Volume Four
The
Småti-çästras also affirm it.
Purport by Çri_la Baladeva Vidyäbhüñaëa
Çri_mad-Bhägavatam (3.30.23) explains:
tatra tatra patan chränto
mürchitaù
punar utthitaù
pathä päpéyasä nétas
tarasä
yama-sädanam
"While passing on
that road to the abode of
Yamaräja, he falls down in fatigue, and sometimes he becomes
unconscious, but he is forced to rise again. In this way he is
very quickly brought to the presence of Yamaräja."*
In the
Småti-çästra it is also said:
sarve caite vaçaà yänti yamasya bhagavan.
"O Lord, all sinners come under Yamar_ja's control."
In this way the sages and
Småti-çästras affirm that the
sinners come under Yamaräja's control.
Sütra 16
api sapta
api - also; sapta - seven.
There are seven and others
also.
Purport by Çri_la Baladeva Vidyäbhüñaëa
In the
Mahäbhärata it is said:
rauravo 'tha mahäàç caiva
vahnir
vaitaraëé tathä
kumbhépäka iti proktäny
anitya-narakäëi
tu
tamisras cäëòa-tämisro
dvau nityau
samprakértitau
iti sapta pradhänäni
baléyas
tüttarottaram
"The temporary hells
named 1. Raurava, 2. Mahän, 3.
Vahni, 4. Vaitaraëi_, and 5. Kumbhi_päka, as well as the
permanent
hells named 6. Tamisra, and 7. Andha-tamisra, are said to be the seven
mostimportant hells, each one more horrible than the
last."
Thus the
Småti-çästra explains that sinners are punished
for their sins in these hells. These hells are the places where
sinners go. The word "api" (also) is used to indicate
that in the Fifth Canto of Çri_mad-Bhägavatam other hells
are
also described.
Here someone may object:
Does this (the description of
Yamaräja's punishment of sinners) not contradict the scriptures'
declaration that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the
supreme controller of everything?
The author of the
sütras now answers this objection:
Sütra 17
taträpi ca tad-vyäpäräd avirodhaù
tatra - there; api - even;
ca - also; tat - of Him;
vyäpärät - because of the activities; a - without;
virodhaù - contradiction.
There is no contradiction,
for He also acts there.
Purport by Çri_la Baladeva Vidyäbhüñaëa
The word "ca"
(and) is here used for emphasis.
Yamaräja and others punish sinners by the command of the Supreme
Personality of Godhead. This does not contradict the scriptures'
description of the Lord's supremacy. That is the meaning. The
Puräëas affirm that, on the Supreme Lord's order,
Yamaräja and
others punish sinners.
Here someone may object:
It must be that, after receiving
punishment from Yamaräja, sinners also ascend to Candraloka. This
must be so, for the Kauçi_taki Upaniñad affirms that all
who
leave this world travel to Candraloka.
To refute this misconception the author of the sütras
speaks
the following words.
Sütra 18
vidyä-karmaëos tv iti prakåtatvät
vidyä - of knowledge;
karmaëoù - of action; tu - but;iti - thus;
prakåtatvät - because of being the topics.
But because pious deeds
and knowledge are the topics.
Purport by Çri_la Baladeva Vidyäbhüñaëa
The word "tu"
(but) is used to begin the answer to the previousobjection. The word
"na" (It is not so) is to be
understood in this sütra. Sinners do not go to Candraloka. Why
not? The sütra explains that only they who perform pious deeds or
are situated in true knowledge (vidyä-karmaëoù)
travel to the
worlds of the devas and pitäs. That is the description of the
scriptures (prakåtatvät). In the Chändogya
Upaniñad (5.10.1) it
is said that they who are situated in knowledge travel on the path to
the
devas. In Chändogya Upaniñad (5.10.3) it is said that they
who
perform pious deeds travel on the path to the pitäs. Thus when it
is said that all (sarve) go to Candraloka, the meaning is that
all who have qualified themselves in these ways go to Candraloka.
Here someone may object:
Is it not so that without first
going to Candraloka it is not possible for sinners to attain a
new material body? This is the reason: Because (without first
going to Candraloka) it is not possible to offer the fifth
libation (by which one attains a new body). Therefore, in order
to attain a new material body, all must first go to Candraloka.
If this objection is
raised, then the author of the sütras
gives the following reply.
Sütra 19
na tåtéye tathopalabdheù
na - not;
tåtéye - in the third; tathä - so;upalabdheù - because
of the perception.
Not so in the third, for
it is so perceived.
Purport by Çri_la Baladeva Vidyäbhüñaëa
In the third place there
is no need to offer the fifth
libation to attain a new material body. Why not? The sütra
explains: "tathopalabdheù" (because it is so
perceived).
This means: "Because the Çruti-çästra affirms
that it is
so." In the Chändogya Upaniñad the following question
is posed:
yathäsau loko na sampüryate
"Do you know why the
world never becomes filled?"
The answer is given
(Chändogya Upaniñad 5.10.8):
athaitayoù pathor na katareëa ca tänémäni
kñudräëy asakåd
avåtténi bhütäni jévanti jäyasva
mriyasvety etat tåtéyaà
sthänam. tenäsau loko na sampüryate.
"There are these two
paths and there is also another
path, where many tiny creatures live, and where they are ordered:
`Now you must be born.' and `Now you must die.' It is because of
this third place that the world never becomes filled."
Aside from the worlds of
the devas and the worlds of the pitäs, there isanother, a third world, the
home of tiny
creatures like mosquitoes, insects, and worms, creatures who do
not go to the higher worlds, but are simply again and again
ordered: "Now you must be born." and "Now you
must die." In this way they are born again and again and they
die again and again. That is the meaning. Their abode is this
third world. It is said that sinners take birth in the bodies of
these insects and other lower creatures. Their place is the third
world because it is different from the first and second worlds:
Brahmaloka and Dyuloka.
Because they have not
attained true knowledge and thus
become able to travel to the world of the devas, and because they
have not performed pious deeds and thus become able to travel to
the world of the pitäs, they become tiny creatures like
mosquitoes and insects and they stay in a third world. That is
why the other worlds do not become filled to overflowing. These
creatures neither rise to nor descend from the celestial worlds
of Dyuloka, and for that reason Dyuloka does not become
overfilled. They stay in a third world, where they do not offer
the fifth oblation in order to attain a new body.
Sütra 20
smaryate 'pi ca loke
smaryate - affirmed in the
Çmåti-çästra; api - and;ca - also;
loke - in the world.
The Småti-çästras
affirm that it is also in this world.
Purport by Çri_la Baladeva Vidyäbhüñaëa
In this world also some
pious persons, Droëa and
Dhåñöadyumna are two examples, also attain new
bodies without
offering a fifth oblation. This is described in the Småti-
çästras. The words "api ca" (and also) hint that
there
are other examples also.
Sütra 21
darçanäc ca
darçanät -
from seeing; ca - also.
From seeing also.
Purport by Çri_la Baladeva Vidyäbhüñaëa
In the Chändogya
Upaniñad (6.3.1) it is said:
teñäà khalv eñäà
bhütänäà tréëy eva béjäni
bhavanti. aëòa-jaà jéva-jam udbhij-jam.
"Living beings are
born in one of three ways. Some
are born from an egg, some are born live, and some are plants
sprouting from aseed."
The Çruti-çästra affirms that plants
sprouting from a seed
and tiny creatures born from perspiration take birth without the
fifth oblation. They neither ascend to nor descend from
Candraloka. They are born from water without the fifth oblation.
This view is not contradicted by the scriptures.
Here someone may object:
The passage you quoted from
Chändogya Upaniñad mentioned three kinds of birth but did
not
mention birth from perspiration.
The author of the sütras
now gives his answer to this
objection.
Sütra 22
tåtéya-çabdävarodhaù
saàçoka-jasya
tåtéya -
çabda - word; avarodhaù - description; saàçoka -
from
grief; jasya - born.
The grief-born is included
in the third word.
Purport by Çrila Baladeva Vidyäbhüñaëa
The perspiration born
creatures, here called grief-born, are
included in the description of plants born from seeds. Because
they are both born by bursting forth, one bursting from earth and
the other bursting from water, they are considered in the same
class. They differ in that one one (the perspiration-born
creatures) has the power to move about and the other (the plants)
does not. In this way it is proved that they who do not perform
pious deeds do not go to Candraloka.
Adhikaraëa 4
The Soul Does Not Become Ether
Introduction by Çrila Baladeva
Vidyäbhüñaëa
It has already been shown
that the soul who performs pious
deeds goes, accompanied by his subtle material body, to
Candraloka, and (after some time again) descends, accompanied by
the remnant of his karma, (to the earth). The way this happens is
described in Chändogya Upaniñad (5.10.5):
athaitam evädhvänam punar nivartante yathetam
äkäçasm
äkäçäd väyuù bhavati väyur
bhütvä dhümo bhavati dhümo
bhütvä abhraà bhavaty abhraà bhütvä
megho bhavati megho
bhütvä pravarñati
"He returns by this
path. First he becomes ether.
From ether he becomes air. Having become air he becomes smoke.
Having become smoke he becomes mist. Having become mist he
becomes a cloud. Having become a cloud, he becomes rain."
Saàçaya
(doubt): Is the descent literally like this, or is it
not like this?
Pürvapakña
(the opponent speaks): This account of the
descending soul becoming ether and other things is to be
accepted literally. During its descent does the soul become
completely identical with these various things, or does it become
only similar to them? If the soul becomes only similar, then a
secondary interpretation of the passage must be accepted. For
this reason it should be understood that the soul becomes
completely identical with these different things.
Siddhänta
(conclusion): In the following words the author of
the sütras gives His conclusion.
Sütra 23
tat-sväbhävyäpattir upapatteù
tat - of them;
sväbhävya - similarity;äpattiù - attainment;
upapatteù - because of being reasonable.
It is similar to them, for
that is reasonable.
Purport by Çrila Baladeva Vidyäbhüñaëa
This passage should be
interpreted to mean that the soul
becomes similar to these things. Why is that? The sütra explains:
"upapatteù" (for that is reasonable). On Candraloka
the
soul attains a a body suitable for enjoyment. However, when the time
forenjoyment comes to an end, that body perishes in the
fire of grief, just as mist perishes in the sunlight. Thus
deprived of its external body, the soul becomes like ether. Then
the soul comes under the control of air. Then the soul comes into
contact with smoke and the other things. That is a reasonable
explanation of these events. This is so because it is not
possible for one thing to become another, and also because if
it did indeed become ether or these other things, it would
not be possible for the soul to continue its descent.
Adhikaraëa 5
The Passage From Ether to Rain Is Quick
Introduction by Çrila Baladeva
Vidyäbhüñaëa
Saàçaya
(doubt): Is the soul's descent from ether to rain
accomplished quickly or slowly?
Pürvapakña
(the opponent speaks): No outside force pushes
it, so the soul must proceed very slowly.
Siddhänta
(conclusion): In the following words the author of
the sütras gives His conclusion.
Sütra 24
näti-cireëa viçeñät
na - not; ati - very;
cireëa - for long; viçeñät - becauseof
something specific.
Not for very long, because
of something specific.
Purport by Çrila Baladeva Vidyäbhüñaëa
The soul's descent from
ether and the other things does not
take a long time. Why is that? The sütra explains:
viçeñät" (because of something specific). The
specific
thing here is a specific statement that the passage through rice
and other grains is very difficult. Because this part of the
passage is singled out as especially difficult it may be inferred
that the other parts of the passage are quickly accomplished.
Adhikaraëa 6
The Descending Soul Does Not Take Birth Among the Plants
Introduction by Çrila Baladeva
Vidyäbhüñaëa
Viñaya (statement):
The passage after entering rain is
described in the following statement of
Çruti-çästra:
ta iha vréhi-yavä auñadhi-vanaspatayas
tila-mäñä jäyante
"The descending souls
then take birth as rice,
barley, plants, trees, sesame, and beans."
Saàçaya
(doubt): Do the souls literally take birth as rice
or these other species, or is this description metaphorical?
Pürvapakña
(the opponent speaks): The text says
jäyante" (they take birth). This is should be taken
literally.
Siddhänta: In the
following words the author of the sütras
gives His conclusion.
Sütra 25
anyädhiñöhite pürvavad abhiläpät
anya - by an other;
adhiñöhite - occupied; pürva - before;
vat - like; abhiläpät - because of the statement.
In what is occupied by
another because of a statement like
the previous.
Purport by Çrila Baladeva Vidyäbhüñaëa
Because the bodies of the
plants and other beings are
already inhabited by other spirit souls, the description here is
metaphorical. The descending souls are not born in those species
to experience their karma. Why not? The sütra explains:
pürvavad abhiläpät" (because of a statement like
the
previous). As it was previously said that the descending soul
does not become ether, or the other things in its descent, but
merely comes into contact with them, so the fallen soul merely
comes into contact with the rice and other species. That is the
meaning. As when it enters the ether the descending soul is not
yet experiencing the specific results of various pious and
impious deeds, so when it falls down in the rain the soul is also
not yet experiencing the results of specific deeds. This the
scriptures say. In Chändogya Upaniñad (5.10.7) it is
said:
They who act piously attain an auspicious birth. They who do
not act piously attain a birth that is not auspicious." Therefore
thedescription here that the descending souls take birth in this
way is metaphorical. It is not literal.
Sütra 26
açuddham iti cen na çabdät
açuddham - impure;
iti - thus; cet - if; na - not;çabdät - because of
Çruti-çästra.
If it is said to be
impure, then I reply: No, for that is
the statement of the Çruti-çästra.
Purport by Çrila Baladeva Vidyäbhüñaëa
Here someone may object:
It is not at all logical to say
that the scriptures' statement that the descending soul,
accompanied by the remnant of his karma, takes birth in the body
of a rice plant or similar species, is only a metaphor, and the
soul does not really take birth in those species for the soul has
no remaining karma to push it into that birth. The so-called pious
deeds performed to attain residence in Svargaloka are actually
impure. This is because the Agnisoméya-yajïa and other
yajïas like them involve violence to animals. The
scriptures give the following prohibition:
mä hiàsyät sarva-bhütäni
"Never commit
violence to anyone."*
Therefore, by performing
these yajïas there is a pious
portion, which sends the performer to Svargaloka, and also an
impious portion, which forces him to take birth as a rice plant
or similar species. In the Manu-saàhitä (12.9) it is said:
çaréra-jair karma-doñair
yäti
sthävaratäà naraù
"A person who sins
with his body becomes an unmoving
plant."
Therefore the statement
that the descending soul takes
birth as a rice plant or similar being should be taken literally.
If this is said, then the
sütra replies: "na" (No. It is
not so). Why not? The sütra explains:
"çabdät" (Because that is
the statement of the Çruti-çästra). The Vedas
order:
agnisoméyaà paçum älabheta
"One should sacrifice
an animal in an agnisomiya-
yajïa."
Because piety and impiety
is known only from the Vedas'
statements, the Vedas' order to commit violence must be understood to
beactually kind and pious. Therefore the orders of
the Vedas are never impure. The prohibitions: "Never
commit violence to anyone" and "Violence is a
sin" are the general rules decreed by the Vedas, and the
statement: "One should sacrifice an animal in an
agnisomiya-yajïa" is an exception to that general rule. A
general rule and a specific exception to that rule need not
contradict each other. There is scope for each. For these
reasons, therefore, the scriptures' description that the fallen
soul takes birth as a rice plant or similar being is metaphorical
and not literal.
What follows in this
sequence is described in the next
sütra.
Sütra 27
retaù-sig-yogo 'tha
retaù - semen;
sik-sprinkling; yogaù - contact;atha - then.
Then there is contact with
the male that sprinkles the
semen.
Purport by Çrila Baladeva Vidyäbhüñaëa
After entering the
rice-plant or other plant, the fallen
soul, accompanied by the remainder of his karma, enters the semen
of a male. In the Chändogya Upaniñad (5.10.6) it is said:
yo yo 'nnam atti yo retaù siïcati tad bhüya eva
bhavati
"A male eats that
grain and then sprinkles semen.
From that semen the fallen soul takes birth. He becomes just like his
father."
The statement that the
soul becomes just like the father should
not be taken literally, for one thing cannot have exactly the
same form as another. In truth, if the offspring were completely
identical with the father, and there were no difference at all
between them, then the soul would not actually attain a new
material body. Therefore this statement should be taken
metaphorically. As the soul merely comes into contact with
the rice plant or other vegetation, so the soul comes into
contact with the father. The soul does not become identical with
the father in all respects.
Sütra 28
yoëeù çaréram
yoëeù - from
the womb; çaréram - a body.
The body comes from the
womb.
Purport by Çrila Baladeva Vidyäbhüñaëa
The word
"yoëeù" here is in the ablative case. The
soul departs from its father's body and enters its mother's womb.
In this way, so it may experience the fruits of its karma, the
soul attains a new material body. In the Chändogya
Upaniñad
(5.10.7) it is said:
tad ya iha ramaëéya-caraëäù
"They who perform
pious deeds attain an auspicious
birth. They who sin attain an inauspicious birth."
In this way the soul's
entrance into the series of things
beginning with ether and the series of things beginning with a
rice-plant or other vegetation is described. The conclusion is
that a person who is actually intelligent will renounce this
material world, a world filled with sorrows, and place all his
thoughts on Lord Hari, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is
filled with transcendental bliss.
Pada 2
Introduction by Çrila Baladeva
Vidyäbhüñaëa
vittir viraktiç ca kåtäïjaliù puro
yasyäù
paränanda-tanor vitiñöhate
siddhiç ca sevä-samayaà pratékñate
bhaktiù
pareçasya punätu sä jagat
May devotion to the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, devotion
that is filled with transcendental bliss, devotion before whom
knowledge and renunciation stand, their hands folded with
respect, devotion that mystic power yearns to serve, purify the
entire world.
Devotional service, by
performing which one falls in love
with the Supreme Personality of Godhead and attains His
association, will be described in this pada. In order to
strengthen the soul's love and devotion for the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, the Lord's glorious creation of dreams
and other states of being, the Lord's identity with His many
incarnations, His appearance as the all-pervading Supersoul, His
non-identity with His worshipers, who are still one with Him in
quality, His being attained only by devotional service, His
appearance in both spiritual and material worlds, His
transcendental blissfulness, His coming before His devotees
according to the devotees' love for Him, His supremacy over all,
His supreme generosity, and a great host of the Lord's other
virtues and glories will also be described here. When a person
desires to love, the beloved's glories must be understood.
Otherwise there can be no love.
In the beginning of this
pada will be described the Lord's
creation of the dreaming state. The idea that someone other
than the Supreme Lord had created the dreaming state contradicts
the scriptures' statement that the Lord is the creator of
everything. If the Lordi
sky
in the heart" here is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In this
way the Çruti-çästra explains that dreamless sleep
is manifested
when the soul enters the näòi_s, the membrane surrounding
the
heart, and the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Saàçaya
(doubt): Does the soul enter any one of these three
places, or does the soul enter all of them?
Pürvapakña
(the opponent speaks): The soul may enter any one
of these places. This is so because these three places are
equally able to be the place where the soul sleeps. The Nyäya-
çästra explains:
tulyärthas tu vikalperan
"A list of things
equally suitable for a certain
activity indicates the option of choosing from them."
Siddhänta
(conclusion): In the following words the author of
the sütras gives His conclusion.
Sütra 7
tad-abhävo näòéñu tac chruter
ätmani ca
tat - of that;
abhävaù - the absence; näòéñu - in
thenadis;
tat - that; çruteù - from
Çruti-çästra; ätmani - in the Supreme
Personality of Godhead; ca - also.
Its absence occurs in the
näòis and the Supreme Personality
of Godhead. This is so because of the Çruti-çästra.
Purport by Çrila Baladeva Vidyäbhüñaëa
The word "ca"
(and) here hints the inclusion of the
membrane surrounding the heart. The word "tad-abhäva"
(its absence) means "the absence of wakefulness and
dream". Thus it means "the state of dreamless sleep".
Dreamless sleep occurs in the näòis, the membrane
surrounding the
heart, and the Supreme Personality of Godhead collectively. Why
is that? The sütra explains: "tac chruteù" (This
is so
because of the Çruti-çästra). Thus the
Çruti-çästra declares that
they are all, taken collectively, the place of dreamless sleep.
The idea that there is an option here, and that to perform the
activity
of deep sleep the soul chooses one of these places, is an idea
that contradicts the statements of Çruti-çästra. In
the
scriptures' description of dreamless sleep, it is seen that the
näòis and präëas are described together. In the
Kauçitaki
Upaniñad (4.19) it is said:
täsu tadä bhavati. yadä suptaù svapnaà na
kaïcana paçyaty
athäsmin präëa evaikadhä bhavati.
"Then the soul enters
the näòis. When sleeping, the
soul does not see any dream. Then the soul become one with the
präëas."
The explanation that the
soul has an option of one of these
three places does not apply here, for if that option were to
apply, then these three places would have to be equally suitable
for the action of dreamless sleep, but the truth is they are not.
What occurs is the soul passes through the door of the
näòis,
enters the palace of the membrane surrounding the heart, and
sleeps on the bed of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In this
way all three places are involved in the activity of dreamless
sleep, but the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the actual place
where dreamless sleep occurs. The word "puritat" here
means "the membrane surrounding the lotus of the heart".
Sütra 8
ataù prabodho 'smät
ataù - therefore;
prabodhaù - waking; asmät - from Him.
Therefore the waking state
is from Him.
Purport by Çrila Baladeva Vidyäbhüñaëa
Because the Supreme
Personality of Godhead is the actual
place where dreamless sleep occurs, and the näòis and
other things
mentioned here are merely doors through which the soul passes in
order to rest on the Supreme Personality of Godhead, therefore
the waking soul rises from the bed of the Supreme Personality of
Godhead. In the Chändogya Upaniñad it is said:
satas cägatya na viduù sata ägacchamahe
"We had departed from
the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, although we could not understand that we had departed
from the Supreme Personality of Godhead."
In this way the idea that
sometimes the soul sleeps in the
naòis, sometimes in the membrane surrounding the heart, and
sometimes in the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is disproved. It
is not like that. Therefore the soul sleeps on the bed of the
Supreme Personality ofGodhead.