Bhagavat · Sanskrit §12 · English §11
Source[१२] सर्गादि यो æस्यानुरुणद्धि शक्तिभिर् द्रव्य-क्रिया-कारक-चेतनात्मभिः । तस्मै समुन्नद्ध-निरुद्ध-शक्तये नमः परस्मै पुरुषाय वेधसे ॥ [भ्प् ४.१७.१८] अनुरुणद्धि करोति । श्री-मैत्रेयो विदुरम् ॥१२॥
[12] sargādi yo æsyānuruṇaddhi śaktibhir dravya-kriyā-kāraka-cetanātmabhiḥ | tasmai samunnaddha-niruddha-śaktaye namaḥ parasmai puruṣāya vedhase || [BhP 4.17.18] anuruṇaddhi karoti | śrī-maitreyo viduram ||12||
English translation
English witness · section(s) 11
Anuccheda 11
The Bhagavan, or personal, feature of the Supreme Spirit is not an artificial creation sprung from the imagination of some theologicians and philosophers, but it is the actual truth. This personal aspect of the Supreme Truth, who is always accompanied by His various potencies, is the subject matter described in the verses of Srimad Bhagavatam, and in the very beginning of the Bhagavatam, Srila Vyasadeva stresses the reality of this subject matter (the Supreme Person) by saying (1.1.2): “This Bhagavata Purana propounds the highest truth which is understandable by those devotees who are fully pure in heart. The highest truth is reality distinguished from illusion for the welfare of all. Such truth uproots the threefold miseries.”* In this verse the Supreme Truth is described by the two adjectives ‘sivadam’ and ‘trayonmulanam’. “Sivadam’ means ‘He who give transcendental bliss by the means of His own transcendental potency’, and ‘tapa-trayonmulanam’ means ‘He who uproots the threefold miseries caused by the illusory potency, maya.’
Bhagavat · Sanskrit §13 · English §12
Source[१३] तासाम् अचिन्त्यत्वम् आह । आत्मेश्वरोऽतर्क्य-सहस्र-शक्तिर् इति ॥ [भ्प् ३.३३.३] स्पष्टम् ॥ उक्तं चाचिन्त्यत्वं श्रुतेस् तु शब्द-मूलत्वाद् इत्य् [व्स् २.१.२७] आदौ । आत्मनि चैवं विचित्राश् च हीत्य् [?] आदौ च ॥ श्री-देवहूतिः कपिलदेवम् ॥१३॥
[13] tāsām acintyatvam āha | ātmeśvaro'tarkya-sahasra-śaktir iti || [BhP 3.33.3] spaṣṭam || uktaṃ cācintyatvaṃ śrutes tu śabda-mūlatvād ity [Vs 2.1.27] ādau | ātmani caivaṃ vicitrāś ca hīty [?] ādau ca || śrī-devahūtiḥ kapiladevam ||13||
English translation
English witness · section(s) 12
Anuccheda 12
The potencies of the Lord may be divided into two opposite kinds: 1. The internal, or spiritual potency, and 2. The external, or material potency, maya. These two potencies inspire their followers to think and act in diverse ways, and in this way there are innumerable different activities and innumerable different philosophies, each hostile to the others. Nevertheless all this variety has a single origin. That single origin is described by Maharaja Daksa in the following prayer (Srimad Bhagavatam 6.4.31) addressed to the Supreme Personality of Godhead: “Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto the all-pervading Supreme Personality of godhead, who possesses unlimited transcendental qualities. Acting from within the cores of the hearts of all philosophers, who propagate various views, He causes them to forget their own souls while sometimes agreeing and sometimes disagreeing among themselves. Thus He creates within this material world a situation in which they are unable to come to a conclusion. I offer my obeisances unto Him.
Bhagavat · Sanskrit §14 · English §13
Source[१४] शक्तेस् तु स्वाभाविक-रूपत्वम् आह - सत्त्वं रजस् तम इति त्रिवृद् एकम् आदौ सूत्रं महान् अहम् इति प्रवदन्ति जीवम् । ज्ञान-क्रियार्थ-फल-स्वरूपतयोरु-शक्तिर् ब्रह्मैव भाति सद् असच् च तयोः परं यत् ॥ [भ्प् ११.३.३८] ब्रह्मैव उरू-शक्तिर् अनेकात्मक-शक्तिमद् भाति । एव-कारेण ब्रह्मण एव सा शक्तिर् न तु कल्पितेति स्वाभाविक-रूपत्वं शक्तेर् बोधयति । तत्र हेतुः । यद् ब्रह्म यत् स्थूलं कार्यं पृथिव्यादि-रूपं असत् सूक्ष्मं कारणं प्रकृत्यादि-रूपं तयोर् बहिरङ्ग-वैभवयोः परं स्वरूप-वैभवं श्री- वैकुण्ठादि-रूपं तटस्थ-वैभवं शुद्ध-जीव-रूपं च । अन्यथा तत्- तद्-भावासिद्धिः । किंरूपतया तत्-तद्-रूपम् । तत्राह ज्ञान-क्रियार्थ-फल-रूपतया महद्- आदि-लक्षण-ज्ञान-शक्ति-रूपत्वेन, सूत्रादि-लक्षण-क्रिया-शक्ति-रूपत्वेन, तन्-मात्रादि-लक्षणार्थ-रूपत्वेन, प्रकृति-लक्षण-तत्-तत्-सर्वैक्य- रूपत्वेन सद्-असद्-रूपम् । फल-रूपत्वेन तयोः परम् । तत्र फलं पुरुषार्थ-स्वरूपं स-वैभवं भगवद्-आख्यं चिद्-वस्तु तद्- अनुमतत्वात् शुद्ध-जीवाख्यं चिद्-वस्तु च । एतेन ज्ञान-क्रियादि-रूपेणोरू- शक्तित्वं व्यञ्जितम् । शक्तेः स्वाभाविक-रूपत्वं स-प्रमाणं स्पष्टयति । आदौ यद् एकं ब्रह्म तद् एव सत्त्वं रजस् तम इति त्रि-वृत् प्रधानं ततः क्रिया-शक्त्या सूत्रं ज्ञान-शक्त्या महान् इति । ततोऽहम् अहङ्कार इति । तद् एव च जीवं शुद्ध-स्वरूपं जीवात्मानं तद्-उपलक्षणकं वैकुण्ठादि- वैभवं च प्रवदन्ति वेदाः । ते च - सदैव सौम्येदम् अग्र आसीद् इत्य् आद्याः [छाउ ६.२.१] । आदाव् एकं ततस् तत् तद्-रूपम् इति शक्तेः स्वाभाविकत्वम् आयातम् अन्यस्यासद्भावेनौपाधिकत्वायोगात् । स्वरूप-वैभवस्याङ्ग-प्रत्यङ्गवन् नित्य-सिद्धत्वेऽपि, सूर्य-सत्तया तद्-रश्मि-परमाणु-वृन्दस्येव, तत्-सत्तया लब्ध-सत्ताकत्वात् तद्-उपादानत्वं तदादिकत्वं च स्यात् । तस्य भासा सर्वम् इदं विभातीति [कठ २.२.१५] श्रुतेः । शक्तेर् अचिन्त्यत्वं स्वाभाविकत्वं चोक्तं श्री-विष्णु-पुराणे - निर्गुणस्याप्रमेयस्य शुद्धस्याप्य् अमलात्मनः । कथं सर्गादि-कर्तादि-कर्तृत्वं ब्रह्मणोऽभ्युपगम्यत ॥ [विप् १.३.१] इति मैत्रेय-प्रश्नानन्तरं श्री-पराशर उवाच --- शक्तयः सर्व-भावानाम् अचिन्त्य-ज्ञान-गोचराः । यतोऽतो ब्रह्मणस् तास् तु सर्गाद्या भाव-शक्तयः । भवन्ति तपसां श्रेष्ठ पावकस्य यतोष्णता ॥ [विप् १.३.२] अत्र श्रीधर-स्वामि-टीका च - तद् एवं ब्रह्मणः सृष्ट्य्-आदि-कर्तृत्वम् उक्तम् । तत्र शङ्कते - निर्गुणस्येति । सत्त्वादि-गुण-रहितस्य, अप्रमेयस्य देश-कालाद्य्-अपरिच्छिन्नस्य शुद्धस्य अदेहस्य सहकारि-शून्यस्येति वा, अमलात्मनः पुण्य-पाप-संस्कार- शून्यस्य, रागादि-शून्यस्येति वा । एवम्भूतस्य ब्रह्मणः कथं सर्गादि- कर्तृत्वम् इष्यते, एतद्-विलक्षणस्यैव लोके घटादिषु कर्तृत्वादि-दर्शनाद् इत्य् अर्थः । परिहरति शक्तय इति सार्धेन । लोके हि सर्वेषां भावानां मणि- मन्त्रादीनां शक्तयः अचिन्त्य-ज्ञान-गोचराः । अचिन्त्यं तर्कासहं यज्- ज्ञानं कार्यान्यथानुपपत्ति-प्रमाणकं तस्य गोचराः सन्ति । यद् वा - अचिन्त्या भिन्नाभिन्नत्वादि-विकल्पैश् चिन्तयितुम् अशक्याः केवलम् अर्थापत्ति-ज्ञान-गोचराः सन्ति । यद् एवं अतो ब्रह्मणोऽपि तास् तथाविधाः शक्तयः सर्गादि-हेतु-भूताः भाव-शक्तयः स्वभाव-सिद्धाः शक्तयः सन्त्य् एव । पावकस्य दाहकत्वादि-शक्तिवत् । अतो गुणादिहीनस्याप्य् अचिन्त्य- शक्तिमत्त्वाद् ब्रह्मणः सर्गादि-कर्तृत्वं घटत इत्य् अर्थः । श्रुतिश् च - न तस्य कार्यं करणं च विद्यते न तत्-समश् चाभ्यधिकश् च दृश्यते । परास्य शक्तिर् विविधैव श्रूयते स्वाभाविकी ज्ञान-बल-क्रिया च ॥ [श्वेतु ६.८] मायां तु प्रकृतिं विद्यान् मायिनं तु महेश्वरम् ॥ [श्वेतु ४.१०] यद् वा एवं योजना - सर्वेषां भावानां पावकस्योष्णता-शक्तिवद्-अचिन्त्य- ज्ञान-गोचराः शक्तयः सन्त्य् एव । ब्रह्मणः पुनस् ताः स्वभाव-भूताः स्वरूपाद् अभिन्नाः शक्तयः । परास्य शक्तिर् विविधैव श्रूयते इति श्रुतेः । अतो मणि-मन्त्रादिभिर् अग्नौष्ण्यवन् न केनचिद् विहन्तुं शक्यन्ते । अत एव तस्य निरङ्कुशम् ऐश्वर्यम् । तथा च श्रुतिः - स वा अयम् अस्य सर्वस्य वशी सर्वस्येशानः सर्वस्याधिपतिर् इत्य् आदिः [बौ ४.४.२२] । यत एवं अतो ब्रह्मणो हेतोः सर्गाद्या भवन्ति नात्र काचिद् अनुपपत्तिः इत्य् एषा । अत्र प्रश्नः सोऽयं ब्रह्म खलु निर्विशेषम् एवेति पक्षम् आश्रित्य, परिहारस् तु सविशेषम् एवेति पक्षम् आश्रित्य कृत इति ज्ञेयम् । अत एव प्रश्ने शुद्धस्येत्य् अपि व्याख्यातम् । शुद्धत्वं ह्य् अत्र केवलत्वं मतम्, तच् च युक्तं, परिहारे ब्रह्मणि शक्तिस्थापनात् । पूर्व-पक्षिमते ब्रह्मणि शक्तिर् अपि नास्तीति गम्यते । ततः प्रश्न-वाक्येऽप्य् एवम् अर्थान्तरं ज्ञेयम् - निर्गुणस्य प्राकृताप्राकृत-गुण-रहितस्य, अतएव प्रमाणागोचरस्य तत एवामलात्मनोऽपि शुद्धस्य, न तु स्फटिकादेर् इव परच्छाययान्यथा- दृष्टस्य । तद् एवं निर्विशेषताम् अवलम्ब्य प्रश्ने सिद्धे । परिहारे तु प्रथम-योजनायां निर्विशेष-पक्षम् अनादृत्य ब्रह्मणि कर्तृत्व-प्रतिपत्त्य्- अर्थं शक्तयः साधिताः । द्वितीय-योजनायां तत्र च विशेष-प्रतिपत्त्य्-अर्थं यथा जलादिषु कदाचिद् उष्णतादिकम् आगन्तुकं स्यात् तथा ब्रह्मणि न स्याद् इति निर्धारितम् । न तत् समश् चाभ्यधिकश् च दृश्यते इति श्रुतेः । तथा मणिमन्त्रादिभिर् इति व्यतिरेक एव दृष्टान्त इत्य् अतो ब्रह्म-शक्तयस् तु नान्येन पराभूता इत्य् एतच् च दर्शितम् । किं च, ब्रह्म-पदेन सर्वं खल्व् इदं ब्रह्मेति प्रसिद्धिं व्यज्य सत्त्वादि-गुणमय-मायायास् तद्-अन्यत्वेऽपि, निर्गुणस्येति प्राकृत-गुणैर् अस्पृष्टत्वम् अङ्गीकृत्य तेषां बहिरङ्गत्वं स्वीकृतम् । तद् एतद् एव मायां च प्रकृतिं विद्याद् इत्य् एषा श्रुतिः स्वीचकार । मायां च तद् अपाश्रयाम् इतिवन् महेश्वरत्वान् मायाया बहिरङ्गाया आश्रय इति तां पराभूय स्थितम् इति च लभ्यते । तस्मात् पूर्ववद् अत्रापि शक्ति-मात्रस्य स्वाभाविकत्वं माया-दोषास्पृष्टत्वं च साधितम् । अतएव श्रीगीतोपनिषत्सु च - ज्ञेयं यत् तत् प्रवक्ष्यामि यज् ज्ञात्वाऽमृतम् अश्नुते । अनादिमत् परं ब्रह्म न सत् तन् नासद् उच्यते ॥ सर्वतः पाणि-पादं तद् इत्य् आदि । [गीता १३.१२-१३] अत्रेयं प्रक्रिया - एकम् एव तत् परम-तत्त्वं स्वाभाविकाचिन्त्य-शक्त्या सर्वदैव स्वरूप-तद्-रूप-वैभव-जीव-प्रधान-रूपेण चतुर्धावतिष्ठते । सूर्यान्तर्-मण्डलस्थ-तेज इव मण्डल-तद्-बहिर्गत- रश्मि-तत्-प्रतिच्छवि-रूपेण । एवम् एव श्री-विष्णु-पुराणे --- एक-देश-स्थितस्याग्नेर् ज्योत्स्ना विस्तारिणी यथा । परस्य ब्रह्मणः शक्तिस् तथेदम् अखिलं जगद् ॥ इति ॥ [विप् १.२२.५६] यस्य भासा सर्वम् इदं विभातीति श्रुतेः । अत्र व्यापकत्वादिना तत्-तत्- समावेशाद्य्-अनुपपत्तिश् च शक्तेर् अचिन्त्यत्वेनैव पराहता । दुर्घट- घटत्वं ह्य् अचिन्त्यत्वम् । शक्तिश् च सा त्रिधा - अन्तरङ्गा बहिरङ्गा तटस्था च । तत्रान्तरङ्गया स्वरूप-शक्त्याख्यया पूर्णेनैव स्वरूपेण वैकुण्ठादि-स्वरूप-वैभव-रूपेण च तद् अवतिष्ठते । तटस्थया रश्मि- स्थानीय-चिद्-एकात्म-शुद्ध-जीव-रूपेण, बहिरङ्गया मायाख्यया प्रतिच्छवि-गत-वर्ण-शावल्य-स्थानीय-तदीय-बहिरङ्ग-वैभव-जडात्म- प्रधान-रूपेण चेति चतुर्ध्वात्वम् । अतएव तदात्मकत्वेन जीवस्येव तटस्थ-शक्तित्वं प्रधानस्य च मायान्तर्-भूतत्वम् अभिप्रेत्य शक्ति- त्रयं श्री-विष्णु-पुराणे गणितम् - विष्णु-शक्तिः परा प्रोक्ता क्षेत्र-ज्ञाख्या तथापरा । अविद्या-कर्म-संज्ञान्या तृतीया शक्तिर् इष्यते ॥ [विप् ६.७.६१] तया तिरोहितत्वाच् च शक्तिः क्षेत्र-ज्ञ-संज्ञिता । सर्व-भूतेषु भूपाल तारतम्येन वर्तते ॥[विप् ६.७.६३] इति ॥ अविद्या कर्म कार्यं यस्याः सा तत्-संज्ञा मायेत्य् अर्थः । यद्यपीयं बहिरङ्गा तथाप्य् अस्यास् तटस्थ-शक्तिमयम् अपि जीवम् आवरितुं सामर्थ्यम् अस्तीत्य् आह तयेति । तारतम्येन तत्-कृतावरणस्य ब्रह्मादि- स्थावरान्तेषु देहेषु लघु-गुरु-भावेन वर्तते इत्य् अर्थः । तद् उक्तम् - यथा सम्मोहितो जीव इति [भ्प् १.७.५] । ययैवाचिन्त्य-मायया ज्ञेयम् । प्रधानस्य माया-व्यङ्ग्यत्वं चाग्रे दर्शयिष्यते । अत्रान्तरङ्गत्व- तटस्थत्व-बहिरङ्गत्वादिनैव तेषाम् एकात्मकानां तत् तत् साम्यम्, न तु सर्वात्मनेति तत् तत् स्थानीयत्वम् एवोक्तम् । न तु तत्-तद्-रूपत्वं ततस् तत् तद् दोषा अपि नावकाशं लभन्ते इति ॥ श्री-पिप्पलायनो निमिम् ॥१४॥
[14] śaktes tu svābhāvika-rūpatvam āha - sattvaṃ rajas tama iti trivṛd ekam ādau sūtraṃ mahān aham iti pravadanti jīvam | jñāna-kriyārtha-phala-svarūpatayoru-śaktir brahmaiva bhāti sad asac ca tayoḥ paraṃ yat || [BhP 11.3.38] brahmaiva urū-śaktir anekātmaka-śaktimad bhāti | eva-kāreṇa brahmaṇa eva sā śaktir na tu kalpiteti svābhāvika-rūpatvaṃ śakter bodhayati | tatra hetuḥ | yad brahma yat sthūlaṃ kāryaṃ pṛthivyādi-rūpaṃ asat sūkṣmaṃ kāraṇaṃ prakṛtyādi-rūpaṃ tayor bahiraṅga-vaibhavayoḥ paraṃ svarūpa-vaibhavaṃ śrī- vaikuṇṭhādi-rūpaṃ taṭastha-vaibhavaṃ śuddha-jīva-rūpaṃ ca | anyathā tat- tad-bhāvāsiddhiḥ | kiṃrūpatayā tat-tad-rūpam | tatrāha jñāna-kriyārtha-phala-rūpatayā mahad- ādi-lakṣaṇa-jñāna-śakti-rūpatvena, sūtrādi-lakṣaṇa-kriyā-śakti-rūpatvena, tan-mātrādi-lakṣaṇārtha-rūpatvena, prakṛti-lakṣaṇa-tat-tat-sarvaikya- rūpatvena sad-asad-rūpam | phala-rūpatvena tayoḥ param | tatra phalaṃ puruṣārtha-svarūpaṃ sa-vaibhavaṃ bhagavad-ākhyaṃ cid-vastu tad- anumatatvāt śuddha-jīvākhyaṃ cid-vastu ca | etena jñāna-kriyādi-rūpeṇorū- śaktitvaṃ vyañjitam | śakteḥ svābhāvika-rūpatvaṃ sa-pramāṇaṃ spaṣṭayati | ādau yad ekaṃ brahma tad eva sattvaṃ rajas tama iti tri-vṛt pradhānaṃ tataḥ kriyā-śaktyā sūtraṃ jñāna-śaktyā mahān iti | tato'ham ahaṅkāra iti | tad eva ca jīvaṃ śuddha-svarūpaṃ jīvātmānaṃ tad-upalakṣaṇakaṃ vaikuṇṭhādi- vaibhavaṃ ca pravadanti vedāḥ | te ca - sadaiva saumyedam agra āsīd ity ādyāḥ [ChāU 6.2.1] | ādāv ekaṃ tatas tat tad-rūpam iti śakteḥ svābhāvikatvam āyātam anyasyāsadbhāvenaupādhikatvāyogāt | svarūpa-vaibhavasyāṅga-pratyaṅgavan nitya-siddhatve'pi, sūrya-sattayā tad-raśmi-paramāṇu-vṛndasyeva, tat-sattayā labdha-sattākatvāt tad-upādānatvaṃ tadādikatvaṃ ca syāt | tasya bhāsā sarvam idaṃ vibhātīti [Kaṭha 2.2.15] śruteḥ | śakter acintyatvaṃ svābhāvikatvaṃ coktaṃ śrī-viṣṇu-purāṇe - nirguṇasyāprameyasya śuddhasyāpy amalātmanaḥ | kathaṃ sargādi-kartādi-kartṛtvaṃ brahmaṇo'bhyupagamyata || [ViP 1.3.1] iti maitreya-praśnānantaraṃ śrī-parāśara uvāca --- śaktayaḥ sarva-bhāvānām acintya-jñāna-gocarāḥ | yato'to brahmaṇas tās tu sargādyā bhāva-śaktayaḥ | bhavanti tapasāṃ śreṣṭha pāvakasya yatoṣṇatā || [ViP 1.3.2] atra śrīdhara-svāmi-ṭīkā ca - tad evaṃ brahmaṇaḥ sṛṣṭy-ādi-kartṛtvam uktam | tatra śaṅkate - nirguṇasyeti | sattvādi-guṇa-rahitasya, aprameyasya deśa-kālādy-aparicchinnasya śuddhasya adehasya sahakāri-śūnyasyeti vā, amalātmanaḥ puṇya-pāpa-saṃskāra- śūnyasya, rāgādi-śūnyasyeti vā | evambhūtasya brahmaṇaḥ kathaṃ sargādi- kartṛtvam iṣyate, etad-vilakṣaṇasyaiva loke ghaṭādiṣu kartṛtvādi-darśanād ity arthaḥ | pariharati śaktaya iti sārdhena | loke hi sarveṣāṃ bhāvānāṃ maṇi- mantrādīnāṃ śaktayaḥ acintya-jñāna-gocarāḥ | acintyaṃ tarkāsahaṃ yaj- jñānaṃ kāryānyathānupapatti-pramāṇakaṃ tasya gocarāḥ santi | yad vā - acintyā bhinnābhinnatvādi-vikalpaiś cintayitum aśakyāḥ kevalam arthāpatti-jñāna-gocarāḥ santi | yad evaṃ ato brahmaṇo'pi tās tathāvidhāḥ śaktayaḥ sargādi-hetu-bhūtāḥ bhāva-śaktayaḥ svabhāva-siddhāḥ śaktayaḥ santy eva | pāvakasya dāhakatvādi-śaktivat | ato guṇādihīnasyāpy acintya- śaktimattvād brahmaṇaḥ sargādi-kartṛtvaṃ ghaṭata ity arthaḥ | śrutiś ca - na tasya kāryaṃ karaṇaṃ ca vidyate na tat-samaś cābhyadhikaś ca dṛśyate | parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca || [ŚvetU 6.8] māyāṃ tu prakṛtiṃ vidyān māyinaṃ tu maheśvaram || [ŚvetU 4.10] yad vā evaṃ yojanā - sarveṣāṃ bhāvānāṃ pāvakasyoṣṇatā-śaktivad-acintya- jñāna-gocarāḥ śaktayaḥ santy eva | brahmaṇaḥ punas tāḥ svabhāva-bhūtāḥ svarūpād abhinnāḥ śaktayaḥ | parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate iti śruteḥ | ato maṇi-mantrādibhir agnauṣṇyavan na kenacid vihantuṃ śakyante | ata eva tasya niraṅkuśam aiśvaryam | tathā ca śrutiḥ - sa vā ayam asya sarvasya vaśī sarvasyeśānaḥ sarvasyādhipatir ity ādiḥ [BAU 4.4.22] | yata evaṃ ato brahmaṇo hetoḥ sargādyā bhavanti nātra kācid anupapattiḥ ity eṣā | atra praśnaḥ so'yaṃ brahma khalu nirviśeṣam eveti pakṣam āśritya, parihāras tu saviśeṣam eveti pakṣam āśritya kṛta iti jñeyam | ata eva praśne śuddhasyety api vyākhyātam | śuddhatvaṃ hy atra kevalatvaṃ matam, tac ca yuktaṃ, parihāre brahmaṇi śaktisthāpanāt | pūrva-pakṣimate brahmaṇi śaktir api nāstīti gamyate | tataḥ praśna-vākye'py evam arthāntaraṃ jñeyam - nirguṇasya prākṛtāprākṛta-guṇa-rahitasya, ataeva pramāṇāgocarasya tata evāmalātmano'pi śuddhasya, na tu sphaṭikāder iva paracchāyayānyathā- dṛṣṭasya | tad evaṃ nirviśeṣatām avalambya praśne siddhe | parihāre tu prathama-yojanāyāṃ nirviśeṣa-pakṣam anādṛtya brahmaṇi kartṛtva-pratipatty- arthaṃ śaktayaḥ sādhitāḥ | dvitīya-yojanāyāṃ tatra ca viśeṣa-pratipatty-arthaṃ yathā jalādiṣu kadācid uṣṇatādikam āgantukaṃ syāt tathā brahmaṇi na syād iti nirdhāritam | na tat samaś cābhyadhikaś ca dṛśyate iti śruteḥ | tathā maṇimantrādibhir iti vyatireka eva dṛṣṭānta ity ato brahma-śaktayas tu nānyena parābhūtā ity etac ca darśitam | kiṃ ca, brahma-padena sarvaṃ khalv idaṃ brahmeti prasiddhiṃ vyajya sattvādi-guṇamaya-māyāyās tad-anyatve'pi, nirguṇasyeti prākṛta-guṇair aspṛṣṭatvam aṅgīkṛtya teṣāṃ bahiraṅgatvaṃ svīkṛtam | tad etad eva māyāṃ ca prakṛtiṃ vidyād ity eṣā śrutiḥ svīcakāra | māyāṃ ca tad apāśrayām itivan maheśvaratvān māyāyā bahiraṅgāyā āśraya iti tāṃ parābhūya sthitam iti ca labhyate | tasmāt pūrvavad atrāpi śakti-mātrasya svābhāvikatvaṃ māyā-doṣāspṛṣṭatvaṃ ca sādhitam | ataeva śrīgītopaniṣatsu ca - jñeyaṃ yat tat pravakṣyāmi yaj jñātvā'mṛtam aśnute | anādimat paraṃ brahma na sat tan nāsad ucyate || sarvataḥ pāṇi-pādaṃ tad ity ādi | [Gītā 13.12-13] atreyaṃ prakriyā - ekam eva tat parama-tattvaṃ svābhāvikācintya-śaktyā sarvadaiva svarūpa-tad-rūpa-vaibhava-jīva-pradhāna-rūpeṇa caturdhāvatiṣṭhate | sūryāntar-maṇḍalastha-teja iva maṇḍala-tad-bahirgata- raśmi-tat-praticchavi-rūpeṇa | evam eva śrī-viṣṇu-purāṇe --- eka-deśa-sthitasyāgner jyotsnā vistāriṇī yathā | parasya brahmaṇaḥ śaktis tathedam akhilaṃ jagad || iti || [ViP 1.22.56] yasya bhāsā sarvam idaṃ vibhātīti śruteḥ | atra vyāpakatvādinā tat-tat- samāveśādy-anupapattiś ca śakter acintyatvenaiva parāhatā | durghaṭa- ghaṭatvaṃ hy acintyatvam | śaktiś ca sā tridhā - antaraṅgā bahiraṅgā taṭasthā ca | tatrāntaraṅgayā svarūpa-śaktyākhyayā pūrṇenaiva svarūpeṇa vaikuṇṭhādi-svarūpa-vaibhava-rūpeṇa ca tad avatiṣṭhate | taṭasthayā raśmi- sthānīya-cid-ekātma-śuddha-jīva-rūpeṇa, bahiraṅgayā māyākhyayā praticchavi-gata-varṇa-śāvalya-sthānīya-tadīya-bahiraṅga-vaibhava-jaḍātma- pradhāna-rūpeṇa ceti caturdhvātvam | ataeva tadātmakatvena jīvasyeva taṭastha-śaktitvaṃ pradhānasya ca māyāntar-bhūtatvam abhipretya śakti- trayaṃ śrī-viṣṇu-purāṇe gaṇitam - viṣṇu-śaktiḥ parā proktā kṣetra-jñākhyā tathāparā | avidyā-karma-saṃjñānyā tṛtīyā śaktir iṣyate || [ViP 6.7.61] tayā tirohitatvāc ca śaktiḥ kṣetra-jña-saṃjñitā | sarva-bhūteṣu bhūpāla tāratamyena vartate ||[ViP 6.7.63] iti || avidyā karma kāryaṃ yasyāḥ sā tat-saṃjñā māyety arthaḥ | yadyapīyaṃ bahiraṅgā tathāpy asyās taṭastha-śaktimayam api jīvam āvarituṃ sāmarthyam astīty āha tayeti | tāratamyena tat-kṛtāvaraṇasya brahmādi- sthāvarānteṣu deheṣu laghu-guru-bhāvena vartate ity arthaḥ | tad uktam - yathā sammohito jīva iti [BhP 1.7.5] | yayaivācintya-māyayā jñeyam | pradhānasya māyā-vyaṅgyatvaṃ cāgre darśayiṣyate | atrāntaraṅgatva- taṭasthatva-bahiraṅgatvādinaiva teṣām ekātmakānāṃ tat tat sāmyam, na tu sarvātmaneti tat tat sthānīyatvam evoktam | na tu tat-tad-rūpatvaṃ tatas tat tad doṣā api nāvakāśaṃ labhante iti || śrī-pippalāyano nimim ||14||
English translation
English witness · section(s) 13
Anuccheda 13
That all variegated potencies have their origin in the Supreme Personality of Godhead is also confirmed in the following statement of Srimad Bhagavatam (4.9.16) where Dhruva Maharaja says to the Supreme Lord: “My dear Lord, in Your impersonal manifestation of Brahman there are always two opposing elements - knowledge and ignorance. Your multi-energies are continually manifest, but the impersonal Brahman, which is undivided, original, changeless, unlimited and blissful, is the cause of the material manifestation. Because You are the same impersonal Brahman, I offer my respectful obeisances unto You.”* The multi-energies of the Lord may be divided into three broad categories: the superior, intermediate, and inferior potencies. Inspired by these variegated energies of the Lord, the living entities act in various ways.
Bhagavat · Sanskrit §15 · English §14
Source[१५] तद् एवं सर्वाभिर् मिलित्वा चिद्-अचिच्-छक्तिर् भगवान् । एवम् एव परमेश्वरत्वेन स्तूयमानं ब्रह्माणं प्रति हिरण्यकशिपुनाप्य् उक्तम् - चिद्-अचिच्-छक्ति-युक्तायेति [भ्प् ७.३.३४] । चिद्-वस्तुनश् चिद्-वस्त्व्-अन्तराश्रयत्वं, रश्म्य्-आभासादि-ज्योतिषो ज्योतिर्- मण्डलाश्रयत्वम् इव । तत्र तटस्थाख्या जीव-शक्तिर् यथावसरं परमात्म-सन्दर्भे विवरणीया । अथ अन्तरङ्गाख्या-विवरणाय बहिरङ्गाप्य् उद्दिश्यते ये चापरा परा चेति । श्री-विष्णु-पुराणे श्रूयते - सर्व-भूतेषु सर्वात्मन् या शक्तिर् अपरा तव । गुणाश्रया नमस् तस्यै शाश्वतायै सुरेश्वर ॥ यातीत-गोचरा वाचां मनसां चाविशेषणा । ज्ञानि-ज्ञान-परिच्छेद्या वन्दे ताम् ईश्वरीं पराम् ॥ इति ॥ [विप् १.१९.७६-७] सैषा बहु-वृत्तिकैव ज्ञेया, परास्य शक्तिर् बहुधैव श्रूयते इति श्रुतेः ॥१५॥
[15] tad evaṃ sarvābhir militvā cid-acic-chaktir bhagavān | evam eva parameśvaratvena stūyamānaṃ brahmāṇaṃ prati hiraṇyakaśipunāpy uktam - cid-acic-chakti-yuktāyeti [BhP 7.3.34] | cid-vastunaś cid-vastv-antarāśrayatvaṃ, raśmy-ābhāsādi-jyotiṣo jyotir- maṇḍalāśrayatvam iva | tatra taṭasthākhyā jīva-śaktir yathāvasaraṃ paramātma-sandarbhe vivaraṇīyā | atha antaraṅgākhyā-vivaraṇāya bahiraṅgāpy uddiśyate ye cāparā parā ceti | śrī-viṣṇu-purāṇe śrūyate - sarva-bhūteṣu sarvātman yā śaktir aparā tava | guṇāśrayā namas tasyai śāśvatāyai sureśvara || yātīta-gocarā vācāṃ manasāṃ cāviśeṣaṇā | jñāni-jñāna-paricchedyā vande tām īśvarīṃ parām || iti || [ViP 1.19.76-7] saiṣā bahu-vṛttikaiva jñeyā, parāsya śaktir bahudhaiva śrūyate iti śruteḥ ||15||
English translation
English witness · section(s) 14
Anuccheda 14
That the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the origin and reservoir of all potencies is also confirmed in the following statement of Srimad Bhagavatam (4.17.33), where Maitreya Muni says to Vidura: “My dear Lord, by Your own potencies You are the original cause of the material elements, as well as the performing instruments (the senses), the workers of the senses (the controlling demigods), the intelligence and the ego, as well as everything else. By Your energy You manifest this entire cosmic creation, maintain it and dissolve it. Through Your energy alone everything is sometimes manifest and sometimes not manifest. You are therefore the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the cause of all causes. I offer my respectful obeisances unto You.”*
Bhagavat · Sanskrit §16–17 · English §15
Source[१६] तत्र बहिरङ्गाम् आह - ऋतेऽर्थं यत् प्रतीयेत न प्रतीयेत चात्मनि । तद् विद्याद् आत्मनो मायां यथाभासो यथा तमः ॥ [भ्प् २.९.३३] अर्थं परमार्थ-भूतं मां विना यत् प्रतीयेत, मत्-प्रतीतौ तत्-प्रतीत्य्- अभावात् । मत्तो बहिर् एव यस्य प्रतीतिर् इत्य् अर्थः । यच् चात्मनि न प्रतीयते, यस्य च मद्-आश्रयत्वं विना स्वतः प्रतीतिर् नास्तीत्य् अर्थः । तथा लक्षणं वस्तु आत्मनो मम परमेश्वरस्य मायां जीव-माया गुण-मायेति द्व्य्- आत्मिकां मायाख्य-शक्तिं विद्यात् । अत्र शुद्ध-जीवस्यापि चिद्- रूपत्वाविशेषेण तदीय-रश्मि-स्थानीयत्वेन च स्वान्तःपात एव विवक्षितः । तत्रास्या द्व्य्-आत्मिकत्वेनाभिधानं दृष्टान्त-द्वैविध्येन लभ्यते । तत्र जीव-मायाख्यस्य प्रथमांशस्य तादृशत्वं दृष्टान्तेन स्पष्टयन्न् असम्भावनां निरस्यति यथाभास इति । आभासो ज्योतिर्-बिम्बस्य स्वीय- प्रकाशाद् व्यवहित-प्रदेशे कथञ्चिद् उच्छलित-प्रतिच्छवि-विशेषः । स यथा तस्माद् बहिर् एव प्रतीयते, न च तं विना तस्य प्रतीतिस् तथा सापीत्य् अर्थः । अनेन प्रतिच्छवि-पर्यायाभास-धर्मत्वेन तस्याम् आभासाख्यत्वम् अपि ध्वनितम् । अतस् तत्-कार्यस्याभासाख्यत्वं क्वचित् आभासश् च निरोधश् चेत्य् आदौ [भ्प् २.१०.७] । अत्र स यथा क्वचिद् अत्यन्तोद्भटात्मा स्वचाक्चिक्य- च्छटापतितनेत्राणां नेत्र-प्रकाशम् आवृणोति । तम् आवृत्य च स्वेनात्यन्तोद्भट-तेजस्त्वेनैव द्रष्टृ-नेत्रं व्याकुलयन् स्वोपकण्ठे वर्ण-शावल्यम् उद्गिरति । कदाचित् तद् एव पृथग्-भावेन नानाकारतया परिणमयति । तथेयम् अपि जीव-ज्ञानम् आवृणोति । सत्त्वादि-गुण-साम्य-रूपां गुण-मायाख्यां जडां प्रकृतिम् उद्गिरति । कदाचित् पृथग्-भूतान् सत्त्वादि- गुणान् नानाकारतया परिणमयति चेति ज्ञेयम् । तद् उक्तम् - एक-देश- स्थितस्याग्नेर् [विप् १.२२.५६] इत्य् आदि । तथा चायुर्वेद-विदः - जगद्-योनेर् अनिच्छस्य चिद्-आनन्दैक-रूपिणः । पुंसोऽस्ति प्रकृतिर् नित्या प्रतिच्छायेव भास्वतः ॥ अचेतनापि चैतन्य-योगेन परमात्मनः । अकरोद् विश्वम् अखिलम् अनित्यं नाटकाकृतिर् ॥ इति ॥ तद् एवं निमित्तांशो जीव-माया उपादानांशो गुण-मायेत्य् अग्रेऽपि विवेचनीयम् । अथैवं सिद्धं गुण-मायाख्यं द्वितीयम् अप्य् अंशं दृष्टान्तेन स्पष्टयति, यथा तम इति । तमः-शब्देनात्र पूर्वोक्तं तमः- प्रायं वर्ण-शावल्यम् उच्यते । तद् यथा तन् मूल-ज्योतिष्य्-असद् अपि तद्- आश्रयत्वं विना न सम्भवति तद्वद् इयम् अपीति । अथवा मायामात्र- निरूपण एव पृथक् दृष्टान्त-द्वयम् । तत्राभास-दृष्टान्तो व्याख्यातः । तमो-दृष्टान्तश् च । यथान्धकारे ज्योतिषोऽन्यत्रैव प्रतीयते, ज्योतिर् विना च न प्रतीयते ज्योतिरात्मना चक्षुषैव तत् प्रतीतेर् न पृष्ठादिनेति तथेयम् अपीत्य् एवं ज्ञेयम् । ततश् चांश-द्वयं तु प्रवृत्ति-भेदेनैवोह्यं न तु दृष्टान्त-भेदेन । प्राक्तन-दृष्टान्त-द्वेधाभिप्रायेण तु पूर्वस्या आभास-पर्याय-च्छाया-शब्देन क्वचित् प्रयोगः उत्तरस्यास् तमः शब्देनैव चेति । यथा ससर्ज छाययाविद्यां पञ्च-पर्वाणम् अग्रतः [भ्प् ३.२०.१८] इत्य् अत्र । यथा च क्वाहं तमो महद् अहम् [भ्प् १०.१४.११] इत्य् आदौ । पूर्वत्राविद्याविद्याख्य-निमित्त-शक्ति-वृत्तिकत्वाज् जीव्-विषयकत्वेन जीव- मायात्वम् । तथा ससर्जेत्य् आदौ छाया-शक्तिं मायाम् अवलम्ब्य सृष्ट्यारम्भे ब्रह्मा स्वयम् अविद्याम् आविर्भावितवान् इत्य् अर्थः । विद्याविद्ये मम तनू व्द्ध्य् उद्धव शरीरिणाम् । बन्ध-मोक्ष-करी आद्ये मायया मे विनिर्मित्ते ॥ [भ्प् ११.११.३] इत्य् उक्तत्वात् । अनयोर् आविर्भाव-भेदश् च श्रूयते । तत्र पूर्वस्याः पाद्मे श्री-कृष्ण- सत्यभामा-संवादीय-कार्त्तिक-माहात्म्ये देव-गण-कृत-माया-स्तुतौ - इति स्तुतवन्तस् ते देवास् तेजो-मण्डल-संस्थितम् । ददृशुर् गगने तत्र तेजो-व्याप्त-दिग्-अन्तरम् ॥ तन्-मध्याद् भारतीं सर्वे शुश्रुवुर् व्योम-चारिणीम् । अहम् एव त्रिधा भिन्ना तिष्ठामि त्रिविधैर् गुणैः ॥ इत्य् आदि ॥ उत्तरस्याः पाद्मोत्तर-खण्डे असङ्ख्यं प्रकृति-स्थानं निविड-ध्वान्तम् अवययम् इति ॥ श्री-भगवान् ब्रह्माणम् ॥१६॥ [१७] अथ स्वरूप-भूताख्याम् अन्तरङ्गां शक्तिं सर्वस्यापि प्रवृत्त्य्- अन्यथानुपपत्त्या तावद् आह द्वाभ्याम् - यन् न स्पृशन्ति न विदुर् मनो-बुद्धीन्द्रियासवः । अन्तर् बहिश् च विततं व्योमवत् तन् नतोऽस्म्य् अहम् ॥ [भ्प् ६.१६.२३] देहेन्द्रिय-प्राण-मनो-धियोऽमी यद्-अंश-बिद्धाः प्रचरन्ति कर्मसु । नैवान्यदा लोहम् इवाप्रतप्तं स्थानेषु तद्-द्रष्ट्र्-उपदेशम् एति ॥ [भ्प् ६.१६.२४] टीका च - यद् ब्रह्म व्योमवद् विततम् अपि असवः प्राणाः क्रियाशक्त्य न स्पृशन्ति, मन-आदीनि च ज्ञान-शक्त्या न विदुः, तद् ब्रह्म नतोऽस्मि । तेषं तज्-ज्ञाने हेतुम् आह । देहेन्द्रियादयोऽमी यद्-अंश-बिद्धा यच्- चैतन्यांशेनाविष्टाः सन्तः कर्मसु स्वस्वविषयेषु प्रचरन्ति । यथा अप्राप्तं लोहं न दहति । अतो यथा लोहम् अग्नि-शक्त्यैव दाहकं सत् अग्निं न दहति, एवं ब्रह्म-गत-ज्ञान-क्रिया-शक्तिभ्यां प्रवर्तमाना देहादयस् तन् न स्पृशन्ति न विदुश् चेति भावः । इत्य् एषा । अत्राद्वैत-शारीरकेऽपि साङ्ख्यम् आक्षिप्योक्तम्, यथा - अथ पुनः साक्षि- निमित्तम् ईक्षितृत्वं प्रधानस्य कल्प्येत यथाग्नि-निमित्तम् अयः-पिण्डादेर् दग्धृत्वं, तथा सति यन् निमित्तम् ईक्षिततृत्वं प्रधानस्य, तद् एव सर्वज्ञं मुख्यं जगतः कारणम् इति [शङ्कर-भाष्य, १.१.५] । श्रुतिश् चात्र - तम् एव भान्तम् अनुभाति [कठउ २.२.१५] को ह्य् एवान्यात् कः प्राण्यात् यद् एष आकाश आनन्दो न स्यात्, चक्षुषश् चक्षुरूत श्रोत्रस्य श्रोत्रम् इत्य् आद्या । [तैत्तु २.७] अथ प्रकृतस्यावशिष्टता टीका -जीवस् तर्हि दष्टृत्वाज् जानातु, नेत्य् आह स्थानेषु जाग्रद्-आदिषु द्रष्ट्र्-अपदेशं द्रष्टृ-संज्ञां तद् एवैति प्राप्नोति । नान्यो जीवो नामास्ति नान्योऽतोऽस्ति द्रष्टेत्यादि श्रुतेः [बौ ३.१७.२३] । यद् वा द्रष्ट्र्-अपदेशं द्रष्टृ-संज्ञं जीवम् अपि तदैवेति जानाति, न तु जीवस् तज्- जानातीत्य् अर्थः इत्य् एषा । तद् उक्तम् - त्रितयं तत्र यो वेद स आत्मा स्वाश्रयाश्रय इति । [भ्प् २.१०.९] श्रुतौ च - जीवो नामातोऽन्यः स्वयं सिद्धो नास्ति परन्तु तदात्मक एवेत्य् अर्थः । तथातोऽन्यो द्रष्टा नास्ति, सर्व-द्रष्टुस् तस्यापरो द्रष्टा नास्तीत्य् अर्थः इति व्याख्येयम् ॥ श्री-नारदश् चित्रकेतुम् ॥१७॥
[16] tatra bahiraṅgām āha - ṛte'rthaṃ yat pratīyeta na pratīyeta cātmani | tad vidyād ātmano māyāṃ yathābhāso yathā tamaḥ || [BhP 2.9.33] arthaṃ paramārtha-bhūtaṃ māṃ vinā yat pratīyeta, mat-pratītau tat-pratīty- abhāvāt | matto bahir eva yasya pratītir ity arthaḥ | yac cātmani na pratīyate, yasya ca mad-āśrayatvaṃ vinā svataḥ pratītir nāstīty arthaḥ | tathā lakṣaṇaṃ vastu ātmano mama parameśvarasya māyāṃ jīva-māyā guṇa-māyeti dvy- ātmikāṃ māyākhya-śaktiṃ vidyāt | atra śuddha-jīvasyāpi cid- rūpatvāviśeṣeṇa tadīya-raśmi-sthānīyatvena ca svāntaḥpāta eva vivakṣitaḥ | tatrāsyā dvy-ātmikatvenābhidhānaṃ dṛṣṭānta-dvaividhyena labhyate | tatra jīva-māyākhyasya prathamāṃśasya tādṛśatvaṃ dṛṣṭāntena spaṣṭayann asambhāvanāṃ nirasyati yathābhāsa iti | ābhāso jyotir-bimbasya svīya- prakāśād vyavahita-pradeśe kathañcid ucchalita-praticchavi-viśeṣaḥ | sa yathā tasmād bahir eva pratīyate, na ca taṃ vinā tasya pratītis tathā sāpīty arthaḥ | anena praticchavi-paryāyābhāsa-dharmatvena tasyām ābhāsākhyatvam api dhvanitam | atas tat-kāryasyābhāsākhyatvaṃ kvacit ābhāsaś ca nirodhaś cety ādau [BhP 2.10.7] | atra sa yathā kvacid atyantodbhaṭātmā svacākcikya- cchaṭāpatitanetrāṇāṃ netra-prakāśam āvṛṇoti | tam āvṛtya ca svenātyantodbhaṭa-tejastvenaiva draṣṭṛ-netraṃ vyākulayan svopakaṇṭhe varṇa-śāvalyam udgirati | kadācit tad eva pṛthag-bhāvena nānākāratayā pariṇamayati | tatheyam api jīva-jñānam āvṛṇoti | sattvādi-guṇa-sāmya-rūpāṃ guṇa-māyākhyāṃ jaḍāṃ prakṛtim udgirati | kadācit pṛthag-bhūtān sattvādi- guṇān nānākāratayā pariṇamayati ceti jñeyam | tad uktam - eka-deśa- sthitasyāgner [ViP 1.22.56] ity ādi | tathā cāyurveda-vidaḥ - jagad-yoner anicchasya cid-ānandaika-rūpiṇaḥ | puṃso'sti prakṛtir nityā praticchāyeva bhāsvataḥ || acetanāpi caitanya-yogena paramātmanaḥ | akarod viśvam akhilam anityaṃ nāṭakākṛtir || iti || tad evaṃ nimittāṃśo jīva-māyā upādānāṃśo guṇa-māyety agre'pi vivecanīyam | athaivaṃ siddhaṃ guṇa-māyākhyaṃ dvitīyam apy aṃśaṃ dṛṣṭāntena spaṣṭayati, yathā tama iti | tamaḥ-śabdenātra pūrvoktaṃ tamaḥ- prāyaṃ varṇa-śāvalyam ucyate | tad yathā tan mūla-jyotiṣy-asad api tad- āśrayatvaṃ vinā na sambhavati tadvad iyam apīti | athavā māyāmātra- nirūpaṇa eva pṛthak dṛṣṭānta-dvayam | tatrābhāsa-dṛṣṭānto vyākhyātaḥ | tamo-dṛṣṭāntaś ca | yathāndhakāre jyotiṣo'nyatraiva pratīyate, jyotir vinā ca na pratīyate jyotirātmanā cakṣuṣaiva tat pratīter na pṛṣṭhādineti tatheyam apīty evaṃ jñeyam | tataś cāṃśa-dvayaṃ tu pravṛtti-bhedenaivohyaṃ na tu dṛṣṭānta-bhedena | prāktana-dṛṣṭānta-dvedhābhiprāyeṇa tu pūrvasyā ābhāsa-paryāya-cchāyā-śabdena kvacit prayogaḥ uttarasyās tamaḥ śabdenaiva ceti | yathā sasarja chāyayāvidyāṃ pañca-parvāṇam agrataḥ [BhP 3.20.18] ity atra | yathā ca kvāhaṃ tamo mahad aham [BhP 10.14.11] ity ādau | pūrvatrāvidyāvidyākhya-nimitta-śakti-vṛttikatvāj jīv-viṣayakatvena jīva- māyātvam | tathā sasarjety ādau chāyā-śaktiṃ māyām avalambya sṛṣṭyārambhe brahmā svayam avidyām āvirbhāvitavān ity arthaḥ | vidyāvidye mama tanū vddhy uddhava śarīriṇām | bandha-mokṣa-karī ādye māyayā me vinirmitte || [BhP 11.11.3] ity uktatvāt | anayor āvirbhāva-bhedaś ca śrūyate | tatra pūrvasyāḥ pādme śrī-kṛṣṇa- satyabhāmā-saṃvādīya-kārttika-māhātmye deva-gaṇa-kṛta-māyā-stutau - iti stutavantas te devās tejo-maṇḍala-saṃsthitam | dadṛśur gagane tatra tejo-vyāpta-dig-antaram || tan-madhyād bhāratīṃ sarve śuśruvur vyoma-cāriṇīm | aham eva tridhā bhinnā tiṣṭhāmi trividhair guṇaiḥ || ity ādi || uttarasyāḥ pādmottara-khaṇḍe asaṅkhyaṃ prakṛti-sthānaṃ niviḍa-dhvāntam avayayam iti || śrī-bhagavān brahmāṇam ||16|| [17] atha svarūpa-bhūtākhyām antaraṅgāṃ śaktiṃ sarvasyāpi pravṛtty- anyathānupapattyā tāvad āha dvābhyām - yan na spṛśanti na vidur mano-buddhīndriyāsavaḥ | antar bahiś ca vitataṃ vyomavat tan nato'smy aham || [BhP 6.16.23] dehendriya-prāṇa-mano-dhiyo'mī yad-aṃśa-biddhāḥ pracaranti karmasu | naivānyadā loham ivāprataptaṃ sthāneṣu tad-draṣṭr-upadeśam eti || [BhP 6.16.24] ṭīkā ca - yad brahma vyomavad vitatam api asavaḥ prāṇāḥ kriyāśaktya na spṛśanti, mana-ādīni ca jñāna-śaktyā na viduḥ, tad brahma nato'smi | teṣaṃ taj-jñāne hetum āha | dehendriyādayo'mī yad-aṃśa-biddhā yac- caitanyāṃśenāviṣṭāḥ santaḥ karmasu svasvaviṣayeṣu pracaranti | yathā aprāptaṃ lohaṃ na dahati | ato yathā loham agni-śaktyaiva dāhakaṃ sat agniṃ na dahati, evaṃ brahma-gata-jñāna-kriyā-śaktibhyāṃ pravartamānā dehādayas tan na spṛśanti na viduś ceti bhāvaḥ | ity eṣā | atrādvaita-śārīrake'pi sāṅkhyam ākṣipyoktam, yathā - atha punaḥ sākṣi- nimittam īkṣitṛtvaṃ pradhānasya kalpyeta yathāgni-nimittam ayaḥ-piṇḍāder dagdhṛtvaṃ, tathā sati yan nimittam īkṣitatṛtvaṃ pradhānasya, tad eva sarvajñaṃ mukhyaṃ jagataḥ kāraṇam iti [Śaṅkara-bhāṣya, 1.1.5] | śrutiś cātra - tam eva bhāntam anubhāti [KaṭhaU 2.2.15] ko hy evānyāt kaḥ prāṇyāt yad eṣa ākāśa ānando na syāt, cakṣuṣaś cakṣurūta śrotrasya śrotram ity ādyā | [TaittU 2.7] atha prakṛtasyāvaśiṣṭatā ṭīkā -jīvas tarhi daṣṭṛtvāj jānātu, nety āha sthāneṣu jāgrad-ādiṣu draṣṭr-apadeśaṃ draṣṭṛ-saṃjñāṃ tad evaiti prāpnoti | nānyo jīvo nāmāsti nānyo'to'sti draṣṭetyādi śruteḥ [BAU 3.17.23] | yad vā draṣṭr-apadeśaṃ draṣṭṛ-saṃjñaṃ jīvam api tadaiveti jānāti, na tu jīvas taj- jānātīty arthaḥ ity eṣā | tad uktam - tritayaṃ tatra yo veda sa ātmā svāśrayāśraya iti | [BhP 2.10.9] śrutau ca - jīvo nāmāto'nyaḥ svayaṃ siddho nāsti parantu tadātmaka evety arthaḥ | tathāto'nyo draṣṭā nāsti, sarva-draṣṭus tasyāparo draṣṭā nāstīty arthaḥ iti vyākhyeyam || śrī-nāradaś citraketum ||17||
English translation
English witness · section(s) 15
Anuccheda 15
That the Lord’s variegated potencies are inconceivable and cannot be completely understood by the individual living entity is confirmed by the following statements of Vedic literature: “O Lord, You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead for all living entities. Your diverse energies can act multifariously. This is inconceivable to us.”* Devahuti-devi to Lord Kapila (Srimad Bhagavatam 3.33.3) “The Absolute Truth and His potencies are inconceivable. They can only be understood by the Vedic literatures, which are the direct revelation of the Lord.” Vedanta-sutra 2.1.27 “Innumerable variegated and inconceivable potencies exist within the Supreme Personality of Godhead.” Vedanta-sutra 2.1.28
Bhagavat · Sanskrit §18 · English §16
Source[१८] किं च - देहोऽसवोऽक्षा मनवो भूतमात्रा नात्मनम् अन्यं च विदुः परं यत् । सर्वं पुमान् वेद गुणांश् च तज्-ज्ञो न वेद सर्वज्ञम् अनन्तम् ईडे ॥ [भ्प् ६.४.२५] देहश् चासवश् च प्राणा अक्षाणीन्द्रियाणि च, मनवोऽन्तःकरणानि, भूतानि च, मात्राश् च तन्-मात्राणि, आत्मानं स्व-स्वरूपम्, अन्यं स्वस्वविषय- वर्गं, तयोः परं देवता-वर्गं च न विदुः । पुमान् जीवस् तु सर्वम् आत्मानं स्व-स्वरूपं, तद् अन्यं प्रमातारं, तयोः पदं देहाद्य्-अर्थ- जातं तद्-अधिष्ठातृ-देवता-वर्गं च वेद, तथा देहादि-मूल-भूतान् गुणांश् च सत्त्वादीन् वेद । तत्-तज्-ज्ञोऽप्य् असौ यं सर्वज्ञं देहादिजीवान्ताशेष-ज्ञातारं न वेद तम् अनन्तं महद्-गुणत्वाद् यम् अनन्तम् आहुर् [भ्प् १.१८.१९] इति । अतएव हि यत्र हि द्वैतम् इव भवति तद् इतर इतरं पश्यतीत्य् आरभ्य [बौ ४.५.१५] जीवस्येतर-दृष्टत्वम् उक्त्वा, यत्र स्वस्य सर्वम् आत्मैवाभूत् तत् केन कः पश्येद् इत्य् आदिना तस्य परमात्म-द्रष्टृत्वं निषिध्य परमात्मनस् तु तत् तत् सर्व-द्रष्टृत्वं स्व-द्रष्टृत्वम् अप्य् अस्तीति, विज्ञातारम् अरे केन विजानीयाद् इत्य् [बौ २.४.१४] अनेनाह । अयम् अर्थः । यत्र माया-वैभवे द्वैतम् इव भवति, तन् मूलकत्वात् तद् अनन्यद् अपि मायाख्याचिन्त्य-शक्ति-हेतुकतया जड-मलिन-नश्वरत्वेन तद्- विलक्षणतया समादितं ततः स्वतन्त्र-सत्ताकम् इव मुहुर् जायते, तत् तत्र इतरो जीव इतरं पदार्थं पश्यति, तस्य करण-दृश्ययोर् मिथो योग्यत्वाद् इति भावः । यत्र तु स्वरूप-वैभवे तस्य जीवस्य रश्मि-स्थानीयस्य मण्डल- स्थानीयो य आत्मा परमात्मा, स एव स्वरूप-शक्त्या सर्वम् अभूत्, अनादितएव भवन्न् आस्ते, न तु तत्-प्रवेशेन, तत् तत्र इतरः स जीवः केनेतरेण करण-भूतेन कं पदार्थं पश्येत्, न केनापि कम् अपि पश्येद् इत्य् अर्थः । न हि रश्मयः स्व-शक्त्या सूर्य-मण्डलान्तर्गत-वैभवं प्रकाशयेयुर् न चार्चिषो वह्निं निर्दहेयुर् इति भावः । तद् एवं सति यस्य खल्व् एवम् अनन्तं स्वरूप-वैभवं तं विज्ञातारं सर्वज्ञं परमात्मानं केनेतरेण करणेन विजानीयात् न केनापीत्य् अर्थः । तद् एवं ज्ञान-शक्तौ तत्र सिद्धायां क्रियेच्छा-शक्ती च लक्ष्येते ॥ दक्षः श्री- पुरुषोत्तमम् ॥१८॥
[18] kiṃ ca - deho'savo'kṣā manavo bhūtamātrā nātmanam anyaṃ ca viduḥ paraṃ yat | sarvaṃ pumān veda guṇāṃś ca taj-jño na veda sarvajñam anantam īḍe || [BhP 6.4.25] dehaś cāsavaś ca prāṇā akṣāṇīndriyāṇi ca, manavo'ntaḥkaraṇāni, bhūtāni ca, mātrāś ca tan-mātrāṇi, ātmānaṃ sva-svarūpam, anyaṃ svasvaviṣaya- vargaṃ, tayoḥ paraṃ devatā-vargaṃ ca na viduḥ | pumān jīvas tu sarvam ātmānaṃ sva-svarūpaṃ, tad anyaṃ pramātāraṃ, tayoḥ padaṃ dehādy-artha- jātaṃ tad-adhiṣṭhātṛ-devatā-vargaṃ ca veda, tathā dehādi-mūla-bhūtān guṇāṃś ca sattvādīn veda | tat-taj-jño'py asau yaṃ sarvajñaṃ dehādijīvāntāśeṣa-jñātāraṃ na veda tam anantaṃ mahad-guṇatvād yam anantam āhur [BhP 1.18.19] iti | ataeva hi yatra hi dvaitam iva bhavati tad itara itaraṃ paśyatīty ārabhya [BAU 4.5.15] jīvasyetara-dṛṣṭatvam uktvā, yatra svasya sarvam ātmaivābhūt tat kena kaḥ paśyed ity ādinā tasya paramātma-draṣṭṛtvaṃ niṣidhya paramātmanas tu tat tat sarva-draṣṭṛtvaṃ sva-draṣṭṛtvam apy astīti, vijñātāram are kena vijānīyād ity [BAU 2.4.14] anenāha | ayam arthaḥ | yatra māyā-vaibhave dvaitam iva bhavati, tan mūlakatvāt tad ananyad api māyākhyācintya-śakti-hetukatayā jaḍa-malina-naśvaratvena tad- vilakṣaṇatayā samāditaṃ tataḥ svatantra-sattākam iva muhur jāyate, tat tatra itaro jīva itaraṃ padārthaṃ paśyati, tasya karaṇa-dṛśyayor mitho yogyatvād iti bhāvaḥ | yatra tu svarūpa-vaibhave tasya jīvasya raśmi-sthānīyasya maṇḍala- sthānīyo ya ātmā paramātmā, sa eva svarūpa-śaktyā sarvam abhūt, anāditaeva bhavann āste, na tu tat-praveśena, tat tatra itaraḥ sa jīvaḥ kenetareṇa karaṇa-bhūtena kaṃ padārthaṃ paśyet, na kenāpi kam api paśyed ity arthaḥ | na hi raśmayaḥ sva-śaktyā sūrya-maṇḍalāntargata-vaibhavaṃ prakāśayeyur na cārciṣo vahniṃ nirdaheyur iti bhāvaḥ | tad evaṃ sati yasya khalv evam anantaṃ svarūpa-vaibhavaṃ taṃ vijñātāraṃ sarvajñaṃ paramātmānaṃ kenetareṇa karaṇena vijānīyāt na kenāpīty arthaḥ | tad evaṃ jñāna-śaktau tatra siddhāyāṃ kriyecchā-śaktī ca lakṣyete || dakṣaḥ śrī- puruṣottamam ||18||
English translation
English witness · section(s) 16
Anuccheda 16
1 The nature of the Lord’s potencies is further described in the following verse of Srimad Bhagavatam (11.3.37) where Pippalayana Rsi says to Maharaja Nimi: “Originally one, the Absolute, Brahman, comes to be known a threefold, manifesting itself as the three modes of material nature: goodness, passion and ignorance. Brahman further expands it potency, and thus the power to act and the power of consciousness becomes manifest, along with the false ego, which covers the identity of the conditioned living being. Thus, by the expansion of the multi-potencies of the Absolute, the demigods, as the embodiment of knowledge, become manifest, along with the material senses, their objects, and the results of material activity, namely happiness and distress. In this way the manifestation of the material world takes place as the subtle cause and as the material effect visible in the appearance of gross material objects. Brahman, which is the source of all subtle and gross manifestations, is simultaneously transcendental to them, being absolute.”*** 2 In this verse the phrase ‘brahmaiva uru-sakti bhati’ means ‘The Supreme Truth possesses many potencies’. The word ‘eva’ (certainly) emphasises the fact that Lord’s potencies are not merely imagined to exist, but are real, the potencies naturally possessed by the Lord. In the last line of this verse ‘yat’ refers to Brahman, ‘sat’ to earth and the other gross material elements, ‘asat’’ to prakrti and the other subtle material elements, ‘tayoh’ to these two external potencies, and ‘param’ to the Lord’s personal internal potency, which is the spiritual planets of Vaikuntha, and the pure spirit souls, who are His marginal potencies. Any conception that contradicts this is in error. 3 Someone may ask: “What different kinds of potencies are the property of the Lord?” In order to answer this question, Pippalayana Muni said: ‘jnana-kriyartha-phala-rupataya’. This means that the Lord has many potencies, such as His jnana-sakti, which consists of the mahat-tattva and other potencies, kriya-sakti, which consists of the sutras and other potencies, and artha-sakti, which consists of the tan-matras and other potencies. These sat and asat potencies are material in nature. Above them (tayoh param) is the supreme goal of life, the spiritual Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is known as Bhagavan and who is accompanied by His potencies. Also above them is the spiritual living entity, who is known as jiva, and who, because He follows the Lord, is pure. In this way the Lord’s many potencies (uru-sakti), which begin with His jnana-sakti and kriya-sakti are described. 4 The Lord’s potencies are real, not imagined, for they have emanated from the Lord Himself, the Supreme Reality. This is confirmed by Pippalayana Muni in the following statement: “Originally one, the Absolute, Brahman, comes to be known as threefold, manifesting itself as the three modes of material nature: goodness, passion and ignorance. In this way Brahman expands its potency.”*** From the Supreme Brahman the unmanifested modes of material nature (tri-vrt) are manifested; from the unmanifested mode of nature the kriya-sakti is manifested, from the kriya-sakti the sutram is manifested. From jnana-sakti the power of consciousness is manifested and from the power of consciousness the false-ego (aham) is manifested. The false ego covers the awareness of the pure individual soul (jivam) which is one of the Lord’s spiritual potencies. The Vedic literatures explain (pravadanti) the manifestation of the Lord’s potencies in this way. That all these variegated energies have emanated from the Supreme Godhead is explained in the Chandogya Upanisad (6.2.1) in the following words: “O gentle student, in the beginning, before the creation, only the Supreme Godhead was manifest. It is from Him that everything has come.” Because the variegated potencies have emanated from the Supreme Truth, they must also be real, they cannot be false. All these potencies are like the limbs and parts of the limbs of the Personality of Godhead. He is like the sun, and all these potencies are like the rays of light emanating from that Supreme-sun. This is confirmed by the following statement of Sruti-sastra (found in the following places: Katha Upanisad 2.2.15, Mundaka Upanisad 2.2.10, and Svetasvatara Upanisad 6.14): “Everything that exists is like rays of light emanating from the Supreme.” 5 That the Lord’s potencies are real, and also inconceivable to the living entities, is confirmed by the following question posed by Maitreya Muni, and answered by Parasara Muni. Maitreya asked (Visnu Purana 1.3.2): “The Personality of Godhead is supremely pure in heart and mind, and He is beyond the influence of the three modes of material nature. He is unlimited. How is it possible for Him to directly engage in the creation, maintenance and destruction of the various material universes? I would expect that He would have no direct connection at all with the material world.” 6 Parasara Muni answered Maitreya’s question in the following words (Visnu Purana 1.3.3): “O best of the ascetics, the potencies of the Supreme Personality of Godhead (such as sarga-sakti, the potency of material creation, and others) are all inconceivable and cannot be understood by the individual living entities. Just as heat is the potency of fire, these are all the potencies of the Supreme.” 7 Sridhara Svami comments on this verse in the following words: “In this verse Maitreya Muni doubts that it is possible for the transcendental Personality of Godhead to engage in the mundane activity of material creation. The word ‘nirgunasya’ used in this verse means ‘free from the influence of the material modes of goodness, passion and ignorance’. “Aprameyasya’ means ‘free from the limitations of time, space, and other material restricting factors’. ‘Suddhasya’ means ‘without a material body’, or ‘He who does not require anyone’s help in order to do anything’. ‘Amalatmanah’ means ‘He who is free from material piety and impiety, and who does not have to perform any Vedic ritual in order to become purified.’ Observing that the Supreme is different from, and untouched by, matter, Maitreya Muni doubts that it is possible for Him to create something so different from Himself. 8 “In the next verse and a half, Parasara Muni answers Maitreya’s question by saying that the Personality of Godhead acts within the material world through the agency of His inconceivable potencies. The Lord’s potencies may be considered inconceivable in two ways. First, they are inconceivable because they are so great and powerful that the tiny logical apparatus of the conditioned soul does not have the strength to understand them, and second, they are inconceivable because they are simultaneously one and different from the Personality of Godhead, a seeming contradiction which the intelligence of the conditioned souls is generally not large enough to house. This seeming contradiction can be understood, however, by the example of the fire and its potency heat. Heat is the potency of fire and it has specific burning power obtained from it’s origin, the fire. In some ways the heat is the same as the fire itself, and in other ways it is different. In the same way everything that exists is the potency of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, simultaneously one and different from Him. “In this way the simultaneous oneness and difference may be understood. We may also note in this verse that the word ‘bhava-saktayah’ means ‘perfect by nature’. In this way, even though the Personality of Godhead is never touched by the three modes of material nature, and even though He never directly contacts the material nature, He creates the material universes, and performs various activities within them, by means of His inconceivable potencies.” 9 That the Personality of Godhead is the master of inconceivable potencies is also confirmed by the following statement of the Svetasvatara Upanisad (6.8): “He does possess bodily form like that of an ordinary living entity. There is no difference between His body and His soul. He is absolute. All His senses are transcendental. Any one of His senses can perform the action of any other sense. Therefore, no one is greater that Him or equal to Him. His potencies are multifarious, and thus His deeds are automatically performed as a natural sequence.”* 10 That the Personality of Godhead is the master of innumerable potencies is also confirmed by the following statement of the Sruti-sastra (Svetasvatara Upanisad 4.10): “Although maya is false or temporary, the background of maya is the supreme magician, the Personality of Godhead, who is Mahesvara, the supreme controller.”* 11 Everything that exists is the potency of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and is simultaneously one and different from Him just as heat is not different from fire. The word ‘bhava-saktayah’ may also be interpreted to mean ‘produced from the transcendental body of the Lord.’ Because the Lord’s potencies are manifested from His own form, they are also simultaneously one and different from Him. No one can defeat this argument or prove anything different than this. That the Personality of Godhead is the master of innumerable potencies is confirmed in the following statements of the Upanisads: “The Personality of Godhead has multifarious potencies.” Svetasvatara Upanisad 6.8 “The Personality of Godhead is the supreme master and controller of everything that exists.” Brhad-aranyaka Upanisad 4.4.22 12 In this passage (from the Visnu Purana, quoted in Texts 5 and 6) Maitreya poses his question from the point of view of the impersonalists, who maintain that the Supreme has no qualities, and Parasara Muni replies by taking the stance of the personalists who teach that the Supreme has qualities, and that variety exists even in the spiritual world. Maitreya uses words like “suddhasya” (pure) and ‘adehasya’ (without a body) to describe the Supreme. He was thinking in terms of an impersonal Supreme without potencies. Parasara Muni, in his reply, used these same terms to describe the personal feature of the Supreme. In Parasara’s answer the term ‘nirgunasya’ (without qualities) used by Maitreya to describe the Supreme was answered by the word ‘acintya-jnana-gocarah’ (inconceivable). By using this word, Parasara hinted to Maitreya that the Supreme is called ‘nirguna’ (without qualities) because His qualities are so great that they cannot be fully or properly understood by the individual living entities. When Maitreya used the words ‘amalatmanah’ (flawless) and ‘suddhasya’ (pure), he considered that the Supreme was without qualities, in other words he thought of the Supreme as pure in the way an unflawed piece of glass or crystal is pure by virtue of having no qualities. Parasara Muni accepted the description of the purity of the Supreme in a different way. For Him the Supreme had qualities, but no vices or imperfections. In this way the Supreme is pure. In his answer Parasara rejected the impersonalistic concept of the Supreme referred to by Maitreya and instead described the Supreme as person, the master of innumerable inconceivable potencies. Heat is sometimes present in water, air, or other elements, but it is always present in the fire-element, and can never be separated from it. Just as heat is always present in fire, in the same way the inconceivable potencies of the Supreme cannot be separated from Him. They are an intrinsic part of His nature. Because the Supreme possesses unlimited inconceivable potencies, He is the greatest, and no one is equal or greater than Him. This is confirmed in the following statement of Svetasvatara Upanisad (6.8): “No one is equal to or greater than the Supreme Personality of Godhead.” 13 In the Upanisads and other Vedic literatures the Lord’s potencies are sometimes described as ‘brahma’ (the greatest). This does not mean that the Lord’s potencies are greater than the Lord Himself, but merely that the Lord’s potencies are extremely powerful, and cannot be checked by anyone except for the Personality of Godhead Himself. The Lord’s transcendental potency activates the material nature, which moves the three modes of material nature, which become transformed into the ‘sarga-sakti’ (potency of material creation) and other material potencies. In this way the affairs of the material universes are conducted by the Lord’s potencies, without any direct intervention by the Personality of Godhead, who is never touched by the material energy. 14 The word ‘brahma’ (the greatest) is also used to describe the Lord’s potencies in the following statement of the Chandogya Upanisad (3.14.1): “This entire material world is Brahman, the greatest.” This description of the material potency of the Lord as the ‘greatest’, should be understood, however, only in a relative sense, for the Lord’s material potency is not greater than the Lord Himself, as Maitreya Muni has already explained by using the word ‘nirgunasya’ (untouched by the material modes of nature) to describe the Lord. The Svetasvatara Upanisad (4.10) also describes the Personality of Godhead as superior to His material potency in the following words: “The Personality of Godhead is the master and controller of this material world, which is His illusory potency, maya.” That maya is inferior to the Personality of Godhead is also confirmed by the following statement of Srimad Bhagavatam (1.7.4): “The illusory potency maya takes shelter of the Personality of Godhead and is independent on Him.” In this way the Personality of Godhead is superior to His illusory potency, maya, even though that potency is sometimes described as ‘brahma’ (the greatest). Because the Lord’s potencies (known as ‘brahma’) are subordinate to Him, He delegates to them various duties in relation to the material world. They contact the material energy, not He. 15 That the Personality of godhead is superior to His potencies (‘brahma’) is also confirmed in the following statement of Srimad Bhagavad-gita (13.12-13), where the Lord Himself says: “I shall now explain the knowable, knowing which you will take the eternal. This beginningless, and it is subordinate to Me. It is called Brahman, the spirit, and it lies beyond the cause and effect of this material world.”* 16 The Supreme Truth has innumerable inconceivable potencies, which may be grouped into four broad categories: 1. His internal potency, 2. The secondary potencies manifest from His internal potency, 3. The individual living entities (jivas), and 4. The unmanifest state of the modes of material nature (pradhana). As the sun remains in one place, although its potency, the sunshine, expands in all directions, so the personality of Godhead remains in one place, although His variegated potencies are everywhere. 17 This is described in the following statement of the Visnu Purana (1.22.54): “Just as the illumination of a fire, which is situated in one place, is spread all over, the energies of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Parabrahman, are spread all over this universe.”* 18 This is also confirmed by the following statement found in both the Katha Upanisad (2.2.15) and Svetasvatara Upanisad (6.14): “This entire cosmos is the effulgence manifested from the Supreme Personality of Godhead.” 19 Someone may argue that it is contradictory to say that the Supreme stays in one place, and at the same time He is present everywhere. This objection is not valid, for the Lord possesses all inconceivable potencies by which He can do any impossible thing. In this way He can be simultaneously localised and all-pervading. The Lord’s potencies are divided into three categories as follows: 1. Antaranga-sakti, the internal potency, which is present in the spiritual world of Vaikuntha, 2. Tatastha-sakti, the marginal potency, or individual spirit souls, who are like sparks of the Supreme Whole, and 3. Bahiranga-sakti, the external potency known as maya, which is inert matter, the unmanifested stage (pradhana) of the modes of nature. These three potencies of the Lord are described in the following statement of the Visnu Purana (6.7.61-63): 20 However, there is another energy, called illusion, which consists of fruitive activity. That is the Lord’s third potency.”* 21 “This living entity, covered by the influence of nescience, exists in different forms in the material energy, to greater or lesser degrees.”* 22 In this verse the words ‘avidya-karma’ mean ‘the potency that bewilders’, and the word ‘samjna’ (named) identifies that potency as the illusory potency, maya. Although the maya potency is external and inferior to the marginal potency, or individual living souls, nevertheless, the external potency has the power to cover and bewilder the marginal potency. This is explained in the next verse, where the word ‘taratamyena’ describes the external potency’s ability to place the individual spirit-souls in various higher and lower material bodies, extending from the body of the demigod Brahma down to the insignificant bodies of plants and other non-moving creatures. This power of the external potency over the marginal potency is described in the following statement of Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.7.5): “The individual living entities (jivas) are placed in illusion by the external potency, maya.” 23 In this verse (1.7.5) the word ‘yay’ refers to the Lord’s inconceivable illusory potency maya, by whose influence the unmanifested modes of material nature (pradhana) are inert, unconscious and constantly mutable. That the pradhana is manifested from the maya-potency we shall demonstrate later on in this book. The three potencies: ataranga, tatastha and bahiranga, are similar in many but not all respects. Each has distinguishing features, and each has some defects not present in the others.
Bhagavat · Sanskrit §19 · English §17
Source[१९] वशीकृत-मायत्वेनापि ताम् आह - स त्वं हि नित्य-विजितात्म-गुणः स्व-धाम्ना कालो वशी-कृत-विसृज्य-विसर्ग-शक्तिः । इति [भ्प् ७.९.२२] स्व-धाम्ना चिच्-छक्त्या । यतः कालो माया-प्रेरकः इति टीका च । आत्मा त्व् अत्र जीवः, तस्य गुणाः सत्त्वादयः, सत्त्वं रजस् तम इति गुणा जीवस्य नैव मे इत्य् [भ्प् ११.२५.१२] उक्तत्वात् ॥ प्रह्लादः श्री-नरसिंहम् ॥१९॥
[19] vaśīkṛta-māyatvenāpi tām āha - sa tvaṃ hi nitya-vijitātma-guṇaḥ sva-dhāmnā kālo vaśī-kṛta-visṛjya-visarga-śaktiḥ | iti [BhP 7.9.22] sva-dhāmnā cic-chaktyā | yataḥ kālo māyā-prerakaḥ iti ṭīkā ca | ātmā tv atra jīvaḥ, tasya guṇāḥ sattvādayaḥ, sattvaṃ rajas tama iti guṇā jīvasya naiva me ity [BhP 11.25.12] uktatvāt || prahlādaḥ śrī-narasiṃham ||19||
English translation
English witness · section(s) 17
Anuccheda 17
1 The Supreme Personality of Godhead is the master of all spiritual and material potencies. Even Hiranyakasipu confirms this in the following words (Srimad Bhagavatam 7.3.34): “Let me offer my respectful obeisances to the Supreme, who possesses external and internal energies.”* The Supreme Personality of Godhead is spiritual in nature and He is the shelter of innumerable spiritual potencies (the individual living entities). He is like the sun-planet, which by nature consists of light, and which is the shelter of innumerable rays of light, which have the same nature as the sun-planet itself. The marginal spiritual potency known as jiva-sakti, or the individual spiritual entities, will be explained in the next treatise, the Paramatma-sandarbha. 2 In the following statement of the Visnu Purana (1.19.76-77) the antaranga-sakti (internal potency) is described by contrasting it with the bahiranga-sakti (external, material potency): “O Supreme Personality of Godhead, O master of the demigods, O Supersoul present in the hearts of all creatures, I offer my respectful obeisances to Your inferior material potency, which is eternal, and which is the resting place for the three modes of material nature. O Lord, I also offer my respectful obeisances to Your internal, spiritual potency, which has no material attributes, and which cannot be understood by the material mind or material words, but only by the statements of the advanced transcendentalists.” We may note that the Lord possesses innumerable spiritual potencies. This is confirmed by the following statement of the Svetasvatara Upanisad (6.8): “The Supreme Personality of Godhead is the master of multifarious superior spiritual potencies.”
Bhagavat · Sanskrit §20 · English §18
Source[२०] तथा च - करोति विश्व-स्थिति-संयमोदयं यस्येप्सितं नेप्सितम् ईक्षितुर् गुणैः । माया यथायो भ्रमते तद्-आश्रयं ग्राव्णो नमस् ते गुण-कर्म-साक्षिणे ॥ [भ्प् ५.१८.३८] टीका च - यस्येक्षितुर् जीवार्थम् ईप्सितम् । अत्यन्तानिच्छायाम् ईक्षणायोगात् । स्वार्थं तु नेप्सितम् । विश्व-स्थित्य्-आदि-स्व-गुणैर् माया करोति । तस्या जडत्वेऽपीश्वर-सन्निधानात् प्रवृत्ति-दृष्टान्तेनाह, यथायो लोहं ग्राव्णोऽयस्कान्तान् निमित्ताद् भ्रमति । तद्-आश्रयं तद्-अभिमुखं सत् । गुणानां कर्मणां च जीवादृष्टानां साक्षिणं तस्मै नमः इत्य् एषा ॥ भूः श्री-वराह-देवम् ॥२०॥
[20] tathā ca - karoti viśva-sthiti-saṃyamodayaṃ yasyepsitaṃ nepsitam īkṣitur guṇaiḥ | māyā yathāyo bhramate tad-āśrayaṃ grāvṇo namas te guṇa-karma-sākṣiṇe || [BhP 5.18.38] ṭīkā ca - yasyekṣitur jīvārtham īpsitam | atyantānicchāyām īkṣaṇāyogāt | svārthaṃ tu nepsitam | viśva-sthity-ādi-sva-guṇair māyā karoti | tasyā jaḍatve'pīśvara-sannidhānāt pravṛtti-dṛṣṭāntenāha, yathāyo lohaṃ grāvṇo'yaskāntān nimittād bhramati | tad-āśrayaṃ tad-abhimukhaṃ sat | guṇānāṃ karmaṇāṃ ca jīvādṛṣṭānāṃ sākṣiṇaṃ tasmai namaḥ ity eṣā || bhūḥ śrī-varāha-devam ||20||
English translation
English witness · section(s) 18
Anuccheda 18
1 In the following statement of Srimad-Bhagavatam (2.9.34), the Personality of Godhead describes the external, material potency, bahiranga-sakti, in the following words: “O Brahma, whatever appears to be of any value, if it is without relation to Me, has no reality. Know it as My illusory energy, that reflection which appears to be in darkness.”* 2 In the first part of this verse, the Personality of Godhead says: “O Brahma whatever appears to be of any value, if it is without relation to Me, has no reality.”* 3 In this verse the word ‘atmanah’ means ‘of Me, the Supreme Personality of Godhead”, and the word ‘maya’ refers to two potencies of the Lord: the bahiranga-sakti, or material energy maya, and the tatastha-sakti, or individual spirit souls. Interpreted in relation to the individual spirit souls, the word ‘abhasa’ means ‘effulgence’. In other words, the individual spirit souls are likened to particles of light emanating from the supreme sun of the Personality of Godhead. If the word ‘maya’ is taken to mean the bahiranga-sakti, then the word ‘abhasa’ may be understood to mean ‘illusion’. The illusory potency presents a great variety of constantly changing forms of the inert material energy, which bewilders the conditioned souls by presenting before their eyes a great variety of temporary and constantly changing forms of the inert and unconscious material energy, or three modes of nature, goodness, passion and ignorance. The word ‘abhasa’ is used in this way, to mean the material cosmos, in Srimad Bhagavatam (2.10.7 abhasas ca nirodhas ca). The word ‘abhasa’ is also described in Visnu Purana 1.22.54 (quoted in Anuccheda 16, Text 17). 4 The Lord’s potencies are also described in the following statement spoken by the scholars of the Ayur-Veda: “The Personality of Godhead, whose desires are automatically fulfilled, is the original creator of the material universes. His form is eternal and full of transcendental knowledge, and His eternal transcendental potency emanates from Him as particles of light from the sun. As an actor, who changes his appearance when he enters the stage, the Personality of Godhead appears in the form of the Supersoul when He enters the material realm. He activates the inert material energy, and in this way causes the creation of the material universes.” 5 In the first part of the verse, where the Lord’s ‘maya’ is described as ‘abhasa’, the word ‘abhasa’ may be interpreted in two different ways in order to match the two interpretations of the word ‘maya’ (which may mean either the individual spirit souls or the external material energy). In the second part of the verse, where the ‘abhasa’ is described as reflected on the ‘tamah’ (darkness), there is no need to interpret the word ‘tamah’ in two different ways in order to fit the two interpretations of the words ‘maya’ and abhasa’. The single meaning ‘darkness’ naturally fits the two possible interpretations of the verse. 6 The darkness (tamah) of the material cosmos is described as created by the Lord’s shadow. This is described in the following verse of Srimad Bhagavatam (3.20.18), where Maitreya Muni says to Vidura: “First of all, Brahma created from his shadow the coverings of ignorance of the conditioned souls. They are five in number and are called tamisra, andha-tamisra, tamas, moha and mahamoha.”* 7 The material world is also compared to darkness (tamah) in the following verse (Srimad Bhagavatam 10.14.11) where Lord Brahma says to Lord Krsna: “Where am I, a small creature of seven spans the measure of my own hand? I am enclosed in the universe composed of material nature, the total material energy, false ego, ether, air, water and earth. And what is Your glory? Unlimited universes pass through the pores of Your body just like particles of dust passing through the opening of a window.”* 8 This verse (3.20.18 quoted in text 8) explains that Brahma, using the instrument of the shadow potency (chaya-sakti) manifested ‘avidya’ at the time of creating the material universe. The word ‘avidya’ here may refer either to the different classes of conditioned souls (jiva-maya) or to the different manifestations of the modes of nature (guna-maya). 9 The difference between the avidya-sakti (ignorance potency) and vidya-sakti (knowledge potency) is described in the following verse of Srimad-Bhagavatam (11.11.3) where Lord Krsna says: “O Uddhava, both knowledge and ignorance, being products of maya, are expansions of My potency. Both knowledge and ignorance are beginningless and perpetually award liberation and bondage to embodied living beings.”*** 10 The knowledge potency is described in the following verses of the Padma Purana (Uttara-khanda 73.230-231) in the Karttika-mahatmya, in connection with the prayers of the demigods to Maya, which are related by Lord Krsna to Satyabhama-devi: “As the demigods were offering prayers in this way, they saw a portion of the sky become very brilliant with a great light. From that effulgent part of the sky they heard the goddess Sarasvati speak the following words: ‘I appear in this material world in three ways, in relation to the three modes of goodness, passion, and ignorance.’” 11 The ignorance-potency (avidya-sakti) is described in the following statement of the Padma Purana, Uttara-khanda (91.51) where the Supreme Personality of Godhead says to Lord Brahma: “The dense darkness of the ignorance potency in this material world is immeasurable and inexhaustable.”
Bhagavat · Sanskrit §21 · English §19
Source[२१] अथ माया-शक्ति-शावल्ये कैवल्यानुपपत्तेः कैवल्येऽप्य् अनुभवाभावे तद्- आनन्दस्यार्थतानुपपत्तेश् चान्यथानुपपत्ति-प्रमाणतस् ताम् एवाह - त्वम् आद्यः पुरुषः साक्षाद् ईश्वरः प्रकृतेः परः । मायां व्युदस्य चिच्-छक्त्या कैवल्ये स्थित आत्मनि ॥ [भ्प् १.७.२३] त्वं साक्षात् स्वयम् एवाद्यः पुरुषो भगवान् । तथा य ईश्वरः अन्तर्याम्य्- आख्यः पुरुषः सोऽपि त्वम् एव । तद् एवम् उभयस्मिन्न् अपि प्रकाशे प्रकृतेः परस्तद्-असङ्गी । ननु कथं केवलानुभवानन्दस्यापि तद्-अनुभवित्वं यतो भगवत्वम् अपि लक्ष्यते, कथं चेश्वरत्वात् प्रकृत्य्-अधिष्ठातृत्वेऽपि तद्-असङ्गित्वम् । तत्राह, मायां व्युदस्येति । अव्यभिचारिण्या स्वरूप-शक्त्या ताम् आभास- शक्तिं दूरे विधाय तथैव स्वरूप-शक्त्या कैवल्ये --- परावराणां परम आस्ते कैवल्य-संज्ञितः । केवलानुभवानन्द-सन्दोहो निरुपाधिकः ॥ [भ्प् ११.९.१८] इत्य् एकादशोक्त-रीत्या कैवल्याख्ये केवलानुभवानन्दे आत्मनि स्व-स्वरूपे स्थितः अनुभूत-स्वरूप-सुख इत्य् अर्थः । तद् उक्तं षष्ठे देवैर् अपि -- स्वयम् उपलब्ध-निज-सुखानुभवो भवान् इति [भ्प् ६.९.३३] । सन्दोह-शब्देन चैकादशे वैचित्री दर्शिता, सा च शक्ति-वैचित्र्याद् एव भवतीति । अतएवम् अस्त्य् एव स्वरूप-शक्तिः । प्रकृतिर् नामात्र मायायास् त्रैगुण्यम् । एवम् एव शक्ति-त्रय-विवृतिः स्वामिभिर् एव दर्शिता । तथा हि श्री- देवहूति-वाक्ये -- परं प्रधानं पुरुषं महान्तं कालं कविं त्रि-वृतं लोक-पालम् । आत्मानुभूत्यानुगत-प्रपञ्चं स्वच्छन्द-शक्तिं कपिलं प्रपद्ये ॥ [भ्प् ३.२४.३३] इत्य् अत्र । परं परमेश्वरम् । तत्र हेतुः स्वच्छन्दाः शक्तयो यस्य । ता एवाह, प्रधानं प्रकृति-रूपं, पुरुषं तद्-अधिष्ठातारं, महान्तं महत्- तत्त्व-स्वरूपं, कालं तेषां क्षोभकं, त्रिवृत्म् अहङ्कार-भूतं, लोकात्मकं तत्-पालात्मकं च । तद् एवं मायया प्रधानादि-रूपताम् उक्त्वा चिच्-छक्त्या निष्प्रपञ्चताम् आह । आत्मानुभूत्या चिच्-छक्त्यानुगतः स्वस्मिन् लीनः प्रपञ्चो यस्य तं, कविं सर्वज्ञं प्रधानाद्याविर्भाव-साक्षिणम् इत्य् अर्थः इति । अत्र पुरुषस्यापि मायान्तःपातित्वं तद्-अधिष्ठातृतयोपचर्यत एव । वस्तुतस् तस्य तु तस्याः परत्वम् । तथा श्री-कपिल-देव-वाक्ये -- अनादिर् आत्मा पुरुषो निर्गुणः प्रकृतेः परः । प्रत्यग्-धामा स्वयं-ज्योतिर् विश्वं येन समन्वितम् ॥ [भ्प् ३.२६.३] इति नाम-स्वरूपयोर् निरूपणेन महा-संहितायाम् अपि विविक्तं तत् त्रि-शक्ति - श्रीर् भूर् दुर्गेति या भिन्ना जीव-माया महात्मनः । आत्म-माया तद्-इच्छा स्यात् गुण-माया जडात्मिका ॥ इति [?] अस्यार्थः । श्रीर् अत्र जगत्-पालन-शक्तिः, भूस् तत्-सृष्टि-शक्तिः, दुर्गा तत्- प्रलय-शक्तिः । तत्-तद्-रूपेन या भेदं प्राप्ता, सा जीव-विषया तच्-छक्तिर् जीव-मायेत्य् उच्यते । पाद्मे श्री-कृष्ण-सत्यभामा-संवादे - अहम् एव त्रिधा भिन्ना तिष्ठामि त्रिविधैर् गुणैर् इत्य् एतद्-वाक्यानन्तरं ततः सर्वेऽपि ते देवाः श्रुत्वा तद्-वाक्य-चोदिताः । गौरीं लक्ष्मीं धरां चैव प्रणेमुर् भक्ति-तत्-पराः ॥ इति ॥ एकादशे च - एषा माया भगवतः सृष्टि-स्थित्य्-अन्तकारिणी । त्रिवर्णा वर्णितास्माभिः किं भूयः श्रोतुम् इच्छसि ॥ इति ॥ [भ्प् ११.३.१६] आत्म-माया स्वरूप-शक्तिः । मीयतेऽनयेति माया-शब्देन शक्ति-मात्रम् अपि भण्यते - तस्यां तमोवन् नैहारं खद्योतार्चिर् इवाहनि । महतीतरमायैश्यं निहन्त्य् आत्मनि युञ्जत ॥ इति [भ्प् १०.१३.४५] ब्रह्म-वाक्यं तथैव सङ्गच्छते । शक्ति-मात्रस्य तारतम्यं हि तत्र विवक्षितम् । स्वल्पा शक्तिः खल्व् अनृतस्य सत्यस्य वा व्यञ्जिका भवतु नाम । पराभवाय कल्पत एवेति हि तत्र गम्यते । दृष्टान्ताभ्यां च तथैव प्रकटितं तस्यां तमोवद् इत्यादिभ्याम् । तथा युद्धेष मायामय- शस्त्रादिना बहवश् छिन्न-भिन्ना जाता इति पुराणादिषु श्रूयते । ततः सा च माया मिथ्याकल्पिका च भवतीति गम्यते । न हि मरु-मरीचिका- जलेन केचिद् आर्द्रा भवन्तीति । स्वरूप-भूतया नित्य-शक्त्या मायाख्यया युतः । अतो मायामयं विष्णुं प्रवदन्ति सनातनम् ॥ इति चतुर्वेद-शिखाद्या श्रुतिश् च । ततश् च - आत्म-माया तद्-इच्छा स्यात् इत्य् अत्र ज्ञान-क्रिये अपि लक्ष्येते । माया वयुनं ज्ञनम् इति निघण्टौ च पर्याय-शब्दाः । त्रिगुणात्मिकाथ ज्ञानं च विष्णु-शक्तिस् तथैव च । माया-शब्देन भण्यते शब्द-तत्त्वार्थ-वेदिभिः ॥ इति त्रिकाण्ड-शेषे । माया दम्भे कृपायां चेति विश्व-प्रकाशे । व्याख्यातं च टीका-कृद्भिर् एकादशे कालो माया-मये जीवे इत्य् अत्र [भ्प् ११.२४.२७] माया-प्रवर्तके ज्ञान- मये वा इति । तृतीयेऽपि आपुः परां मुदम् इत्य् आदौ [भ्प् ३.१५.२६] योग-माय- शब्देन सनकादाव् अष्टाङ्ग-योग-प्रभावं व्याख्याय परमेश्वरे तु चिच्- छक्ति-विलासो व्याख्यातः । ततस् त्रिभेदैवात्म-मायेति सिद्धम् । यथा वा - त्वम् आद्यः पुरुषः [भ्प् १.७.२३] इत्य् आदि-मूल-पदाम् एवम् अवतार्यम् । श्री-वैकुण्ठे मायं निषेधन्न् अपि साक्षात् ताम् एवाह त्वम् आद्य इति । कैवल्ये मोक्षाख्ये श्री- वैकुण्ठ-लक्षणे आत्मनि स्वांश एव स्थितः । किं कृत्वा ? तत्राति- विराजमानया चिच्-छक्त्या मायां दूरे स्थिताम् अपि तिरस्कृत्यैव । मतं चैतम्मायादिकं निषेधता श्री-शुकदेवेन । प्रवर्तते यत्र रजस् तमस् तयोः सत्त्वं च मिश्रं न च काल-विक्रमः । न यत्र माया किम् उतापरे हरेर् अनुव्रता यत्र सुरासुरार्चिताः ॥ [भ्प् २.९.१०] इति । मोक्सं परं पदं लिङ्गम् अमृतं विष्णु-मन्दिरम् । इति पाद्मोत्तर-खण्डे विअकुण्ठ-पर्याय-शब्दाः ॥ अर्जुनः श्री-भगवन्तम् ॥२१॥
[21] atha māyā-śakti-śāvalye kaivalyānupapatteḥ kaivalye'py anubhavābhāve tad- ānandasyārthatānupapatteś cānyathānupapatti-pramāṇatas tām evāha - tvam ādyaḥ puruṣaḥ sākṣād īśvaraḥ prakṛteḥ paraḥ | māyāṃ vyudasya cic-chaktyā kaivalye sthita ātmani || [BhP 1.7.23] tvaṃ sākṣāt svayam evādyaḥ puruṣo bhagavān | tathā ya īśvaraḥ antaryāmy- ākhyaḥ puruṣaḥ so'pi tvam eva | tad evam ubhayasminn api prakāśe prakṛteḥ parastad-asaṅgī | nanu kathaṃ kevalānubhavānandasyāpi tad-anubhavitvaṃ yato bhagavatvam api lakṣyate, kathaṃ ceśvaratvāt prakṛty-adhiṣṭhātṛtve'pi tad-asaṅgitvam | tatrāha, māyāṃ vyudasyeti | avyabhicāriṇyā svarūpa-śaktyā tām ābhāsa- śaktiṃ dūre vidhāya tathaiva svarūpa-śaktyā kaivalye --- parāvarāṇāṃ parama āste kaivalya-saṃjñitaḥ | kevalānubhavānanda-sandoho nirupādhikaḥ || [BhP 11.9.18] ity ekādaśokta-rītyā kaivalyākhye kevalānubhavānande ātmani sva-svarūpe sthitaḥ anubhūta-svarūpa-sukha ity arthaḥ | tad uktaṃ ṣaṣṭhe devair api -- svayam upalabdha-nija-sukhānubhavo bhavān iti [BhP 6.9.33] | sandoha-śabdena caikādaśe vaicitrī darśitā, sā ca śakti-vaicitryād eva bhavatīti | ataevam asty eva svarūpa-śaktiḥ | prakṛtir nāmātra māyāyās traiguṇyam | evam eva śakti-traya-vivṛtiḥ svāmibhir eva darśitā | tathā hi śrī- devahūti-vākye -- paraṃ pradhānaṃ puruṣaṃ mahāntaṃ kālaṃ kaviṃ tri-vṛtaṃ loka-pālam | ātmānubhūtyānugata-prapañcaṃ svacchanda-śaktiṃ kapilaṃ prapadye || [BhP 3.24.33] ity atra | paraṃ parameśvaram | tatra hetuḥ svacchandāḥ śaktayo yasya | tā evāha, pradhānaṃ prakṛti-rūpaṃ, puruṣaṃ tad-adhiṣṭhātāraṃ, mahāntaṃ mahat- tattva-svarūpaṃ, kālaṃ teṣāṃ kṣobhakaṃ, trivṛtm ahaṅkāra-bhūtaṃ, lokātmakaṃ tat-pālātmakaṃ ca | tad evaṃ māyayā pradhānādi-rūpatām uktvā cic-chaktyā niṣprapañcatām āha | ātmānubhūtyā cic-chaktyānugataḥ svasmin līnaḥ prapañco yasya taṃ, kaviṃ sarvajñaṃ pradhānādyāvirbhāva-sākṣiṇam ity arthaḥ iti | atra puruṣasyāpi māyāntaḥpātitvaṃ tad-adhiṣṭhātṛtayopacaryata eva | vastutas tasya tu tasyāḥ paratvam | tathā śrī-kapila-deva-vākye -- anādir ātmā puruṣo nirguṇaḥ prakṛteḥ paraḥ | pratyag-dhāmā svayaṃ-jyotir viśvaṃ yena samanvitam || [BhP 3.26.3] iti nāma-svarūpayor nirūpaṇena mahā-saṃhitāyām api viviktaṃ tat tri-śakti - śrīr bhūr durgeti yā bhinnā jīva-māyā mahātmanaḥ | ātma-māyā tad-icchā syāt guṇa-māyā jaḍātmikā || iti [?] asyārthaḥ | śrīr atra jagat-pālana-śaktiḥ, bhūs tat-sṛṣṭi-śaktiḥ, durgā tat- pralaya-śaktiḥ | tat-tad-rūpena yā bhedaṃ prāptā, sā jīva-viṣayā tac-chaktir jīva-māyety ucyate | pādme śrī-kṛṣṇa-satyabhāmā-saṃvāde - aham eva tridhā bhinnā tiṣṭhāmi trividhair guṇair ity etad-vākyānantaraṃ tataḥ sarve'pi te devāḥ śrutvā tad-vākya-coditāḥ | gaurīṃ lakṣmīṃ dharāṃ caiva praṇemur bhakti-tat-parāḥ || iti || ekādaśe ca - eṣā māyā bhagavataḥ sṛṣṭi-sthity-antakāriṇī | trivarṇā varṇitāsmābhiḥ kiṃ bhūyaḥ śrotum icchasi || iti || [BhP 11.3.16] ātma-māyā svarūpa-śaktiḥ | mīyate'nayeti māyā-śabdena śakti-mātram api bhaṇyate - tasyāṃ tamovan naihāraṃ khadyotārcir ivāhani | mahatītaramāyaiśyaṃ nihanty ātmani yuñjata || iti [BhP 10.13.45] brahma-vākyaṃ tathaiva saṅgacchate | śakti-mātrasya tāratamyaṃ hi tatra vivakṣitam | svalpā śaktiḥ khalv anṛtasya satyasya vā vyañjikā bhavatu nāma | parābhavāya kalpata eveti hi tatra gamyate | dṛṣṭāntābhyāṃ ca tathaiva prakaṭitaṃ tasyāṃ tamovad ityādibhyām | tathā yuddheṣa māyāmaya- śastrādinā bahavaś chinna-bhinnā jātā iti purāṇādiṣu śrūyate | tataḥ sā ca māyā mithyākalpikā ca bhavatīti gamyate | na hi maru-marīcikā- jalena kecid ārdrā bhavantīti | svarūpa-bhūtayā nitya-śaktyā māyākhyayā yutaḥ | ato māyāmayaṃ viṣṇuṃ pravadanti sanātanam || iti caturveda-śikhādyā śrutiś ca | tataś ca - ātma-māyā tad-icchā syāt ity atra jñāna-kriye api lakṣyete | māyā vayunaṃ jñanam iti nighaṇṭau ca paryāya-śabdāḥ | triguṇātmikātha jñānaṃ ca viṣṇu-śaktis tathaiva ca | māyā-śabdena bhaṇyate śabda-tattvārtha-vedibhiḥ || iti trikāṇḍa-śeṣe | māyā dambhe kṛpāyāṃ ceti viśva-prakāśe | vyākhyātaṃ ca ṭīkā-kṛdbhir ekādaśe kālo māyā-maye jīve ity atra [BhP 11.24.27] māyā-pravartake jñāna- maye vā iti | tṛtīye'pi āpuḥ parāṃ mudam ity ādau [BhP 3.15.26] yoga-māya- śabdena sanakādāv aṣṭāṅga-yoga-prabhāvaṃ vyākhyāya parameśvare tu cic- chakti-vilāso vyākhyātaḥ | tatas tribhedaivātma-māyeti siddham | yathā vā - tvam ādyaḥ puruṣaḥ [BhP 1.7.23] ity ādi-mūla-padām evam avatāryam | śrī-vaikuṇṭhe māyaṃ niṣedhann api sākṣāt tām evāha tvam ādya iti | kaivalye mokṣākhye śrī- vaikuṇṭha-lakṣaṇe ātmani svāṃśa eva sthitaḥ | kiṃ kṛtvā ? tatrāti- virājamānayā cic-chaktyā māyāṃ dūre sthitām api tiraskṛtyaiva | mataṃ caitammāyādikaṃ niṣedhatā śrī-śukadevena | pravartate yatra rajas tamas tayoḥ sattvaṃ ca miśraṃ na ca kāla-vikramaḥ | na yatra māyā kim utāpare harer anuvratā yatra surāsurārcitāḥ || [BhP 2.9.10] iti | moksaṃ paraṃ padaṃ liṅgam amṛtaṃ viṣṇu-mandiram | iti pādmottara-khaṇḍe viakuṇṭha-paryāya-śabdāḥ || arjunaḥ śrī-bhagavantam ||21||
English translation
English witness · section(s) 19
Anuccheda 19
1 The internal spiritual potency (antaranga-sakti), without whose help the individual living entities are powerless to act, is described in the following two verses of Srimad-Bhagavatam (6.16.23-24), where Narada Muni says to Maharaja Citraketu: 2 “The Supreme Brahman emanates from the Supreme Personality of Godhead and expands like the sky. Although untouched by anything material, it exists within and without. Nonetheless, the mind, intelligence, senses and living force can neither touch Him nor know Him. I offer unto Him my respectful obeisances.”* 3 “As iron has the power to burn when made red-hot in the association of fire, so the body, senses, living force, mind and intelligence, although merely lumps of matter, can function in their activities when infused with a particle of consciousness by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. As iron cannot burn unless heated by fire, the bodily senses cannot act unless favoured by the Supreme Brahman.”* 4 Sridhara Svami comments on these verses in the following words: “In the first verse (6.16.23) Narada said: The Supreme Brahman (yat) emanates from the Supreme Personality of Godhead and expands like the sky (vitatam vyomavat). Nonetheless, the living force (asavah) can neither touch him (na sprsati) by using the instrument of kriya-sakti, nor can the mind, intelligence and senses know Him (na viduh) by using the instrument of jnana-sakti. I offer unto Him my respectful obeisances (nato smi). The reason the mind, intelligence, senses and living force cannot understand the Supreme Brahman is explained in the next verse (6.16.24), where Narada says: ‘The body, senses, living force, mind and intelligence, although merely lumps of matter, can function in their activities (karmasu) when infused by a particle of consciousness (ami yad-amsa-viddhah) by the Supreme Personality of Godhead.” Without the Supreme Personality of Godhead’s intervention, they cannot act either in the states of wakefulness, dreaming, deep-sleep, unconsciousness, or any other condition of life. In order to explain the senses’ dependence on the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Narada gives the following example: ‘As iron cannot burn unless heated by fire (aprataptam lauham), the bodily senses cannot act unless favoured by the Supreme Brahman.’ A red-hot iron rod get its burning potency from fire, and although it can burn many objects, it cannot burn fire itself. In the same way, because the material body, senses, living force, mind and intelligence of the living entities have obtained their powers to act (kriya-sakti) and understand (jnana-sakti) from the Supreme Personality of Godhead, although they may be able to touch or understand many things, they are unable to touch or understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the source of all their power.” 5 That the senses are dependent on the Supreme Personality of Godhead for their powers is confirmed by even Sankaracarya, the leader of the impersonalists, who in the course of refuting the atheistic Sankhya philosophy said (Sariraka-bhasya 1.1.5): “The material eyes have the power to see because it is given to them by the Supreme. As an iron rod or similar object obtains the power to burn by being placed near a fire, so the senses obtain the power to act from the Supreme. The omniscient Supreme Truth is the primary cause of the entire material cosmos.” 6 That the senses are dependent on the Supreme Personality of Godhead is also confirmed in the following statements of the Upanisads: “When the Supreme Personality of Godhead appears, then the various different planets may also become manifested. They cannot appear unless He appears first.” Katha Upanisad 2.2.15, Mundaka Upanisad 2.2.10 and Svetasvatara Upanisad 6.14 “Unless the supremely blissful Personality of Godhead is present within the sky of the heart, what living entity has the power to do anything, or even to remain alive?” Taittariya Upanisad 2.7.1 “The Supreme Personality of Godhead grants the power of sight to the eyes and the power of hearing to the ears of the individual living entities.” Brhad-aranyaka Upanisad 4.4.18 7 In the concluding portion of his commentary on this verse (Srimad Bhagavatam 6.16.24) Sridhara Svami says: “At this point someone may say: ‘All right, the senses cannot act independently, only the individual spirit soul is the seer and the knower of what is experienced by the senses.’ To this I reply; ‘No, no, in all states of being, whether awake, dreaming, or deeply asleep, the individual living entity is dependent on the Supreme. Without the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the individual spirit soul cannot see or perceive anything with any one of his senses (na drastrapadesam eti). This is confirmed in the following statement of Brhad-aranyaka Upanisad (3.7.23): ‘Without the Supreme Personality of Godhead’s mercy, no one can see anything.’ “Another way to interpret the words no drastrapadesam eti is to accept them as meaning: ‘Although the senses of the individual living entity can perceive various things, under normal conditions they cannot perceive the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is the source of their power.’” 8 That the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the origin of all sensory perception is confirmed in the following statement of Srimad-Bhagavatam (2.10.9): “All three of the above-mentioned stages of different living entities are interdependent. In the absence of one, another is not understood. But the Supreme Being who sees every one of them as the shelter of the shelter is independent of all, and therefore He is the supreme shelter.”* 9 In various places in the Sruti-sastra also it is confirmed that the individual living entities (jivas) are never independent of the Supreme Personality o Godhead. He is the original seer of everything, and no one can see anything without His mercy. In this way these verses (6.16.23-24) may be understood.
Bhagavat · Sanskrit §22 · English §20
Source[२२] अत ऊर्ध्वं गुणादीनां स्वरूपात्मता-निगमनात् स्वरूप-शक्तिर् एव पुनर् अपि विव्रियते यावत् सन्दर्भ-समाप्तिः ।[*एन्द्नोते #३] तत्र गुणानां स्वरूपात्मताम् आहुः । स यद् अजया त्व् अजाम् अनुशयीत गुणांश् च जुषन् भजति सरूपतां तद् अनु मृत्युम् अपेत-भगः । त्वम् उत जहासि ताम् अहिर् इव त्वचम् आत्त-भगो महसि महीयसेऽष्ट-गुणितेऽपरिमेय-भगः ॥[भ्प् १०.८७.३८] टीका च - स तु जीवो यद् यस्मात् अजया मायया अजाम् अविद्याम् अनुशयीत आलिङ्गेत् । ततश् च गुणांश् च देहेन्द्रियादीन् जुषन् सेवमानः आत्मतया अध्यस्यन् । तद् अनु तद्-अनन्तरं सरूपतां तद्-धर्म-योगं च जुषन् अपेत- भगः पिहितानन्दादि-गुणः सन् मृत्युं संसारं भजति प्राप्नोति । त्वम् उत त्वं तु जहासि तां मायाम् । ननु सा मय्य् एवास्ति कथं त्यागस् तत्राह अहिर् इव त्वचम् इति । अयं भावः - -यथा भुजङ्गः स्वगतम् अपि कञ्चुकं गुण-बुद्ध्या नाभिमन्यते तथा त्वम् अजां मायां । न हि निरन्तराह्लाद-संवित्-कामधेनु-वृन्द-पतेर् अजया कृत्यम् इति ताम् उपेक्षसे । कुत एतत् तद् आह । आत्म-भग-नित्य-प्राप्तैश्वर्यः । महसि परमैश्वर्ये अष्ट-गुणिते अणिमाद्य्-अष्ट-विभूतिमति । महीयसे पूज्यसे विराजसे । कथम्भूतः ? अपरिमेय-भगः अपरिमेयैश्वर्यः । न त्व् अन्येषाम् इव देश-काल-परिच्छिन्नं तवाष्ट-गुणितम् ऐश्वर्यम् । अपि तु परिपूर्ण- स्वरूपानुबन्धित्वाद् अपरिमितम् इत्य् अर्थः । इत्य् एषा । तथा च तत्रैव पूर्वम् उक्तं - त्वम् असि यद् आत्मना समवरुद्ध-समस्त- भग इति [भ्प् १०.८७.१४] । यद् वा अहिर् इव त्वचम् इत्य् अत्र त्वक्-शब्देन परित्यक्ता जीर्ण-त्वग् एवोच्यते । स यथा तां जहातीति तत्-समीपम् अपि न व्रजति, तथा त्वम् अपि माया-समीपं न यासीत्य् अर्थः । अन्यत्र च - विशुद्ध-विज्ञान-घनं स्व-संस्थया समाप्त-सर्वार्थम् अमोघ-वाञ्छितम् ॥ इति [भ्प् १०.३७.२२] । तथोद्धवं प्रति श्री-भगवद्-वाक्यं - सिद्धयोऽष्टादश प्रोक्ता धारणा योग-पारगैः । तासाम् अष्टौ मत्-प्रधाना दशैव गुण-हेतवः ॥ [भ्प् ११.१५.३] इति । अग्रे च - एता मे सिद्धयः सौम्य अष्टाव् औत्पत्तिका मताः । इति [भ्प् ११.१५.५] अतएव दैत्य-बालकान् प्रति श्री-प्रह्लाद-वाक्यम् -- केवलानुभवानन्द-स्वरूपः परमेश्वरः । माययान्तर्हितैश्वर्य ईयते गुण-सर्गया ॥[भ्प् ७.६.२०] टीका च - ननु स एव चेत् सर्वत्र तर्हि सर्वत्र सर्वज्ञताद्य् उपलभ्यते । तत्राह - गुणात्मकः सर्गो यस्यास् तया मायया अन्तर्हितम् ऐश्वर्यं येन इत्य् एषा । अत्र भगवद् ऐश्वर्यस्य माययान्तर्हितत्वेन गुण-सर्गयेति मायाया विशेषण-विन्यासेन च तद्-अतीतत्वं बोधयति स्वरूपवत् । अतः परमेश्वर इति विशेषणम् अपि तत्-सहयोगेन पूर्वम् एव दत्तम् इति ज्ञेयम् । श्रुतयश् - अजाम् एकां लोहित-शुक्ल-कृष्णां वह्वीः प्रजाः सृजमानां सरूपाः । अजो ह्य् एको जुषमाणोऽनुशेते जहात्य् एनां भुक्त-भोगाम् अजोऽन्यः ॥ [श्वेतु ४.५] यद्-आत्मको भगवांस् तद्-आत्मिका व्यक्तिः । किम् आत्मको भगवान् ? ज्ञानात्मक ऐश्वर्यात्मकः शक्त्य्-आत्मकश् च । दैवात्म-शक्तिं स्व-गुणैर् निगूढाम् इत्य् आद्याः [श्वेतु १.३] । अत्र स्व-गुणैर् इति यातीतगोचरा वाचाम् इत्य् उक्तैः स्वीय-स्वभावैर् इत्य् अर्थः ॥ श्रुतयः श्री-भगवन्तम् ॥२२॥
[22] ata ūrdhvaṃ guṇādīnāṃ svarūpātmatā-nigamanāt svarūpa-śaktir eva punar api vivriyate yāvat sandarbha-samāptiḥ |[*ENDNOTE #3] tatra guṇānāṃ svarūpātmatām āhuḥ | sa yad ajayā tv ajām anuśayīta guṇāṃś ca juṣan bhajati sarūpatāṃ tad anu mṛtyum apeta-bhagaḥ | tvam uta jahāsi tām ahir iva tvacam ātta-bhago mahasi mahīyase'ṣṭa-guṇite'parimeya-bhagaḥ ||[BhP 10.87.38] ṭīkā ca - sa tu jīvo yad yasmāt ajayā māyayā ajām avidyām anuśayīta āliṅget | tataś ca guṇāṃś ca dehendriyādīn juṣan sevamānaḥ ātmatayā adhyasyan | tad anu tad-anantaraṃ sarūpatāṃ tad-dharma-yogaṃ ca juṣan apeta- bhagaḥ pihitānandādi-guṇaḥ san mṛtyuṃ saṃsāraṃ bhajati prāpnoti | tvam uta tvaṃ tu jahāsi tāṃ māyām | nanu sā mayy evāsti kathaṃ tyāgas tatrāha ahir iva tvacam iti | ayaṃ bhāvaḥ - -yathā bhujaṅgaḥ svagatam api kañcukaṃ guṇa-buddhyā nābhimanyate tathā tvam ajāṃ māyāṃ | na hi nirantarāhlāda-saṃvit-kāmadhenu-vṛnda-pater ajayā kṛtyam iti tām upekṣase | kuta etat tad āha | ātma-bhaga-nitya-prāptaiśvaryaḥ | mahasi paramaiśvarye aṣṭa-guṇite aṇimādy-aṣṭa-vibhūtimati | mahīyase pūjyase virājase | kathambhūtaḥ ? aparimeya-bhagaḥ aparimeyaiśvaryaḥ | na tv anyeṣām iva deśa-kāla-paricchinnaṃ tavāṣṭa-guṇitam aiśvaryam | api tu paripūrṇa- svarūpānubandhitvād aparimitam ity arthaḥ | ity eṣā | tathā ca tatraiva pūrvam uktaṃ - tvam asi yad ātmanā samavaruddha-samasta- bhaga iti [BhP 10.87.14] | yad vā ahir iva tvacam ity atra tvak-śabdena parityaktā jīrṇa-tvag evocyate | sa yathā tāṃ jahātīti tat-samīpam api na vrajati, tathā tvam api māyā-samīpaṃ na yāsīty arthaḥ | anyatra ca - viśuddha-vijñāna-ghanaṃ sva-saṃsthayā samāpta-sarvārtham amogha-vāñchitam || iti [BhP 10.37.22] | tathoddhavaṃ prati śrī-bhagavad-vākyaṃ - siddhayo'ṣṭādaśa proktā dhāraṇā yoga-pāragaiḥ | tāsām aṣṭau mat-pradhānā daśaiva guṇa-hetavaḥ || [BhP 11.15.3] iti | agre ca - etā me siddhayaḥ saumya aṣṭāv autpattikā matāḥ | iti [BhP 11.15.5] ataeva daitya-bālakān prati śrī-prahlāda-vākyam -- kevalānubhavānanda-svarūpaḥ parameśvaraḥ | māyayāntarhitaiśvarya īyate guṇa-sargayā ||[BhP 7.6.20] ṭīkā ca - nanu sa eva cet sarvatra tarhi sarvatra sarvajñatādy upalabhyate | tatrāha - guṇātmakaḥ sargo yasyās tayā māyayā antarhitam aiśvaryaṃ yena ity eṣā | atra bhagavad aiśvaryasya māyayāntarhitatvena guṇa-sargayeti māyāyā viśeṣaṇa-vinyāsena ca tad-atītatvaṃ bodhayati svarūpavat | ataḥ parameśvara iti viśeṣaṇam api tat-sahayogena pūrvam eva dattam iti jñeyam | śrutayaś - ajām ekāṃ lohita-śukla-kṛṣṇāṃ vahvīḥ prajāḥ sṛjamānāṃ sarūpāḥ | ajo hy eko juṣamāṇo'nuśete jahāty enāṃ bhukta-bhogām ajo'nyaḥ || [ŚvetU 4.5] yad-ātmako bhagavāṃs tad-ātmikā vyaktiḥ | kim ātmako bhagavān ? jñānātmaka aiśvaryātmakaḥ śakty-ātmakaś ca | daivātma-śaktiṃ sva-guṇair nigūḍhām ity ādyāḥ [ŚvetU 1.3] | atra sva-guṇair iti yātītagocarā vācām ity uktaiḥ svīya-svabhāvair ity arthaḥ || śrutayaḥ śrī-bhagavantam ||22||
English translation
English witness · section(s) 20
Anuccheda 20
1 That the senses of the conditioned souls cannot perceive the Supreme Personality of Godhead who is the source of their power is confirmed in the following statement of Srimad Bhagavatam (6.4.25) where Maharaja Daksa says: “Because they are only matter, the body, the life airs, the external and internal senses, the five gross elements and the subtle sense objects (form, taste, smell, sound and touch) cannot know their own nature, the nature of the other senses or the nature of their controllers. But the living being, because of his spiritual nature, can know his body, the life airs, the senses, the elements and the sense objects, and he can also know the three qualities that form their roots. Nevertheless, although the living being is completely aware of them, he is unable to see the Supreme Being, who is omniscient and unlimited. I therefore offer my respectful obeisances unto Him.”* 2 In this verse the word ‘prana’ means ‘life-airs’, ‘aksah’ means ‘the senses’, ‘manavah’ means ‘the mind’, ‘bhuta-matram’ means ‘the tan-matras’, ‘atmanam’ means ‘themselves’, ‘anyam’ means ‘other areas of perception’. The demigods who are beyond (param) these two they do not know. These things they do not know (na viduh). ‘Puman” means “the living being”, ‘sarvam’ means ‘themselves and whatever is beyond themselves’. Beyond themselves (param) are the material body, things in relation to the body, and the controlling demigods. This the living entity knows (veda). ‘Gunams ca’ means ‘the mode of goodness and the other material modes’, which are the root from which the material bodies and other material things have grown. Even though the living entity knows all these (taj-jnah) he still does not know (na veda) the sarvajna. Sarvajna here means “He who knows the living entities and everything else also.’ The word ‘anantam’ is explained in the following statement of Srimad Bhagavatam (1.18.19): “The Personality of Godhead, unlimited, in potency and transcendental by attributes, is called the ananta (Unlimited).”* The speaker then says: “I worship (ide) the unlimitedly powerful Supreme Lord.” 3 In connection with the statement that the individual entity is unable to see the Supreme the Brhad-aranyaka Upanisad (4.5.15) says: “There (in the material world of duality) the individual living entity sees the Supreme as different from himself.’ In these words is described how the individual spirit soul sees himself as different from the Supreme. The Upanisad then says: “When he sees that everything is the Supreme Soul, then how, or what will he see (that is different from himself)?” Then the living entity does not see the Supreme Soul as the observer, but rather he sees that everything is the observer of the Supreme Soul and that what he sees is himself.” Then the Upanisad says: “How can he know the knower?” An explanation of the meaning of these passages follows. In these statements the word ‘yatra’ means ‘in the illusory potency, maya, where duality is manifested.’ Under the influence of the inconceivable potency named maya, and under the influence of the temporary world of the contamination of matter, what is not different is perceived to be different. Because of this influence the individual spirit soul is born again and again as if he were independent and separate. In this way the ‘separate’ (itarah) living entity sees others as ‘separate’ (itaram). He is able to see others as separate because the instrument of seeing and the object of vision are both suitable for this kind of vision. That is the meaning. The word ‘yatra’ here means ‘in His personal potency’. The individual soul, or jiva here is compared to a particle of light, and the Supreme Soul, described here as the ‘atma’, is compared to the sun-globe. The words ‘sarvam abhut’ mean that everything is manifested by the Lord’s personal potency. Everything exists from beginningless time. It is not manifest only in that entrance at that time. What (kam) and by what separate (itarena) method (kena) can the separate (itarah) individual soul (jiva) see? He cannot see anything by any such method. That is the meaning. By their own power individual rays of light cannot display the splendour manifest in the sun itself and neither can individual sparks burn a fire. That is the meaning. By what separate method may one understand the omniscient (vijnataram), unlimited, omnipotent Supreme Soul? There is no separate method to understand Him. That is the meaning. When the jnana-sakti is manifest, then the kriya-sakti and iccha-sakti are also seen. The verse quoted in Text 1 was spoken by Maharaja Daksa to the Supreme Personality of Godhead