Prameya Ratnavali

Prameya-ratnavah
The Jewels of Truth
translated by Kusakratha dasa
Table of Contents
Prameya I
Mangalacaranam, The disciplic succession, Madhvacarya s Nine
Philosophical Truths, Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead
Prameya 2
The Supreme Personality of Godhead Is Known By Study of the Vedas
Prameya 3
The Material World Is Real
Prameya 0
The Jivas (Living Entities) Are Different From Lord Visnu
Prameya 5
The Jivas (Living Entities) Are By Nature the Servants of the Supreme
Personality of Godhead
Prameya 6
In Both Conditioned and Liberated States, the Jivas Are Situated in Higher
and Lower Statuses
Prameya 7
Liberation Does Not Mean an Impersonal Merging, But the Attainment of
Direct Association With Lord Krsna
Prameya 8
Pure Devotional Service Grants Liberation
Prameya 9
Direct Perception, Logic and Vedic Revelation Are Three Sources of Actual
Knowledge
First Prameya
TEXT I
j ayati sri govindo-
gopinathah sa madana gopalah
vaksyami yasya krpaya
prameya r-atnavalim suksmam
j ayati
al l g l o r i e s;sri g-ovindah to Lord Govinda; gopinathah t o L o r d
Gopinatha; sah to H i m ; kr p a ya by t h e m e r c y;prameya of p h i l o s o p h y; ratna
ofjewels; avalim th e s e r ies;suksmam su b t le and excellent;
All glories to Lord Govinda, who is kn own as Gopznatha and MadanaGopala. By His mercy, I shall now speak this excellent and subtle book
Prameya-ratnavali Qewels of the Vaisnava Philosophy).
TEXT 2
bhakty abh-asenapi tesam dadhane
dharmadhyakse visva nist-ari nam-ni
nityanandadvaita cait-anya rup-e
tattve tasmin nityam astam ratir nah
bhakti
of d e v o t io nal service;abhasena ty t he dim reflection;api e v e n ;
tosam satisfaction; dadhane ex p e r i e nce;dharma of r e l i g i o us activities;
adhyakse the controllers; visva th e u n i v e r se;nistari de l i v e r i n g;namni t h e
chanting of their holy names; nityananda Lo r d N i t y a n a nda;advaita L o r d
Advaita; caitanya Lo r d C a i t a nya;rupe co n s i s t ing of;tattve tr u t h s ; ta smin t o
them; nityam co n s t a ntly;astam le t t h e re be;ratih in t e n s e devotion;nah o n
our part.
We pray that we may develop intense constant devotion for Lord Caitanya
Mahaprabhu, Lord Nityananda Prabhu, and Lord Advaita Prabhu, the
controllers of all religious activities. They are pleased even with the dim
reflection of devotional service. The chanting of Their holy names delivers the
e ntire uni v e r s e .
TEXT 3
anandatirtha nama su-kha
maya dhaama -yatir jiyat
samsararnava taranim -yam
iha j anah kirtayanti budhah
-Madhvacarya, who ss known as Anandatirtha;
anandatirtha nama
sukhamaya
co n s isting of transcendental bliss;dhama ab o d e;yatih s a n n y a s i ;
all glories; samsara of m a t e rial existence;arnava th e o c e an;taranim t h e
j iyat
boat for crossing; yam w h o m ; ih a in t h i s w o r l d ;ja n ah pe r s o n s;kirtayanti
glorify; budhah in t e l l i g e nt and learned.
All glories to Srila Madhvacarya Svami, the abode of transcendental
happiness. Those who are learned and intelligent glorify him, for he is like a
boat which enables the conditioned souls to cross beyond this realm of repeated
birth and death.
TEXT 0
bhavati vicintya vidusa
niravakara guru pa-ramapara nityam
ekantitvam sidhyati yayod
ayati yena hari tos-am
bhavati
th e re is;vicintya sh o u l d b e c o n s i dered;vidusa fr e e from fault;
niravakara
fr e e from imp u r i t y;guru of s p i r i t u al masters;parampara d i s c i p l i c
succession; nityam al w a y s;ekantitvam ex c l u s i ve and unalloyed devotional
service; sidhyati be c o m es perfect;yaya by w h i c h ; ud ayati ar i s e s;yena b y
whom; hari of L o r d H a r i; tosam th e s a t isfaction.
A discriminating person pleases Lord Hari by remembering the faultless
disciplic succession of bona-fide spiritual masters, who enable one to attain the
perfection of unalloyed devotional service.
TEXT 5
yad uktam padma puran-e
samprady a vi hin-a y e
mantras te nisphala matah
atahh kalau bhavisyanti
catvarah sampradayinah
sri brahm-a rudra -sanakavaisnavah ksiti pavana-h
catvaras te kalau bhavya
hy utkale purusottamat
yat which; uktam is s p o k e n; padma purane -in the Padma Purana;
sampradaya vihinah -th ose who are not connected to the bona-fide disciplic
succession; ye th o se who; mantrah ma n t r a s;te th e y ; ni s phalah w i t h o u t
result; matah ar e considered;atah fo r t h i s r eason;kalau in t h e a ge of Kali;
bhavisyanti
th e r e wil l b e ; catvarah fo u r ; sa mpradayah bo n a - f i de disciplic
successions; sri fr o m L a k s m i - devi;brahma fr o m L o r d B r a hma;rudra f r o m
Lord Siva; sanakah an d f r om Sanaka and the Kumara sons of Brahma;
vaisnavah in r e l a tion to Lord Visnu; ksiti th e w o r l d ; pa vanah p u r i f y i n g ;
catvarah fo u r ; te th e y ; ka l au in t h e a ge of kali;bhavyah wi l l b e ; hi i n d e e d;utkale in O r i s s a;purusottamat fr o m J agannatha Puri.
The Padma Purana explains: U n l ess one is initi ated by a bona-fide spiritual
master in the disciplic succession, the mantra he might have received is without
any effect. For this reason four Vaisnava disciplic successions, inaugurated by
Laksmz-devz, Lord Brahma, LordSiva, and the four Kumaras, will appear in the
holy place of Jagannatha Purz, and purify the entire earth during the age of
Kali."
TEXT 6
ramnujam srih svi ca-kre
madhvacryam caturmukhah
sri vis-nu sva-minam rudro
nimbadityam catuhsanah
ramanuj am Ra manuja; srih La k s m i - d e v i;svi cak-re se l e cted;madvacaryam
Madhvacarya; caturmukah Lo r d B r a h m a;sri visn-u sva-minam Vi s nu Svami;
rudrah
Lo r d S iva;nimbadityam Ni m b a r k a ;catuhsanah th e f o ur K u m a r a s.
Laksmz-devz chose Ramanujacarya to represent her disciplic succession. In
the same way Lord Brahma chose Madhvacarya, Lord Siva chose Visnu Svamz,
and the four Kumaras chose Nimbarka.
TEXT 7
tatra guru param-para yatha
sri krsna -brahm-a devar-si
badarayana samj n-akan
sri madhv-a sri pa-dma-nabha
sriman nrhari -madha-van
aksobhya jayatir-tha sri
j nanasindhu dayani-dhin
sri vidyan-idhi raj endr-a
j ayadharman kramad vayam
-
purusottama brahman-ya
vyasatirthams ca samstumah
tato laksmipatim sriman
madhavendram ca bhaktitah
tac chisyan s-risvaradvaita
nityanandan j agad gurun
devam isvara sisyam s-ri
caitanyam ca bhaj amahe
sri krsna pre-ma da-nena
yena nistaritam j agat
-
-
tatra in t h i s c onnection;guru of b o n a - f i d e spiritual masters;
parampara t h e
disciplic succession; yatha j u s t as; sri krsna Lo r d K r s n a;brahma B r a h m a ;
devarsi ¹rada; badarayana Vyasa;samj nakan named; sri madhva
Madhvacarya;sri p-admanabha Padmanabha;srimat n-rhari Nrhari;madhavan
Madhava; aksobhya Ak s o b h y a;j ayatirtha Ja y a t ir t ha;sri jnanansindhu
Jnanasindhu; dayanidhin Dayanidhi; sri vi-dyanidhi Vi d y a n i d h i; ra jendra
Rajendra;j ayadharman
Jayadharma;kramat o-ne fter
a
another; vayam we;
Purusottama;
brahmanya
Br
a
h
m
a
n
ya;
vyasatirtha
Vy a s a t irt ha;
purusottama
ca and; samstumah of f e r p ra yers;tatah th e n ; /a k smipatim La k s m i p a t i;srimat
madhavendram
Ma d h a vendra Puri; ca a n d ; bh a ktitah wi t h d e v o t i o n;tat h i s ;
sisyan di s c iples;sri isv-ara Is v a ra Puri;Advaita Ad-vaita Prabhu; nityanandan
Nityananda Prabhu;jagat o f
t h e e n t ire universe;gurun sp i r i t u al masters;
devam the disciple; sri cai-tanyam L o r d C a i t a nya Mahaprabhu; ca a n d ;
bhaj amahe we worship; sri krs-na of S ri Krs na;prema of p u r e l o v e;danena b y
the gift; yena by w h o m ; ni s taritam de l i v e r e d;
j agat th e u n i v e r se.
With great devotion we glorify the spiri t ual masters in the Gaudiya Vaisnava
disciplic successions. A list of their names follows: 1) Krsna, the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, 2) Brahma, 3) ¹r a da, 0) Vyasa, 5) Madhvacarya, 6)
Padmanabha, 7) Nrhari, 8) Madhava, 9) Aksobhya, 10) Jayatzrtha, ll)
Jnanasindhu, 12) Dayanidhi, 13) Vidyanidhi, lk) Rajendra, 15) Jayadharma, 16)
Purusottama, 17) Brahmanya, 18) Vyasatzrtha, 19) Laksmzpati, 20)
Madhavendra Purz, and 21) Isvara Purz, Advaita Prabhu and Nityananda Prabhu
(who were all disciples of Madhavendra Purz). We worship Isvara Purz s
disciple, Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who
delivered the entire universe by granting the gift of krsna-prema (pure love of
Krsna).
TEXT 8
atha prameyany uddisante
sri madhv-ah praha visnum paratamam akhilamnaya vedyam -ca visvam
satyam bhedam cajivam hari carana -jusas taratamyam ca tesam
moksam visnv anghri -2abham -tad ama2a -bhaj an-am tasya hetum pramanam
pratyaksadi trayam -cety upadisati harih krsna caitany-acandrah
atha no w; pr ameyani ph i l o s o p h i c al truths;uddisante de l i n e a te;sri
madhvah Ma d h v a carya;praha sa i d ;visnum Lo r d V i s n u; pa ratamam i s t h e
Supreme Absolute truth; akhila al l ; am n a ya by t h e V e d ic scriptures;vedyam
knowable; ca a nd; visvam th e m a t e r i al universe;satyam is r e a l; bhedam
distinction; ca a n d ; ji v an th e l i v i n g e nt i t i e s;hari of L o r d H a r i; carana o f t h e
lotus feet; jusah
se r v ants;taratamyam di s t i n c t i on ( in t hat some are liberated
and some conditioned); ca a n d ; te sam of t h e m ; mo ksam li b e r a t i o n;visnu o f
Lord Visnu; anghri of t h e l o t us feet;labham th e a t t a inment; tat o f t h e L o r d ;
amala pu r e; bhaj anam de v o t i o n al service;tasya o f t h a t h e tum t h e c a u s e ;
pramanam ev i d e nce;pratyaksa by d i r e ct perception;adi headed; trayam
group of three; ca a nd ; i t i thus; upadisati te a c hes;harih t h e S u p r e me
Personality of Godhead; see pg nine
Lo r d C a i t anya Mahaprabhu.
A summary of the Vaisnava philosophy follow s
M adhvacarya taught that 1) Lord Vi snu is the Absolute Tru th, than wh o m
nothing is higher, 2) He is known by study of the Vedas, 3) the material world
is real, 0) the jivas (living entities) are different from Lord Vi snu 5) the Jivas are
by nature servants of Lord Visnu's lotus feet, 6) In both the conditi oned and
liberated condition, the jzvas are situated in higher and lower statuses, 7)
liberation does not mean an impersonal merging, but the attainment of Lor d
Visnu s lotus feet, 8) Pure devotional service grants liberation, 9) direct
perception, logic, and Vedic authority are the three sources of actual knowledge.
These same truths are also taught by the Supreme Personality of Godhead
Himself in His appearance as Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
TEXT 9(a)
paratamya prakaranam
sri visn-oh paramatvam
yatha sri gopa-lopanisadi
tasmat krsna eva paro devam tam dhyayet tam raset tam bhajet tam yajet iti.
.
paratamya
ab o ut L o rd Vis nu's supremacy;prakaranam ch a p t e r;sri visno-h o f
Lord Visnu; paramatvam th e p o s i t i on of the Absolute Truth;yatha ju s t a s; sri
gopala upani-sadi in the Gopala-tapam Upanisad; tasmat th e r e f o re;krsnah
Krsna; eva ce r tainly; parah is t h e S upreme;devam th a t S upreme Lord;tam
upon Him; dhyayet on e s ho u ld meditate;tam Hi m ; ra s et on e s h o u ld c ha nt the
holy name; tam Hi m ; bh aj et on e s h o u ld serve;tam Hi m ; ya j et o n e s h o u l d
worship; iti
thus.
1. Lord Visnu is the Absolute Truth, than wh om, no th ing is higher
Lord Visnu s supremacy is described in the Gopala-tapam Upanisad:
"Therefore, Krsna is the Supreme Absolute Truth, and nothing is higher than
Him. One should meditate upon Him, chant His holy names, serve, and worship
Him."
TEXT 9 (b)
svetasvataropanisadi ca
j natva devam sarva pasapaha-nih
ksmaih klesair j anma mrtyu pr-ahanihtasyabhidhyanat trtiyam deha bhede
visvaisvaryam kevalam apta kamah
etaj jneyam nityam evatma sastham
-
-
-
natah param veditavyam hi kincit
svetasvatara u-panisadi
in t he Svetasvatara Upanisad; ca-and; j natva h a v i n g
understood;devam the Supreme Personality of Godhead;
sarva all;
pasa ropes;
apahanih
re m o v e d; ksinaih de s t r o y e d;klesaih wi t h m a t e r i al sufferings;
j anma of b i r t h; mrt yuh an d d e a t h;prahanih de s t r u c t i o n;tasya o f H i m ;
abhidhyanat
fr o m c o n s tant remembrance;trtiyam th e s p i r i t u al worl d; deha o f
the gross and subtle material body; bhede on t he destruction;visva c o m p l e t e ;
aisvaryam
wi t h o p u l e n c e;devalam be y o nd t he touch of material energy;apta
attained; kamah al l d e s ires;etat th i s ;j neyam kn o w a b l e;nityam e t e r n a l ;
atma sam-stham the Absolute Truth; na no t ; at a h th a n H i m ; pa r am s u p e r i o r ;
veditavyam ma y be kno w n; hi in d e e d ;ki n c it a t a l l .
This is confirmed in the Svetasvatara Upanisad"When one understands the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, then the ropes of illusion wh ich bind one to
this material world become cut, the material miseries end, and the repetition of
birth and death in the cycle of transmigration also ends. By constantly
remembering the Supreme Lord, at the time of death one attains the fully
opulent spiritual world, far beyond the touch of matter, and all his desires
become fulfilled. In this way he directly perceives the Supreme Personality of
G odhead, than whom there is nothing higher to be know n." ( l . l l )
TEXT 9 (c)
gitasu ca
mattah parataram nanyat
kincid asti dhananj aya
gitasu in the Bhagavad-gita; ca a nd; ma ttah be y o n d M y s e lf;parataram
superior; na no t ; an yat an y t h i n g ;ki n c it so m e t h i n g ;asti t h e r ei s ;
dhananjaya 0 conqueror of wealth.
This is also confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita (7.7), where Krsna says"0
c onqueror of wealth (Arju n a), there is no truth superior to M e . "
TEXT 10
hetutvad vibhu caitanyanandatvadi gunasra-yat
nitya laksmy a-dimatva-c ca
krsnah paratamo matah
hetutvat be c ause of being the original cause of everything;vibhu a l l
powerful; caitanya co n s c i o usness;ananda of b l i s s;tva be c a u se of the state;
adi et c .; guna of a l l t r a n s c endental qualities;asrayat be c a u se ofbeing the
reservoir; nitya et e r n a l l y; /aksmi b y t h e g o d d e ss of fortune;adi a n d o t h e r s ;
matvat be c ause of being served with great reverence;ca
paratamah
th e u l t i m a t e;matah is considered.
an d ; kr s nah
Krsna;
Krsna is accepted as the highest truth because He is the origin of both th e
material and spiritual wor l ds, because His spiritual form is all-powerful, allcognizant, and full of transcendental bliss, because He is the reservoir of all
auspicious spiritual qualities, and because He is served with great reverence and
affection by hundreds and thousands of goddesses of fortune, and uncountable
millions of other devotees as well.
TEXT ll (a)
sarva hetu-tvam, yathahuh svetasvatarah
ekah sa devo bhagavan varenyo
yoni sva-bhavan adhitisthaty ekah
yac ca svabhavam pacati visva yon-ih
pacyams ca sarvan parinamayed yah
sarva of e verything; hetutvam th e s t a te of being the origin;yatha j u s t a s ;
ahuh ex p l a ins; svetasvatarah th e S vetasvatara Upanisad;ekah on e ; sah H e ;
devah Supreme Personality of Godhead;bhagavan fu l l of a ll opu le nces;
varenyah wo r s h i p able;yoni svab-havan all material elements;adhitisthati h e
establishes; ekah al o ne; yat wh i c h ; ca an d ; sv a b hav-am na t u re of the living
entity; pacati cr e a t es;visva of t he u n i v e rse;yonih th e o r i g i n; pacyan
developed; ca an d; sarvan al l ; pa r i n a mayet tr a n s f o r m s;yah w h o .
T he Supreme Lord is the source of everything. This is confirmed in th e
Svetasvatara Upanisad (5.0-5):
"The one supremely opulent and worshipable Personality of Godhead is the
origin of the entire universe. He creates the material elements and their
attributes, and He also transforms those elements."
TEXT ll (b)
vibhu caitany-anandatvam, yatha kathake
mahantam vibhum atmanam
matva dhire na socati
vibhu al l p o w e r f u l; caitanya co n s c i o us ofe verything;ananda o f b l i s s ;
tvam the state;yatha ju s t a s; kathake in t h e K a t ha Upanisad;mahantam
supremely worshipable; vibhum fu l l o f a ll po w e rs and opulences;atmanam
Supreme Person;matva h a v in g un d erstood; dhirah an i n t e l l i g e nt person who
knows the distinction between material bondage and liberation; na d o e s n o t ;
socati la m e nt for any material distress.
That the Lord is all powerful, all-cognizant, and all-blissful is confirmed in
the following verse from the Katha Upanisad (1.2.22)"An in t el l i gent person,
who understands the distinction between material bondage and liberation, ends
all material bondage when he understands the supremely worshipable
Personality of Godhead, who is full of all po w ers and opulences."
TEXT ll (c)
vij nana su-kha ru-patvam
atma sa-bdena bodhyate
anena mukta gam-yatvam
vyutpatter iti tad vid-ah
vij nana of t ra nscendental knowledge;sukha an d b l i s s;rupatvam th e s t a te of
having a form; atma "atma";sabdena by the word;bodhyate is understood;
anena by thi s; mukta by t h e l i b e r a ted souls;gamyatvam un d e r s t andable;
vyutpatteh
de r i v a tion;iti th u s ; ta t th e t r u t h ; vi d ah t h o s ew ho k n o w .
Those learned in spiritual matters know that the word " a t ma" means "that
which is full of spiri t ual kn o w l e dge and bliss". This know l edge and bliss is
possessed both by the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the liberated
individual living entities.
TEXT 12 (a)
vaj asaneyis cahuh
vij nanam anandam brahma
ratir datum parayanam
vajasaneyih The Vajasaneya-brahmana; ca and;ahuh explai— ns;
vijnanam
full ofknowledge; anandam an d b l i s s;brahma th e s u p r e me spirit; ratih g i v i n g
the result of sacrifice; datum to t h e w o r s hipper;parayanam t h e A b s o l u te Truth.
The Vajasaneya-brahmana (3.9.28) also explains: "The Supreme Spirit, who
i s full of knowledge and bliss, grants the results to those who worship Him w i t h
sacrifice."
TEXT 12 (b)
sri gopalopa-nisadi ca
tam ekam govindam
sac cid anan-da v-igrahamsri gopala up-anisadi -in
the Gopala-Tapani Upanisad; ca also; tam
to Him;
ekam on e; govindam Go v i n d a ;sat
and bliss; vigraham f o r m .
et e r n a l;cit
fu l l o f k n o w l e d g e;ananda
The Gopala-tapam Upanisad (1.35) also confirms: "Lord Govi nda is beyond
t he duality of the material world, and He is not di f f erent from His form w h ic h i s
eternal, full of knowl edge and bliss."
TEXT 12 (c)
murtatvam pratipattavyam
cit suk-hasyaiva ragavat
vij nana gh-ana sab-dadi
kirtanac capi tasya tat
deha deh-i bhi-da nastity
etenaivopadarsitam
murtatvam
th e s tate of having a form;pratipattavyam ma y be u n d e rstood;
cit sp i r i t u a l; sukhasya of b l i s s;eva c e r t a i n l y ; ragavat ju s t as a melody;
vijnana ofthe Lord's supremeknowledge;ghana "ghana"; sabda with the
word; adi th e m a n t ra which begins with; kirtanat from the description; ca
and; api al s o; tasya of H i m ; ta t tha t ; de ha of t h e b o d y; dehi of t h e p o s sessor
of the body; bhida di f f e r e nce;na no t ; as ti is ; it i th us ; et e na by t h i s ;ev a
certainly; upadarsi tam is r e vealed.
Lord Govinda possesses a form of spiritual bliss, just as a melody, although
a pparently formless, actually possesses a subtle form wit hin the mi nd . T h e
mantra beginning "vijnana-ghana" confirms that the Lord's form is not material,
but a spiritual manifestation which is eternal and full of kn o w l e dge and bliss,
a nd that there is no difference between the Lord and His spiri t ual for m .
TEXT 13 (a)
murtasyaiva vibhutvam, yatha mundake
vrksa iva stabdho divi tisthaty ekas tenedam purnam purusena sarvam
murtasya of t he form; eva ce r t a i n l y;vibhutvam th e s t a te ofb e ing allpowerful and opulent; yatha ju s t a s;mundake in the Mundaka Upanisad;
vrksah a tre e; iva ju s t a s; stabdhah fi x e d ; divi in t h e s p i r i t u al sky;tisthati i s
situated; ekah on e ; tena by H i m ; id am th i s ;pu r n am pe r f e c t a nd complete;
purusena by t he person;sarvam e v e r y t h i n g .
The Mundaka Upanisad confirms that the Lord's form possesses unlimited
potency: "The Supreme Person appears like a tree situated in the spiritual sky .
From that tree the perfect and complete spiritual and material worlds have
become manifested."
TEXT 13 (b)
dyu s-tho pi nikhila v-yapity
akhyanan murtiman vibhuh
yugapad dhyatr v-rndesu
saksat ka-rac ca tadrsah
dyu in t he spiritual sky; stah re m a i n i n g;api al t h o u g h ;n i k h il a
everywhere; vyapi pe r v a d i n g; iti t h u s ; ak h y a nam fr o m t h e d e s cription of the
Vedas; murtiman
po s s essing a form;vibhuh al l - p o w e r f u l; yugapat
simultaneously; dhyatr to t h e p e r f e ct living beings;vrndesu t o t he commu n i t y ;
saksat kar-at by d i r e ct perception; ca a n d ; ta d rsah t h e s a m e .
The Vedic mantras explain that the all-powerful Absolute Truth po ssesses a
spiritual form, and although He remains in the spiri tual sky, He is
simultaneously present everywhere. He personally appears within the heart of
t he perfect devotees who constantly meditate upon Him .
TEXT 14 (a)
sri dasa-me ca
na cantar na bahir yasya
na purvam napi caparam
purvaparam bahis cantar
jagatoyojagac cayah
sri dasam-e in the Tenth Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam; ca a l s o; na n o t ; c a
also; antah in t e r i o r; na no r ; ba h ih ex t e r i o r ya
; sya wh o s e ;na n e i t h e r ;
purvam be g i n n i n g; na nor; api in d e e d; ca a l s o ; aparam en d ; p u r v a
aparam th e beginning and the end;bahih ca antah th e e x t e rnal and the internal;
j agatah of t he who le cosmic manifestation;yah on e w ho i s;j agat ca yah a n d
who is everything in creation in total.
This is confirmed in the Srzmad-Bhagavatam (10.9.13): "The Supreme
Personality of Godhead has no beginning and no end, no exterior and no
interior, no front and no rear. In other wor ds, He is all-pervading. Because He is
not under the influence of the element of time, for Him t h ere is no di f f erence
between past, present and future; He exists in his own tr anscendental form at
all times. Being absolute, beyond relativity, He is free from distinctions between
cause and effect, although He is the cause and effect of everything."
TEXT 14 (b)
sri gitasu ca-
maya tatam idam sarvam
jagad avyakta murtina
mat s-thani sarva b-hutani
na caham tesv avasthitah
na ca mat st-hani bhutani
pasya me yogam aisvaram
sri gi-tasu in t he Bhagavad-gita;ca also; maya by M e; ta tam s p r e a d ;
idam all t h e se manifestations;sarvam a l l ; j a g at
co s m i cm a n i f e station;avyakta
murtina
un m a n i f e sted form; mat sth-ani un t o M e; sarva bh-utani a l l l i v i n g
entities; na no t ; ca al s o ;ah am I; te s u in t h e m ;av a s thitah si t u a t e d;na
never; ca al s o;mat sth-ani si t u a t ed in Me;bhutani al l c r e a t ion;pasya ju s t s e e;
me My; yogam aisvaram in c o n c e i vable mystic power.
The Lord confirms in the Bhagavad-gita (9.4-5): "By Me, in My un m a n i f ested
form, this entire universe is pervaded. All beings are in Me, but I am not in
t hem. And yet everything that is created does not rest in Me. Behold my my st i c
opulence! "
TEXT 14 (c)
acintya saktir -astise
yoga sabde-na cocyate
virodha bhanj-ika sa syad
iti tattva vidam -matam
acintya in c o n c e ivable;saktih po t e n c y;asti th e r ei s; ise i n t h e s u p r e me
"yoga"; sabdena by the word; ca and; ucyate i s
Personality of Godhead;yoga
explained; virodha co n t r a d i c tion;bhanjika re s o l v i n g;sa th a t p o t e n c y;syat
is; iti t h u s ; ta ttva th e t r u t h ; vi d am of t h o s e w ho und e rstand;matam t h e
opinion.
The fact that the Supreme Personality of Godhead possesses inconceivable
potency (yogam aisvaram) resolves the apparent contradiction in this statement
b y the Lord. This is the opinion of th ose who know the tr u t h .
TEXT 15 (a)
adina sarva jnatvam, yatha mundake
yah sarva jnah sarva vit
-
adina by t he word adi (etc.) (found in verse 10);sarva jnatvam om n i s c i e nce;
yatha ju s t as; mundake in the Mundaka Upanisad;yah
w h o ; sa r va e e r y t h i n g ;
jnah knows; sarva al l ; v it p e r c e i v e s .
By the use of the word "adi" (etc.) in text 10, the Lord's omniscience may be
inferred. This is confirmed in the Mu n d aka Upanisad g . 2 . 7) : " The Supreme
Personality of Godhead is omniscient."
TEXT 15 (b)
ananditvam ca, taittiriyake
anandam brahmano vidvan
na vibheti kutascana
ananditvam
t h e s tate of being full of transcendental bliss; ca a l s o ;
taittiriyake
in t h e T a i t t i r i ya Upanisad;anandam sp i r i t u al bliss;brahmanah o f
the Supreme Personality of Godhead; vidvan a p e r s on who kno w s;na d o e s n o t ;
bibheti
fe a r; kutascana a n y t h i n g .
That the Lord is full of tr anscendental bliss is confirmed in the Taitt irzya
Upanisad g.k . l ) : " O n e wh o u n d e r stands the transcendental bliss of the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, no longer fears anything."
TEXT 15 (c)
prabhutva suhrt-tva jnanadatva moca-katvami ca, svetasvatara sruta-u
sarvasya prabhum isanam
sarvasya saranam suhrt
prajna ca tasmat prasrta purani
samsara bandh-a sthiti -moksa -hetuhprabhutva th e s tate of being the supreme master;suhrttva th e s t a te of being
the supreme friend;jnanadatva th e s t a te ofbe ing the supreme teacher;
mocakatvani
th e s tate of being the ultimate deliverer; ca a n d ; svetasvatara
srutau in t he f ol l o w i ng quotes from the Svetasvatara Upanisad;sarvasya o f
everyone; prabhum th e m a s ter;isanam th e c o n t r o l l e r; sarvasya of e v e r yone;
saranam th e shelter;s uhrt and fr— iend; prajna spiritual knowledge; ca and;
tasmat fr om H i m; pr a srta be c o m e s manifest;
purani et e r n a l;samsara o f
material existance; bandha of t he bondage;sthiti fr o m t h e s it u a tion;moksa o f
liberation; hetuh th e c a use.
That the Lord is the supreme master, friend, teacher, and deliverer is
confirmed in the following quotes from the Svetasvatara Upanisad:
"The Personality of Godhead is everyone's supreme master, controller,
shelter and friend." (3.17)
"The Personality of Godhead is the teacher who reawakens the eternal
spiritual knowledge of the conditioned souls." (0.18)
"The Personality of Godhead delivers the conditioned souls from th e
bondage of repeated birth and death." (6.16)
TEXT 15 (d)
madhuryam ca sri go-palopanisadi
sat pu-ndarika na-yanam
meghabham vaidyutambaram
dvi bh-uj
am mauna mu-dradhyam
vana ma-linam isvaram
madhuryam
th e c ha rmin g b e a uty of the Lord; ca a n d ; sri g op-ala upa-nisadi
in the Gopala-tapam Upanisad; sat ma n i f e s ted;pundarika li k e l o t u s flo we rs;
nayanam ey e s;megha of a f r e s h r a i n - c l o ud;abham sp l e n d o r;vaidyuta a s
splendid as lightning; ambaram ga r m e n t s;dvi wi t h t w o ; b h u jam a r m s ; ma u n a
mudradhyam
fu l l of t r a nscendental knowledge;isvaram th e S up re me
Controller.
The Lord s charming beauty is described in the Gopala-tapam Upanisad
(1.13): "The Supreme Personality of Godhead appears as splendid as a fresh
rain-cloud, and His eyes are as beautiful as lotus flowers. He has two arms and
wears garments as yellow as lightning. He is decorated with a garland of forest
flowers, and He is full of transcendental knowledge."
TEXT 16
na bhinna dharmino dharma
bheda-bhanam visesatah
yasmat kalah sarvadastity
adi dhir vi-dusam api
na no t; bhinnah di f f e r e n t;dharminah fr o m t h e p o s sessor of qualities;
dharmah qu a l i t i e s;bheda di s t i n c t i o n;bhanam ap p e a r ance;visesatah
specifically; yasmat fr o m w h o m ; k a l ah t i m e ; sa r v ada et e r n a l l y;asti e x i s t s ;
iti
th u s ; adi or i g i n a l ; d hih i n t e l l i g e n c e;
vidusam am o n g t he learned
philosophers; api
and.
T he Supreme Personality of Godhead is not different from Hi s
t ranscendental form and attributes, and any apparent distinction is an ill u si on .
He is the original learned philosopher, and He is the source of eternal time.
TEXT 17
evam uktam narada pancarat-re
nirdosa purna guna vigraha atma t-antro
niscetanatmaka s-arira gunais ca hinah
ananda matra k-ara p-ada mukhodaradih
sarvatracasvagata b-heda v-ivarjitatma
evam in this way;
uktam
described;narada p-ancaratre in the ¹rada
Pancaratra; nirdosa wi t h o u t f a u l t; purna fu l l ; gu na of t r a n s c e ndental
attributes; vigrahah fo r m ; at ma ta-ntrah in d e p e n d ant;niscetana ma t e r i a l;
atmaka mi n d ; sarira bo d y ; gu n a ih an d a t t r i b u t e s; ca a n d ; hi n ah w i t h o u t ;
ananda sp i r i t u al bliss;matra ex c l u s i v e ly consisting of;kara ha n d s ;pada
feet; mukha fa c e; udara be l l y ; ad ih et c . ;sa rvatra i n e v e r y r espect; ca a n d ;
svagata fr om H i m s e lf; bheda wi t h a d i f f e rence;vivarjita de v o i d o f;atma
Supreme Personality of Godhead.
This is described in the ¹ r a d a
P a n c aratra: "The independent Supreme
Personality of Godhead possesses a spiritual form full of p e r fect and faultless
qualities. He is not different from the hands, feet, face, belly, or other parts of
his form, which are all made exclusively of transcendental bliss."
TEXT 18 (a)
atha nitya laksm-ikatvam, yatha visnu pura-ne
nityaiva saj agan matavisnuh srir anapayini
yatha sarvagato visnus
tathaiveyam dvij ottama
atha no w; nit ya et e r n a l;/aksmikatvam po s i t i on of Laksmi-devi; yathaju s t
as; visnu puran-e in the Visnu Purana; nitya et e r n a l;eva ce r t a i n l y;sa s h e ;
j agat of the universe; mata th e m o t h e r;visnoh to L o r d V i s n u;srih S r i m a t i
Laksmidevi, the goddess of fortune; anapayini et e r n a l ly faithful;yatha j u s t a s ;
sarva gatah -all-pervading; visnuh
Lo r d V i s n u; ta tha in t h e s a me way;eva
certainly; iyam sh e ; dvij a of b r a h m a n a s;uttama 0 b e s t .
The eternal transcendental position of Srzmatz Laksmz-devz is described in
the Visnu Purana: "0 best of the brahmanas, Lord Visnu's transcencental
potency, Srimati Laksmidevi, is His constant faithful companion. She is eternal,
and she is the mother of the entire material universe. She is all-pervading, just
as Lord Visnu is."
TEXT 18 (b)
visnoh syuh saktayas tisras
tasu ya kirtita para
saiva sris tad abhinnetipraha sisyan prabhur mahan
-
visnoh of L o rd Vis nu; syuh th e r e a re;saktayah po t e n c i e s;tisrah t h r e e ;
tasu amo ng them; ya th a t w h i c h ; ki r t i ta is g l o r i f i e d;para a s t h e
transcendental and superior; sa sh e ; eva c e r t a i n l y; srih Sr i m a t i L a k s mi - devi;
tat wi t h t he Lor d; abhinna no t d i f f e r e nt;iti th u s ; pr a ha sp o k e ;sisyan t o
His students; prabhuh mahan Lo r d C a i t a nya Mahaprabhu.
L ord Caitanya Mahaprabhu instructed His disciples in the follow ing way :
"Srimati Laksmi-devi is the best of Lord Visnu's three potencies, and She is not
different from the Lord Hi m s elf ."
TEXT 18 (c)
tatra trisakti visn-uh, yatha svetasvataropanisadi
parasya saktir vividhaiva sruyate
svabhavikijnana bala -kriy-a ca
pradhana kset-raj na pati-r gunesah
tatra in t h i s c onnection;tri sakti -p o s s essing three potencies; visnuh L o r d
Visnu;yatha j u s t a s ; svetasvatara upan-isadi in t he Svetasvatara Upanisad;
para supreme; asya of t he Supreme Personality of Godhead;saktih p o t e n c y ;
vividha va r i o u s; eva c e r t a i n l y; sruyate is h e a r d; svabhaviki ac c o r d i ng to
nature; jnana
po t e n cy of knowl e dge;bala po t e n cy of eternal existence;kriya
potency of spiritual bliss; ca a n d ; pr a dhana the unmanifested material nature;
ksetrajna an d t he ind i v i d ual living entities;patih th e m a s t e r;guna o f t h e t h r e e
modes of material nature; isah th e m a s ter.
The Svetasvatara Upanisad (6.8) describes the three energies of Lord Visnu :
"It has been heard in the Vedas that Lord Visnu possesses multifarious
potencies, which may be divided into three categories: 1. the potency of
transcendental knowledge, 2. the potency of eternal existence, and 3. the
potency of spiritual bliss. Lord Visnu is also the master of all living entiti es, and
the controller of the material cosmos both in its unm an i fested stage, and its
developments of the three modes of nature."
TEXT 19 (a)
sri visnu pu-rane c-a
visnu saktih pa-ra prokta
ksetraj nakhya tatha paraa
avidya karma sa-mj nany-a
trtiya saktir isyate
sri visnu pur-ane
-in the Visnu Purana; ca
and; visnu saktih
th -e potency of
Lord Visnu; para sp i r i t u a l;prokta it i s s a i d; ksetrajna akhya th e p o t e n c y
known as ksetrajna; tatha as w e ll as;para sp i r i t u a l;avidya i g n o r a n c e ;
karma fr u i t i ve activities;samj na kn o w n a s; anya ot h e r ;tr t i ya th i r d ; s a k t i h
potency; isyate k n o w n t h u s .
The Visnu Purana explains: "The potency of Lord Visnu is summarized in
three categories: namely, the spiritual potency, the living entities and ignorance.
The spiritual potency is full of kn o w l e d ge; the living entities, although
b elonging to the spiritual potency, are subject to bewilderment; and the thir d
energy, which is full of ignorance, is always visible in fru i t ive activities.
TEXT 19 (b)
paraiva visnv abh-inna srir ity uktam. tatraiva
kala kas-tha nim-esadi
kala sutra-sya gocare
yasya saktir na suddhasya
prasidatu sa no harih
para transcendental potency; visnu th a n L o rd V i s n u;abhinna no t d i f f e r e nt;
srih Sr i m a ti Laksmi-devi; iti t h u s ; uk t am sp o k e n ;ta t ra th e r e ;eva c e r t a i n l y ;
kala se conds;kastha se c o n d s;nimesa mo m e n t ; adi et c ; ka l a o f t i m e ;
sutrasya of t he measuring string;gocare wi t h i n t he p erception;yasya o f
whom; saktih po t e n c y;na no t ; su d d hasya fr e e f rom all material impurity;
prasidatu may be merciful; sah He ; nah to u s ; ha r ih L or d H a r i .
Srimati Laksmi-devi, the supreme spiritual potency, is non-different from
Lord Visnu:
The spiritual potencies of the Lord are described in the follow ing verses from
Visnu Purana: "Lord Hari's transcendental potency cannot be measured by the
string of time, calibrated in min u tes and seconds. May that supremely pure
Personality of Godhead be merciful to us.
TEXT 19 (c)
procyate parameso yo
yah suddho 'py upacaratah
prasidatu sa no visnur
atma yah sarva dehinamprocyate is described; parama isah th -e supreme controller;yah wh o ; y a h
who; suddhah pu r e ; api an d ; up a c aratah se r v e d;prasidatu m a y b e m e rc iful;
sah He; nah to u s ; vi s nuh Vi s n u ; at ma Su p e r s o u l;yah wh o ; sa r va o f a l l ;
dehinam li v i ng entities in the material world.
"Lord Visnu is described as the supreme controller, free from all material
impurity. He is the object of Srimati Laksmi-devi s service, and He is the
Supersoul of all conditioned living entiti es. May He be merciful to us."
TEXT 19 (d)
esa paraiva tri vr-d ity uktam tatraiva
hladini sandhini samvit
tvayy eka sarva sam-sthitau
hlada tap-akari misra
tvayi no guna var-jite
esa this; para su p e r i or p o t e ncy; eva c e r t a i n l y;tri vrt -t h r e e - f o ld; iti t h u s ;
uktam
de s cribed;tatra th e r e ; eva i n d e e d ;hladini pl e a s u re potency;
sandhini
ex i s t e nce potency;samvit kn o w l e d ge potency;tvayi in Y o u ; e k a
one; sarva sam-sthitau wh o a re the b a sis ofall thing s; hlada pl e a s u re;tapa a n d
misery; kari ca u s i n g;misra a m i x t u r e of t he two;tvayi in Y o u ; no no t ; g u n a
varjite
wh o a re wit h o ut the three modes of material nature.
The Visnu Purana explains that the Lord's spiritual potency has three
aspects: "0 Lord, You are the support of everything. The three attributes hladini
(pleasure potency), sandhim (existence potency), and samvit (know l edge
potency) exist in You as one spiritual energy. But the material modes, which
cause happiness, misery and mixtures of the two, do not exist in You, for You
have no material qualities."
TEXT 20 (a)
eko 'pi visnur ekapi
laksmis tad anapay-ini
sva siddha-ir bahubhir vesair
bahur ity abhidhiyate
ekah on e; api al t h o u g h ;visnuh Lo r d V i s n u; eka on e ; api a l t h o u g h ;
laksmi La k s m i - devi; tat of H i m ; an a p ayini th e c o n s t a nt associate;
sva
siddhaih
many; iti
spiritually perfect; bahubhih by many; vesaih appearances; bahuh
th u s ;ab hidhiyate is d e s c ribed.
Lord Visnu is one, and His constant associate Laksmi-devi is also one.
Assuming many different spiritual forms, they appear to have become many.
TEXT ZO (b)
tatraikatve satyeva visnor bahutvam, sri gopalopa-nisadi
eko vast sarvagah krsna idya
eko 'pi san bahudhayo 'vabhati
tam pithastham ye tu yaj anti dhiras
te sam sukham sasvatam netaresam
tatra in t h i s c onnection;ekatve in t h e o n e ness;satya th e t r u t h ; iva a s i f ;
visnoh of L o rd Vis nu; bahutvam th e s t a te of being many;sri go-pala up-anisadi
in the Gopala Tapam Upanisad; ekah on e ; vast th e s u p r e me controller;
sarvagah
al l - p e r v ading;krsnah Lo r d K r s n a;idyah su p r e m e ly wors hipable;
ekah on e; api al t h o u g h ;san be i n g ;ba hudha in m a n y f o r m s ;yah w h o ;
avabhati ma n i f e sts;tam Hi m ; pi t h a s tham in H i s t r a n s cendental abode;ye
those who; yaj anti wo r s h i p; dhirah in t e l l i g e nt persons;tesam o f t h e m ;
sukham ha p p i n e ss;sasvatam et e r n a l;na no t ; it a r e sam o f o t h e r s .
The Gopala-tapam Upanisad (1.21) confirms that Lord Vi snu is one,
although He manifests in many forms: "Lord Kr sna is the worshipable, allpervading supreme controller, and although He is one, Hi manifests in many
forms. Those who are intelligent worship that Supreme Lord, who remains in
His spiritual abode. Those persons attain the eternal transcendental happiness
which is not available for others."
TEXT 20 (c)
atha laksmyas tad yatha
parasya saktir vividhaiva sruyate ity ad.i
atha no w; la k smyah of L a k s m i - d e vi;tat th a t ;ya t ha ~u s t a s;para
supreme; asya of t he Supreme Personality of Godhead;saktih p o t e n c y ;
vividha va r i o u s; eva ce r t a i n l y;sruyate is h e a r d;iti th u s ;ad i e t c .
S rzmatz Laksmz-devz also manifests in many forms. This is confirmed in th e
Svetasvatara Upanisad (6.8): "It has been heard in the Vedas that Lord Visnu 's
transcendental potency manifests in many forms."
TEXT 21 (a)
purtih sarvatriki yady apy
avisesa tathapi hi
taratamyam ca tac chakti
vyakty vyakti krt-am bha-vet
-
purtih
pe r f e c tion and completeness;sarvatriki
at a ll t i m es and
circumstances; yadi api
al t h o u g h;avisesa wi t h o u t a ny distinction; tatha api
nevertheless; hi in d e e d; taratamyam di s t i n c t i on o f s u p e r i o rity and inferiority;
ca and; tat of H i m ; sa k ti of t h e p o t e n c y;vyakti ma n i f e s t;avyakti krtam
and unmanifest; bhavet m a y b e .
-
Although all of the transcendental forms of Visnu and Laksmz are always
equally perfect and complete in all circumstances, these forms are considered
higher and lower according to the different qualities and potencies which they
manifest or refrain from manifesting.
TEXT 21 (b)
tatra nisnoh sarvatriki purtir yatha vaj asaneyake
"purnam adah purnam idam
purnat purnam udacyate
purnasya purnam adaya
purnam evavasisyate"
tatra in t h i s c onnection;visnoh of L o r d V i s n u; sarvatriki
in all
circumstances; purtih pe r f e c t ion and completeness;
yatha ju s t a s;
vajasaneyike in t he Brhad-aranyaka Upanisad;om t he c o m p l e te whole;
purnam pe r f e ctly complete;adah that; purnam pe r f e c tly complete;idam t h i s
phenomenal world; purnat from the all-perfect; purnam c o m p l e te unit ;
udacyate is pro duced;purnasya of t h e c o m p l e te whole;purnam c o m p l e t e l y,
all; adaya ha v i n g b e en taken away;purnam th e c o m p l e t e b a lance;eva e v e n ;
evasisyate is remaining.
Lord Visnu is always perfect and complete. This is described in the Brhadaranyaka Upanisad (5.1.1): "The Personality of Godhead is perfect and
complete, and because He is completely perfect, all emanations from Him, such
as this phenomenal world, are perfectly equipped as complete wholes. Whatever
is produced of the complete whole is also complete in itself. Because He is the
complete whole, even though so many complete units emanate from Him, He
remains the complete balance."
TEXT 21 (c)
maha varahe -ca
sarve nityah sasvatas ca
dehas tasya paratmanah
hanopadana rahitanaiva prakrtij ah kvacit
maha varahe -in the Maha-varaha Purana; ca an d ; sarve al l ; ni t y ah e t e r n a l ;
sasvatah im p e r i shable; ca an d ; de hah fo r m s ; ta sya of H i m ; p a ra a tmanah -o f
the Supreme Personality of Godhead; hana de s t r u c t io n;upadana o r i g i n ;
rahitah
de v o id of;na no t ; eva ce r t a i n l y;pr a krti jah pr o - d u c ed from the
material energy; kvacit a t a ny t i m e .
The Maha-varaaha Purana also explains: "The transcendental forms of the
Supreme Personality of Godhead are eternal and imperishable. They were not
created at a certain point, and they are never to be destroyed. They are not
products of the material energy.
TEXT 21 (d)
paramananda sa-ndoha
j nana m-atras ca sarvatah
sarve sarva gu-naih purnah
sarva do-sa viv-arj itah
parama transcendental; ananda of b l i s s;sandohah th e g r e at abundance;
j nana of k n o w l e d ge; matrah ex c l u s i v e ly; ca a n d ; sa r vatah al l ; sa r ve a l l ;
gunaih au s p icious transcendent qualities;purnah filled; sarva all; dosa o f
defects; vivarjitah
devoid.
"All the forms of the Supreme Personality of Godhead are completely filled
with transcendental bliss, knowledge and all auspicious qualities. These
spiritual forms of the Lord are free from all material defects."
TEXT ZZ (a)
atha sriyah sayatha sri visnu -puran-e
evam yathaj agat svamideva devo j -anardanah
avatram karoty esa
tatha sris tat sahayi-ni
atha now; s— riyah of Srimati Laksmi; sa s h e ; yatha ju s t a s; sri visnupurane in the Visnu Purana; evam in t h e s ame way;yatha ju s t a s;j agat o f
theuniverse; svami th e l o r d ; de va of a l l d e m i g o d s ;devah t h e m a s t e r ;
j anardanah Lord Janardana; avataram in c a r n a t io n; karoti ma n i f e s t s;esah He;
tatha in t he same way;srih Sr i m a t i L a ks mi-devi;tat Hi s ; sa hayini e t e r n a l
companion.
S rzmatz Laksmz-devz is described in the same way in the Visnu Purana: J u s t
as Lord Janardana, the controller of the universe and master of the demigods
incarnates in different forms, so also does His eternal consort, Srzmatz Laksmzdev1.
TEXT ZZ (b)
punas ca padmad udbhuta
adityo 'bhud yada harih
yada ca bhargavo ramas
tadabhud dharini tv iyam
punah ag ain; ca a n d ; pa d mat fr o m t h e l o t u s; udbhuta bo r n ; ad i t y ah a s
the son of Aditi (Lord Vamana); abhut be c a me manifest;yada wh e n ; h a r i h
Lord Hari; yada wh e n ; ca a n d ; bh a r g avah in t h e d y n a s ty of Bhrgu;ramah
Lord Parasurama; tada th e n ; abhut ap p e a r e d;dharini as D h a r i n i; tu i n d e e d ;
iyam s h e .
"When Lord Hari appeared as Vamana, the son of Aditi, Laksmi-devi
appeared as Padma, and when the Lord appeared as Parasurama, she appeared
as Dharini.
TEXT 22 (c)
raghavatve 'bhavat sita
rukmini krsna janmani
anyesu cavataresu
visnor esa sahayini
raghavatve in t he appearance of Lord Ramacandra;abhavat sh e became;
sita Si t a-devi;rukmini Pr i n c e ss Rukmini;krsna of L o r d K r s n a;j anmani i n
the incarnation; anyesu in o t h e r s; ca a n d ; av a taresu du r i n g t he inc arnations;
visnoh of L o rd Vis nu; esa sh e ; sahayini t h e c o n s o r t .
"When the Lord appeared as Ramacandra, she became Sita-devi, and when
He descended in His original form as Lord Kr sna, she was Princess Rukmini. In
Lord Visnu's many other incarnations, she always appeared as the Lord's
consort.
TEXT 22 (d)
devatve deva deheyammanusatve ca manusi
visnor dehanurupam vai
karoty esatmanas tanum
syat svarupa sati purt-ir
ihaikyas iti vin matam
-
devatve when the Lord appears as a demigod;
deva of demigod; deha
assuming the form; iyam sh e ; ma nusatve wh e n t he L ord inc arnates as a human
being; ca and; manusi in t h e f o rm o fa h u m a n; visnoh of L o r d V i s n u; deha o f
the form; anurupam co r r e s ponding;vai ce r t a i n l y;karoti ma n i f e s t s;esa s h e ;
atmanah of H e r self; tanum th e f o r m; syat th e r ei s; sva rupa sati -re la-ted to
her transcendental form; purtih pe r f e c t i on and completeness;
iha i n t h i s
connection; aikyat be c a u se ofn o n - d i f ference;iti t h u s ; vi t of t he
transcendental scholars; matam t h e o p i n i o n .
"Laksmz-devz appears in different forms, corresponding to the forms of Lord
Visnu. When the Lord appears as a demigod, she assumes a demigod-like form,
and when He appears in a human-like form, she assumes a human-like form
also. As the Lord's transcendental potency, she is not different form Him , an d
her spiritual forms are all perfect and complete. This is the opinion of th e
learned transcendentalists. "
TEXT 23 (a)
atha tathapi taratamyam
atha sri vis-nos tad yatha sri bha-gavate (1.328)
ete camsa kal-ah pumsah
krsnas tu bhagavan svayam
atha no w; ta tha api ne v e r t h e l ess;
taratamyam di s t i n c t i on of superior and
inferior; atha no w ; sri v isn-oh of L o rd V i s n u; tat t h a t ; y a t ha ju s t a s; sri
bhagavate in t he Srimad-Bhagavatam;ete all t h e se;ca an d ; am sa p l e n a r y
portions; kalah po r t i o n s of the plenary portions;pumsah of t he Supreme;
krsnah LO r d K r s n a; tu bu t ; bh a g avan th e P e r s onality of Godhead;svayam i n
person.
S ome forms of the Lord are considered superior to other forms of the Lord .
In this connection the Srzmad-Bhagavatam (1.3.28) explains: "All of the abovementioned incarnations are either plenary portions or por t i ons of the plenary
portions of the Lord, but Lord Sri Kr sna is the original Personality of Godhead."
TEXT 23 (b)
astamas tu tayor astt
svayam eva harih kila
astamah th e eighth; tu in d e e d ;ta yoh of V a s u d e va and Devaki;asit
svayam pe r s onally; eva in d e e d;harih Lo r d H a r i ; ki la c e r t a i n l y .
was;
"The Supreme Personality of Godhead appeared in His original form as the
eighth son of Vasudeva and Devaki."
TEXT 20 (a)
atha sris tad yatha purusa bodhinya-m atharvopanisadi
"goku2akhye mathuramanda2e" ity upakramya
"dve parsve candravali radhika ca" ity abhidhaya
paratra "yasya amse laksmi durgadika s-aktih" iti.
atha no w; srih th e g o d d e ss of fortune; tat t h a t ; ya t ha ju s t a s;p urusabodhinyam
in t he P ur usa-bodhini;atharva of t h e A t h a r va Veda;upanisadi i n
the Upanisad; gokula Go k u l a ; akhye in t h e p l a c e named;mathura o f M a t h u r a ;
mandale in t he district; iti t h u s ; up a k r amya ha v i n g b e g un;dve tw o ; pa r s ve
at the sides; candravali Ca n d r a v a h;radhika Sr i m a t i R adharani; ca a n d ; i ti th u s;
abhidhaya de s c ribing by name;paratra in a n o t h e r place;yasyah o f H e r ;
amse as parts; laksmi La k s m i ; du rga Du r g a ;ad ika be g i n n i n g w i t h;saktih
t he Lord's potencies; iti t h u s .
The same differing importance of forms applies to Srimati Laksmi-devi. The
Purusa-bodhini Upanisad of the Atharva Veda explains:
"In the supreme abode of Gokula in the district of Math u ra, Srimati
Radharani and Srimati Candravah-devi stand at the left and right side of Lord
Krsna."
"Srimati Radharani expands Herself as Laksmi, Durga, and many other
potencies of the Lord which are all her incarnations."
TEXT ZS (b)
gautamiya tantre -ca
dev3 krsnamayi prokta
radhika para devatasarva laksm-imayi sarva
kantih sammohini para
gautamiya tantre -in the Gautamiya Tantra; ca a n d ; de vi w h o s h i n e s
brilliantly; krsna mayi -n o n d i f f e rent from Lord Krsna; prokta ca l l e d;ra dhika
Srimati Radharani; para devata -most worshipable; sarva laksmi -mayi -presiding
over all the goddesses of fortune; sarva kantih -in wh o m a ll splendor exists;
sammohini
wh o s e character completely bewilders Lord Krsna;para th e s u p e rior
energy.
This is also confirmed in the Gautamiya Tantra: "The transcendental goddess
Srimati Radharani is the direct counterpart of Lord Sri Kr sna. She is the central
figure for all the goddesses of fortune. she possesses all the attractiveness to
attract the all-attractive Personality of Godhead. She is the primeval internal
potency of the Lord."
TEXT 25 (a)
atha nitya dhamatva-m adi sabdat, y-atha chandogye
sa bhagavah kasmin pratisthitah. iti.
sve mahimni. iti
mundake ca
divye pure hy esa samvyomny atma pratisthitah. iti
atha no w; nit ya et e r n a l;dhamatvam th e s t a te of the abode;adi "adi";
sabdat fr om th e w o r d ; y a t ha ju s t a s ; ch a ndogye in t h e C h a n d o gya Upanisad;
sah He; bhagavah 0 Sa n a t - k u m a ra;kasmin wh e r e > ;pratisthitah is s i t u a t e d;
iti t h us; sve in H i s o w n ; ma h imni gl o r i o u s a bode; iti t h u s ; mu n d ake i n t h e
Mundaka Upanisad; divye sp l e n d i d; pure in t h e a b o d e;hi ce r t a i n l y;esah H e ;
samvomni in t he spiritual sky;atma th e s u p r e me Personality of Godhead;
pratisthitah
i s situated; iti t h u s .
The Lord's eternal abode may be understood by the use of the word "adi"
(etc.) in the quote from the Purusa-bodhim Up anisad. In this connection, the
following question and answer are found in the Chandogya Upanisad:
"0 Sanat-kumara, where does the Supreme Personality of Godhead reside?"
"He resides in His own splendid abode."
The Mundaka Upanisad also confirms:
"The Supreme Personality of Godhead resides in His own splendid abode in
the spiritual sky."
TEXT ZS (b)
rksu ca
tam vam vastuny usmasi gamadhye yatra gavo bhuri srnga -ayasah
atraha
tad urugayasya krsnah paramam padam avabhati bhuri. iti.
rksu in t he Rg Veda; ca a n d ; t am t h a t ; va m of t h e d i v i n e c ouple (Sri Sri
Radha and Krsna); vastuni th e t r a n s cendental abodes;usmasi we d e s ire;
gamadhye to a ttain;yatra wh e r e ;gavah su r a b hi c o w s;bhuri wi t h e x c e l l e nt;
srngah ho r n s; ayasah mo v e a bo ut;atra in t h e s a me scripture;aha th e s e e r
describes; tat t h at; urugayasya of L o r d K r s n a, who is glorified by the liberated
souls; vrsnah and w ho f u l f i l ls all the desires of the devotees;paramam
transcendental; padam ab o d e;avabhati is s p l e n d i d l y m a n i f e st;bhuri
unlimitedly; iti — thus.
The Rg Veda (1.150.6) explains: "We desire to attain the transcendental
abode of Srz Srz Radha and Krsna, which is full of splendid surabhi cows."
The Sruti also explains: "Unli m i ted Vaik u n tha planets are the abode of Lord
Krsna, who is glorified by the liberated souls and who ful f i lls all the desires of
the devotees."
TEXT 26 (a)
sri g-opalopanisadi ca
tasammadhyesaksadbrahmagopala p-uri hi i.ti.
sri go-pala up-anisadi in t he G opala Tapani Upanisad; ca and; tasam o f t h e
seven holy cities of Bharata-varsa; madhye in t he m i d s t; saksat d i r e c t l y ;
brahma th e spiritual world; gopala of L o r d G o p a l a;puri th e c i t y ; hi e r t a i n l y ;
iti
thus.
The Gopala-tapani Upanisad explains: "Among the seven sacred cities of
Bharata, the city of Mathura, where Lord Gopala resides, is a direct
m anifestation of the spiritual wor l d . "
TEXT 26 (b)
jitante tantre ca
lokam vaikuntha nama-nam
divyad sad g-uny-a samy-utam
avaisnavanam aprapyam
guna traya -vivarj-itam
jitante tantre
in the Jitanta Tantra; ca a n d ; lo k am wo r l d ; va i k u n tha
Vaikuntha; namanam na m e d;divyat sp i r i t u a l;sat si x ; gu n ya a t t r i b u t e s ;
samyutam endowed;avaisnavanam by the non-devotees;
aprapyam
unattainable; guna mo d e s of material nature;traya ot t h e t h r e e; vivarjitam
devoid.
The Jitanta Tantra explains: "Unattainable by the non-devotees, free from the
i nfluence of the three modes of material nature, and filled with the six spi r i t u a l
opulences, the supreme abode of the Personality of Godhead is known as
Vaikuntha.
TEXT 26 (c)
nitya siddhaih -samakirnam
tan mayaih p-anca kalikaihsabha prasada -samyukta-m
vanais copavanaih subham
nitya siddhaih -with the eterna22y 2iberated sou2s; samkirnam fi l l e d; t at mayaihby the Lord s spiritual associates; panca ka2ikaih -engaged in the five activities of
approaching the Lord, accepting things from Him, worshipping Him, hearing
about and remembering Him; sabha gr e at halls;prasada an d p a l a ces;
samyuktam
en d o w e d;vanaih
wi t h f o r e s t s; ca a n d ; up a vanaih g a r d e n s ;
subham very splendid.
"Appearing very splendid with gardens, forests, halls and great palaces, that
Vaikuntha world is inhabited by the Supreme Lord's liberated associates who
are always engaged in the devotional activities of approaching the Lord,
asociating with Him, wo r sh i p p i ng, hearing about and remembering Him at every
moment.
TEXT 26 (d)
vapi kup-a tad-agaisca
v rksa san-dai h sumandi tam
aprakrtam surair vandyam
ayutarka sam-a pra-bham
vapi wi t h l a k e s; kupa we l l s ; ta dagaih po n d s ; ca a n d ; vr k sa o f d e s i r e trees; sandaih wi t h m u l t i t u d e s; sumanditam ni c e l y d ecorated;aprakrtam
beyond the influence of material nature; suraih by t h e d e m i g o ds;vandyam
worshipable; ayuta mi l l i o n s ; arka of s u n s ;sama eq u a l ;pr abham s p l e n d o r .
"That Vaikuntha world is beyond the reach of the material nature, and it is
worshipped by the demigods. It is nicely decorated with wells, ponds, lakes,
and various desire-trees, and it is as effulgent as millions of suns."
TEXT 26 (e)
brahma samhit-ayam ca
sahasra patram -kamalam
gokulakhyam mahat padamtat karni k-aram tad dhamatad ananta-msa sambha-vam
brahma samhi ta-y am in the Brahma-samhita; ca a n d ; sahasra th o u s a n d s ;
patram of p e t a ls;kama2am lo t u s flo we r; goku2a Gokula; akhyam n a m e d ;
mahat gr e at;padam ab o d e;tat of t h a t ;ka r n i k a ram th e w h o r l ; tat t h a t ;
dhama ab o de; tat th a t ; an a nta un l i m i t e d ;amsa pa r t s ;sambhavam b o r n .
T he Brahma-samhita (verse 2) presents the following description: "T h e
superexcellent station of Krsna, which is known as Gokula, has thousands of
petals and corolla like that of a lotus sprouted from a part of His in f i n atary
aspect, the whorl of the leaves being the actual abode of Krsna."
TEXT 27 (a)
prapance svatmakam lokam
avatarya mahesvarah
avirbhavati tatreti
matam brahmadi s-abdatah
prapance in the jurisdiction of the material energy; sva a t m a k am o w n ;
lokam abode; avatarya having caused to descend;
mahesvarah
the Supreme
Personality of Godhead; avirbhavati m a n i f e s ts; tatra th e r e ;iti t h -us; matam t h e
opinion; brahma of B r a h m a- adi a n d o t h e r s;sabdatah f r o m t he w o r d s .
T he Supreme Personality of Godhead brings His own spir i t ual realm wi t h i n
the jurisdiction of the material world, and then personally appears there. This is
the opinion of Lord Brahma and the other learned spiritualists.
TEXT 27 (b)
govinde sac cid -ana-nde
nara dara-kata yatha
ajnair nirupyate tadvad
dhamni prakrtita kila
govinde for Lord Govinda; sat
wh o s e form is eternal;cit fu l l o f k n o w l e d g e ;
anande and bliss;nara hu m a n ; da r a kata th e s t a te ofb e i ng achild;y a t ha j u s t
as; ajnaih by t he i gno rant;nirupyate; is considered; tadvat to t h at extent;
dhamni to t he L or 's spiritual abode;prakrtita th e s t a te of being material; kila
llldeed.
Just as they consider the eternal, omniscient and blissful spiri t ual form of
Lord Krsna to be only the form of an ordi n ary human chi ld, the foolish also
consider the Lord's spiritual abodes to be simply a manifestation of material
energy.
TEXT 28 (a)
atha nitya 2z2atvam -ca. tathahi srutih
yad gatam bhavac ca bhavisyac ca. iti.
eko devo nitya 2i2anurak-to
bhakta vyapi bh-akta hrdy an-taratma iti ca.
.
atha no w; nit ya et e r n a l;2t2atvam th e s tate of performing pastimes;ca
and; tatha hi furthermore; srutih in t h e V e d a s;yat wh i c h ; ga t am h a p p e n e d
in the past; bhavat ha p p e ns at present;bhavisyat wi l l o c c ur in t he future;ca
and; iti
th u s ; ekah on e ; de vah Su p r e me Personality of Godhead;nitya
eternal; 2z2a by pastimes; anuraktah de l i g h t e d;bhakta fo r t h e d e v o tees;vyapi
all-pervading; bhakta of the devotees; hrdi wi t h i n t he h eart;antaratma t h e
Supersoul.
T he Supreme Lord Performs eternal pastimes. This is confirmed in th e
Brhad-aranyaka Upanisad: "The Supreme Lord performs pastimes eternally: in
the past, present and future."
The Atharva Veda explains: "The one supreme Personality of Godhead is
e ternally engaged in many, many transcendental forms in relationships with H i s
unalloyed devotees."
TEXT 28 (b)
smrtis ca
j anma karma ca me divyam
evam yo etti tattvatah
tyktva deham punar j anma
naiti mam iti so'rjuna
smrtih th e sm r ti; ca
a n d ;j anma bi r t h ; ka r ma wo r k ; c a a l s o ;me o f
Mine; divyam tr a n s c endntal;evam li k e t h i s; yah a n y o n e w h o; vetti k n o w s ;
tattvatah in t e a li ty; tyaktva le a v i ng aside;deham th i s b o d y;punah a g a i n ;
j anma bi r t h; n a never; eti d oes attain; mam un t o M e ; e ti d o e s a t t a in; sah
he; arjuna 0
Arjuna.
The Lord Himself expains in Bhagavad-gita (0.9): "One who kn ows th e
transcendental nature of My appearance and activities does not, upon leaving
the body, take his birth again in this material wor ld, but attains My eternal
abode, 0 Arjuna."
TEXT 29
rupanantyaj j ananantyad
dhamanantyac ca karma tat
nityam syat tad abheda-c cety
uditam tattva-vittamaih
rupa of t he Lord's spiritual forms;anantyat be c a u se of the numberlessness;
jana
of t he L o r d 's associates;anantyat be c a use of the numberlessness;
dhama
of the Lord's abodes; anantyat be c a use of the infinite extent; ca a n d ; k a r m a
pastimes; tat
these; nityam et e r n a l;syat ar e ; t at f r o m t h e m ; ab hedat
because Hi is not different; ca a n d ; it i
t h u s ;ud i t am de s c r i b e d;tattva
vittamaih b y
t h e l earned transcendentalists, who know the truth.
Because the Lord's forms, followers, and abodes are all unlim i t ed, and
because the Lord's forms and abodes are not different from Him , the learned
transcendentalists have described that the Lord's pastimes are eternally
manifest.
Second Prameya
TEXT 1 (a)
athakhi2amnaya ve-dyatvam y.atha sri go-pa2opanisadi
yo 'sau sarvair vedair gtyate iti..
kathake casarve veda yat-padam amananti
tapamsi sarvani ca yad vadanti
atha now; ak h ila al l ; am n a ya by t h e V e d a s;vedyatvam th e s t a te of being
known; yatha ju s t a s;sri gop-ala upa-nisadi in t he G o pala-tapani Upanisad;
yah wh o - a sau He; sarvaih by a l l; vedaih th e V e d a s;gtyate is g l o r i f i e d;iti
thus; kathake in t he K a t ha Upanisad;sarve al l ; vedah t h e V e d a s ;yat w h o s e ;
padam lotus feet; amananti wo r s h i p; tapamsi au s t e r i t i e s;sarvani a l l ; c a
and; yat wh o m ; va d anti g l o r i f y .
2. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is known by study of the Vedas:
The Gopala-tapam Upanisad confirms this: "All the Vedas proclaim the
glories of the Supreme Personality of Godhead."
And the Katha Upanisad (1.2.15) also confirms it: "All th e Vedas worship th e
Supreme Lord's lotus feet, and all austerities proclaim His glories."
TEXT 1 (b)
sri hari v-amse -ca
vede ramayane caiva
purane bharate tatha
adav ante ca madhye ca
harih sarvatra gtyate
sri hari va-mse -in the Hari-vamsa; ca a n d; vede in t h e V e d a s;ramayane i n
the Ramayana; ca and; eva ce r t a i n l y;purane in t h e P u r a nas;bharate i n t h e
Mahabharata; tatha in t h e s ame way;adau in t h e b e g inning;ante i n t h e
middle; ca a nd; madhye in t h e m i d d l e; ca a n d ; ha r ih t h e s u p r e m e
Personality of Godhead; sarvatra ev e r y w h e re;giyate i s g l o r i f i e d.
The Hari-vamsa states: "In the Vedic literature, including the Ramayana,
Puranas ad Mahabharata, from the very beginning (adau), to the end (ante ca),
as well as within the mid dle (m adhye ca), only Hari, the supreme Personality of
Godhead, is explained."
TEXT 2
saksat paramparabhyam
veda gayanti madhavam sarve
vedantah kila saksad
apare tebhyah paramparaya
saksat di r e c tly; paramparabhyam sy s t e matically;vedah th e f o ur V e das;
gayanti
gl o r i f y; madhavam Lord Madhava; sarve al l; vedantah th e V e d a ntasutras; kila in d e e d;saksat di r e c t l y;apare tebhyah ot h e r V e d ic literatures;
paramparaya
sy s t e matically.
The four Vedas, Vedanta-sutras, and supplementary Vedic literatures, all
directly and systematically glorify the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord
Madhava.
TEXT 3
kvacit kvacid avacyatvam
yad vedesu vilokyate
kartsnena vacyam na bhaved
iti sy at tatra sangati h
anyatha tu tad arambhe
vyarthah syad iti me matih
kvacit kvacit
he r e and There;avacyatvam i n d e s c ribableness;yat w h i c h ;
vedesu in the Vedas; vilokyate is o b s erved;kartsnena wi t h c o m p l e t e ness;
vacyam ab le to be described;na no t ; bh a vet ma y b e ; iti th u s ;sy at i s ;
tatra th e r e;sangatih th e a p p r o p r i a te interpretation;anyatha ot h e r w i s e;tu
indeed; tat th a t ; ar ambhe en d e a vor;vyarthah us e l e ss and illogical;syat i s ;
iti
th u s ; me my ; ma t i h o pi n i o n .
At different places in the Vedic literatures the absolute truth is said to be
indescribeable. This means that His qualities are unlimited and He cannot be
adequately described. It is my opi n ion that any other interpretation of this is
illogical and senseless.
TEXT 0
sabda prav rt ti h-etunamj aty admam a-bhavatah
brahma nirdharm-akam vacyam
naivety ahur vipascitah
sabda of wor d s; pravrtti em p l o y m e n t;hetunam of t h e c a uses;
j ati o f b i r t h ;
admam and o ther things (qualities, activities, manes, etc.);abhavatah be c a use
of the non-existance; brahma of t he S upreme;nirdharmikam wi t h o u t a t t r i b u t e s;
vacyam de s cription; na no t ; eva ce r t a i n l y;iti
th u s ;ah uh s p e a k ;
vipascitah
th o se who understand the Supreme.
They who understand the actual nature of spirit never say that the supreme
never takes birth, or that He is devoid of qualities, pastimes and names, which
constitute the realm describable by words. those who are learned do not say that
the Supreme cannot be described by words.
TEXT 5
sarvaih sabdair avacye tu
laksana na bhaved atah
laksyam ca na bhaved dharma
hinam brahmeti me matam
sarvaih by a l l; sabdaih wo r d s ; avacye no t d e s c ribeable;tu i n d e e d ;
2aksana character;na no t ; bh a vet is ; at ah th e r e f o r e;2aksyam
characterizeable; ca an d; na no t ; bh a v et ma y b e ; dh a r ma o f a t t r i b u t e s ;
hmam de v o i d; brahma th e S u p r e me Absolute;iti th u s ; me my ; m a t a m
opinion.
I do not consider that the Absolute Truth is wi t h ou t at t r i b u tes and therefore
beyond the descriptive power of words.
Third Prameya
TEXT 1 (a)
atha visva
sa tyatvam.
sva-saktya srstavan visnur
yathartham sarva-vij jagat
ity uktah satyam evaitad
vairagyartham asad-vacah
atha now; visva of t h e m a t e rial world; satyatvam th e r e a l it y; sva w w n ;
saktya by t he potency;srstavan cr e a t ed;visnuh Lo r d V i s n u; yatha arthamreal; sarva vit
om n - iscient;
j agat th e m a t e rial world;iti th u s ; u k t e h from this
statement; satyam re a l i t y; eva ce r t a i n l y;etat th i s ;va i r agya artham -for the
purpose of renunciation; asat vacah it i -s described as asat (temporary) in the
Vedas.
3. The Material World is Real
B ecause omniscient Lord Visnu created this material world w it h Hi s ow n
potency,therefore it is real. The word asat used to describe the material world in
the Vedas should be interpreted to mean temporary, not unreal. Describing the
the temporality of this wor ld, the Vedas instruct us in the im p o r t ance of
r enunciati o n .
TEXT 1 (b)
tatha hi svetasvataropanisadi
ya eko'varno bahudha sa-kti yo-gad
varnan anekan nihitartho dadhati
tatha hi
fu r t h e r m o r e;svetasvatara upa-nisadi in t he Svetasvatara Upanisad;
yah w ho ; ekah on e w i t h o u t a second;avarnah wi t h o u t a ny ma terial qualities;
bahudha ma n y; sakti of p o t e n c i e s;yogat be c a u se of contact;varnan d i f f e r e n t
classes of human beings, demigods, and animals; anekan ma n y ; ni h ita arth-ah
desiring to create; dadhati cr e a t e d.
The Svetasvatara Upanisad (0.1) explains: "The Absolute Truth, who is on e
without a second, and who possesses no material attributes, desired to manifest
the material world, and created the different classes of human beings, animals
and demigods."
TEXT 1 (c)
sri visnu -puran-e ca
ekadesa sthitas-tagner
jyotsna vistarini yatha
parasya brahmanah saktis
tathedam akhilam j agat
eka desa -in one place; sthitasya situated; agneh of a fire;jyotsna t h e
effulgence; vistarini
sp e a d;yatha ju s t a s; parasya of t h e s up r e me;
brahmanah
sp i r i t; saktih en e r g y;tatha in t h e s a me way;idam th i s ; ak h i l a m
entire; j agat w o r l d .
The Visnu Purana explains: "Whatever we see in this world is sim ply an
expansion of different energies of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is
exactly like a fire which spreads illumi n ation for a long distance, although it is
situated in one place."
TEXT 1 (d)
isopanisadi
sa paryagac chukram akayam avranam
asnaviram suddham apapa v-iddham
kavir manist paribhuh svayambhur
yathatathyato 'rthan vyadadhac chasvatibhyah
samabhyah
isopanisadi
in t he I sopanisad;sah th a t p e r son;paryagat m u s t k n o w in f a c t ;
sukram th e o m n i p o t e nt; akayam un e m b o d i e d;avranam wi t h o u t r e p r o a ch;
asnaviram
wi t h o u t v e i n s; suddham an t i s e ptic;apapa vi-ddham pr o p h y l a ctic;
kavih om n i s c ient;manist ph i l o s o p h e r;paribhuh th e g r e a test of all;
svayambhuh se l f-sufficient;yathatathyatah ju s t in p u r s u a nce of;arthan
desirables; vyadadhat aw a r d s;sasvatibhyah im m e m o r i a l; samabhyah t i m e .
The Isopanisad explains: "Such a person must factually know the greatest of
all, who is unembodied, omniscient, beyond reproach, without veins, pure and
u ncontaminated, the self-sufficient philosopher who has been fulfill i n g
everyone's desire since time immemorial."
TEXT 2
sri visnu -pura-ne ca
tad etad aksayam nityam
j agan muni varak-hi lam
avirbhava tirob-hava
j anma nasa -vikalp-avat
sri visnu -puran-e in the Visnu Purana; ca a n d ; tat th a t ; et at t h i s ;
aksayam im p e r i s hable;nityam et e r n a l;j agat ma t e r i al worl d; muni of s a g e s ;
vara 0
be s t;akhilam en t i r e ;avirbhava ma n i f e s t ation;tirobhava
dissapearance; janma
bi r t h ; na sa de s t r u c t i o n;vikalpavat on l y t h e a ppearance.
The Visnu Purana explains: "0 best of the sages, this entire material world is
eternal and imperishable. When it is manifested from the Supreme, it only
appears to have begun it s existence, and when it again enters the Supreme, it
only appears to be destroyed."
TEXT 3
mahabharate ca
brahma satyam tapah satyam
satyam caiva praj apatih
satyad bhutani j atani
satyam bhutam ayam j agat
mahabharate
in t he Ma habharata; ca a n d ; br a hma
th e S u p r e me Personality
of Godhead; satyam is r e a l;tapah au s t e r i t y;satyam is r e a l;satyam re a l ; c a
and; eva ce r tainly; praj apatih Br a h m a, the creator of the living beings;satyat
from the reality; bhutani th e l i v i ng e ntit ies;j atani ar e b o r n;satyam r e a l ;
bhutam ma n i f e sted;ayam th i s ;j agat m a t e r i al wor l d .
The Mahabharata explains: "The Supreme Personality of Godhead, whose
form eternal, full of know l e dge and bliss, is real. Austerities are real, and Lord
Brahma is also real. Because the living entities and the material world have
taken birth from the s u p r eme reality, they are also real."
TEXT 0
atma va idam ity adau
vana lina -vih-angavat
sattvam visvasya mahtavyam
ity uktam veda ved-ibhih
atma the Supreme Absolute;vai ce r t a i n l y;idam th i s ;it i thu s ; ad a u i n
the beginning; vana in t h e f o r e st;lina di s a p p e ared;vihangavat l i k e a bir d ;
sattvam re a l ity; visvasya of t he m a t erial world;mantavyam s h o u l d b e
considered; iti
th u s ; uk t am sp o k e n ;veda of t h e V e d a s;vedibhih b y t h e
knowers.
When the Vedas explain that in the beginning only the supreme exists, it
may be understood that at that time the material world rests within the supreme
in it s dormant state and remains invisible, just as a bird which has disappeared
into a forest. In this way the knowers of the Vedas assert the reality of the
material world.
Fourth Prameya
TEXT I (a)
atha visnutojivanam bhedah
tatha hi svetasvatarah pathanti
dva suparna sayuj a sakhaya
samanam vrksam parisasvaj ate
tayor anyah pippalam svadv atty
anasnann anyo 'bhicakasiti
atha no w; visnutah fr o m V i s n u;ji v a nam of t h e l i v i ng entit ies;bhedah t h e
distinction; tatha hi fu r t h e r m o r e;svetasvatarah th e S vetasvatara Upanisad;
pathanti
reads; dva tw o ; suparna bi r d s ; sayuj a as s o ciated;sakhaya f r i e n d s ;
samanam the same;vrksam tr e e ;parisasvaj ate co n t a cting;tayoh o f t h e t w o ;
anyah th e other; pippalam ba n y a n f ru i t;svadu pa l a t a b le;atti
not eating; anyah th e o t h e r; abhicakasiti ob s e r v e s.
ea t s ;anasnan
4 . The jzvas (living entities) are different from Lord Vi s n u :
The Svetasvatara Upanisad (0.6-7) explains: "Two bi rds reside in the
metaphorical banyan tree of the material body. One of them is engaged in eating
the material happiness and distress which is the fruit of that tr ee, while the
other does not eat, but only wi t n esses the actions of his friend. The wit n ess is
t he Supreme Lord Visnu, and the fruit-eater is the living entity .
TEXT 1 (b)
samane vrkse puruso nimagno
hy anisaya socati muhyamanah
justam sada pasyaty anyam isam
asya mahimanam eti vita soka-h
samane same;vrkse on the tree;
purusah
person;nimagnah
entered;
hi
certainly; anisaya he l p l e ssly;socati la m e n t s;muhyamanah be w i l d e r e d;
j ustam happy; sada co n t i n u a lly; pasyati se e s;anyam th e o t h e r; isam t h e
Supreme Personality of Godhead; asya of H i m ; ma h imanam th e g l o r i e s; eti
goes; vita
fr e e from;sokah lamentation.
"Although the two birds are on the same tree, the eating bird is full y
engrossed with anxiety and moroseness as the enjoyer of the fruits of the tree.
But if in some way or other he turns his face to His friend who is the Lord and
knows His glories at once the suffering bird becomes free from all anxieties."
TEXT 2
brhat samhita-yam
upakramopasamharav
abhyaso 'purvata phalamartha vadopap-atti ca
lingam tatparya nirnayeiti tatparya lingani sad yany ahur manisinah
bhede tani pratiyante
tenasau tasya gocarah
brhat samhitaya-m in t he Brhat-samhita;upakrama b e g i n n i n g ;
upasamharau and e nd; abhyasah re p e t i t i o n;apurvata phalam n- ot kno wn by
the material senses; artha vada pr a -yers;upapatti an d l o g i c; ca an d ; l i n g a m
characteristic; tatparya in d e t e r m i n i ng the meaning;nirnaye i n t h e
establishment; iti — thus; tatparya
of a c orrect understanding;lingani
characteristics; sat si x; ya ni wh i c h ; ah uh de s c r i b e;manisinah ph i l o s o p h e rs;
bhede in dif ference; tani th e y ;pr a t i yante ar e p r o v e d; tena tena b y t h a t ;
asau th is tasya o f t h a t ; gocarah th e f i e ld o f p e r c e ption.
The Brhat-samhita explains: "Learned philosophers have concluded that the
c orrect interpretation of the Vedic texts is determined by understandingtheir
beginning and concluding statements, what is repeatedly stated within them,
evidence presented within them which is beyond the power of the limited material
senses to perceive, and the prayers and logical arguments presented within them.
A correct understanding of these six elements leads to a proper interpretation of
t he Vedas. By studying in this way one comes to the correct interpretation
that
the living entities are different from the Supreme."
TEXT 3 (a)
kim ca mundake
yada pasyah pasyate rukma varn-am
kartaram isam purusam brahma yoni-m
tada vidvan punya pape -vidhuya
niranj anah paramam samyam upaiti
kim ca and fu r t h erm ore; mundake in t h e M u n d a ka Upanisad;tada w h e n ;
pasyah the seer;
pasyate sees;rukma
of gold;
varnam
the color;
kartaram
the supreme actor; isam of G o d h e a d;purusam th e P e rsonality;brahma o f t h e
Supreme Brahman; yonim th e s o u r c e;tada th e n ; vi d van th e l e a r n ed devotee;
punya pi o us deeds; pape s w e ll as sins;vidhuya ha v i n g c leansed;niranjanah
free from material contact; paramam su p r e m e;samyam eq u a l i t y; upaiti
attains.
The Mundaka Upanisad (3.1.3) explains: "One who sees that golden-colored
Personality of Godhead, the Supreme Lord, the supreme actor, who is the
source of the Supreme Brahman, becomes free from the reactions to past pious
and sinful deeds, and becomes liberated, attaining the same transcendental
platform as the Lord."
TEXT 3 (b)
kathake ca
yathodakam suddhe suddham
asiktam tadrg eva bhavati
evam mune vij anata
atma bhavati gautama
kathake
in t he Katha Upanisad; ca a n d ; ya t ha
ju s t a s; udakam
wa ter;
suddhe in t he pure; suddham pu r e ; asiktam c a s t ; ta drk li k e t h a t ; eva
certainly; bhavati be c o m e s;evam in t h i s w a y;mune 0 sa g e ;vijanatah o f o n e
situated in transcendental knowledge; atma th e s u p r e me spirit;gautama 0
Naciketa.
The Katha Upanisad g . l . l 5 )
e x p l a i ns: "0 N a c i k e t a, when a drop of pure
water is thrown into a reservoir of pure water, the drop does not change it's
nature in any way. In the same way, the indivi dual liv ing enti ty, when situated
in transcendental knowledge, does not change his nature when he comes into
c ontact with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but retains his indivi d u ali t y
in all respects."
TEXT e (a)
brahmaham eko jivo'smi
nanyejivo na cesvarah
mad avid-ya kalp-itas te
syur itittham ca dusitam
anyatha nitya ity adi
sruty artho -nopapadyate
brahma th e Supreme Brahman;aham I; ek ah on e ;ji v a h l i v i n g e n t i t y ;
asmi am; na no t ; an ye ot h e r sji; v ah li v i n g e n t i t i e s;na no t ; ca a n d ;
Isvarah Su p r e me Personality of Godhead; mat o f m e ; av i d ya b y i g n o r a n c e ;
ka/pitah i m a g i n ed; te th e y ;syuh m a y c o m e i n to existance; iti t h u s ; i t t h a m
in this say; ca an d ; dusitam th e p o l l u t ed conclusion;anyatha ot h e r w i s e;nitya
iti-adi b e g i n n ing with the word ni tya; sruti of t h e V e d a s;artha t h e m e a n i n g ;
na no t; upapadyate ma y be int e rpreted.
The impersonalist followers of Sankaracarya proclaim:
"I, the living entity, am the only supreme, and other living entiti es, as well as
the Supreme Personality of Godhead, do not actually exist, but are only
imagined in the mind when th ere is ignorance of my actual nature." This is their
polluted conclusion.
The following Vedic quotation, beginning with the word n i t ya, presents the
actual truth. It is stated so clearly that the impersonalists cannot twist a
different meaning from it.
TEXT 0 (b)
tatha hi kathah pathanti
nityo nityanam cetanas cetananam
eko bahunam yo vidadhati kaman
tam atmastham ye 'nupasyanti dhiras
tesam santih sasvati netaresam
tatha hi
fu r t h e r m o r e;hi ce r t a i n l y;ka thah th e K a t ha Upanisad;pathanti
reads; nityah a s i n g le eternal;nityanam am o n g t he many eternals;cetanah a
single conscious being; cetananam am o ng many conscious beings;ekah o n e ;
bahunam of t he many; yah wh o ; vi d a d hati gr a n t s ;ka man th e d e s i r es;tam
Him; atmastham si t u a t ed within the heart;ye th o s e w h o;anupasyanti s e e ;
dhirah
sa i n t ly persons;tesam of t h e m; santih pe a c e ;sasvati et e r n a l;na n o t ;
itaresam of o t h e rs.
The Katha Upanisad g . 2 . 13) explains: "Of all eternals, there is one who is
the chief eternal. Of all conscious living entities, there is one who is the chief
conscious entity. That supreme living entity, the Personality of Godhead,
maintains the others, and fulfills their desires according to their merits. Only
saintly persons, who can see, within and wi t h o ut, the same Supreme Lord, can
actually attain to perfect and eternal peace."
TEXT 5
ekasmad isvaran nityac
cetanat tadrsa mithah
bhidyante bahavo jivas
tena bhedah sanatanah
ekasmat on e; isvarat su p r e m e Personality of Godhead;nityat e t e r n a l ;
cetanat co n s cious;tadrsah li k e t h i s; mithah mu t u a l l y ;bh idyante ar e d i s t i n c t
entities; bahavah th e ma n y ; j i v ah in d i v i d u a l s ou ls;tena by t h i s ; bhedah
distinction; sanatanah et e r n a l.
This verse states that both the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the
individual loving entities are eternal and conscious. By affirming the eternality
of both the one and the many, the distinction between them is described as
eternal.
Note: Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura remarks in this connection that the
impersona2ists may object that the distinction between the 2iving entity (jiva) and the
Supreme (isvara) is not an eternal distinction. To support their view they may quote
many versesfrom the Upanisads, such as sarvam khalv idam brahma (everything is
brahman), and tat tvam asi svetaketo (0 Svetaketu, you are that). Sri2a Ba2adeva
Vidyabhusana replies to their objections in the following way:
TEXT 6 (a)
pranaikadhina vrttitvadragadeh pranatayatha
tatha brahmadhina vrtter
j agato brahmatocyate
-
prana li f e force;eka ex c l u s i v ely dependent; vrttitvat b e c a u se of the nature;
raga ad eh o f t h e s e n ses;pranata th e l i fe force;yatha ju s t a s;tatha i n t h e
same way; brahma th e s up re me;adhina v-rtteh co m p l e t e ly dependent;j agatah
from the material universe; brahma th e d i s t i n ct Supreme;ucyate is d e s cribed.
Just as the life-force is different from the senses of the material body whi ch
are completely dependent upon it, in the same way the Supreme Lord is distinct
f rom the material world wh ich is compl etely dependent upon Hi m .
TEXT 6 (b)
tatha hi chandogye pathyate
na vai vaco na caksumsi na srotrani na manamsity acaksate pra.na ity acaksate pra.no
hy evaitani sarvani bhavati. iti.
tatha hi mo r e o v e r;chandogye in t he C h a n d ogya Upanisad;pathyate i t i s
read;na not;vai certainly;
vacah words; na nor;caksumsi eyes;na nor;
srotrani
ea r s;na no r ; ma n a msi mi n d s ; i ti t h u s ;ac a k s ate na m e s ;pranah
the life-force; iti t h u s ; ac aksate he n a m e s;pranah th e l i f e - f o rce;hi i n d e e d ;
eva certainly; etani th e m ; sa rvani al l ; bh a v ati is ; i t i —
thus.
The Chandogya Upanisad (5.1.15) explains in this connection: "The different
senses, such as the voice, sense of sight, sense of hearing, and the mind, are all
known as the life force-, but the actual life force -is different from all these senses,
which are dependent upon it They a.re
named a fter the life force-, although it is
actually di fferent from them."
Note: Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura explains in this connection that
the mayavadis may argue that the Vedas say: "sarvam khalv idam brahma
(everything is brahman)" and "tat tvam asi svetaketo (0 Svetaketu, you are that) ",
and therefore the only thing in existance is impersonal brahman, and everything
else is an illusion. To counter this argument, Baladeva Vidyabhusana quotes this
verse from the Chandogya Upanisad, where there is an explanation of how
everything is brahman. The various senses are dependent upon the life-force, and
therefore, they are collectively known as the life-force, although the actual lifeforce is different from them. In this way the senses are designated as the life-force
because they are manifested from the life-force, although they are actually different
from it. In the same way, the individual living entities have emanated from the
Supreme Brahman, and they are therefore designated Brahman to show their
source of origin, although they are actually different from the Supreme Brahman.
TEXT 7
brahma vyapyatva-tah kaiscij jagad brahmeti manyate
yad uktam sri visnu pur-ane
-
yo 'yam tavagato deva
samipam devata g-anah
satyam evajagat s-rasta
yatah sarvagato bhavan
brahma by t he Absolute Truth; vyapyatvatah be c a u se of being present
everywhere; kaiscit by s o m e;j agat th e m a t e r ial universe;brahma i d e n t i c a l
with the Supreme; manyate is c o n s idered;yat wh i c h u k t a m s p o k e n sri
; v i-snu
purane in the Visnu Purana; yah wh o ; ay am th i s ; ta va to Y o u ; ag a t ah
approached;deva 0 Lord;samipam
near;devata of demigods;ganah the
host; satyam th e e ternally real Supreme Personality of Godhead;eva c e r t a inly;
j agat of the material world; srasta th e c r e ator;yatah be c a u s e;sarvagatah a l l pervading; bhavan You.
Some maintain that because the Supreme is all-pervading, the material
u niverse must be identical with Hi m .
The Visnu Purana dispels this misconception: "0 Su p r eme Personality of
Godhead, although You have created this material universe, and although You
are everywhere present within it, You are nevertheless eternally distinct from
ll
TEXT 8
pratibimba paric-cheda
paksau yau svi krtau -paraih
vibhutvavisayatvabhyam
tau vidvadbhir nirakrtau
pratibimba a r efle cted manifestation;pariccheda a d i f f e rent manifestation;
paksau the t wo parties;yau wh i c h ; svi k r t au -a c c e pted; paraih b y o t h e r s ;
vibhutva be c ause of all-pervasiveness;avisayatvabhyam be c a use of being beyond
the reach of the material senses; tau t h ey; vidvadbhih b y t h o s e who know t he
truth; nirakrtau no t a c c e pted.
Some maintain that the universe is identical with the Supreme because the
universe is the Supreme s reflected image, and others say that they are identical
because the Supreme has divided Himself into the various pieces that constitute
the universe. Those who are wise do not accept these faulty arguments, because
they know that the Supreme is simultaneously all-pervading and beyond the
reach of the material senses.
Note: Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura explains the defect in the
arguments of these two groups of mayavadis. The fsrst group of mayavadis say that
just as the sun or moon may be reflected in various pots or reservoirs of water, in
the same way, the Supreme reflects Himself
t h e r e fl e c t i ons being the individual
living entities. This view cannot be maintained because the Supreme is, by His very
nature, all-pervading. Something all-pervading cannot be reflected anywhere, just
as the all-pervading dimension of space, upon which all the material elements rest,
cannot be reflected anywhere.
The opinion of the second camp of mayavadrs is that the Supreme has cut
Himself into many little pieces which are the individual living entities and the
material elements. This view cannot be held because the Supreme is avisaya
spiritual, beyond the reach of the material senses. Because the Supreme is spiritual,
imperishable, and without change, He cannot be cut into many pieces as the
mayavadis say.
TEXT 9
advaitam brahmano bhinnam
bhinnam va tvayocyate
adye dvaitapattir ante
siddha sad-hanata sruteh
advaitam
th e S upreme Brahman, who is one without a second;brahmanah
from the Brahman; bhinnam di f f e r e n t;abhinnam no t d i f f e r e nt;va or ; t v a y a
byyou; ucyate spoken;adye in thebeginning; dvaita of d i f f e r e n c e;apattih
attainment; ante in t h e e nd; siddha pe r f e c t io n;sadhanata at t a i n m e n t;sruteh
from the Vedas.
0 Mayavadzs, you insist that the individual living entities and the Supreme
are identical, even though this view contradicts all the descriptions found in the
Vedic texts.
TEXT 10
alikam nirgunam brahma
pramanavisayatvatah
sraddheyam vidusam naivety
ucire tattva vadinahalikam
un t r u e ; nirgunam wi t h o u t a t t r i b u t e s;brahma Su p r e m e;pramana
of evidence; avisayatvatah be c a use of the non-perception;sraddha fa i t h; i y a m
this; vidusam of t h o se who are intelligent and learned in the spiritual science;
na no t; eva ce r t a i n l y; iti t h u s ; uc i re sa i d ; ta t t va of t h e t r u t h ; va dinah t h e
knowers.
There is no evidence to support the erroneous conception that the Supreme
is an amorphous mass without any qualities. Those who know the truth declare
that those learned in the spiritual science never accept such a conclusion.
Note: In this connection, Srila Bhaktisiddhaanta Sarasvati Thakura comments
that the three sources of evidence
d i r e c t p e r ception, logic, and scriptural
revelation
t e l l u s t h a t although the Supreme is devoid of material qualities, He
possesses innumerable spiritual qualities. That the Supreme possesses spiritual
qualities (bhagavan) in the ultimate issue is described in the Srimad-Bhagavatam
vadanti tat tattva v-idas
tattvam yaj j nanam advayam
brahmeti paramatmeti
bhagavan iti sabdyate
"Learned transcendentalists who know the Absolute Truth call this non-dual
substance Brahman, Paramatma or Bhagavaan (full of all opulences)."
Fifth Prameya
TEXT 1
atha j ivanam bhagavad das-atvam
tatha hi svetasvatarah pathanti
tam isvaranam paramam mahesvaram
tam daivtanam paramam ca daivatam
patim patinam paramam parastat
vidama devam bhuvanesam idyam
atha no w ; j i v a nam
of t h e i n d i v i d u al livi ng entities;bhagavat o f t h e
Supreme Personality of Godhead; dasatvam th e s tate of being the servants;tatha
hi fu r t h e r m o r e; svetasvatarah th e S vetasvatara Upanisad;pathanti r e a d s ;
tam Hi m ; is varam co n t r o l l e r;tam Hi m ; da i v a t anam of a l l t he d emigods;
paramam su p r e me; ca a n d ; da i v atam worshippable deity; patim t h e d i r e c t o r;
patmam
of a l l d i r e c t o rs;paramam gr e a t e r;parastat th a n t he g reatest;vidama
we understand; devam th e S upreme Lord;bhuvana of t h e e nt i re world;isam
the master; idyam wo r s h i p a ble.
5. The jzvas (living entities) are by nature the servants of the Supreme
Personality of Godhead:
The Svetasvatara Upanisad (6.7) explains: "The Supreme Lord is the
controller of all other controllers, and He is the greatest of all the diverse
planetary leaders. Everyone is under His control. All ent i t ies are delegated with
particular power only by the Supreme Lord; they are not supreme themselves.
He is also worshipable by all demigods, and is the supreme director of all
directors. Therefore, He is transcendental to all kinds of material leaders and
controllers and is worshipable by all. There is no one greater than Him, and He
is the supreme cause of all causes."
TEXT 2 (a)
smrtis ca
brahma sambhus tathaivarkas
candramas ca satakratuh
evam adyas tathaivanye
yukta vaisnava te-j asa
smrtih
th e S mrt i -sastra;ca an d ; br a hma Br a h m a ;sambhuh Si v a ;tatha i n
the same way;eva certainly;
arkah Surya;candramah
Candra;satakratuh
Indra; evam in t h i s way; adyah b— eginning with; tatha in t h e s ame way;anye
others; yuktah en g a ged;vaisnava of L o r d V i s n u; tej asa by t he p ro w e ss.
The Smrti-sastra declares: "Brahma, Siva, Surya, Candra, Indra, and all the
other demigods are appointed to their posts by Lord Vi snu and given
e xtraordinary powers by Him. They areall the servants of Lord Visnu . "
TEXT Z (b)
sa brah-makah sa rud-ras ca
sendra deva maharsibhih
arcayanti sura srest-ham
devam narayanam harim
sa brah-makah wi th m a ny Brahmas;sa rudra-h wi t h m a ny Sivas;ca an d ; s a
indrah
wi t h m a ny I n d r a s;devah de m i g o d s;maha rsibh-ih wi t h t he g reat sages;
arcayanti
wo r s h i p; sura of a l l t he d e mi g ods;srestham th e b e st;devam t h e
Supreme Personality of Godhead; narayanam kn o w n a s ¹ r a y a n a ; ha rim a n d
Hari.
The Sastras explain: "Innumerable Brahmas, Sivas, Indras, sages and
demigods, all worship the Supreme Lord ¹ r a y a n a , th e best of the demigods."
TEXT Z (c)
padme ca, iva
j laksanedasa bhuto ha-rer eva
nanyasyaiva kadacana
padme in the Padma Purana; jiva
of t h e l i v i ng entities;laksane i n t h e
description; dasa bhutah -a servant; hareh of L o r d H a r i; eva ce r t a i n l y;na n o t ;
anyasya of a nyone else;kadacana a t a ny tim e .
T he Padma Purana describes the nature of the jzva (individual liv ing entity )
in the following way: "By nature the living entity is eternally the servant of the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Hari. He is never the servant of Brahma,
Siva, or anyone else."
Sixth Prameya
TEXT I
athaj ivanam taratamyam
anu ca-itanya ru-patva
j nanitvadya vis-esatah
samye saty api j ivanam
taratamyam ca sadhanat
atha no w; j Ivanam of t h e l i v i ng entities;taratamyam gr a d a t i o ns of
importance; anu m i n u t e ; caitanya co n s c i o u s ness;
rupatva po s s e ssing;
jnanitva
th e s t a te of possessing knowledge;adya ge g i n n i ng wit h; visesatah
particularly; samye eq u a l i t y; sati be i n g s o;api al t h o u g hj; ivanam o f t h e
living entities; taratamyam gr a d a t i o n; ca a n d ; sa dhanat be c a u se of activities,
or because of advancement in devotional service.
6. In both conditioned and liberated states, the jzvas are situated in higher
and lower statuses.
Although all living entities are equally conscious and full of kn o w l e d ge,
according to the small capacity of an indivi d ual soul, they nevertheless manifest
that original spiritual nature in varying degrees. The extent to which that
original nature is uncovered is determined by their pu r ity and devotion to th e
Supreme Lord.
TEXT 2 (a)
tatranuktam uktam svetasvataraihh
balagra sata bh-agasy-a
satadha kalpitasya ca
bhagojivah sa
vijneyah
sa canantyaya kalpate
tatra th e r e; anuktam no t d e s c r ibed;uktam de s c r i b e d;svetasvataraih i n
the Svetasvatara Upanisad; bala agra t- he tip of a hair;sata bhagasya -of o ne
hundreth; satadha in t o o ne hun d r ed parts;kalpitasya d i v i d e d; ca a n d ;
bhagah mi n u te port io n;jivah
th e l i v i n g e nt i t y;sah th a t ; vi jn eyah t o b e
understood; sah th a t ; ca a n d ; an a n taya fo r t h e u n l i m i t e d;kalpate w o r t h y .
T he Svetasvatara Upanisad (5.9) describes the individual spirit soul: " W h e n
the upper point of a hair is divi ded into one hun d red parts and again each of
such parts is further divided into one hundred parts, each such part is the
measurement of the dimension of the spirit-soul."
TEXT 2.(b)
caitanya r-upatvam jnanitvadikam ca sat p-rasnyam
esa hi drasta sprasta srota ghrata rasayita manta boddha karta vijnanatma purusah
iti.
caitanya ru-patvam st a te of being conscious;j nanitva st a te of possessing
knowledge; adikam be g i n n i ng wit h; ca a n d ; sat si x ; pr a s n yam in t h e P r a s na
Upanisad; esah he ; hi in d e e d ;dr a sta th e s e e r;sprasta th— e one who touches;
srota th e hearer; ghrata th e o ne w ho smells;rasayita th e o ne w ho t astes;
manta th e o ne who thin k s; boddha th e o ne who und e rstands;karta t h e d o e r ;
vij nana fu ll of kn o w l e dge;atma so u l ; pu r usah pe r s o n;iti
thus.
The Prasna Upanisad (0.9) explains the soul's consciousness, knowledge and
and other qualities: "It is the indi v i d ual soul who perceives the activities of the
senses. It is he who sees, touches, hears, smells, tastes, thinks, and
understands."
TEXT 3 (a)
adina gunena deha vyapi-tvam ca. sri gitas-u
yatha prakasayaty ekah
krtsnam lokam imam ravih
ksetram ksetri tatha krtsnam
prakasayati bharata
adina be g inning wit h; gunena qu a l i t i e s;deha in t h e b o d y;vyapitvam
omnipresence; ca and; gitasu in B h a g a vad-gita;yatha as ;pr a kasayati
illuminates; ekah on e ; kr t snam th e w h o l e ; kam u n i v e r s e; imam t h i s ; r a v i h
the sun; ksetra th i s b o d y; ksetri th e s o u l; ta tha si m i l a r l y;kr t s nam a l l
illuminates; bharata so n of Bharata.
prakasayati
The soul pervades the material body, as Bhagavad-gita (13.30) explains: "0
son of Bharata, as the sun alone illumi n ates all this universe, so does the living
entity, one within the body, ill u m i n ate the entire body with consciousness."
TEXT 3 (b)
aha caiva sutrakarah
gunad balarokavad iti.
guna nityatvam -uktam vajasaneyibhih
avinasi va are ayam atmanuchitti dharma. i-ti.
aha said; ca a n d ev a
c e r t a i n ly sutrakarah
;
th e a u t h or of Vedanta-sutra;
gunat by spir i t ual qualities; bala
newly risen; arka s u n ; vat l i k e ;i t i t h us ;
d e s c r i b ed; vajasaneyibhih
guna of the qualities; nityatvam e t e r n a li ty; uktam
ty Yajnavalkya; avinasi wi t h o u t d e s truction; va o r ; ar e O h ; a y a m t h i s ;
atma soul; anucchitti-dharma c a n n o t be cut.
The author of Vedanta-sutra explains (2.3.10): "Just as the newly risen sun
remains in one place and yet fills the entire sky with l i g ht, in the same way the
individual soul, although remaining in one place, pervades the entire body by
consciousness."
Yajnavalkya Muni (in the Brhad-aranyaka Upanisad, 0.5.10) describes the
eternality of the soul: "0 M a i t r e yi, the soul is imp erishable, and can never be
cut or changed."
TEXT 0 (a)
cvam samyc pl valsamyam
aihikam karmabhih sphutam
prahah paratrikam tat tu
bhakti-bhedaih su kovi-dah
evam in t his way; samye i n
e q u a l i ty;api a l t h o u g h ; vaisamyam i n e q u a l i t y ;
aihikam i n t h i s w o r ld ; karmabhih b y
a c t i v i t i es; sphutam m a n i f e sted;prahuh
describe; paratrikam t h e s p i r i t ual wor ld; tat
t h a t ; tu a n d ;b h a k ti o f d e v o t i o n ;
bhedaih by di st inctions; su kovid-ah th o se learned in the spiritual science.
They who are learned in the spiritual science say that although in one sense
all individual souls are equal, they manifest different activities in the material
world, and even in the spieitual wor ld, they possess different degrees of pure
devotion for the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
TEXT e (b)
tatha hi kauthumah pathanti
yatha kratur a-smi22oke puruso bhavati tathetah pretya bhavati. iti.
smrtis ca
yadrsi bhavana samye siddhir bhavati tadrsi iti.
.
tatha hi m o r e o v er; kauthumah t h e K a u t h u m iya recension of the Vedas;
r ead; yatha ac cording to; kratuh
s a c r i f i ce; asmin i n t h i s ; l o k e
pathanti
world; purusah a p e r s on; bhavati b e c o m e s; tatha i n t h e s a me way; itah f r o m
that; pretya i n t h e n e xt wor l d; bhavati b e c o m e s; iti t h u s ; s m r t ih i n t h e S m r t i sastra; yadrsi i n w h a t e ver extent; bhavana d e v o t i o n al meditation; samye i n
equality; siddhih
pe r f e c t ion;bhavati
be c o m e s;tadrsi
l i k e t h a t; iti t h u s .
The following explanation is found in the Kauthumzya recension of the
V edas: "The degree to which one engages in devotional activities in this wor l d
d etermines his status in the next wor l d . "
The Smrti-sastra also confirms: "The extent to which one is devoted to the
Supreme Personality of Godhead determines the degree of his spiritual
perfection."
TEXT 0 (c)
santy ady-a rati par-yanta
ye bhavah panca kirtitah
tair devam smaratam pumsam
taratamyam mitho matam
santi th e n eutral-rasa;adya gi g i n n i ng w i t h; ra ti th e m a d h u r y a - rasa;
paryanta
cu l m i n a t i ng in;ye th o s e ;bhavah me l l o w s of loving exchange;
panca fi v e; kirtitah a r e d e s cribed; taih b y t h e m ; de vam o n e w h o u l d
remember; pumsam of t he l iv i ng entities;taratamyam gr a d a t i o n;mithah
mutual; matam ar e c onsidered.
Neutrality, servitorship, friendship, parenthood, and conjugal love are
described as the five mellows of loving exchange with the Supreme Personality
of Godhead. Those who meditate upon the Lord in th ese different mellows
attain the appropriate different destinations. In this way, the living entiti es
possess different gradations of good-fortune.
Seventh Prameya
TEXT I (a)
atha sri krsna p-rapter -moksatvam yatha .
jnatva devam sarva pasapah-anir ity adi
eko vast sarvagah krsna idya ity adi ca.
atha no w; sri krsna -of Lord Krsna; prapteh of the attainment; moksatvam
the state of liberation; yatha ju s t a s;j natva ha v i n g u n d e rstood;devam t h e
Supreme Personality of Godhead; sarva al l ; pa sa th e r o p e s of entanglement in
material existence; apahanih de s t r o yed; iti t h u s ; adi et c . ( T h e e nt i re verse
reads jnatva devam sarva pasapaha-nih, ksmaih klesairjanma mrtyu pr-ahanihtasyabhidhyanat trttyam deha bhede, vi-svaisvaryam kevala); apta kamah; ek-ah o n e ;
vast all powerful; sarvagah al l - p e r avding;krsnah Lo r d K r s n a;idyah
supremely worshipable; iti
t h u s ; adi et c . ( T h e e nt i re verse reads
eko vasi
sarvagah krsna idya eko 'pi san badhudhayo vibhati tam pithastham ye 'nubhajanti
diras tesam sukham sasvatam netaresam) .
7. Liberation does not mean an impersonal merging, but the attainment of
d irect association with Lord Kr s n a:
The Svetasvatara Upanisad (1.10) explains: "By understanding the truth of
the Supreme Personality of Godhead from a bona-fide spiritual master, one
becomes free from the entangling ropes of identification with the material
body, as well as the various miseries and the trap of repeated birth and death
which spring from that false-identification. By constantly meditating on the
S upreme Lord, he becomes free from the subtle material body of mi n d ,
intelligence and false-ego. He attains the form of an eternally liberated associate
of the Supreme Lord in the spiri tual wo r ld , and all his desires become fulfilled."
The Gopala-tapam Upanisad (1.21) also explains: "Lord Krsna is the allpowerful, all-pervading Supreme Personality of Godhead, and He is the object of
the prayers and worship of the demigods. Intelligent persons worship Him as
He resides in His own spiri t ual abode. They thus attain the eternal
transcendental bliss which is not available for others."
TEXT 1 (b)
bahudha bahubhir vesair
bhati krsnah svayam prabhuh
tam istva tat pade n-itye
sukham tisthanti moksinah
bahudha in m any ways; bahubhih w i t h
m a n y ; vesaih f o r m s ; b hati i s
manifested;krsnah Krsna;svayam
personally; prabhuh the Supreme
Personality of Godhead; tam H i m ;
is t va ha v i n gw o r s h i p p e d; tat H i s ; pa de i n
the spiritual abode; nitye e t e r n al; sukham b l i s s ; tisthanti
s i t u a t ed; moksinah
liberated.
T he Supreme Personality of Godhead is manifested in many formsbut His
o riginal form is Lord Kr sna. Those who worship that original form of Lo r d
Krsna become liberated from this material wor ld, and attain transcendental bliss
in the Lord's eternal abode.
Eighth Prameya
TEXT 1 (a)
athaikanta-bhakter moksa-hetutvam
yatha sri gopala ta-panyambhaktir asya bhaj anam tad iha-mutropadhi-nairasyenamusmin manah-ka/panam etad
eva naiskarmyam
atha
no w; eka anta
un a - l loyed; bhakteh of d e v o t i o nal service;moksa
of
liberation; hetutvam th e s ta te of being the cause;
yatha ju s t a s; sri gopalatapanyam in t he G opala-tapam Upanisad;bhaktih de v o t i o n al service;asya o f
Him; bhajanam -worship; tat th a t ; iha in t h i s w o r l d ; mu t ra i n t h e n e x t w o r l d ;
upadhi de s ignations;nairasyena re n u n c i a tion;amusmin am o n g u s;manah o f
the mind; kalpanam me d i t a t i o n;etat th a t ; eva ce r t a i n l y;naiskarmyam
freedom from the bonds of karma.
8. Pure devotional service grants liberation:
The Gopala-tapam Upanisad (1.15) explains: "Devotional service means
worship and meditation directed to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Such
d evotional service frees one from the desire for sense-gratification both in th i s
life and the next, and breaks the bonds of karma."
TEXT 1 (b)
narada pan-caratre ca
sarvopadhi vini-rmuktam
tat parat-vena nirmalam
hrsikena hrsikesa
sevanam bhaktir ucyate
narada panc-aratre
in t h e ¹ r ad a - p a n c a ratra;
ca an d ; sa rva upad-hi
vinirmuktam
fr e e f rom all kin ds of material designations, or free from all desires
except the desire to render service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead; tat
paratvena by the sole purpose of serving the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
nirmalam u n c o n t a m i n ated by the effects of speculative philosophical research or
fruitive activity; hrsikena by p u r i f i ed senses freed from all designations;
hrsikesa of t he master of the senses;sevanam th e service to satisfy the senses;
bhaktih
de v o t i o n al service;ucyate is c a lled.
The ¹ r a d a - p ancaratra also explains: "Bhakti, or devotional service, means
engaging all our senses in the service of the Lord, the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, the master of all the senses. When the spirit soul renders service unto
the Supreme, there are two side effects. One is freed from all material
designations, and, simply by being employed in the service of the Lord, one s
senses are purified."
TEXT Z (a)
navadha caisa bhavati. yad uktam sr-i bhagava-te
sravanam kirtanam visnoh
smaranam pada sevanamarcanam vandanam dasyam
sakhyam atma nivedanam-
iti pumsarpita visnau
bhaktis cen nava l-aksana
kriyeta bhagavaty addha
tan manye 'dhitam uttamam
navadha ni n e - f old; ca an d ; esa t— his; bhavati is ; yat wh i c h ; u k t a m
spoken; sri bh a g a vate i n t h e S r i m a d-Bhaagavatam;sri pr-ahradah uvaca
Prahlada Maharaja said; sravanam he a r i n g; kirtanam ch a n t i n g ;visnoh o L o r d
Visnu (not anyone else); smaranam re m e m b e ring;pada se-vanam se rving the
feet; arcanam of f e r i ng wership (with sodasopacara, the sixteen kinds of
paraphernalia); vandanam of f e r i ng prayers;dasyam be c o m i ng the servant;
sakhyam be c o ming the best friend;atma niv-edanam su r r e ndering everything,
whatever one has; iti
th u s ; pu msa arpita of f e r ed by the devotee;
visnau u n o t
Lord Visnu (not to anyone else); bhaktih de v o t i o n al service;cet if ; n a v a
laksana po s sessing nine different precesses;kriyeta on e s ho uld perform;
bhagavati
un t o t he Supreme Personality ofGodhead;addha di r e c t ly or
completely; tat th a t ; ma nye I c o n s i d e r;adhitam le a r n i n g;uttamam t o p m o s t .
The Lord s devotional service consists of nine parts, as the SrzmadBhagavatam (7.5.23-20) explains: "Hearing and chanting about the
transcendental holy name, form, qualities, paraphernalia and pastimes of Lord
Visnu, remembering them, serving the lotus feet of the Lord, offering the Lord
respectful worship with si x t een types of paraphernalia, offering prayers to the
Lord, becoming His servant, considering the Lord one s best friend, and
s urrendering everything unto Him (i n o t her w o r ds, serving Him w it h th e bo d y ,
mind and words )
t h e s en i n e p r o c e sses are accepted as pure devotional
service. One who has dedicated his life to the service of Krsna through these
nine methods should be understood to be the most learned person, for he has
acquired complete knowledge. "
TEXT 2 (b)
sat seva guru -seva cadeva bhaven-a ced bhavet
dadaisa bhagavad bhaktirlabhyate nanyatha kvacit
sat of the devotees;seva se rvide;guru of t h e s p i r i t u al master;seva
service; ca an d; deva of t h e S up reme Personality of Godhead;bhavena w i t h
meditation; cet if ; bh a vet ma y b e ; ta da th e n ; esa th i s ;bh a gavat o f t h e
Supreme Lord; bhaktih de v o t i o n al service;labhyate is a t t a ined;na n o t ;
anyatha ot h e r w i s e;kvacit un d e r a ny circumstance.
If one engages in the service of the devotees and the spiritual master,
considering them equal to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then he may
a ttain the devotional service of the Lord. There is no other way in w h ich t h i s
service may be obtained.
TEXT S (a)
deva b-havena sat se-va y.atha taittiriyake
atithi de-vo bhava it.i.
deva as the Supreme Lord; bhavena wi t h t he c onception;sat o f t h e
devotees; seva service;yatha ju s t a s; taittiriyake i n t h e T a i t t i r i ya Upanisad;
atithi as a guest; devah th e S up reme Personality of Godhead;bhava pl e a s e
b ecome; iti t h u s .
That one should serve the devotees, considering them equal to the Supreme
Personality of Godhead Himself, is described in the Taittirzya Upanisad (1.10):
"One should serve devotee in the same way as one serves the Supreme
Personality of Godhead Himself."
TEXT S (b)
taya tad bhak-tir yatha sri bhag-avate
naisam matis tavad urukramanghrim
sprsaty anarthapagamo yad artha-h
mahiyasam pada raj o -bhis-ekam
niskincananam na vrnita yavat
taya by t h i s; tat-bhaktih t h i s d e v o t i o nal service toHim;y a t ha as ; s r i
bhagavate in Srimad Bhaga-vatam; na no t ; esam of t h e s e;matih t h e
consciousness; tavat th a t l o n g ; ur u k r ama anghrim
the litus feet of the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, who is famous for performing uncommon activities;
sprsati do e s touch; anrtha of u n w a n t e d t h i n g s;apagamah th e d i s appearance;
of which; arthah
th e p u r p o s e;mahiyasam of t h e g reat sous (the
yat
mahatmas, or devotees); pada rajah -by the dust of the litus feet;abhisekam
consecration; niskincananam of d e v o t ees who have nothing to do with this
material world; na no t ; vr n i ta ma y a c c e p t;yavat as l o ng as.
The Srzmad-Bhagavatam (7.5.32) confirms that this is the only way to attain
the Lord's devotional service: "Unless they smear upon their bodies the dust of
the lotus feet of a Vaisnava completely freed from material contamination,
persons very much inclined toward materialistic life cannot be attached to the
lotus feet of the Lord, who is glori fied for His un common activiti es. Only by
b ecoming Krsna conscious and taking shelter at the lotus feet of the Lord in th i s
way can one be freed from material contamination."
TEXT 4(a)
deva bhavena guru s-eva yatha taittiriyake
acarya devo bhava .iti.
deva as the Supreme Personality of Godhead;
bhavena considering;
guru of
the spiritual master; seva se r v ice;yatha ju s t a s;taittiriyake i n t h e T a i t t i r i y a
Upanisad; acarya th e s pi r i t u al master;devah as t he Supreme Personality of
Godhead; bhava pl e a se be;iti t h u s .
That one should also serve the spiritual master as the Supreme Personality of
Godhead is confirmed in the Taittirzya Upanisad (1.10): "One should serve the
spiritual master in the same way one serves the Supreme Personality of
Godhead Himself. "
TEXT e (b)
svetasvataropanisadi ca
yasya deve para bhaktir
yatha deve tatha gurau
tasyaite kathita hy arthah
prakasante mahatmanah
svetasvatara upani-sadi in t he Svetasvatara Upanisad;yasya of w h o m ; de vefor
the Supreme Personality o f Godhead; para supreme; bhaktih devotion;yatha
just as; deve for the Lord; tatha in the same way; gurau fo r t he s pirit ual
master; yasya of h i m; ete th e y ; ka t h i t ah ex p l a i n e d;hi ce r t a i n l y;ar t hah t h e
meaning of the Vedic literatures; prakasante be c o me manifested;maha
atmanah fo r s uch a great soul.
The Svetasvatara Upanisad (6.23) also explains: "Only unto those great souls
who have implicit faith in both the Lord and the spiritual master are all the
imports of Vedic knowledge automatically revealed."
TEXT 0 (c)
taya tad bhaktir -yatha sri bhagav-ate
tasmad gurum prapadyeta
jijj nasuh sreya uttamam
sabde pare ca nisnatam
brahmany upasamj asrayam
tatra bhagavatan dharman
siksed gurvatma daivatahamayayanuvrttya yais
tusyed atmatmado harih
taya by t h a t; tat fo r t h e S up re me Personality of Godhead; bhaktih
devotion; yatha j u s t as; sri b-hagavate in t he Srimad-Bhagavatam;tasmat
therefore; gurum to t h e s pirit ual master;prapadyeta on e s ho uld surender;
jijnasuh
ea g er to know;sreyah uttamam th e s u p r e me goal of life;sabde pare in
the transcendental messages of the Vedas; ca al s o; nisnatam ex p e r t; brahmani
of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; upasamasrayam ta k e n shelter;tatra i n
this regard;
bhagavatan
of the Supreme Lord;dharman
the devotional service;
sikset sh o u ld teach; guru at-ma da-ivatah on e w ho has taken the service of the
guru as his life and soul; amayaya with non-duplicitous; anuvrttya b e h a v i o r ;
yaih
by t h i s; tusyet maybe satisfied; atma th e S up re me Lord;atma da-h
Hari.
giving Himself; harih
That one should be devoted to the Spiritual Master in the same way that he
is devoted to the Supreme Lord is described in the Srimad-Bhagavatam (11.3.2223): "Any person who is seriously desirous of achieving real happiness must
s eek out a bona-fide spiritual master and take shelter of him by i n i t i a t i on. Th e
qualification of a spiritual master is that he must have realized the conclusion of
the scriptures by deliberation and arguments and thus be able to convince
others of these conclusions. Such great personalities who have taken complete
shelter of the Supreme Godhead, leaving aside all material considerations, are to
be understood as bona-fide spiritual masters. One who takes the instructions of
such a bona-fide spiritual master as his life and soul, and sincerely worships
and serves him, considering him equal to the Supreme as worshipable as the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, greatly satisfies the Supreme Lord, who then
gives Himself to such a sincere devotee. The Lord gives such a devotee the
power to preach His message."
TEXT 5
avapta panca -samska-ro
labdha-dvividha-bhaktikah
saksat krtya h-arim tasya
dhamni nityam pramodate
avapta at t a ined; panca fi v e ; samskarah pu r i f i c a t o ry rites;labdha at t a i n e d;
dvi vidha -two-fold; bhaktitah d e v o t i o n al service; saksat krtya -directly
attaining; harim Lo r d H a r i; ta sya of H i m ; d h a m ni i n t h e s p i r i t u al abode;
ni ty am eternally; pramodate re j o i c e s.
One who has passed through the five purificatory ritu als, and been initiated
into the vaidhi and raga stages of devotional service, may directly perceive Lord
Hari, and attain the eternal bliss of serving Him in the spir i t ual abode.
TEXT 6 (a)
tatha panca samskara-h yatha sm.rtau padmottara khande
-
tapah pundram tatha nama
mantro yagas ca pancamah
ami hi panca samskarah
paramaikanti h-etavah
tatha in t h is way; panca fi v e ; samskarah pu r i f i c a t o ry procedures;yatha
just as; smrtau in the Smrti; padma ut-tara kh-ande in t he Uttara-khanda of the
Padma Purana; tapah au s t e rity;pundram ti l a k a m a r k i n g s;tatha i n t h e s a m e
way; nama ch a n t i ng the Lord's holy names;mantrah ch a n t i ng various mantras;
yagah wo r s h i p p i ng the Salagrama-sila and other deities;ca an d ; pancamah t h e
fifth; ami th e s e;hi in d e e d ;panca fi v e ; samskarah pu r i f i c a t o ry procedures;
parama su p r e me; aikanti of c a u s e less devotional service;
hetavah th e c auses.
These five purificatory procedures are described in the Padma Purana, Uttara
Khanda: "I. Austerity, 2. wearing tilaka markings, 3. Accepting a new name at
the time of initiation, 4. chanting various mantras glorifying the Lord, and 5.
engaging in the performance of sacrifice, are the five purificatory procedures
which grant the Lord's unalloyed devotional service."
TEXT 6 (b)
tapo 'tra tapta cakra-di
mudra dhar-anam ucyate
tenaiva hari nama-di
mudra capy upalaksyate
tapah au s terity; atra he r e ;ta pta ho t ; ca k ra ca k r a ;adi a n d o t h e r s ym b o l s
of Lord Visnu; mudra th e m a r k s;dharanam we a r i n g;ucyate is described; tena
by this; eva c e r tainly; hari of L o r d H a r i; na ma th e h o l y n a m e s;adi b e g i n n i n g
with; mudra ma r k s of the Lord;ca an d ; api al s o ;up a l aksyate is o b s e rved.
In this verse the word austerity means to accept the branded marks of Lord
Visnu (the cakra, lotus, conch and mace) and also the marks of His holy names.
Note: Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura comments that this difficult
austerity is not actually needed. The previous great devotees have set the example
of marking the body with the Lord's holy names and symbols drawn in
sandalwood paste. This is quite sufficient.
TEXT 6 (c)
yatha smrtau
hari namaksa-rair gatram
ankayec candanadina
sa loka pavano b-hutva
tasya lokam avapnuyat
yatha ju s t as; smrtau in the Smrti-sastra; hari of L o r d H a r i; nama o f t h e
holy names; aksaraih wi t h t h e l e t t ers;candana wi t h s a n d alwood paste;adina
and other similar substances; sah he ; lo ka of t h e e n t i re worl d; pavanah t h e
purifier; bhutva ha v i n g b e c o m e ;tasya o f t h e S upreme Lord;lokam t h e p l a n e t ;
avapnuyat
ma y a ttain.
The Smrti-sastra explains: "One who marks his body with th e letters of Lord
Hari's holy names drawn in sandalwood paste or other similar substances,
purifies the entire world and becomes eligible to enter the Lord's spiritual
abode."
TEXT 6 (d)
pundram syad urdhva pun-dram tac
chastre bahu vidh-am smrtam
hari man-diram tat padakrty adya-ti subh-avaham
pundram th e w o rd p un d r a m; syat may be; urdhva pund-ram t i l a k a
markings; tat th a t ; sastre in t h e s c r i p t u res;bahu vidha-m in m a ny ways;
smrtam is c onsidered;hari of L o r d H a r i; mandiram th e t e m p l e;tat t h e
Lord's; pada of the lotus feet; akrti wi t h t h e f o r m; adya et c . ;ati v e r y ;
subha auspicious; avaham c a u s i n g .
The word pundram in the previous quote from the Padma Purana (6a) means
tilaka markings, many varieties of which have been described in the scriptures.
By marking the body with t i l a ka, or with the fo rms of the Lor d's lotus feet, or
other auspicious marks, the body is sanctified and designated as temple of Lord
Hari.
TEXT 6 (e)
namatra gaditam sadbhir
hari bhrtyatv-a
bodhaka-m
mantro 'stadasa varnadi-h
svesta deva vap-ur m-atah
nama the name; atra he r e ;gaditam de s c r i b e d;sadbhih by t h e s aintly
devotees; hari of L o r d H a r i; bhrtyatva th e s t a te of being Lord's Hari's servant;
bodhakam in d i c a t ing; mantrah th e m a n t r a; astadasa ei g h t e en;varna l e t t e r s ;
adih be g inning wit h; sva ow n ; is ta wo r s h i p p a b l e;deva of t h e d e it y;vapuh
the form; matah co n s i d e red.
The word nama means name. This means that when one is initi ated by a
spiritual master, one should accept a new name indicating that he is a servant of
Lord Hari. The mantra referred to is the eighteen syllable Gopala mantra, which
i s considered non-different from the spiri t ual form of the Lo r d .
TEXT 6 (f)
salagramadi p-uj a tu
yaga sa-bdena kathyate
pramanany esu drsyani
puranadisu sadhubhih
salagrama
th e Salagrama-sila;adi be g i n n i ng wit h;puja wo r s h i p ; tu a n d ;
yaga ya g a;sabdena by t he w o r s; kathyate is described; pramanani ev i d e n c es;
esu among them; drsyani ar e s een;purana in t h e P u r a nas;adisu a n d o t h e r
Vedic literatures; sadhubhih by t he saintly devotees.
By the word yaga, the worship of Salagrama-sila and other deity forms of the
Lord is described. In this way, the saintly devotees find many references in the
Puranas and other Vedic literatures to describe the five purificatory processes.
TEXT 7
navadha bhakti vidhi -ruci-
purva dvedha bhaved yaya krsnah
bhutva svayam prasanno
dadati tat tad Ipsitam dhama
navadha ni n e - f old; bhakti de v o t i o n al service;
vidhi th e b e g i n n i ng stage of
following the rules and regulations without spontaneous attraction; ruci
spontaneous attraction; purva be g i n n i n g;bhavet ma y b e;yaya b y w h i c h ;
krsnah Kr s n a; bhutva ha v i n g b ecome;svayam Hi m s e l f; prasannah pl e a s ed;
dadati gr a n t s; tat th i s ; tat an d t h a t ;ip s itam de s i r e d;dhama a b o d e .
The nine-fold process of devotional service described in Text 2a may be
c onsidered in two stages. The first stage is called vidhi-bhakti, or foll ow ing th e
rules and regulations ofb h a k ti. The second stage is called ruci, and it is attained
when there is spontaneous attraction to Krsna and His service. Lord Krsna
becomes personally very satisfied by this loving service, He fulfills all th e
desires of His servitor and brings him back to the spiri tual realm.
TEXT 8
vidhinabhyarcyate devas
catur bahv adi -rupa -dhr-k
rucy atmakena tenasau
-
nr lingah pa-ripujyate
vidhina
by t he r ul es and regulations;abhyarcyate
is w o r s h i p e d;devah
the
Supreme Personality of Godhead; catuh fo u r ; ba hu ar m s ;adi a n d o t h e r ;
rupa fo r m s; dhrk ma n i f e s t i n g;ruci a-tmakena by s p o n t a neous attraction;
tena by thi s; asau He ; nr l i -ngah ap p e a r ing as a human being, the son of
Yasoda-devi; paripujyate is w o r s h i p p e d.
By the process of vidhi-bhakti, the Supreme Personality of Godhead is
worshipped in His ¹ r a y a n a f e a t u re, manifesting four, or sometimes eight or
ten arms. By the process of ruci-bhakti, the Lord is worshipped in His or i g i n al
human-like form as the son of Yasoda.
TEXT 9
tulasy asv-attha dha-try adipuj anam dhama nist-hata
arunodaya vidd-has tu
santyajyo hari vas-arah
j anmastamy adik-am suryo
daya vidd-ham parityaj et
tulasi of t he tul ass plant;asvattha of t he banyan tree;dhatri of t h e a m a laki
tree; adi be g i n n i ng wit h; pujanam wo r s h i p ; dh ama in t h e h o l y p l a ce where the
Lordperformed Hispastimes; nisthata re s i d e nce;arunodaya vidd-hah i f m i x e d
with the dasami; tu bu t ; sa ntyajyah sh o u l d b e a b a ndoned;hari vasa-rah
ekadasi; j anmastami
ja n m a s tami; adikam be g i n n i ng w i t h;surodaya viddh-am i f
mixed with the saptami; parityaj et on e s ho uld abandon.
One should worship the tulasi plant,the banyan and amalaki trees, and
everything else which is in relationship with th e Lo rd. One should not fast on
the ekadasi day which partly falls on the dasami, and one should not fast on the
janmastami day which falls on the saptami.
TEXT 10
loka sangra-ham anvicchan
nitya naimitti-kam budhah
pratisthitas caret karma
bhakti pradhan-yam atyaj an
loka of t he devotees;sangraham th e a ssociation;anvicchan d e s i r i n g ;
nitya
re g u l a r;naimittikam an d o c c a sional;budhah th e l e a rned devotees;
pratisthitah
fixed; caret should p—form;
er
karma action; bhakti d e v o t i o n a l
service;pradhanyam
pr i n c i p a l l y; atyajan not aban-doning
A learned and intelligent devotee, fixed in service to the Lord, should reside
in a holy place, aspire for
the association of advanced devotees, and engage in
the regular and special activities of devotional service.
TEXT 11
dasa namaparadhams tu
yatnatah parivarj ayet
dasa te n; nama to t h e h o ly n a me; aparadhan of f e n s es;tu a l s o ; ya tnatah
with geat endeavor; parivarjayet on e w h o ld a void.
One should carefully avoid the ten offenses in the chanting of the holy name
of the Lord.
TEXT 12
krsnavapti pha-la bhaktir
ekantatrabhidhiyate
jnana vair-agya pur-va sa
phalam sadyah prakasayet
krsna of K r s n a; avapti th e a t t a i n me nt;phala th e f r u i t ; bh aktih d e v o t i o n a l
service; ekanta un a l l o y e d; atra he r e ;ab hidhiyate i s d e s cribed;jnana w i t h
scriptural knowledge; vairagya an d r e n u n c i ation;purva fo r m e r l y;sa t h a t ;
phalam fruit; prakasayet ca u s es to become manifest.
Unalloyed devotional service, which causes one to attain Krsna, is described
here. When that devotion is enriched with renun ciation and scriptural
s cholarship, it very quickly bears fruit .
Ninth Prameya
TEXT 1
atha pratyaksanumana sabdan-am eva pramanatvam
yatha sri bhagava-te
srutih pratyaksam aitihyam
anumanam catustay am
atha no w; pr atyaksa di r e c t p e rception;anumana lo g i c ; sabdanam a n d
Vedic authority; eva ce r t a i n l y;pramanatvam so u r c es of evidence;
yatha j u s t
as; sri bhagava-te in the Srimad-Bhagavatam (11.16.17); srutih th e f o ur V e d as;
pratyaksam
di r e ct perception;aitihyam the Puranas and historical records;
anumanam and l o g ic; catustayam fo u r s o u r c es of evidence.
9. Direct Perception, logic and Vedic revelation are three sources of actual
knowledge:
This is described in the Srzmad-Bhagavatam (11.16.17): "The Four Vedas,
direct perception, the Puranas and Vedic histories, as well as logic are four
sources of actual knowledge."
TEXT 2
pratyaksam anumanam ca
yat sa-civyena suddhimat
maya mu-ndavalokadau
pratyaksam vyabhicari yat
pratyaksam
di r e ct perception;anumanam lo g i c ; ca al s o ;yat t o w h i c h ;
sacivyena fa v o rable; suddhimat p u r e ; ma ya mu-nda of t h o se bewildered by the
illusory energy of the Lord; avaloka i n t h e v i s i o n; adau b e g i n n i ng w i t h ;
pratyaksam
di r e ct perception;vyabhicari ev i d e n c e;yat which.
Direct perception and logic are actual sources of knowledge when they
confirm the authoritative statements found in Vedic revelation. Only foolish
persons bewildered by the illusory material energy of the Lord accept the
misleading evidence of direct sensory perception.
TEXT 3
anuma cati dhume - 'drau
vrsti nirva-pitagnike
atah pramanam tat tac sa
svatantram naiva sammatam
anuma lo g i c; ca al s o ;ati dhume -w i t h mu c h s mo k e; adrau o n a m o u n t a i n ;
vrsti by r a i n; nirvapita ex t i n g u i s h e d;agnike on a f i r e;atah f r o m t h i s ;
pramanam eviden— ce;
tat this; tat an d t h a t; ca al s o ;sva tantram -i n d e p e ndent;
na —not; eva certainly; sammatam co n s i d e red.
Logic and mental speculation are inconclusive and unreliable sources of
k nowledge. They may be compared to the forest fire on top of a hill w h ich ha s
just been extinguished by showers of rain, and thus yields no light, but only a
great quantity of smoke. Intelligent persons to not therefore consider logic and
sensory perception to be independent and infallible sources of knowledge, but
rather they are dependent assistants to the principal source of knowledge: the
Vedic revelation.
TEXT 0
anukulo matas tarkah
suskas tu parivarjitah
anukulah
fa v o r a ble to the knowledge revealed inthe scriptures;matah
considered; tarkah lo g i c ; suskah dr y ; tu bu t ; pa r i v a rj itah r e j e c t e d .
When logic confirms the Vedic revelation, it should be accepted, but
otherwise not.
TEXT 5 (a)
tatha hi vaj asaneyinah
atma va are drastavyah srotavyo mantavyo nididhyasitavyah iti..
tatha hi
fu r t h e r m o r e;hi in d e e d ;vaj asaneyinah Ya j n a valkya explains in the
Brhad-aranyaka Upanisad; atma th e S up re me Personality of Godhead;vai
certainly; are 0 Ma i t r e y i;drastavyah sh o u l d be seen;srotavyah s h o u l d b e
heard; mantavyah sh o u ld be understood;nididhyasitavyah sh o u l d be meditated
upon; iti
thus.
The proper use of logic is described by Yajnavalkya Muni in the Brhadaranyaka Upanisad (0.5.6): "0 Ma i t r e y i, one should dire ctly perceive the
supreme Personality of Godhead by hearing about Him from a bona-fide
spiritual master. In this way one con properly understand His position, and
c onstantly meditate upon Him . "
TEXT 5 (b)
kathake
n aisa tarkena matir apaneya proktany evajnanaya prestha iti
.
kathake in t he Katha Upanisad;na no t ; es ah He ; ta r k e na s i m p l y by l o g i c ;
apaneya is brought; proktani th e e l u c i d a tions of a bona-fide spiritual master;
eva certainly; j nanaya fo r a c t u al knowl edge;prestha 0 de a r N a c i k e ta;iti
thus.
Logic which has no foundation in script ural revelation is described in the
Katha Upanisad (1.2.9): "My dear Naciketa, simply by logic one will never be
a ble to understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but only by th e
descriptions of a realized spiritual master."
TEXT 6
smrtis ca
purvaparavirodhena
ki 'trartho 'bhimato bhavet
ity adyam uhanam tarkah
suska t-arkam tu varjayet
smrtih
th e S mrt i -sastra;ca an d ; pu r vapara wi t h t h e p r e v i o us Vedic
authorties; avirodhena no t in d i s agreement;kah wh a t ; at ra in t h i s c o n n e c t ion;
arthah th e m e aning;abhimatah ac c e p ted;bhavet ma y b e;iti th u s ;a d y a m
beginning; uhanam gu e s s work speculation;tarkah lo g i c ;suska dr y ; t a r k a m
logic; tu in d e e d; varj ayet on e s ho u ld reject.
The Smrti-sastra confirms: "One should reject the dry logic that considers:
'How important is it that one's reasoning follow the conclusion previously
described in Vedic revelation? It cannot be very important.' Such logic leads one
to the process known as speculative guessing."
TEXT 7 (a)
naveda vidu-sam yasmad
brahmadir upaj ayate
yac caupanisadam brahma
tasman mukhya srutir mata
na no t; aveda vidu-sam dr i e d -up philosophers who do not accept the Vedic
conclusion; yasmat fo r t h i s reason;brahma of t h e S upreme Personality of
Godhead; dhih th e p r o p er understanding;upaj ayate is p r o d u c ed;yat w h i c h ;
ca and; aupanisadam de s c r ibed in the Upanisads;brahma th e S up re me;
tasmat th e r e fore;mukhya mo s t i m p o r t a n t;srutih th e V e d a s;mata a r e
considered.
The Supreme Personality of Godhead is described in the statements of the
Upanisads, and for this reason Vedic revelation is the best of all sources of
knowledge. They who spurn the Vedic revelation do not have the power to
properly understand the Supreme.
TEXT 7 (b)
tatha hi srutih
navedavin manute tam brhantam. iti.
aupanisadam purusam prcchami iti.
.
tatha hi further—m ore; srutih
the Vedas explain;na not; aveda vit o n e ignorant of the Vedic revelation; manute un d e r s t ands;tam Hi m ; br h a n t am t h e
greatest; iti
th u s ; aupanisadam de s c r i bed in the Upanisads;
purusam S u p r e m e
Person; prcchami I am i n q u i r i ng about;iti t h u s .
This conclusion is confirmed in the Vedas:
"One ignorant of Vedic knowledge cannot actually understand the
Supreme." (Sruti-sastra)
"Please tell me about the Supreme Personality of Godhead who is revealed in
the Upanisads." (Brhad-aranyaka 3.9.26)
Concluding Words
TEXT 1
sri ma-dhva ma-te harih paratamah satyam j agat tattvato
bhedojiva ga-na harer anucara nicocca bh-avam gatah
muktir naija suk-hanubhutir amalabhaktis catat sad-hanam
aksadi trit-ayam pramanam akhilamnayaika ved-yo harir iti
sri ma-dhva of Sri Madhvacarya;mate in t h e c o n c eption;harih H a r i ;
the material world is;
paratamah is t he Absolute Truth; satyam real; j agat
tattvatah in t r u t h ; bhedah di s t i n c t i o n;jiva
of l i v i n g e n t i t i e s;ganah t h e
multitudes; hareh of L o rd H a r i; anucara th e s e r vants;nica lo w l y ; uc ca a n d
exalted; bhavam po s i t i o n; gatah at t a i n e d;muktih li b e r a t i o n;naij a o w n ;
sukha bl i ss anubhutih t h e e x p e r i e nce;amala pu r e ; bh aktih d e v o t i o n a l
service; ca an d; tat to t h a t e n d; sadhanam th e m e a n s; aksa di r e c t p erception;
adi be g inning wit h; tritayam th r e e ;pr amanam so u r c es ofk n o w l e d ge;akhila
all; amnaya by t he Vedas;eka ex c l u s i v ely;vedyah kn o w a b l e;harih Hari;
iti
thus.
T he Philosophy of Madhvacarya may be summarized in the follow ing way: l .
Lord Hari is the Absolute Truth, and nothing is greater than He, 2. the material
world is real, 3. the jivas (living entities) are different from Lord Ha ri, 4. th e
jivas are by nature Lord Hari s servants, 5. the jivas are situated in varying
positions both in the material and spiri tual wo r l ds, 6. liberation does not mean
an impersonal merging, but the experience of the bliss of devotional service, 7.
Pure devotional service grants liberation, 8. direct perception, logic, and Vedic
revelation are the three sources of knowledge, and 9. Lord Hari is revealed in
the Vedic scriptures.
TEXT 2
anandatirthai racitani yasyam
prameya ratnani -navaiva santi
prameya ratnaval-ir adarena
pradhibhir esa hrdaye nidheya
anandatirthaih
by M a d h v a carya;racitani wr i t t e n ;ya syam i n w h i c h ;
prameya of p h i l o s ophical truths;nava nine; eva certainly; santi ar e ;pr e meya
ratnavalih
th i s b o o k, Prameya-ratnavali;adarena wi t h g r e at respect;
pradhibhih
by t h o se who are intelligent; esa this book; hrdaye in t h e h e a rt or
upon the chest; nidheya sh o u ld be placed.'
The nine jewels of philosophical truth for m u l a ted by Madhvacarya have been
described in this book. Let those who are actually intelligent, respectfully place
this book, Prameya-ratnavali, within th eir hearts.
TEXT 3
nityam nivasatu hrdaye
caitanyatma murarir nah
niravedyo nirvrtiman
gaj apatir anukampaya yasya
nityam et ernally; nivasatu ma y r e s i de;hrdaye in t h e h e a rt;caitanya e i t h e r
spiritual, or Lord Caitanya; atma fo r m ; mu r a r ih L o r d K r s n a ; nah o u r ;
niravedyah
pu r i f i e d; nirvrtiman an d l i b e r a t ed;gaj apatih ei t h e r Gajendra, the
king of the elephants, or Maharaja Prataparudra; anukampaya by t he m e rc y;
yasya of whom.
This concluding verse may be interpreted either for Lord Kr sna or Lor d
C aitanya. Interpreted for Lord Kr sna, it may be translated in the follow ing way .
May Lord Krsna, whose form is spiri t ual and full of k n o w l e d ge, and who
mercifully purified and delivered Gajendra, the king of the elephants, eternally
reside within our hearts.
Interpreted for Lord Caitanya, the same verse may be translated in the
following way.
May Lord Caitanya, who is actually Lord Kr sna, the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, and who mercifully pu r i f ied and delivered Maharaja Prataparudra,
eternally reside within our hearts.