Volume Four
Adhikaraëa 11
The "Neti Neti" Text Explained
Introduction by Çréla Baladeva
Vidyäbhüñaëa
Here someone may object:
It is not true that the individual
spirit soul is a separate conscious person in some ways like the
Supreme Personality of Godhead. The individual soul is only a
reflection of the Supreme. In the Båhad-äraëyaka
Upaniñad (2.3.1)
it is said:
dve väva brahmaëo rüpe mürtaà
caivämürtaà ca
"The Supreme has two
forms: the subtle and the
gross."
After dividing the five
elements into two categories, the
Upaniñad declares that all are forms of the Supreme. Then the
Upaniñad (2.3.6) declares:
tasya haitasya puruñasya rüpaà yathä
mahärajanaà väso
yathä päëòv-ävikaà yathendragopo
yathägny-arcir yathä
puëòarékaà yathä sakåd
vidyutaà sakåd vidyutaiva ha vä
asya çrér bhavati ya evaà veda.
"That person's form
is like gold, like white wool,
like an indragopa, like a burning flame, like a white lotus, like
a lightning flash. He who understands this becomes splendid like
a lightning flash."
Then, having described
this person splendid like gold, the
Upaniñad (2.3.6) declares:
athäta ädeço neti neti. na hy etasmäd iti. nety
anyat param
asti. atha nämadheyam satyasya satyam iti. präëa vai
satyaà
teñäm eva satyam.
"This is the
teaching: No. No. Not than Him. Nothing
is greater than Him. Nothing is greater than Him. His name is the
truth of the true. He is life. He is truth. He is truth."
The meaning of this
passage is this: the Supreme is greater
that all the subtle and gross things in the material world.
No person or thing is greater than Him. That is the meaning of
the words, "No. No." in this passage. The words
No. No." therefore mean "Not than the Supreme
Personality of Godhead". The word "no" is repeated
twice
to mean, "the material elements and material desires are
not greater than Him" or to mean, "inanimate matter and
the conscious living beings are not greater than Him", or to mean
"other groups of two are not greater than Him". Thus he speaks
the teaching(ädeça): "No" (na). In this way he
says, "No person or thing is greater than the Supreme
Personality of Godhead".
Here someone may object:
Is it not so that this passage
means, "As the material world does not exist in reality,
so the Supreme Personality of Godhead also does not exist in
reality? That is the meaning of the Upaniñad's assertion
no". The form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, which is
eternal and spiritual, and which ends all illusions, is not
different from the visible material world. This also means that
the individual spirit soul is also not different from the Supreme
Personality of Godhead. The spirit soul is a reflection of the
Supreme. The individual spirit soul, who is atomic, and the
Supreme, who is all-pervading, are not different. They are like
the air in a pot and the air in the great sky. Therefore it is
not correct to say that they are different.
If this objection is
raised, then the author of the sütras
gives the following reply:
Sütra 22
prakrtaitävattvaà hi pratiñedhati tato
bravéti ca bhüyaù
prakrtä - the topic
under discussion; etävattvam - being like
that; hi - indeed; pratiñedhati - denires; tataù -
then;bravéti - says;
ca - and; bhüyaù - more.
The previous statement
denies that He is like them. It
affirms that He is greater.
Purport by Çréla Baladeva
Vidyäbhüñaëa
This passage of
Çruti-çästra does not teach that the one
Supreme has no qualities. It teaches only that the Supreme is not
like other persons. It teaches that the Supreme is superior to
all others. In this way the Çruti-çästra affirms
that the
Supreme is not like other persons or things. The Båhad-
äraëyaka Upaniñad's (2.3.1) statement that the subtle
and
gross elements of the world are forms of the Supreme does not
mean that the Supreme is like the things of this world. The forms
of the Supreme are not material. Therefore it is said that the
Supreme is superior to everything in the material world and
therefore He has the name "the truth of the true". That
is the teaching here. He is more than the forms of this world.
Because His form has no limit, therefore the Upaniñad declares,
"No. No." that is the meaning here. The meaning is that
the form of the Lord is not like the subtle and gross forms of
the material world. He is not like them because His form is
eternal and true, and therefore He has the name "the
truth of the true". This is what the
Çruti-çästra teaches. Then
the scriptures affirm "No person or thing is greater than
Him". (na hy etasmät). Because nothing is greater than Him,
therefore He has the name "the truth of the true". That is
why the text heresays, "no". By this explanation of a
small part of the Lord's nature, the Lord's nature as a whole may
be understood.
Now the word
"nämadheyam" will be explained. The
Lord's name here is "satyasya satyam" (the truth of the
true). This name describes the form of the Supreme. Then the text
declares that the Supreme is "präëa".
Präëa" here means,
"the life of all that live". In this way the Lord's forms
are superior to all others. This proves that the Lord's form is
better than all other forms, either spiritual or material. No
other form is better than His. In the material world the material
forms are of two kinds: subtle and gross. That the Supreme Lord's
forms are not material is explained in Båhad-äraëyaka
Upaniñad
(2.3.6). Then the text declares that the Supreme is the truth of
life. Because both the Lord and the individual spirit souls are
not made of the material elements, which begin with ether,
therefore they are both called truth. However, unlike the
individual spirit souls, the Supreme is not subject to the
different transformations of the material nature, which grant and
remove true knowledge in different circumstances. Thus the
individual spirit soul is certainly spiritual and conscious.
However, the Supreme Personality of Godhead is superior to the
individual souls for the Supreme Lord has limitless auspicious
qualities. When they are understood, then devotion for the Lord
naturally develops. Thus the Çruti-çästra does not
deny the existence
of the Lord's form, for in Båhad-äraëyaka
Upaniñad (2.3.6) the
Lord's spiritual form was described. Only a madman would state
one thing and then immediately contradict his own words.
Therefore the author of the sütras says that "the Supreme
is not like that". The author does not say "the Lord has
no form at all". Thus the proper explanation is given.
Adhikaraëa 12
The Form of the Lord
Introduction by Çréla Baladeva
Vidyäbhüñaëa
Now it will be proved that
the Supreme Lord's form is
spiritual and not perceivable by the material senses. This must
be so, for if the Lord were not spiritual, that is, if he
were an ordinary, common, easily available material object, like a
pot or something of that nature, then it is not possible that
there should be love and devotion for Him. The
Çruti-çästra also
affirms this, for it says:
sac-cid-änanda-rüpäya
"I offer my
respectful obeisances to the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, whose form is eternal and full of
knowledge and bliss."
Saàçaya
(doubt): Is the Supreme Lord's form spiritual, and
thus beyond the understanding of the material senses, or is it
material, and thus easily seen by the material senses?
Pürvapakña
(the opponent speaks): The Lord's form must be
material, for many demigods, demons, and human beings have
certainly seen it.
Siddhänta
(conclusion): In the following words the author of
the sütras gives His conclusion.
Sütra 23
tad avyaktam äha hi
tat - that; avyaktam -
unmanifest; äha - said; hi - indeed.
Scripture says it is
unmanifest.
Purport by Çréla Baladeva
Vidyäbhüñaëa
The Lord can be seen only
by spiritual senses. This is
described in Kaöha Upaniñad (6.9):
na sadåçe tiñöhati rüpam asya na
cakñuñä paçyati kaçcanainam
"The Supreme Lord's
form is not like that. Material
eyes have never seen His form."
In
Båhad-äraëyaka Upaniñad (3.9.26) it is said:
agåhyo na hi gåhyate
"The Supreme
Personality of Godhead is not perceived
by material senses."
In the
Bhagavad-géöa (8.21) it is said:
avyakto 'kñara ity uktas
tam ähuù
paramäà gatim
"They say He is
unmanifest and infallible. They say
He is the supreme destination."
Adhikaraëa 13
The Supreme Personality of Godhead Can Be Seen
Introduction by Çréla Baladeva
Vidyäbhüñaëa
Now will be revealed the
truth that although the Supreme
Lord is spiritual by nature, still He can be seen by they who
have love, devotion, and spiritual wisdom. If the Supreme
Personality of Godhead were always invisible and never to be
seen, then it would not be possible to have love and devotion for
Him. In the Kaivalya Upaniñad (2) it is said:
çraddhä-bhakti-dhyäna-yogäd avaiti
"One who has faith
and devotion, and who meditates
on Him, can see the Supreme Personality of Godhead."
In this way it is explained that a faithful devotee who
meditates on Lord Hari, attains the direct sight of Lord Hari.
Saàçaya
(doubt): Is the Supreme Lord seen by the mind or by
the eyes and other senses?
Pürvapakña
(the opponent speaks): The Supreme Lord is seen
by the mind. This is described in Båhad-äraëyaka
Upaniñad (4.4.19):
manasaivänudrañöavyam
"The Supreme
Personality of Godhead is indeed seen
by the mind."
Siddhänta
(conclusion): In the following words the author of
the sütras gives His conclusion.
Sütra 24
api samrädhane pratyakñänumänäbhyäm
api - certainly;
samrädhane - in worship; pratyakña - by the
Çruti-çästra; anumänäbhyäm - by the
Småti-çästra.
Certainly it is in worship
because of the Çruti-çästra and
Småti-çästra.
Purport by Çréla Baladeva
Vidyäbhüñaëa
The word "api"
(certainly) is used here to mock the
pürvapakña (opponent). When one has sincere devotion
(samrädhane) with one's eyes and other senses one can directly
see the Lord. Why is that? The sütra explains: "Because
of the Çruti-çästra and
Småti-çästra." In the Kaöha Upaniñad
(2.4.1)it is said:
paräïci khäni vyatåëat svayambhüs
tasmät parän
paçyati näntarätman
kaçcid dhéraù pratyag ätmänam
aikñad
ävåta-cakñur amåtatvam icchan
"The Supreme
Personality of Godhead made the
conditioned souls gaze at external things and not at what is within
the heart. A rare saint who yearns for liberation will look
inside his heart and see the Supreme Lord staying there."
In the Muëòaka
Upaniñad (3.1.8) it is said:
jïäna-prasädena viçuddha-sattvas
tatas tu taà
paçyati niñkalam dhyäyamänaù
"In the course of his
meditation a pure-hearted
saint will become enlightened. Then he sees the perfect Supreme
Lord directly."
In the
Bhagavad-gétä (11.53-54) The Lord Himself declares:
nähaà vedair na tapasä
na dänena na
cejyayä
çakya evam-vidho drañöuà
dåñöavän asi mäà yathä
"The form you are
seeing with your transcendental
eyes cannot be understood simply by studying the Vedas, nor by
undergoing serious penances, nor by charity, nor by worship. It
is not by these means that one can see Me as I am.*
bhaktyä tv ananyayä çakya
aham evam-vidho 'rjuna
jïätuà drañöuà ca tattvena
praveñöuà ca parantapa
"My dear Arjuna, only
by undivided devotional
service can I be understood as I am, standing before you, and
can thus be seen directly. Only in this way can you enter into
the mysteries of My understanding."*
In this way it is proved
that with the aid of devotional
service one can see Lord Hari directly. Thus with the aid of the
eyes and other senses one can perceive the Lord directly. Thus
the Lord can be perceived by the senses. Thus the word
eva" (indeed) in Båhad-äraëyaka Upaniñad
(4.4.19) does not
hint that one cannot see the Lord with the aid of senses.
Sütra 25
prakäçädi-vac cävaiçeñyät
prakäça -
fire; ädi - beginning with; vat - like;ca - and; a - not;
vaiçeñyät - with differences.
He is (not) like fire or
other things, for He has no such
different features.
Purport by Çréla Baladeva
Vidyäbhüñaëa
The word "na"
(not) should be taken from a
previous sütra (3.2.19) and placed here also.
Here someone may object:
As fire has two forms: subtle and
gross, the subtle form invisible and unmanifest, and the gross
form visible and manifest, so does the Supreme Lord also have two
forms in the same way.
If this objection is
stated, then I reply: "No. It
is not so." Why not? The sütra explains: "Because He is
not subtle and gross like fire". The
Båhad-äraëyaka Upaniñad
(3.4.4) explains:
asthülam anaëv ahrasvam