move themselves. Or perhaps the demigods
move
them. In the Aitareya Upaniñad (2.4) it is said:
agnir väg bhütvä mukhaà präviñad
"Becoming speech,
Agnideva entered the mouth."
Or perhaps the individual
spirit soul moves the präëas. This
may be so because the präëas are instruments the soul uses
to
attain enjoyment.
Siddhänta
(conclusion): In the following words the author of
the sütras gives His conclusion.
Sütra 14
jyotir-ädy-adhiñöhänaà tu tad
ämananät
jyotiù -
effulgence; ädy-adhiñöhänam - the supreme ruler;
tu - indeed; tat - that; ämananät - because of the
description.
Indeed, light is the
controller, because that is the
description.
Purport by Çréla Baladeva Vidyäbhüñaëa
The word "tu"
(indeed" is used here to dispel
doubt. The word "jyotiù" (light) here means "the
Supreme Personality of Godhead". He is the mover
(adhiñöhänam)
of the präëas. The affix lyuö in the word
adhiñöhänam" makes it mean "the
mover". Why is
the Supreme Personality of Godhead the mover of the präëas?
The
sütra explains: "Because that is the description". This
means "Because it is understood that the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, as the all-pervading Supersoul, moves the
präëas and senses. In the Båhad-äraëyaka
Upaniñad (3.7.16)
it is said:
yaù präëeñu tiñöhan
"The Supersoul stays
in the midst of the präëas and
moves them."
That the demigods and the
individual spirit soul may also move
the präëas is not disputed here, but the präëas
cannot move
themselves, for they are only inert matter.
Hoping to enjoy, the
individual spirit soul also moves the
präëas. That is described in the next sütra.
Sütra 15
präëavatä çabdät
präëavatä -
by the person who possesses the präëas;
çabdät - because of the Çruti-çästra.
By the person who
possesses the präëas, because of the
Çruti-çästra.
Purport by Çréla Baladeva
Vidyäbhüñaëa
The word
"präëavatä" (the person who possesses the
präëas) refers here to the individual spirit soul. Hoping to
enjoy, the spirit soul moves the präëas and senses. Why is
that?
The sütra explains: "çabdät" (because of
the Çruti-
çästra). In the Båhad-äraëyaka
Upaniñad (2.1.18) it is said:
sa yathä mahä-räjo jänapadän
gåhétvä sve janapade yathä-
kämaà parivartate evam evaiña etat
präëän gåhétvä sve
çarére yathä-kämaà parivartate.
"As a great king
rules the subjects in his kingdom, so the individualspirit soul rules the
präëas in his body."
This is the gist of the
matter: The Supreme Personality of
Godhead is the supreme ruler of the präëas and the demigods
and the individual spirit soul also rule the senses. The former
(the demigods) rule the präëas and senses by enabling them
to
act, and the latter (the individual spirit souls) rule the
präëas
and senses with the hope of attaining enjoyment. By exerting
their wills, the individual souls thus move the präëas.
There is no alternative to
this description. This the author
of the sütras explains in the following words.
Sütra 16
tasya ca nityatvät
tasya - of this; ca - and;
nityatvät - because of eternality.
Because this is eternal.
Purport by Çréla Baladeva
Vidyäbhüñaëa
Because He has an eternal
relationship with them, the all-
powerful Supersoul is the actual controller and mover of them. He
should be considered the primary mover and controller. This is
confirmed in the words of the Antaryämi-brähmaëa
(Båhad-
äraëyaka Upaniñad 3.7).
Adhikaraëa 11
The Principal Präëa Is Not a Sense
Introduction by Çréla Baladeva
Vidyäbhüñaëa
In this subject another
doubt is raised.
Saàçaya
(doubt): Are the principal präëa and the other
präëas also senses?
Pürvapakña
(the opponent speaks): Because they assist the
individual spirit soul, all the präëas are considered to be
senses.
Siddhänta
(conclusion): In the following words the author
of the sütras gives His conclusion.
Sütra 17
ta indriyäëi tad vyapadeçäd anyatra
çreñöhät
te - they;
indriyäëi - senses; tat - that;vyapadeçät - because of
the description; anyatra - otherwise; çreñöhät
- from the best.
They are senses, for that
is the description. Only the
principal one is not.
Purport by Çréla Baladeva
Vidyäbhüñaëa
With the sole exception of
the principal präëa, the präëas
are all senses. Why is that? The sütra explains: "For
that is the description." In the Muëòaka
Upaniñad (2.1.3) it is
said:
etasmäj jäyate präëaù
manaù
sarvendriyäëi ca
"From the Supreme
Personality of Godhead are born
the principal präëa, the mind, and the senses."
In this way, with the sole
exception of the principal
präëa, the präëas are the senses, such as the ears
and the
others. In the Småti-çästra it is said:
indriyäëi daçaikaà ca
"There are eleven
senses."
In another place in the
Çruti-çästra it is said:
präëo mukhya sa tv anindiriyam
"The principal
präëa is not a sense."
Here someone may object:
Is it not so that in the Båhad-
äraëyaka Upaniñad (1.5.21) it is said:
hantasyaiva sarve rüpam asämetyetasyaiva sarve rüpam
abhavat.
"The senses then
assumed the form of the principal
präëa. They all assumed his form."
Because the secondary
präëas are senses and because the
secondary präëas are merely functions of the principal
präëa,
therefore the principal präëa is also a sense. How can you
claim,
then, that the principal präëa is not a sense?
To the this objection the
author of the sütras gives the
following reply.
Sütra 18
bheda-çruteù
bheda - difference;
çruteù - from Çruti-çästra.
Because the
Çruti-çästra says it is different.
Purport by Çréla Baladeva
Vidyäbhüñaëa
In the Muëòaka
Upaniñad (2.1.3) it is said:
präëo manaù sarvendriyäëi
"From the Supreme
Personality of Godhead are born
the principal präëa, the mind, and all the senses."
In this way, because it is
mentioned apart from the senses
in this passage, the principal präëa is clearly different
from
the senses. That is the meaning here.
Here someone may doubt:
The mind is also mentioned apart
from the senses in this passage. It must be that the mind is not
a sense.
This doubt is answered by
the following words of Bhagavad-
gétä (15.7):
manaù ñañöhéndiyäni
"The mind is one of
the six senses."
Lord
Kåñëa also declares (Bhagavad-gétä 10.22):
indriyäëäà manaç cäsmi
"Of the senses I am
the mind."
Sütra 19
vailakñaëyäc ca
vailakñaëyät
- because of different qualities; ca - also.
Also because of different
qualities.
Purport by Çréla Baladeva
Vidyäbhüñaëa
During sleep the principal
präëa is active, but the ears and
other senses are not. The principal präëa supports the body
and
senses, but the senses are only instruments for perception and
work. In these ways the principal präëa and the senses have
different qualities. Thus it is said that as the individual
spirit souls are dependent on the Supreme Personality of Godhead,
so the senses are dependent on the principal präëa.
Adhikaraëa 12
The Forms of the Material World Are Created by the Supreme
Personality of Godhead
Introduction by Çréla Baladeva
Vidyäbhüñaëa
The scriptures declare
that the material elements, the
senses, everything else in the material world, and the
individual spirit souls also, are all manifested from the Supreme
Personality of Godhead. Now we will consider the question: Who
created the individual forms (vyañöi) of this world?
After describing the
creation of fire, water, and earth, the
Chändogya Upaniñad (6.3.2-4) explains:
seyam devataikñata hantäham imäs tisro devatä
anena
jévenätmanänupraviçya näma-rüpe
vyäkaraväëi täsäà
tri-våtam ekaikaà karaväëéti.
seyaà devatemäs tisro
devatä anena jévenätmanänupraviçya
näma-rüpe vyäkarot
täsäà tri-våtaà tri-våtam
ekaikäm akarot.
"After creating the
splendid elements of fire, water, and
earth, the Supreme Personality of Godhead thought, `Now I shall
enter these three splendid elements with the individual souls and
thus I shall create names and forms. One by one, I shall make
them three.' Then the Supreme Personality of Godhead entered
those three splendid elements with the individual souls, created
names and forms, and, one by one, made the splendid elements into
three."
Saàçaya
(doubt): Is this creation of names and forms the
work of the Supreme Personality of Godhead or an individual
spirit soul?
Pürvapakña
(the opponent speaks): It is the work of an
individual spirit soul. In the Chändogya Upaniñad the Lord
says,
"With an individual soul I shall create." The
instrumental case here is not used in the sense of
with". When the meaning of an agent is possible in this case
it is not reasonable to accept a meaning that carries the sense
of a preposition. Neither is the meaning of "an
instrument" possible here, for the Supreme Personality of Godhead
can do anything simply by His will and therefore He has no need
is employ an individual spirit soul to do anything. Neither can
it be said that in this situation the entrance into the creation
is done by an individual spirit soul and the creation of names
and forms is done by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, for the
use of the indeclineable past participle here indicates that the
entrance and the act of creation were both performed by the same
agent. Neither is the use of the first-person in the verb
vyäkaraväëi" (I shall create) inappropriate here, for
it is
like saying, "With a spy I will enter the enemy army and see
it." Neither isall this merely my own idea, for the Çruti-
çästra declares:
viriïco vä idaà virecayati vidadhäti brahmä
väva viriïca
etasmäd dhéme rüpa-nämané
"the demigod
Brahmä is called viriïca because he
organizes (virec) the material universe. From him have come the
names and forms of the material universe."
The
Småti-çästra also declares:
näma-rüpe ca bhütänäm
"The demigod
Brahmä created the names and forms of
the creatures in the universe."
Therefore the creation of
names and forms was done by an
individual spirit soul.
Siddhänta
(conclusion): In the following words the author of
the sütras gives His conclusion.
Sütra 20
saàjïä-mürti-kl_ptiç ca tri-våt
kurvata upadeçät
saàjnä -
names; mürti - forms; kl_ptiù - creation;ca - and;
tu - but; tri-våt - in three parts; kurvate -
does;upadeçät - from
the teaching.
But the creation of names
and forms in groups of three is done
by the creator, for that is the teaching.
Purport by Çréla Baladeva
Vidyäbhüñaëa
The word "tu"
(but) is used here is begin the
refutation of the opponent's argument. Here the word
saàjïä-mürti" means "names and
forms" and the word
"kl_ptiù" means "creation". The words
"tri-våt
kurvataù" (done by the creator) indicate that this
creation was
done by the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself and not by an
individual spirit soul. Why is that? The sütra explains:
upadeçät" (because that is the teaching). Thus the
scriptures
affirm that this creation was done by the Supreme Personality of
Godhead. Thus the creation of threes and the creation of names
and forms were both done by the same creator. That is the
meaning.
The creation of threes was
effected in the following way:
tréëy ekaikaà dvidhä kuryät
try-ardhäni vibhajed
dvidhä
tat-tan-mukhyärdham utsåjya
yojayec ca
tri-rüpatä
"The creator divides
in half each of the three
elements. Three of these halves He then divides in half again.
Then He joins the smaller halves to the larger halves. In this
way the compound elements, made of three parts, are created."
This is like the process
called païcé-karaëa. It cannot be
said that this creation of threefold compound elements is within
the power of the demigod Brahmä. That is so because Brahmä
was
born after the universal egg had been created from these
threefold compound elements made of fire, water, and earth. This
is corroborated by Manu-saàhitä (1.9):
tasminn aëòe 'bhavad brahmä
sarva-loka-pitämahaù
"Brahmä, the
grandfather of all the worlds, was born
in the egg of the universe.
Therefore the creation of
names and forms and the creation
of threefold compound elements were both done by the same
creator. It should not be thought, because of the sequence
apparently described in the text, that the creation of names and
forms preceded the creation of threefold compound elements. The
creation of threefold compound elements came first, and only
after that creation the creation of name and forms was
effected. The universal egg cannot be created by the elements of
fire, water and earth before those elements are compounded in the
three ways. That this is not possible is described in the
following words of Çrémad-Bhägavatam (2.5.32-33):
yadaite 'saìgatä bhävä
bhütendriya-mano-guëäù
yadäyatana-nirmäëe
ne çekur
brahma-vittama
"O Närada, best
of the transcendentalists, the
forms of the body cannot take place as long as these created
parts, namely the elements, senses, mind, and modes of nature, are
not assembled.*
tadä saàhatya canyonyaà
bhagavac-chakti-coditäù
sad-sattvam upädäya
cobhayaà
sasåjur hy adaù
"Thus when all these
became assembled by the force
of the energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, this
universe certainly came into being by accepting both the primary
and secondary causes of creation."*
The process of
païcé-karaëa is also described here. In this
way the creation should be understood. In the process of
païcé-
karaëa each of the five elements is divided in half, half of the
halves are again divided in half, and the smaller halves are then
joined with the larger in compound elements. In Chändogya Upaniñad(6.5.1) it is said:
annam açitaà tridhä vidhéyate
"When food is eaten
it is transformed in three
ways."
This transformation is completely different from the
threefold combination of earth and the other elements previously
described. Therefore this passage cannot be used to support the
theory that the individual spirit soul is the creator of the
names and forms of this world. The scriptural passage uses the
phrase "ätmanä jévena". By thus placing
these two words
in apposition, it is clear that the word "jéva"
(individual soul) here means "by the Supreme Personality
of Godhead, whose potency is the individual spirit souls". In a
similar way the passage beginning with the words
virïco vä" is also explained.
Understood in this way the
indeclineable past participle
"praviçya" and the third-person verb following it can
be
understood in their primary meanings without any difficulty. In
this way it is easily seen that the two actions described by the
words "praviçya and "vyäkaraväëi"
are certainly
performed by the same agent. Therefore it is certainly the
Supreme Personality of Godhead who performed the act of creation
described in the verb "vyäkaraväëi". This is
corroborated
by the following words of Taittiréya Araëyaka (3.12.16):
sarväëi rüpäëi vicitya dhéro
nämäni
kåtväbhivadan yad äste
"The all-knowing
Supreme Personality of Godhead
created all forms and names."
Adhikaraëa 13
The Vehicles of the Soul Are Made of Earth
Introduction by Çréla Baladeva
Vidyäbhüñaëa
Now the nature of the
material body, which is called by the
name "mürti" will be examined. In the
Båhad-ärayaìka
(3.2.13) it is said that the material body is made of earth:
çaréraà påthivém apy eti
"The material body
becomes earth."
However, in the
Kauëòinya-çruti it is said that the
material body is made of water:
adbhyo hédam utpadyate äpo väva mäàsam
asthi ca bhavanty
äpaù çaréram äpa evedaà sarvam.
"From water the
material body is created. Water
becomes transformed into flesh and bones. The entire body is
water."
Another text of the
Çruti-çästra claims that the material
body is made of fire:
saù agner deva-yonyäù
"The demigods' bodies
are made of fire."
Saàçaya
(doubt): What is the truth here?
Pürvapakña
(the opponent speaks): One text says the material
body is made of earth, another says it is made of water, and
another that it is made of fire. Because the scriptures give
these three differing explanations, the truth cannot be
ascertained.
Siddhänta
(conclusion): In the following words the author
of the sütras give His conclusion.
Sütra 21
mäàsädi bhaumaà yathä-çabdam
itarayoç ca
mäàsa - flesh;
ädi - beginning with; bhaumam - earth;
yathä - as; çabdam - the Çruti-çästra;
itarayoù - of the othertwo;
ca - also.
As the
Çruti-çästra says, the flesh and other
ingredients are made of earth. It also so for the other two.
Purport by Çréla Baladeva
Vidyäbhüñaëa
Flesh and other
ingredients are made of earth. However,
blood is made of water, and bones are made of fire. This is
described in the Çruti-çästra
(yathä-çabdam). In the Garbha
Upaniñad it is said:
yat kaöhiëaà sä påthivé yad
dravaà tad äpo yad uñëaà
tat tejaù
"What is hard in the
body is made of earth, what is
liquid is made of water, and what is hot is made of fire."
In this way it is proved
that all material bodies are made of
these three elements.
Here someone may object:
If the material elements are all
compounded of three elements, none of the elements pure, but all
of them mixtures of elements, then why do the scriptures say,
"This part of the body is made of fire, this part is made
of water, and this part is made of earth."?
To this objection the
author of the sütras gives the
following reply:
Sütra 22
vaiçeñät tu tad-vädas tad-vädaù
vaiçeñät - because of the specific nature; tu - but;
tat - of
that; vädaù - statement; tat - of that; vädaù
- statement.
Because of its specific
nature, thus it is so said. Thus it
is so said.
Purport by Çréla Baladeva
Vidyäbhüñaëa
The word "tu"
(but) is used to dispel doubt.
Everywhere in the material world the elements are arranged in
threefold compounds with one element predominating. The elements
are therefore named according to the predominating element. The
word "tad-vädaù" is repeated to indicate the end
of the
chapter.
Epilogue
vardhasva kalpäga samaà samantät
kuruñva
täpa-kñatim äçritänäm
tvad-aìga-saìkérëi-karäù
paräs tä
hiàsrä
lasad-yukti-kuöhärikäbhiù
O tree that fulfills all
desires, please extend yourself in
all directions. To they who take shelter of you please give
the shade that stops all troubles. The glistening axes of logic
have now cut away the underbrush that chokedyou.