Volume Five
Pada 3
Introduction by Çréla Baladeva
Vidyäbhüñaëa
parayä nirasya mäyäà guëa-
karmädéni yo
bhajati nityam
devaç caitanya-tanur manasi
mamäsau parisphuratu
kåñëaù
May Lord
Kåñëa, who with the aid of His transcendental
potency pushes aside the influence of mäyä, who has a host
of
transcendental virtues eternally, who enjoys eternal
transcendental pastimes, and who has now appeared as Çré
Caitanya
Mahäprabhu, appear in my heart.
In this pada will be
revealed the way of worshiping the
Lord's transcendental attributes. As in a vaidürya jewel many
splendid colors are always manifest, so in the Supreme
Personality of Godhead many different transcendental forms, all
perfect and without beginning, are also manifest eternally.
Understanding that the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is
supremely perfect, complete, and pure, has many different forms,
a devotee becomes attracted to one of the Lord's forms and
directs his worship to that form. If the various scriptures
describe transcendental virtues present in that form of the Lord,
all those virtues may also be ascribed to that single chosen
form. Thus a person who worships the Supreme Personality of
Godhead as present in His powers and opulences, such as the mind
and the other powers of the world, should review the scriptures'
descriptions of the various qualities of these forms, but not of
other forms of the Lord.
Others, however, speak in
the following way: The one Supreme
Personality of Godhead assumes different forms as an actor
assumes different roles on the stage. In this way the Lord has
many different names and abodes. For this reason all the
qualities and pastimes of the different forms of the Lord, as
described in the scriptures, may be ascribed to any one of the
Lord's forms.
Here someone may object:
Is it not so that many of the
qualities of many of the Lord's forms, qualities described in the
scriptures, cannot be properly ascribed to all of the Lord's
forms? Is it not so that sweetness, opulence, peacefulness,
austerity, ferociousness, and other qualities may be mutually
contradictory, and it may also be contradictory to ascribe the
features of having a horn, tail, mane, tusk, or other features
appropriate to the Lord's forms like Varäha and others to the
Lord's humanlike forms, which carry a flute, conchshell, bow,
arrows, and other paraphernalia? Therefore in the
Mahäbhärata it
is said:
yo 'nyathä santam ätmänam
anyathä pratipadyate
kià tena na kåtaà päpaà
caureëätmäpahäriëä
"A person who
ascribes to the Supreme Lord qualities
that the Lord does not actually possess is a thief who robs
himself. Does he not sin with his words?"
Therefore, because of both
the injunction of Småti-çästra
and the experience of the wise sages, one should not ascribe the
qualities of one of Lord's forms to another of the Lord's forms.
If this is said, then the
following reply may be given: The
qualities of one of Lord's forms may be ascribed to another of
the Lord's forms only when the qualities are appropriate to that
particular form. Ascribing the qualities of one of Lord's forms
to another of the Lord's forms is of two kinds: 1. cintana, and
2. dhé-mätra. They who perform this first kind of
meditation
are called sva-niñöha, and they who perform the second
kind of
meditation are called ekänté. In the next pada three kinds
of
wise devotees, headed by the sva-niñöha devotees, will be
described. The sva-niñöha devotees have equal love for all
the
Lord's forms. They see all the qualities of all the Lord's forms
present equally in each of the Lord's forms. They do not see
anything improper in ascribing many contradictory qualities to
each of the Lord's forms. They consider that the Lord by His
great potency may possess many mutually contradictory qualities,
just as a vaidürya jewel may display many different colors.
The ekänté
devotees, who are divided into two groups:
pariniñöhita and nirapekña, do not have equal love
for all
the Lord's forms. They meditate only on the qualities of one
form the Lord, the form they have chosen. They see the qualities
of this form alone. Even though they are well aware of the Lord's
other forms, they do not meditate or gaze upon them. On His part,
the Lord generally does not reveal His other forms to these
devotees. This will be reveled in another adhikaraëa. As for the
passage quoted from the Mahäbhärata, its true meaning is
that
it is a rebuke hurled at the impersonalists, who claim that the
Supreme is consciousness and nothing else. The truth that the
Supreme certainly does have qualities, and therefore the Lord's
qualities should be sought out by they who seek liberation, is
described in Chändogya Upaniñad (8.1.1-6). It is also
said, in
thw Taittiréya Upaniñad (2.4.1):
änandaà brahmaëo vidvän
na bibheti
kutaçcana
"He who knows that
the Supreme Personality of
Godhead is full of bliss never fears anything."
This means that they who
understand the qualities of the
Supreme become free of fear. In this way the scriptures affirm
that the Supreme certainly does have qualities. The
impersonalists claim that the Lord's qualities are either falsely
ascribed toHim or else are accepted only because of the material
traditions of this world. However, because
many of these qualities are present in the Lord alone and no one
else, it cannot be said that these qualities are falsely ascribed
to the Lord, and because the revelation of scripture does not
describe them as such, it also cannot be said that the qualities
of the Lord are accepted only because of the material
traditions of this world. They who claim that the qualities of
the Lord are imagined to facilitate worship of the Lord, as in
the statement, "Imagining the goddess of speech to be a
cow, one should worship her", are all fools. Their idea is
destroyed by the simple statement of the scriptures:
satyam etyopäséta
"Approaching the
Supreme Reality, one should worship
Him."
Even the impersonalists,
in their commentaries on sütras
3.3.12 and 3.3.38, affirm that the Supreme is bliss and there is
no difference between the individual souls and the Supreme. In
this way they accept the idea that the qualities of the
worshipable Supreme are real and not metaphors. When the
scriptures say that the Supreme has no qualities (nirguëa), the
intention is that He has no material qualities. Because it is
clearly stated that the Lord is not different from His qualities,
this objection of the impersonalists should not be taken
seriously. For the purpose of meditation the Lord's qualities
should be understood to be of two kinds:
aìgi-niñöha (general
qualities) and aìga-niñöha (features of the Lord's
form). It is
said that one may collect from all the different parts of the
Vedas descriptions of the Lord's qualities.
Adhikaraëa 1
The Lord Should Be Sought
Introduction by Çréla Baladeva
Vidyäbhüñaëa
Viñaya (the subject
to be discussed): To understand the
Lord's qualities one should search all the texts of the Vedas.
Saàçaya
(doubt): Should one learn about the Supreme by
studying the branch (çäkha) of Vedic texts in one's own
community, or should one study all the branches of the Vedas?
Pürvapakña
(the opponent speaks): Because all the
branches of the Vedas are different, one should study only one's
own branch of the Vedas.
Siddhänta
(conclusion): In the following words the author
of the sütras gives His conclusion:
Sütra 1
sarva-vedänta-pratyayaà
codanädy-aviçeñät
sarva - all; veda - Vedas;
anta - end;pratyayam - meaning;
codana - injunctions; ädi - beginning with;
aviçeñät - because of
not being different.
Because the Vedic
injunctions and all other sources of
real knowledge are not genuinely different, therefore knowledge of Him
is
the conclusion of all the Vedas.
Purport by Çréla Baladeva
Vidyäbhüñaëa
The word "anta"
(end) here means
conclusion". The word "anta" is also used in this way
in Bhagavad-gétä (2.16):
ubhayor api dåñöo 'ntaù
"This they have
concluded by studying the nature of
both."*
Thus knowledge of the
Supreme Personality of Godhead is the
final conclusion taught by all the Vedas. Why is that? The sütra
explains: "because the Vedic injunctions and all other
sources of real knowledge are not genuinely different." The
other sources of real knowledge" here refers to logic. In the
Båhad-äraëyaka Upaniñad (1.4.7) it is said:
ätmety evopäséta
"One should worship
the Supreme."
These words, as well as
the promptings of logic, confirm the
truth that these statements and many others like them in
passages of all the Vedas, all describe the same Supreme Lord.
The same Supreme Lord is described in the same way in the Kaëva,
Madhyandina, and other recensions of the Vedas.
Here someone may object:
In one part of the Vedas (Båhad-
äraëyaka Upaniñad 3.9.28) it is said:
vijïänam änandam brahma
"The Supreme is
knowledge and bliss."
However, in another part
of the Vedas (Muëòaka Upaniñad
1.1.9) it is said:
yaù sarva-jïaù sarva-vit
"The Supreme knows
everything."
Because in this way each
branch of the Vedas speaks
differently of the Supreme, they do not all describe the same
object as the Supreme.
If this is said, the
author of the sütras gives the
following reply.
Sütra 2
bhedäd iti cen naikasyäm api
bhedät - because of
difference; iti - thus; cet - if; na - not;
ekasyäm - in one; api - also.
If it is said,
"because they are different," then I
reply, "It is not so, for it is also in one".
Purport by Çréla Baladeva
Vidyäbhüñaëa
It is not so. That is so
because these differences are seen
even within the same branch of the Vedas. An example of this is
the Taittiréya Upaniñad, which gives the following two
statements.
satyaà jïanam anantaà brahma
"The limitless
Supreme is both knowledge and truth."
änando brahma
"The Supreme is
bliss."
In this way the many
different branches of the Vedas describe the sameform of the Supreme Lord. They
do not
contradict each other at all.
Sütra 3
svädhyäyasya tathätvena hi samäcäre
'dhikäräc ca
svädhyäyasya -
of Vedic study; tathätvena - by being so;
hi - indeed; samäcäre -in Vedic rituals; adhikärät
- because ofbeing
qualified; ca - also.
Because of being qualified
to study the Vedas and to perform
rituals.
Purport by Çréla Baladeva Vidyäbhüñaëa
In the Taittiréya
Araëyaka (2.15) it is said:
svädhyäyo 'dhyetavyaù
"One should study the
Vedas."
In this way one is ordered
to study all the Vedas. In
the Småti-çästra it is said:
vedaù kåtsno 'dhigantavyaù sa-rahasyo dvijanmanä
"A brähmaëa
should study the entire Veda,
including even its confidential portions."
The word
"samäcäre" in this sütra means
because all are qualified to perform all pious rituals". The
Småti-çästra confirms this in the following words:
sarva-vedokta-märgeëa
karma kurvéta
nityaçaù
änando hi phalaà yasmäc
chäkhä-bhedo hy
açakti-jaù
sarva-karma-kåtau yasmäd
açaktäù
sarva-jantavaù
çäkhä-bhedaà karma-bhedaà
vyäsas tasmäd
acékÿpad
"Following the path
of all the Vedas, one should
regularly perform pious rituals. Bliss is the result attained by
this. The Veda was divided into different branches because the
people were not able to perform all the pious deeds described in
the Veda. That is why Vyäsa divided the Veda into many branches
and the one collection of pious rituals into many collections."
Therefore, if a person is
able to do so, he may understand
the Supreme by performing all the spiritual practices described
in all the branches of the Vedas. In the next sütra the author
gives an example of indirect reasoning leading to the same conclusion.
Sütra 4
sava-vac ca tan niyamaù
sava - yajïas; vat -
like; ca - and; tat - that; niyamaù - rule.
That rule is like the
yajïas.
Purport by Çréla Baladeva
Vidyäbhüñaëa
The "savas" here
are the seven yajïas beginning
with the saurya-yajïa and ending with the
çataudana-yajïa
which, because they are performed with only one fire, may be
performed only by the followers of the Atharva Veda. The worship
of the Supreme Lord, however, can performed by the followers of
all the Vedas.
The word
"salila-vat" (like water) is an alternate
reading of the first word in this sütra. If this reading is
accepted, then the sütra means, "As all waters flow,
without restriction, into the sea, so all the statements of the
Vedas describe, as much as they have the power, the Supreme
Personality of Godhead." In the Agni Puräëa it is said:
yathä nadénäà salilaà
çaktyä
sägaratäà vrajet
evaà sarväëi väkyäni
puà-çaktyä brahma-vittaye
"As the water of
rivers, as far as it has the power,
always enters the sea, so all words, as far as their speaker has
the power, should be employed to understand the Supreme Lord."
Sütra 5
darçayati ca
darçayati -
reveals; ca - also.
It also reveals it.
Purport by Çréla Baladeva
Vidyäbhüñaëa
In the Kaöha
Upaniñad (1.2.15) it is said:
sarve vedä yat-padam ämananti
"All the Vedas
describe the Supreme Personality of
Godhead."
This means that the
Supreme Lord is known by all the Vedas,
or, in other words, the Vedas reveal the truth of Lord Hari. The
word "ca" (and) in this sütra hints, "as far as
one has the power". They who have the power may worship the
Supreme Lord byperforming the pious rituals described in all the
branches of the Vedas. They who do not have the power must worship the
Supreme Lord by performing the pious rituals described in their own
community's branch of the Vedas. The conclusion is that the
Supreme Lord is the final object of knowledge sought by all the
branches of the Vedas. This truth was also described in the very
beginning of Vedänta-sütra (1.1.4):
tat tu samanvayät
"But that (Lord
Viñëu is the sole topic of
discussion in the Vedas) is confirmed by all scriptures."
This truth is thus
repeated here in the discussion of the
properness of studying the different qualities of the Supreme
Lord. Because this repetition strengthens the argument here,
there is no fault in it.
Adhikaraëa 2
The Lord's Qualities Are Described in Many Scriptures
Introduction by Çréla Baladeva
Vidyäbhüñaëa
Now the author of the
sütras will show that the many
qualities of the Lord may be understood by studying all the
Vedas. For example, in the Atharva Veda's
Gopäla-täpané
Upaniñad (1.8), the Supreme Lord is described as a cowherd boy
dark like a tamäla tree, dressed in yellow garments, decorated
with a Kaustubha jewel, wearing a peacock-feather, playing
graceful melodies on a flute, and surrounded by gopas, gopés,
and surabhi cows. There He is the Deity of Gokula. In the Räma-
täpané Upaniñad, however, He is described as the Lord
whose
left side is decorated by Jänaké-devé, holding a
bow, the killer
of Rävaëa and a host of demons, and the king of
Ayodhyä. In the
Räma-täpané Upaniñad it is said:
prakåtyä sahitaù çyämaù
péta-väsä
jaöä-dharaù
dvi-bhujaù kuëòalé ratna-
mälé dhéro dhanur-dharaù
"Decorated with
earrings and a jewel necklace, His
complexion dark, His garments yellow, and the hair on His head
matted, saintly, two-armed Lord Räma is accompanied by Goddess
Sétä."
In the scriptures the
Lord's form as Nåsiàha is described
as having a frightening face and filling His enemies with fear.
The word "bhéñaëa" (frightening), which
occurs in
Lord Nåsiàha's mantra, is explained in the following
words
of the Nåsiàha-täpané Upaniñad:
atha kasmäd ucyate bhéñaëam iti. yasmäd
yasya rüpaà
dåñövä sarve lokäù sarve
deväù sarväëi bhütäni
bhétyä paläyante svayaà yataù
kutaçcin na bibheti.
bhéñäsmäd vätaù pavate
bhéñodeti süryaù.
bhéñäsmäd agniç cendraç ca
måtyur dhävati païcamaù.
"Why is the Lord
called frightening? Because when
all the demigods, all the worlds, and all living entities see His
form, they all flee in fear. He fears no one. Out of fear of Him
the wind blows and the sun rises. Out of fear of Him fire, the
moon, and death all flee."
The Lord's form as
Trivikrama is described in the \Rg Veda
(1.154.1):
viñëor nu kaà véryäëi
prävocaà
yaù
pärthiväni vimame rajäàsiyo askambhayad uttaraà
sadhasthaà
vicakramäëas
tredhorugäya
"How can I describe
all the glories and powers of Lord
Viñëu, who created the heaven and earth, established the
worlds above and below, and with three steps passed over all
the worlds?"
Therefore, like the
yajïas, which are different because
they are offered to different demigods, so the method of worship
to be offered to the different forms of the Supreme Lord are all
different because the qualities of the Lord's different forms are
different.
Saàçaya
(doubt): Should the Çruti-çästra's description of
the Lord's qualities in one kind of worship be added in another
kind of worship, or not?
Pürvapakña
(the opponent speaks): The Çruti-çästra's
description of the Lord's qualities in one passage should be
heard. One should not mix that description with other
descriptions of the Lord in other passages.
Siddhänta
(conclusion): In the following words the author
of the sütras gives His conclusion.
Sütra 6
upasaàhäro 'rthäbhedäd
vidhi-çeña-vat samäne ca
upasaàhäraù - combination; artha - of meaning;
abhedät - because
of non-difference; vidhi - of duties; çeña - remainder;
vatlike;
samäne - in being the same; ca - also.
In what is common there
may be combination, for the meaning
is not different. This is like what is appropriate for the rules
and regulations.
Purport by Çréla Baladeva
Vidyäbhüñaëa
The word "ca"
(and) is used here for limitation.
When the method of worship is the same, when the pure Supreme
Personality of Godhead is the object of worship, and when the
Lord's form is the same, then the qualities described in different
places may be combined together. Why is that? The sütra explains:
"for the meaning is not different." This means
because the worshipable qualities of the Supreme Lord are in
all respects not different, that is because they are one, or
harmonious. Here the sütra gives an example: "This is
like what is appropriate for the rules and regulations."
Descriptions of the rules for performing a yajïa may be
collected from different passages because the ritual of a yaj
24a is everywhere the same. In the Atharva Veda's
Räma-täpanéa
Upaniñad it is said:
yo vai çré-rämacandraù sa bhagavän ye
matsya-kürmädy-
avatärä bhür bhuvaù svas tasmai namo
namaù.
"Bhüù
Bhuvaù Svaù. Obeisances to Çré Rämacandra, the
Supreme Lord who descends in a host of incarnations, such as Lord
Matsya and Lord Kürma."
In this passage the forms
of Lord Matsya and other
incarnations are brought into a meditation on Lord Rämacandra.
In the Gopäla-täpané Upaniñad it is
said:
eko 'pi san bahudhä yo 'vabhäti
"Although He is one,
He appears in many forms."
In this passage the forms
of Lord Rämacandra and other
incarnations are brought into a meditation on Lord
Kåñëa.
In
Çrémad-Bhägavatam it is said of Lord
Kåñëa:
namas te raghu-varyäya
rävaëäntakaräya ca
"Obeisances to You,
the best of the Raghus and the
killer of Rävaëa."
Many other passages may be
quoted to show meditations where
descriptions of different forms of the Lord are brought together.
Here someone may object:
In the Båhad-äraëyaka Upaniñad
(1.4.7) it is said:
atmety evopäséta
"One should worship
the Supreme."
Therefore one should
worship the Lord alone and not bring
other forms into one's method of worship.
If this is said, then the
author of the sütras gives the
following reply.
Sütra 7
anyathätvaà çabdäd iti cen
näviçeñät
anyathätvam -
otherwise; çabdät - because of the Çruti-
çästra; iti - thus; cet - if; na - not;
aviçeñät - because of the lack
of something specific.
If someone says, "It
is otherwise because of the
Çruti-çästra", then I reply, "It is not
so, for there is
nothing specific".
Purport by Çréla Baladeva Vidyäbhüñaëa
If someone claims that
Båhad-äraëyaka Upaniñad (1.4.7)
refutes the idea of thus bringing together the Lord's qualities,
then I reply: No. It is not so. Why not? The sütra explains:
"for there is nothing specific". This means that no
scriptural passage declares, "the Lord's qualities should
not be worshiped together." The word "eva" (indeed) in
Båhad-äraëyaka Upaniñad (1.4.7) means that one
should not
worship what is not the Supreme Lord. It does not mean that the
Lord's qualities can not be worshiped together. If it is said,
"The king alone is seen", that does not mean that the
king's royal parasol and other royal paraphernalia were absent.
It is said:
tasmäd yathä-çakti-guëäç
cintyäù
"Therefore, as far as
one is able, one should
meditate on the Lord's various transcendental qualities."
In this way it is proved
that one may bring together the
various qualities of the Lord.
As a vaidürya jewel
manifests many different colors, so the
Supreme Lord manifests many different forms. Each of these forms
is the same perfect, complete, and pure Supreme Lord. In some
forms the Lord displays all His qualities, and other forms the
Lord does not display all His qualities. Therefore a wise devotee
may meditate on all the Lord qualities, as described in the
scriptures, as being present in the particular form of the Lord
that is chosen for worship.
Adhikaraëa 3
The Ekänté Devotees Do Not Meditate On All the Lord's
Qualities
Introduction by Çréla Baladeva
Vidyäbhüñaëa
Although they are learned
in the many branches of the Vedas,
still the ekänté devotees meditate only the Lord's
qualities as
revealed in their own Upaniñads, which they have carefully
studied. Even though they are aware of other qualities, they do
not meditate on them. In this way there is an exception to what
was previously described.
Viñaya (the subject
matter): The subject matter here is a
passage of Gopäla-täpané Upaniñad.
Saàçaya
(doubt): In the worship performed by the ekänté
devotees, should all the qualities of the Supreme Lord be brought
together or not?
Pürvapakña
(the opponent speaks): Because the Lord's
qualities are to be praised, the ekänté devotees should
meditate
in this way, if they are able.
Siddhänta
(conclusion): In the following words the author of
the sütras gives His conclusion.
Sütra 8
na vä prakaraëa-bhedät parovaréyastvädi-vat
na - not; vä - or;
prakaraëa - of devotion;bhedät - because of
differences; parovaréyastva - greater than the greatest;
ädi - beginning with; vat - like.
Certainly not. Because of
the differences in devotion. Like
the Parovaréya and others.
Purport by Çréla Baladeva
Vidyäbhüñaëa
The word "vä"
(or) is used in the sense of
certainly". The ekänté devotees do not bring the
qualities
of the Lord's other forms into the specific form they have
selected to worship. In this way the ekänté devotees who
are
exclusively devoted to Lord Kåñëa do not think of
Lord
Nåsiàha's mane, teeth, fearsomeness, and other qualities
as
present in Lord Kåñëa. In the same way the
ekänté devotees who
are exclusively devoted to Lord Nåsiàha do not think of
Lord
Kåñëa's flute, stick, peacock-feather, and other
qualities as
present in Lord Nåsiàha. Why is that? The sütra
explains:
prakaraëa-bhedät" (because of the differences in
devotion).
The word "prakaraëa" here means "the most exalted
(pra) activity (karaëa)."Therefore the word
prakaraëa" here refers to devotional service. The word
bhedät" here means "because of the differences".
Because it is more intense
and deep, the devotion of the
ekaëté devotees is more exalted than the devotion of the
svaniñöha devotees. Here the author of the sütras
gives and
example. He says: "Like the Parovaréya and others."
This
means that the ekänté devotees who are exclusively devoted
to the
Lord's form as the Hiraëya Puruña in the sun planet do not
ascribe to their object of worship the qualities of the Lord's
form as Parovaréya, a form worshiped by the worshipers of
Udgétha. The word Parovaréya means "greater than
the
greatest". The example here is of the worshipers of Ugétha
in
relation to Parovaréya.
Here someone may object:
Is it not so that the ekäntés and
svaniñöhas are both called devotees of the Lord and
therefore
they must both meditate on all the Lord's qualities just as
they who call themselves brähmaëas must all meditate on the
Gäyatré-mantra?
If this is said, then the
author of the sütras gives the
following reply.
Sütra 9
saàjïätaç cet tad uktam asti tu tad api
saàjïätaù - by the name; cet - if; tat - that;
uktam - spoken;
asti - is; tu - but; tat - that; api - also.
If it is because of the
name, then I reply, "But it
was already said. That also."
Purport by Çréla Baladeva
Vidyäbhüñaëa
The word "tu"
(but) is employed here to dispel
doubt. If it is said that all who worship the Supreme must
meditate on all His qualities, then the answer was already given
in the previous sütra. The answer is, "Certainly not.
Because of the differences in devotion." Although they are
certainly included in the general category of the Lord's
devotees, the ekäntés are the best of the devotees, and
therefore they do not meditate on all the qualities of the Lord.
If it were otherwise then they would not be the best of the
devotees. Because the ekänté devotees are passionately
devoted
to one particular form of the Lord, they are superior to the
svaniñöha devotees who are in a general way devoted to all
the
forms of the Lord. Also, even the svaniñöha devotees are
not
able to meditate on every single one of the Lord's qualities. In
the \Rg Veda (1.154.1) it is said:
viñëor nu kaà véryäëi
prävocaà
"How can I describe
all the glories and powers of Lord Viñëu?"
In the
Småti-çästra it is said:
näntaà guëänäm aguëasya jagmur
yogeçvarä ye
bhava-pädma-mukhyäù
"Even Brahmä,
Çiva, the demigods, and the masters of
yoga could not find the end of the transcendental qualities of
the Lord, who is beyond the touch of the modes of matter."
The sütra explains,
"asti" (it is that), which here
means, "the idea that all devotees are exactly alike
because they all bear the name `devotee' is the logical fallacy
called `hetor anvaya-vyabhicära'." As the worshipers of the
Parovaréya form of the Lord and the worshipers of the
Hiraëmaya
form of the Lord have different conceptions of the Lord, even
though both are considered worshipers of the Udgétha, in the
same way the svaniñöha and ekänté devotees
also have
different conceptions of the Lord, the svaniñöha devotees
meditating on all the Lord's qualities and the ekänté
devotees
meditating only on the qualities of the particular form of the
Lord they have chosen to worship. That is the conclusion of these
two adhikaraëas.
Adhikaraëa 4
The Lord's Childhood and Youth
Introduction by Çréla Baladeva
Vidyäbhüñaëa
Now the author begins a discussion
of bringing together in
meditation the Lord's qualities in His childhood and other ages.
In the Gopäla-täpané Upaniñad it is said:
kåñëäya devaké-nandanäya oà
tat sat. bhür bhuvaù svas
tasmai vai namo namaù.
"Oà Tat Sat.
Bhür Bhuvah Svaù. Obeisances to Lord
Kåñëa, the son of Devaké."
The author of
Näma-kaumudé defines the name Kåñëa in the
following way:
kåñëa-çabdas tu
tamäla-néla-tviñi yaçodä-stanandhaye
rüòhiù
"The word
Kåñëa means: Yaçoda's infant son, who is
dark like a tamäla tree."
In the
Räma-täpané Upaniñad it is said:
oà cin-maye 'smin mahä-viñëau
jäte
däçarathe harau
raghoù kule 'khilaà räti
räjate yo
mahé-sthitaù
"Oà. Born as
Daçaratha's son in King Raghu's
dynasty, the spiritual Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is
known as Maùa-Viñëu and Hari, was splendidly
manifested on
the earth. He delighted everyone."
In this way the
Çruti-çästra describes the qualities of the
Supreme Lord in His childhood and other ages. Many similar
descriptions are also found in the Småti-çästra.
Saàçaya
(Doubt): Should one meditate on these descriptions
of the Lord in His childhood and other ages, or should one not
meditate on them?
Pürvapakña
(the opponent speaks): One should not meditate
on the form of the Lord in His different ages, for then the
Lord's form would be sometimes large and sometimes small. This
would contradict the Çruti-çästra's advice that in
one's
meditation the features of the Lord should be harmonious.
Siddhänta
(conclusion): In the following words the author of the sütrasgives His
conclusion.
Sütra 10
vyäpteç ca samaïjasam
vyäpteù -
becasue of being all-pervading; ca - also;
samaïjasam - proper.
It is proper because He is
all-pervading and for other
reasons also.
Purport by Çréla Baladeva
Vidyäbhüñaëa
It is proper to meditate
on the Lord in His childhood and
other ages because the Lord is all-pervading and because the Lord
is not limited to His features in His different ages. In sütra
3.2.38 the Lord's all-pervasiveness was confirmed. The Lord's so-
called "birth" is not in reality a change of condition
for Him. In the Puruña-sükta prayer it is said:
ajäyamäno bahudhä vijäyate
"Although He is never
born, the Lord takes birth
again and again in many different forms."
Therefore the word
"birth" here means
the appearance of the Supreme Lord, who never really takes
birth." The word "ca" (also) in this sütra
means,
also because He is the reservoir of transcendental mellows."
This is confirmed in the Taittiréya Upaniñad (2.7.1):
raso vai saù
"The Supreme
Personality of Godhead is the
reservoir of transcendental mellows."*
By His inconceivable
potency, the Supreme Lord appears in a
particular form appropriate to the mellows and pastimes His
devotees desire. This is perfectly proper. The Lord has numberless
devotees, beginning with the liberated souls. This is described
in the \Rg Veda (1.22.20):
tad viñëoù paramaà padaà
sadä paçyanti
sürayaù
"The wise and learned
devotees always see the
supreme abode of Lord Viñëu."*
The Supreme Lord, who is
always one, simultaneously appears
in His different ages before His different devotees. Something
similar is seen in Båhad-äraëyaka Upaniñad
(5.2.1-3), where the
syllable "da" was interpreted in three ways by the
demigods, human beings, and demons. In this way, because the
Supreme Lord is all-pervading and because the Lord always remains one,
oneshould certainly meditate on the Lord's pastimes of
childhood and other ages.
Adhikaraëa 5
The Lord's Activities Are Eternal
Introduction by Çréla Baladeva
Vidyäbhüñaëa
Pürvapakña
(the opponent speaks): Because the Supreme
Lord is by nature eternal, it may be said that His activities
performed with His associates in His childhood and other ages are
also eternal. In this way His many different activities, from
beginning to end, may all be considered to be eternal. However,
it is illogical to say that there can be an eternal previous
action that is followed by another action. If the previous action
is followed by a subsequent action, then the eternality of the
previous action is destroyed. If one action is eternal then any
subsequent action must be performed by a different person. To say
that the subsequent action is performed by the same person
contradicts both scripture and direct experience. Every action
has a beginning and an end. Without beginning and end no action
can be brought to completion, and without such beginnings and
ends there can be no experience of the nectar of transcendental
mellows (rasa). For these reasons, how can it be possible that
the Lord's activities are eternal? If the Lord's activities were
eternal they would be still and unchanging, like a painted
picture. If it is said that the same actions are repeated again
and again and in that way they are eternal, then I say that there
are bound to be times when the beginning of the action is
different, and thus the subsequent actions will become changed,
and the action would then not be repeated in the same way as
before. Therefore, how can it be that the activities of the Lord
are eternal? Therefore it should not be accepted that the
activities of the Lord are eternal.
Siddhänta
(conclusion): In the following words the author
of the sütras gives His reply to this idea.
Sütra 11
sarväbhedäd anyatreme
sarva - all; abhedät
- because of non-difference; anyatra - in
another place; ime - they.
Because of complete
non-difference they are in another place.
Purport by Çréla Baladeva
Vidyäbhüñaëa
Both Lord Hari and His
associates are the same persons in
both previous and subsequent actions. Why is that? The sütra
explains: "sarväbhedäd" (because of complete non-
difference). This means that because there is no difference
in Their personalities, the same Lord Hari and the same associates
present inthe previous actions are also present in
the subsequent actions. That Lord Hari remains one even though He
expands into many forms is confirmed in the
Gopäla-täpané
Upaniñad in these words:
eko 'pi san bahudhä yo 'vabhäti
"Although He is one,
the Supreme Lord appears in
many forms."
Also, in the
Småti-çästra it is said:
ekäneka-svarüpäya
"Although He is one,
the Supreme Lord appears in
many forms."
This is also true of the Lord's liberated associates, who
remain one even though they appear in many forms. In the Bhüma-
vidyä (Chändogya Upaniñad 7.26.2) this is said of the
liberated souls. In the Småti-çästra this is also
said in the
description of the Lord's marriage with many princesses and in
other pastimes also. In this way the Lord and the liberated souls
can, retaining Their identities, expand themselves to be present
eternally in different places in time. The sentence "It
was twice-cooked" is understood by an intelligent person to mean
that one thing was cooked twice, not that two separate foods were
separately cooked. In the same way the sentence, "He
called out the word `cow' twice," means that one cow was
addressed twice, not that two cows were addressed. In this way
Lord Hari, His eternal associates, and His transcendental abodes
all retain their identities even though they are manifested in
many different places and perform activities that are all eternal
even though their activities have a beginning and an end. In this
way it is said that a wonderful variety of transcendental mellows
are manifested by this sequence of eternal events. It is not that
these ideas do not have their root in the descriptions of
scripture. In the Båhad-äraëyaka Upaniñad
(3.8.3) it is said:
yad bhütaà bhavac ca bhaviñyac ca
"The Supreme
Personality of Godhead exists in the
past, present, and future."
In the Atharva Veda it is
said:
eko devo nitya-lélänuraktaù
"The one Supreme Personality of Godhead is eternally
engaged in many, many transcendental forms in relationships with
His unalloyed devotees."*
The Supreme Lord Himself
affirms (Bhagavad-gétä 4.9):
janma karma ca me divyam
"One who knows the
transcendental nature of My
appearance and activities does not, upon leaving the body, take
his birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal
abode, O Arjuna."*
Only a person who has
attained the Supreme Lord's mercy can
understand and accept all of this, as the Supreme Lord Himself
declares (Çrémad-Bhägavatam 2.9.32):
yävän ahaà yathä-bhävo
yad-rüpa-guëa-karmakaù
tathaiva tattva-vijïänam
astu te mad-anugrahät
"All of Me, namely My
actual eternal form and My
transcendental existence, color, qualities, and activities, let
all be awakened within you by factual realization, out of My
causeless mercy."*
In this way it is proved
that the Lord's activities are
eternal. However, only the actions that the Lord performs
with the help of His spiritual potency are eternal, and the
actions that the Lord performs with the help of His material
potencies and material time are not eternal, for if the Lord's
creation of the material universes were eternal then the eventual
dissolution of the universes could not occur.
Adhikaraëa 6
Meditation on the Lord's Qualities
Introduction by Çréla Baladeva
Vidyäbhüñaëa
Now the author of the
sütras discuses the following point.
In the Vedänta scriptures the Lord's blissfulness and other
transcendental qualities are all described.
Saàçaya
(doubt): Should all the qualities of the Lord be
combined together in the devotees' meditation, or should they not
be combined in that way?
Pürvapakña
(the opponent speaks): The qualities of the Lord
should not be combined in meditation, for there is not evidence
to say that this should be done. Because it is not said in
scripture that all the qualities of the Lord should be combined
in meditation, therefore they should not be so combined.
Siddhänta
(conclusion): In the following words the author
of the sütras gives His conclusion.
Sütra 12
änandädayaù pradhänasya
änanda - bliss;
ädayaù - beginning with; pradhänasya - of the
Supreme.
Of the Supreme those
qualities that begin with bliss.
Purport by Çréla Baladeva
Vidyäbhüñaëa
The transcendental
qualities of the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, such as His bliss and knowledge, and His paternal
affection for they who take shelter of Him, are all described in
the Çruti-çästra. These qualities should all be
combined in the
devotees' meditation, for all together they increase the
devotees' thirst to attain the Lord.