Bhagavat · Sanskrit §80–81 · English §71
Source[८०] अतएव कालातीतास् ते परम-भक्तानाम् अपि परम्-पुरुषार्थ-सामीप्याश् चेत्य् आह । तस्माद् अमूस् तनु-भृताम् अहम् आशिषो ज्ञ आयुः श्रियं विभवम् ऐन्द्रियम् आविरिञ्च्यात् । नेच्छामि ते विलुलितान् उरुविक्रमेण कालात्मनोपनय मां निज-भृत्य-पार्श्वम् ॥ [भ्प् ७.९.२४] स्पष्टम् ॥ ७.९ ॥ प्रह्लादः श्री-नृसिंहम् ॥ ८० ॥ [८१] तथा च पाद्मोत्तर-खण्डे - त्रिपाद्-विभूतेर् लोकास् तु असङ्ख्याः परिकीर्तिताः । शुद्ध-सत्त्व-मयाः सर्वे ब्रह्मानन्द-सुखाह्वयाः ॥ सर्वे नित्या निर्विकारा हेय-राग-विवर्जिताः । सर्वे हिरण्मयाः शुद्धाः कोटि-सूर्य-सम-प्रभाः ॥ सर्वे वेदमया दिव्याः काम-क्रोधादि-वर्जिताः । नारायण-पदाम्भोज-भक्त्य्-एक-रस-सेविनः ॥ निरन्तरं साम-गान-परिपूर्ण-सुखं श्रिताः । सर्वे पञ्चोपनिषद-स्वरूपया वेद-वर्चसः ॥ इत्य् आदि ॥ अत्र त्रिपाद्-विभुति-शब्देन प्रपञ्चातीत-लोकोऽभिधीयते पाद-विभूति- शब्देन तु प्रपञ्च इति । यथोक्तं तत्रैव - त्रिपाद्-व्याप्तिः परं धाम्नि पादोऽस्येहाभवत् पुनः । त्रिपाद्-विभूतेर् नित्यं स्यात् अनित्यं पादम् ऐश्वरम् ॥ नित्यं तद्-रूपम् ईशस्य परं धाम्नि स्थितं शुभम् । अच्युतं शाश्वतं दिव्यं सदा यौवनम् आश्रितम् ॥ नित्यं सम्भोगम् ईश्वर्या श्रिया भूम्या च संवृत्तम् ॥ इति ॥ अतएव तद्-अनुसारेण द्वितीय-स्कन्धोऽप्य् एवं योजनीयः । तत्र -- सो ऽमृतस्याभयस्येशो मर्त्यम् अन्नं यद् अत्यगात् । महिमैष ततो ब्रह्मन् पुरुषस्य दुरत्ययः ॥ [भ्प् २.६.१७] अमृतादि-द्वयं तत्-तृतीयत्वेअ वक्ष्यमाणस्य क्षेमस्याप्य् उपलक्षणम् । श्रुतौ च - उतामृतत्वस्येशान इत्य् अत्रामृतत्वं तद् युगलोपलक्षम् । अत्र धर्मि-प्रधान-निर्देशः, श्रुतौ तु तत्र धर्म-मात्र-निर्देशस्यापि तत्रैव तात्पर्यम् । तत्रामृतं -स्व-दृष्टवद्भिर् पुरुषैर् अभिष्टुतम् इति । परं न यत्-परम् [भ्प् २.९.९] इत्य् आद्य् उक्तानुसारेण परमानन्दः । अतएव अमृत विष्णु-मन्दिरम् इति तत्-पर्यायः । अभयं -- न च काल-विक्रम [भ्प् २.९.१०] इत्य् आदि भय-मात्राभावः । अतएव द्विजा धामाकुतोभयम् [भ्प् १२.११.१९] इत्य् उक्तम् । क्षेमं न यत्र माया [भ्प् २.९.१०] इत्य् आद्य् उक्तानुसारेण भगवद्-बहिर्मुखताकर-गुण-सम्बन्धाभावाद् भगवद्-भजन-मङ्गलाश्रयत्वं ज्ञेयम् । तथा च नारदीये - सर्व-मङ्गल-मूर्धन्या पूर्णानन्द-मयी सदा । द्विजेन्द्र तव मय्य् अस्तु भक्तिर् अव्यभिचारिणी ॥ इति ॥ अतेव क्षेमं विन्दन्ति मत्-स्थानम् [भ्प् ११.२०.३७] इत्य् उक्तम् । तत्र तत्-तच्-छब्देन लक्षणामय-कष्ट-कल्पनया जन-लोकादि-वाच्यतां निषेधन् हेतुं न्यस्यति मर्त्यं ब्रह्मणोऽपि भयं मत्तो द्विपरार्ध- परायुष [भ्प् ११.१०.३०] इत्य् आदि न्यायेन मरण-धर्मकम् । अन्नं कर्मादि- फलं त्रिलोक्यादिकं यस्माद् अत्यगात् अतिक्रम्यैव तत्र विराजत इति । एषः - अमृताद्यैश्वर्य-रूपः । दुरत्ययः - ब्रह्मचर्यादिभिः केनचिन् मनसाप्य् अवरोद्धुम् अशक्यः ।
[80] ataeva kālātītās te parama-bhaktānām api param-puruṣārtha-sāmīpyāś cety āha | tasmād amūs tanu-bhṛtām aham āśiṣo jña āyuḥ śriyaṃ vibhavam aindriyam āviriñcyāt | necchāmi te vilulitān uruvikrameṇa kālātmanopanaya māṃ nija-bhṛtya-pārśvam || [BhP 7.9.24] spaṣṭam || 7.9 || prahlādaḥ śrī-nṛsiṃham || 80 || [81] tathā ca pādmottara-khaṇḍe - tripād-vibhūter lokās tu asaṅkhyāḥ parikīrtitāḥ | śuddha-sattva-mayāḥ sarve brahmānanda-sukhāhvayāḥ || sarve nityā nirvikārā heya-rāga-vivarjitāḥ | sarve hiraṇmayāḥ śuddhāḥ koṭi-sūrya-sama-prabhāḥ || sarve vedamayā divyāḥ kāma-krodhādi-varjitāḥ | nārāyaṇa-padāmbhoja-bhakty-eka-rasa-sevinaḥ || nirantaraṃ sāma-gāna-paripūrṇa-sukhaṃ śritāḥ | sarve pañcopaniṣada-svarūpayā veda-varcasaḥ || ity ādi || atra tripād-vibhuti-śabdena prapañcātīta-loko'bhidhīyate pāda-vibhūti- śabdena tu prapañca iti | yathoktaṃ tatraiva - tripād-vyāptiḥ paraṃ dhāmni pādo'syehābhavat punaḥ | tripād-vibhūter nityaṃ syāt anityaṃ pādam aiśvaram || nityaṃ tad-rūpam īśasya paraṃ dhāmni sthitaṃ śubham | acyutaṃ śāśvataṃ divyaṃ sadā yauvanam āśritam || nityaṃ sambhogam īśvaryā śriyā bhūmyā ca saṃvṛttam || iti || ataeva tad-anusāreṇa dvitīya-skandho'py evaṃ yojanīyaḥ | tatra -- so 'mṛtasyābhayasyeśo martyam annaṃ yad atyagāt | mahimaiṣa tato brahman puruṣasya duratyayaḥ || [BhP 2.6.17] amṛtādi-dvayaṃ tat-tṛtīyatvea vakṣyamāṇasya kṣemasyāpy upalakṣaṇam | śrutau ca - utāmṛtatvasyeśāna ity atrāmṛtatvaṃ tad yugalopalakṣam | atra dharmi-pradhāna-nirdeśaḥ, śrutau tu tatra dharma-mātra-nirdeśasyāpi tatraiva tātparyam | tatrāmṛtaṃ -sva-dṛṣṭavadbhir puruṣair abhiṣṭutam iti | paraṃ na yat-param [BhP 2.9.9] ity ādy uktānusāreṇa paramānandaḥ | ataeva amṛta viṣṇu-mandiram iti tat-paryāyaḥ | abhayaṃ -- na ca kāla-vikrama [BhP 2.9.10] ity ādi bhaya-mātrābhāvaḥ | ataeva dvijā dhāmākutobhayam [BhP 12.11.19] ity uktam | kṣemaṃ na yatra māyā [BhP 2.9.10] ity ādy uktānusāreṇa bhagavad-bahirmukhatākara-guṇa-sambandhābhāvād bhagavad-bhajana-maṅgalāśrayatvaṃ jñeyam | tathā ca nāradīye - sarva-maṅgala-mūrdhanyā pūrṇānanda-mayī sadā | dvijendra tava mayy astu bhaktir avyabhicāriṇī || iti || ateva kṣemaṃ vindanti mat-sthānam [BhP 11.20.37] ity uktam | tatra tat-tac-chabdena lakṣaṇāmaya-kaṣṭa-kalpanayā jana-lokādi-vācyatāṃ niṣedhan hetuṃ nyasyati martyaṃ brahmaṇo'pi bhayaṃ matto dviparārdha- parāyuṣa [BhP 11.10.30] ity ādi nyāyena maraṇa-dharmakam | annaṃ karmādi- phalaṃ trilokyādikaṃ yasmād atyagāt atikramyaiva tatra virājata iti | eṣaḥ - amṛtādyaiśvarya-rūpaḥ | duratyayaḥ - brahmacaryādibhiḥ kenacin manasāpy avaroddhum aśakyaḥ |
English translation
English witness · section(s) 71
Anuccheda 71
1 The rhetorical question “Who can properly understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead who resides in His own transcendental abode?” is answered in the following statement of Narada Muni to Maharaja Pracinabarhi (Srimad Bhagavatam 4.29.48): “Those who are less intelligent accept the Vedic ritualistic ceremonies as all in all. They do not know that the purpose of the Vedas is to understand one’s own home, where the Supreme Personality of Godhead lives. Not being interested in their real home, they are illusioned and search after other homes.”* 2 In this verse Narada says: “Those who are less intelligent (dhumra-dhiyah) accept (ahuh) the Vedic ritualistic ceremonies (vedam sa-karmakam) as all in all. They know of Svargaloka and the other planets of the material universe, but they do not know that the purpose of the Vedas is to understand one’s own home (svam lokam) where (yatra) the Supreme Personality of Godhead (janardanah) lives.”
Bhagavat · Sanskrit §82 · English §72
Source[८२] तद् एवम् अमर्त्यम् ऐश्वर्यं त्रिपात्, मर्त्यम् एकपात् इति तस्य चतुष्पाद्- ऐश्वर्यं पुनर् विवृणोति ॥ पादेषु सर्व-भूतानि पुंसः स्थिति-पदो विदुः । अमृतं क्षेमम् अभयं त्रि-मूर्ध्नो ऽधायि मूर्धसु ॥ [भ्प् २.६.१८] तिष्ठन्त्य् अत्र सर्व-भूतानीति स्थितयो मर्ताद्यैश्वर्याणि तानि पादा इवाधिष्ठान-भूतानि यस्य तस्य स्थित्-पदः पादेषु चतुर्ष्व् एव ऐश्वर्य- भागेषु सर्व-भूतानि पार्षद-पर्यन्तानि । पादान् दर्शयति । त्रयाणां सात्त्विकादि-पदर्थानां मूर्धैव मूर्धा प्रवृत्तिः तस्य त्रयाणां मूर्धसु तद् उपरि विराजमानेषु श्री-वैकुण्ठ-लोकेषु अमृतं क्षेमम् अभयं चाधायि नित्यं धृतम् एव तिष्ठतीत्य् अर्थः । ततः पूर्वस्य मर्त्यान्न-मात्रात्मकत्वाद् एकपात्त्वम्, उत्तरस्यामृतादि- त्रयात्मकत्वात् त्रिपात्त्वम् इति भावः । तद् अनेन पादोऽस्य विश्वा भूतानि त्रिपादस्यामृतं दिवि इत्य् अस्यार्थो दर्शितः । अस्य पादस् तथास्यैव दिशि वैकुण्ठे यद् अमृताद्य्-आत्मकं त्रिपात् तच् च विश्वा भूतानीत्य् अर्थः । अत्राधिष्ठानाधिष्ठेययोर् ऐक्योक्तिः ।
[82] tad evam amartyam aiśvaryaṃ tripāt, martyam ekapāt iti tasya catuṣpād- aiśvaryaṃ punar vivṛṇoti || pādeṣu sarva-bhūtāni puṃsaḥ sthiti-pado viduḥ | amṛtaṃ kṣemam abhayaṃ tri-mūrdhno 'dhāyi mūrdhasu || [BhP 2.6.18] tiṣṭhanty atra sarva-bhūtānīti sthitayo martādyaiśvaryāṇi tāni pādā ivādhiṣṭhāna-bhūtāni yasya tasya sthit-padaḥ pādeṣu caturṣv eva aiśvarya- bhāgeṣu sarva-bhūtāni pārṣada-paryantāni | pādān darśayati | trayāṇāṃ sāttvikādi-padarthānāṃ mūrdhaiva mūrdhā pravṛttiḥ tasya trayāṇāṃ mūrdhasu tad upari virājamāneṣu śrī-vaikuṇṭha-lokeṣu amṛtaṃ kṣemam abhayaṃ cādhāyi nityaṃ dhṛtam eva tiṣṭhatīty arthaḥ | tataḥ pūrvasya martyānna-mātrātmakatvād ekapāttvam, uttarasyāmṛtādi- trayātmakatvāt tripāttvam iti bhāvaḥ | tad anena pādo'sya viśvā bhūtāni tripādasyāmṛtaṃ divi ity asyārtho darśitaḥ | asya pādas tathāsyaiva diśi vaikuṇṭhe yad amṛtādy-ātmakaṃ tripāt tac ca viśvā bhūtānīty arthaḥ | atrādhiṣṭhānādhiṣṭheyayor aikyoktiḥ |
English translation
English witness · section(s) 72
Anuccheda 72
1 The presence of the Personality of Godhead in the spiritual world is also described in the following prayer spoken by the demigods to Lord Hari (Srimad Bhagavatam 6.9.32): “O Supreme Personality of Godhead, O Narayana, O Vasudeva, original person! O most exalted person, supreme experience, welfare personified! O supreme benediction, supremely merciful and changeless! O support of the cosmic manifestation, sole proprietor of all planetary systems, master of everything and husband of the goddess of fortune! Your Lordship is realised by the topmost sannyasis, who wander about the world to preach Krsna consciousness, fully absorbed in samadhi through bhakti-yoga. Because their minds are concentrated upon You, they can receive the conception of Your personality in their fully purified hearts. When the darkness in their hearts is completely eradicated and You are revealed to them, the transcendental bliss they enjoy is the transcendental form of Your Lordship present in the spiritual world. No one but such persons can realise You. Therefore we simply offer You our respectful obeisances.” 2 In this passage of Srimad Bhagavatam the word ‘tamah’ may be interpreted to mean either ‘material energy’ or ‘ignorance’. The word ‘atma-loke’ means ‘the personal abode of the Supreme Lord’. That the Supreme Personality of Godhead resides in His own spiritual realm is again confirmed by the following statements of the Sruti-sastra: “The spiritual world is the personal abode of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.” Brhad-aranyaka Upanisad 4.3.32 3 The spiritual realm of the Personality of Godhead is also described in the Pippalada-sakha: “The subtle, transcendental, eternal abode of Lord Visnu is the best of all planets, and although everyone should know about it, it is generally not properly understood. Only the greatest yogi-philosophers understand the true nature of this abode of Lord Visnu. 4 The spiritual realm of Vaikuntha is also described in the Maha Narayana Upanisad (8.14): “They who have renounced the material world enter the spiritual sky, which the Supreme Personality of Godhead has hidden from the gaze of the conditioned souls.” 5 The transcendental abode of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is also described in the Nrsimha-tapani Upanisad (5.10): “In the transcendental abode of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the original author of the Vedic mantras, there is no suffering of any kind. In that abode neither the sun, moon or stars shine, the wind does not blow, death cannot enter, and there are no defects of any kind. That abode is blissful, eternal, peaceful and always full of all auspiciousness. The yogis meditate on that supreme abode, and the demigods headed by Brahma offer obeisances and prayers to that supreme abode. The yogis who travel to that supreme abode of the Lord never return to this material world.” 6 The spiritual abode of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is also described in the following mantra of the Rg Veda: “The saintly demigods continually gaze at Lord Visnu’s transcendental abode, which is like a brilliant sun in the spiritual sky. The residents of that abode of the Lord are free from any defect, effulgent and always awake with all spiritual knowledge.” 7 These Vedic passages describe the spiritual realm as the object of Lord Brahma’s prayers, and they also say that once having entered that spiritual realm on never returns to the material world. This is a clear description of the planet of Lord Visnu. These descriptions do not apply to the impersonal Brahman effulgence, and therefore no one should interpret that these statements describe that impersonal Brahman. The Rg Veda’s description of the planet of Lord Visnu is also corroborated by the following explanation of Visnu Purana (2.8.93-98): 8 “Above the planets of the seven sages, the Dhruvaloka planet is situated. Dhruvaloka is the splendid, transcendental abode of Lord Visnu. It is situated in the spiritual sky, above both the upper and lower material planets. 9 “O brahmana, they who have renounced this material world, who control the mind and senses, and have become free from all material impurities and all past sinful and pious karmic reactions, reside in that transcendental abode. 10 “In that place there are no pious or impious karmic reactions, and nothing causes pain. Having gone to that place one never laments. That is Lord Visnu’s supreme abode. 11 “Yamaraja, Dhruva Maharaja, and other demigod administrators of universal affairs, whose opulence is equal to that of the Lord Himself, reside in that spiritual realm. This is Lord Visnu’s supreme abode. 12 “Whatever has been and whatever will be in the future, the entire material creation as well as all moving and non moving living entities are manifested from this spiritual world, just as the warp and woof of a loom creates a cloth. O Maitreya, this spiritual realm is the supreme abode of Lord Visnu. 13 “Thus unlimitedly expanded spiritual realm is like a great eye in the spiritual sky. It gives transcendental knowledge to the devotees. This is Lord Visnu’s supreme abode.” 14 The previously quoted statement of the Nrsimha-tapani Upanisad that “In the spiritual world the wind does not blow, the sun, moon and stars do not shine” means that there are no material wind, sun, moon or stars in the spiritual world. Spiritual sun, moon, stars and winds do, however, exist in the spiritual world, and this fact is supported by many statements of Smrti-sastra. 15 (The story of Maharaja Dhruva narrated in the Srimad Bhagavatam contains a very clear description of the Vaikuntha realm of Lord Visnu. We shall quote some of these verses to gain some understanding of that Vaikunthaloka. The first quotation explains why it was that Maharaja Dhruva, even though he had just directly seen the Supreme Personality of Godhead, nevertheless remained morose at heart.) Srimad Bhagavatam (4.2.29) explains: “Maitreya Muni answered: Dhruva Maharaja’s heart, which was pierced by the arrows of the harsh words of his stepmother, was greatly aggrieved and thus when he fixed upon his goal of life he did not forget her misbehaviour. He did not demand actual liberation from this material world, but at the end of his devotional service, when the Supreme Personality of Godhead appeared before him, he was simply ashamed of the material demands he had in his mind.”* 16 Maharaja Dhruva laments in the following words (Srimad Bhagavatam 4.9.31): “Alas, just look at me! I am so unfortunate. I approached the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who can immediately cut the chain of the repetition of birth and death, but still, out of my foolishness, I prayed for things which are perishable.”* 17 This verse records Dhruva Maharaja’s dissatisfaction. He prayed for a very exalted position, and he received a benediction far excelling this original desire. 18 The exalted position attained by Maharaja Dhruva is described by Mahatma Vidura in the following words (Srimad Bhagavatam 4.9.28): “Sri Vidura inquired: My dear brahmana, the abode of the Lord is very difficult to attain. It can be attained only by pure devotional service, which alone pleases the most affectionate, merciful Lord. Dhruva Maharaja achieved this position even in one life, and he was very wise and conscientious. Why, then, was he not very pleased?”* 19 The exalted position attained by Maharaja Dhruva is described by the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself in the following words (Srimad Bhagavatam 4.9.25): “The Personality of Godhead continued: My dear Dhruva, after your material life in this body, you will go to My planet, which is always offered obeisances by the residents of all other planetary systems. It is situated above the planets of the seven rsis, and having gone there you will never have to come back again to this material world.”* 20 This great benediction, Dhruva’s liberation in the planet of Lord Visnu, is described by two associates of the Lord in the following words (Srimad Bhagavatam 4.12.26): “Dear King Dhruva, neither your forefathers nor anyone else before you ever achieved such a transcendental planet. The planet known as Visnuloka, where Lord Visnu personally resides, is the highest of all. It is worshipable by the inhabitants of all other planets within the universe. Please come with us and live there eternally.”* 21 Maharaja Dhruva’s good fortune is also described by Srila Suta Gosvami in the following words (Srimad Bhagavatam 4.13.1): “Suta Gosvami, continuing to speak to all the rsis, headed by Saunaka, said: After hearing Maitreya Rsi describe Dhruva Maharaja’s ascent to Lord Visnu’s abode, Vidura became very much enlightened in devotional emotion, and he inquired from Maitreya as follows: 22 The the planet ruled by Dhruva Maharaja is an eternal Vaikuntha planet is confirmed by the following statement of Srimad Bhagavatam (5.22.17): “Situated 8 800 000 miles above Saturn, or 20 800 000 miles above earth, are the seven saintly sages, who are always thinking of the well-being of the inhabitants of the universe. They circumambulate the supreme abode of Lord Visnu, known as Dhruvaloka, the polestar.”* 23 This is also confirmed by the following statement of Srimad Bhagavatam (5.23.1): “Sukadeva Gosvami continued: My dear King 1 300 000 yojanas (10 400 000 miles) above the planets of the seven sages is the place that learned scholars describe as the abode of Lord Visnu. The son of Maharaja Uttanapada, the great devotee Maharaja Dhruva, still resides as the life source of all the living entities who live until the end of creation. Agni, Indra, Prajapati, Kasyapa and Dharma all assemble there to offer him honour and respectful obeisances. They circumambulate him with their right sides toward him. I have already described the glorious activities of Maharaja Dhruva (in the Fourth Canto of Srimad Bhagavatam).”* 24 These quotations from Srimad Bhagavatam show that the Dhruvaloka planet is an eternal Vaikuntha planet, even though it is apparently situated within the jurisdiction of the material world. The situation of a liberated soul who lives within the material world is similar, as described in the Vedanta-sutra (4.4.19): “Although situated within a material body, which goes through the six material transformations, a liberated soul is actually situated on the transcendental platform. He has nothing to do with the changing material world.” 25 At the time of annihilation of the material universe, when all the material planets perish, the Dhruvaloka planet is not destroyed, but merely becomes no longer visible tot he eyes of the conditioned souls. That Dhruvaloka is not destroyed at the time of cosmic annihilation is confirmed by Hiranyakasipu in the following words (Srimad Bhagavatam 7.3.11): “By dint of my severe austerities, I shall reverse the results of pious and impious activities. I shall overturn all the established practices within this world. Even Dhruvaloka will be vanquished at the end of the millennium. Therefore, what is the use of it? I shall prefer to remain in the position of Brahma.”* 26 In this way it may be understood that Dhruvaloka is an eternal Vaikuntha planet, even though it is manifested within the boundaries of the material world. This nature of Dhruvaloka is described in many different passages of the Sruti-sastra, and it is also described by Lord Siva in the following words (Padma Purana, Uttara-khanda 91.54.77): 27 “O Parvati, please listen to this description of the opulences of the material world and the opulences of the spiritual world, which is three fourths of the entire creation. 28 “The auspicious Viraja river flows between the material and spiritual worlds. This river is produced from the perspiration of the Personified Vedas. 29 “On the far shore of that Viraja river is the eternal, deathless, imperishable, unlimited, nectarean spiritual sky, which consists of three fourths of the entire creation. 30 “That imperishable spiritual realm is the abode of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That realm is made of the transcendental mode of pure goodness, and it is more splendid than many millions of blazing suns. 31 “This spiritual world is full of all knowledge and free from all forms of destruction. It is limitless, eternal, effulgent, free from old age, and free from the various forms of material consciousness, including the states of material wakefulness and material sleep. 32 “This spiritual world is the abode of liberation, and it is full of all spiritual bliss. Nothing is equal or superior to it, and it is without beginning or end. It is supremely auspicious, and it glows with a golden effulgence. 33 “This spiritual world is wonderfully splendid, delightful and eternal, It is like a great ocean of transcendental bliss, and it is full of all transcendental attributes. This place is the supreme transcendental abode of Lord Visnu. 34 “That abode of Lord Hari is not illumined by the sun or moon, nor by electricity. One who reaches it never returns to this material world.* 35 “This transcendental abode of Lord Visnu is perfect, eternal, and imperishable. No one can properly describe it, even if he had hundreds of millions of kalpas in which to speak. 36 “Neither brahma, the great sages, nor I have the power to describe the abode of Lord Hari. If one thinks he completely understands the abode where the infallible Supreme Personality of Godhead resides, then that person does not know the first thing about the Lord’s abode. 37 “This abode of the Lord is very confidential and cannot be understood merely by studying the Vedas. Even the demigods who control the universe cannot properly understand it. If one does not understand this abode of the Lord, then what is the use of his chanting the Vedic hymns? If one does understand the abode of the Lord, then all the Vedic hymns become automatically manifest to him. 38 “The demigods continually fix their gaze upon Lord Visnu’s infallible, imperishable, eternal, transcendental abode, which is like a brilliant sun shining in the spiritual sky. 39 “Although neither Brahma, Siva or any of the other demigods can enter this transcendental abode, the best of the yogis can at least see it by means of transcendental knowledge obtained from the Vedic literatures. 40 “Neither Brahma, the demigods, the great sages, nor I myself can completely understand this transcendental abode of the Lord. However, what little I have been able to understand by studying all the Upanisads, O saintly Parvati, I shall now relate to You. 41 “In the centre of Lord Visnu’s transcendental abode is a nectarean fountain named Subha. At this place are many long horned surabhi cows with their calves. 42 “In that splendid abode of Lord Visnu, who carries the Sarnga bow, and who is glorified by the devotees, are many glorious and auspicious surabhi cows. 43 “That eternal, pure realm of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is splendid as the sun. It is supremely effulgent and it exists beyond the darkness of the material world. 44 This eternal transcendental abode is always awake with spiritual awareness. In the topmost part of this spiritual abode eternal Lord Visnu and His consort Srimati Laksmi-devi reside. 45 Near Sri Sri Laksmi-Visnu, the two youthful sisters Bhu-sakti an Lila-sakti, who are very dear to the Lord, stay. Before them are the eternal Sadhyas and Visvedevas. 46 “Learned brahmanas awake with spiritual knowledge, even seeing whom brings all auspiciousness, glorify that splendid transcendental abode. 47 “The supreme abode of Lord Visnu is known by the name Moksa (liberation). They who become free from the bonds of repeated birth and death attain transcendental bliss in that supreme abode. 48 “Lord Visnu’s supreme abode is known as Moksa (liberation), because they who enter it never return to repeated birth and death in the material world. That supreme abode is also known by the names Param padam (Supreme Abode), Lingam (the form of the Lord), Amrta (The Immortal Nectar) and Visnu-mandira (the temple of Lord Visnu). 49 “Lord Visnu’s supreme abode is also known as Aksara (The Imperishable Abode), Paramam dhama (the Supreme Abode), Vaikuntha (the place where there is no anxiety), Sasvatam padam (The Eternal Abode), Nitya (The Eternal Abode), Parama-vyoma (the Spiritual sky), Sarvotkrsta (The Supreme Abode), and Sanatana (The Eternal Abode). 50 “The Supreme abode of the infallible Personality of Godhead has many other names also. I shall now describe in detail the nature of this supreme abode, which is three fourths of the entire potency of the Lord.” 51 Although many passages of Sruti and Smrti-sastra describe the Lord’s abode, they will not all be quoted here. The next quote will be from a conversation of Brahma and Narada recorded in the Jitanta-stotra of the Narada-pancaratra: 52 “The six planetary system named Vaikunthaloka is full of six transcendental opulences. They who are not devotees of Lord Visnu are not able to enter that transcendental realm, which remains always untouched by the three modes of material nature. 53 “The Vaikuntha realm is full of eternally perfect liberated devotees of the Lord. That realm is very auspicious and beautiful, endowed with many assembly buildings, palaces, forests and gardens. 54 “The Vaikuntha realm is beautifully decorated with many trees, wells, lakes, and ponds. That non material realm is worshipped and glorified by the demigods. It is splendid as millions of suns. 55 The realm of Vaikuntha is further described in the following statement of Brahmanda Purana: “The Vaikuntha realm is full of unlimited spiritual attributes.. It is full of supreme effulgence and it is very difficult to attain. It is incomparable and full of transcendental bliss. It remains invisible to the material senses of the conditioned souls.” 56 The Vaikuntha realm is also described in the following verses from the story of Mudgala related in the Itihasa-samuccaya: “Above the planet of Brahma lies the eternal, effulgent, pure abode of Lord Visnu. Great sages know that abode as the Supreme Brahman.” 57 “Saintly devotees who devotedly engage in meditation and yoga, who have controlled the senses, and who are free from false-ego, material possessiveness, and material duality, attain that supreme abode. 58-59 “The who worship, remember and meditate on the infallible transcendental Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is known as Hari, Visnu, Krsna, Jisnu, Sanatana, Narayana, Aja, Deva, Visvaksena, and Caturbhuja, attain the Supreme Lord’s abode. This is the conclusion of the eternal Vedic literatures.” 60 Vaikunthaloka is described in the Skanda Purana in a conversation between Sanat-kumara and Markandeya Rsi in these words: “O best of the brahmanas, one who is a devotee of Lord Visnu, and who decorates his body with the marks of the conchshell, disc, and other signs of the Lord, goes to Lord Visnu’s planet, which is not destroyed when the entire universe is consumed by flames.” 61 Someone may argue that the words ‘para-dhama’ and ‘sthana’ used in these quotations may be interpreted to mean the transcendental form of the Lord and the Lord’s abode. If we examine these verses in context we shall see this argument to be patently false. For example, when the Lord says: “The devotees attain My abode (sthana), which the sages know as the Supreme Brahman,” the ‘sthana’ must be taken to mean the Lord’s abode. Any other interpretation will be rejected by the intelligent reader. 62 If one were to argue that the word ‘ca’ (and) although not directly expressed in the statement param brahmeti yad viduh’ (The great sages know that abode as the Supreme Brahman) from the Itihasa-samuccaya, should be understood, and therefore the words ‘param brahma’ should not be taken as adjectives modifying the Lord’s abode, but as nouns referring the Supreme Godhead, then to this argument I reply that the word ‘loka’ (planet) is used in many places where it is clearly modified by the word ‘param brahma’, and that therefore in this instance it should also be understood in the same way. The words ‘pada’, ‘dhama’, ‘sthana’ and ‘loka’ all refer to the same thing; the abode of the Lord. When they are jointly used, as they are in the passages just quoted, they cast far away any other possible explanation of what they actually mean. As the words ‘bhagavan’, ‘hari’ and visnu’ refer only to the form of the Lord, and not to anything else in the same way these statements of the Padma Purana, Visnu Purana, and other Vedic literatures should be taken to describe only the abode of the Lord. They cannot be understood to describe the Lord’s form. These passages of Vedic literature can be considered to appropriately describe only the Lord’s abode for they say the object of their description is not attained by fruitive or non devotional work. In many other ways also the description presented in these passages can be considered to appropriately describe only the Lord’s abode. On the other hand, the Lord’s form is appropriately described in a particular way (for example; as holding a rod in His hand, etc.), radically different from the descriptions in these passages. An example of an appropriate description of the Lord’s form may be found in Srimad Bhagavatam 6.9.32 quoted in Anuccheda 72. In this way, therefore, we may conclude that the passages quoted clearly describe the transcendental abode of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. They cannot be taken to describe His form.
Bhagavat · Sanskrit §83 · English §73
Source[८३] अथ चतुष्पात्त्वे च त्रिलोकी-व्यवस्थावत् पक्षान्तरं दर्शयति । पादास् त्रयो बहिश् चासन्न् अप्रजानां य आश्रमाः । अन्तस् त्रि-लोक्यास् त्व् अपरो गृह-मेधो ऽबृहद्-व्रतः ॥ [भ्प् २.६.१९] च-शब्दः उक्त-समुच्चयार्थः । प्रपञ्चाद् बहिः पादास् त्रय आसन्न् एव प्रपञ्चात्मकस्य चतुर्थ-पादस्यैव विभाग-विपक्षायां तु त्रिलोक्या बहिश् चान्ये पादास् त्रय आसन्न् इत्य् एवं मन्त्रोऽपि हि तथैव पुनः शब्दः । ते के? अप्रजानां ब्रह्मचारि-वनस्थ-यतीनाम् आश्रमाः प्राप्या ये लोकाः ।
[83] atha catuṣpāttve ca trilokī-vyavasthāvat pakṣāntaraṃ darśayati | pādās trayo bahiś cāsann aprajānāṃ ya āśramāḥ | antas tri-lokyās tv aparo gṛha-medho 'bṛhad-vrataḥ || [BhP 2.6.19] ca-śabdaḥ ukta-samuccayārthaḥ | prapañcād bahiḥ pādās traya āsann eva prapañcātmakasya caturtha-pādasyaiva vibhāga-vipakṣāyāṃ tu trilokyā bahiś cānye pādās traya āsann ity evaṃ mantro'pi hi tathaiva punaḥ śabdaḥ | te ke? aprajānāṃ brahmacāri-vanastha-yatīnām āśramāḥ prāpyā ye lokāḥ |
English translation
English witness · section(s) 73
Anuccheda 73
1 In this the Vaikuntha world is described. As the Supreme Personality of Godhead appears in many different forms, sometimes manifesting His opulences in full, and sometimes only manifesting part of His opulence, in the same way for each form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead there is a corresponding Vaikuntha planet. This is described in the Padma Purana, Uttara-khanda, and also in the following statement of Maitreya Rsi (Srimad Bhagavatam 3.19.31): After thus killing the most formidable demon Hiranyaksa, the Supreme Lord Hari, the origin of the boar species, returned to His own abode, where there is always an uninterrupted festival. The Lord was praised by all the demigods, headed by Brahma.”* The word ‘sadayitva’ in this verse means ‘after killing.’ 2 That each form of the Lord has His own Vaikuntha planet is also confirmed in the Bodhayana-sastra, in the discussion of the Pavitraropa festival: “One who worships Lord Nrsimhadeva by faithfully performing the Pavitraropa festival every year will become liberated. He will enter the transcendental planet where Lord Nrsimhadeva resides.” 3 The planet of Lord Siva is described in the same way in the Vayu Purana: “At the time of cosmic dissolution all the universes will be completely flooded by a great ocean. 4 “Waters of devastation will violently flood all the universes up, down, and in all directions. 5 “Great fires will then reduce all the planets into iron spheres, and then great hurricane winds will tear through all the universes. 6 “The unlimited unmanifested avyakta will first absorb the hurricane winds, and then it will absorb, one after another, the ether element, the five gross elements, and the mahat-tattva. 7 “The avyakta is an unlimited, unmanifested darkness. It is beginningless, endless, invisible, without any boundary, and free from any designation. 8 “Beyond this darkness, beyond the ether element, and beyond the boundary of the material universes is the Lord Siva’s great transcendental abode, which even the great demigods cannot approach. This is clearly described in the Sruti-sastra.”
Bhagavat · Sanskrit §84 · English §74
Source[८४] अतएव धर्म-त्रय-प्राप्यत्वात् चतुर्णाम् अपि त्रिपात्त्वम् । अपरस् तु चतुर्थः पादस् त्रिलोक्या अन्तर् इति गृहमेधस् तत्-प्राप्यः अतएवोभयथापि पुरुषश् चतुष्पाद् इत्य् आह । सृती विचक्रमे विश्वम् साशनानशने उभे । यद् अविद्या च विद्या च पुरुषस् तूभयाश्रयः ॥ [भ्प् २.६.२०] विष्वङ् सर्व-व्यापी । पुरुषः पुरुषोत्तमः । एते सृती ते प्रपञ्चाप्रपञ्च- लक्षणे जीवस्य गती । विचक्रमे - आक्रम्य स्थितः । कथम्भूते ? साशनानशने कर्मादि-फल-भोग-तद्-अतिक्रम-युक्ते । तस्यैव एतद्- आक्रमणे हेतुः । यत् ययोः सृत्योः अविद्या मायैकत्र विद्या चिच्-छक्तिर् अन्यत्राश्रय इत्य् अर्थः । पुरुषोत्तमस् तु तयोर् द्वयोर् अप्य् आश्रयः । वक्ष्यते च - यस्माद् दण्डं विराड् जज्ञे [भ्प् २.६.२१] इत्य् आदिना । तस्मात् सर्वैश्वर्येणैकदेशैश्वर्येण च चतुष्पात्त्वम् इति भावः ॥ ॥ २.६ ॥ श्री-ब्रह्मा श्री-नारदम् ॥ ८४ ॥
[84] ataeva dharma-traya-prāpyatvāt caturṇām api tripāttvam | aparas tu caturthaḥ pādas trilokyā antar iti gṛhamedhas tat-prāpyaḥ ataevobhayathāpi puruṣaś catuṣpād ity āha | sṛtī vicakrame viśvam sāśanānaśane ubhe | yad avidyā ca vidyā ca puruṣas tūbhayāśrayaḥ || [BhP 2.6.20] viṣvaṅ sarva-vyāpī | puruṣaḥ puruṣottamaḥ | ete sṛtī te prapañcāprapañca- lakṣaṇe jīvasya gatī | vicakrame - ākramya sthitaḥ | kathambhūte ? sāśanānaśane karmādi-phala-bhoga-tad-atikrama-yukte | tasyaiva etad- ākramaṇe hetuḥ | yat yayoḥ sṛtyoḥ avidyā māyaikatra vidyā cic-chaktir anyatrāśraya ity arthaḥ | puruṣottamas tu tayor dvayor apy āśrayaḥ | vakṣyate ca - yasmād daṇḍaṃ virāḍ jajñe [BhP 2.6.21] ity ādinā | tasmāt sarvaiśvaryeṇaikadeśaiśvaryeṇa ca catuṣpāttvam iti bhāvaḥ || || 2.6 || śrī-brahmā śrī-nāradam || 84 ||
English translation
English witness · section(s) 74
Anuccheda 74
1 As the Supreme Personality of Godhead sometimes manifests His transcendental form within the material world, so He sometimes manifests some of His transcendental abodes within the boundaries of the material realm. One instance of this is described by Srila Sukadeva Gosvami in these words (Srimad Bhagavatam 8.5.4-5): “From the combination of Subhra and his wife, Vaikuntha, there appeared the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vaikuntha, along with demigods who were His personal plenary expansions.* 2 “Just to please the goddess of fortune, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vaikuntha, at her request, created another Vaikuntha planet, which is worshipped by everyone.”* 3 As the transcendental form of the Personality of Godhead is eternal and only enters the material world, although it is said to be ‘born’, so the Lord’s eternal spiritual realm only enters the material world, although in this verse the word ‘born’ (jajne) is used. In these verses the word ‘vaikuntha’ means ‘the son of Vaikuntha-devi’ as well as ‘the spiritual planets Brahma saw before the creation of the material universe (Srimad Bhagavatam 2.9.9-16). 4 That Vaikunthaloka is situated beyond the boundaries of the material universes filled with Svarga and other planets is confirmed by the following statement of Srimad Bhagavatam (8.19.11): “Upon seeing that the residence of Lord Visnu was vacant, Hiranyakasipu began searching for Lord Visnu everywhere. Angry at not seeing Him, Hiranyakasipu screamed loudly and searched the entire universe, including the surface of the earth, the higher planetary systems, all directions and all the caves and oceans. But Hiranyakasipu, the greatest hero, did not see Visnu anywhere.”*
Bhagavat · Sanskrit §85 · English §75
Source[८५] एवं शान्तरङ्ग-वैभवस्य भगवतः स्वरूप-भूतयैव शक्त्या प्रकाशमानत्वात् स्वरूप-भूतत्वम् । सा च शक्ति-विशिष्टस्यैव स्वरूपत्वात् स्वरूपान्तःपातेऽपि भेद-लक्षणां वृत्तिं भजन्ती तत्र प्रकाश-विशेषं वैचित्री-वृन्दं च प्रकटयति । तत्र तत्र तादृशत्वे भ्रमोपासनासिद्ध- गुरव एवास्माकं प्रमाणम् । तद् एतद् आह चतुर्दशभिः -- एवं तदैव भगवान् अरविन्द-नाभः स्वानां विबुध्य सद्-अतिक्रमम् आर्य-हृद्यः । तस्मिन् ययौ परमहंस-महा-मुनीनाम् अन्वेषणीय-चरणौ चलयन् सह-श्रीः ॥ [भ्प् ३.१५.३७] तं त्व् आगतं प्रतिहृतौपयिकं स्व-पुम्भिस् ते ञ्चक्षताक्ष-विषयं स्व-समाधि-भाग्यम् । हंस-श्रियोर् व्यजनयोः शिव-वायु-लोलच्- छुभ्रातपत्र-शशि-केसर-शीकराम्बुम् ॥ [भ्प् ३.१५.३८] कृत्स्न-प्रसाद-सुमुखं स्पृहणीय-धाम स्नेहावलोक-कलया हृदि संस्पृशन्तम् । श्यामे पृथाव् उरसि शोभितया श्रिया स्वश्- चूडामणिं सुभगयन्तम् इवात्म-धिष्ण्यम् ॥ [भ्प् ३.१५.३९] पीतांशुके पृथु-नितम्बिनि विस्फुरन्त्या काञ्च्यालिभिर् विरुतया वन-मालया च । वल्गु-प्रकोष्ठ-वलयं विनता-सुतांसे विन्यस्त-हस्तम् इतरेण धुनानम् अब्जम् ॥ [भ्प् ३.१५.४०] विद्युत्-क्षिपन्-मकर-कुण्डल-मण्डनार्ह- गण्ड-स्थलोन्नस-मुखं मणिमत्-किरीटम् । दोर्-दण्ड-षण्ड-विवरे हरता परार्ध्य- हारेण कन्धर-गतेन च कौस्तुभेन ॥ [भ्प् ३.१५.४१] अत्रोपसृष्टम् इति चोत्स्मितम् इन्दिरायाः स्वानां धिया विरचितं बहु-सौष्ठवाढ्यम् । मह्यं भवस्य भवतां च भजन्तम् अङ्गं नेमुर् निरीक्ष्य न वितृप्त-दृशो मुदा कैः ॥ [भ्प् ३.१५.४२] तस्यारविन्द-नयनस्य पदारविन्द- किञ्जल्क-मिश्र-तुलसी-मकरन्द-वायुः । अन्तर्-गतः स्व-विवरेण चकार तेषां सङ्क्षोभम् अक्षर-जुषाम् अपि चित्त-तन्वोः ॥ [भ्प् ३.१५.४३] ते वा अमुष्य वदनासित-पद्म-कोशम् उद्वीक्ष्य सुन्दरतराधर-कुन्द-हासम् । लब्धाशिषः पुनर् अवेक्ष्य तदीयम् अङ्घ्रि- द्वन्द्वं नखारुण-मणि-श्रयणं निदध्युः ॥ [भ्प् ३.१५.४४] पुंसां गतिं मृगयताम् इह योग-मार्गैर् ध्यानास्पदं बहु-मतं नयनाभिरामम् । पौंसं वपुर् दर्शयानम् अनन्य-सिद्धैर् औत्पत्तिकैः समगृणन् युतम् अष्ट-भोगैः ॥ [भ्प् ३.१५.४५] श्री-कुमारा ऊचुः यो ऽन्तर्हितो हृदि गतो ऽपि दुरात्मनां त्वं सो ऽद्यैव नो नयन-मूलम् अनन्त राद्धः । यर्ह्य् एव कर्ण-विवरेण गुहां गतो नः पित्रानुवर्णित-रहा भवद्-उद्भवेन ॥ [भ्प् ३.१५.४६] तं त्वां विदाम भगवन् परम् आत्म-तत्त्वं सत्त्वेन सम्प्रति रतिं रचयन्तम् एषाम् । यत् ते ऽनुताप-विदितैर् दृढ-भक्ति-योगैर् उद्ग्रन्थयो हृदि विदुर् मुनयो विरागाः ॥ [भ्प् ३.१५.४७] नात्यन्तिकं विगणयन्त्य् अपि ते प्रसादं किम्व् अन्यद् अर्पित-भयं भ्रुव उन्नयैस् ते । ये ऽङ्ग त्वद्-अङ्घ्रि-शरणा भवतः कथायाः कीर्तन्य-तीर्थ-यशसः कुशला रस-ज्ञाः ॥ [भ्प् ३.१५.४८] कामं भवः स्व-वृजिनैर् निरयेषु नः स्ताच् चेतो ऽलिवद् यदि नु ते पदयो रमेत । वाचश् च नस् तुलसिवद् यदि ते ऽङ्घ्रि-शोभाः पूर्येत ते गुण-गणैर् यदि कर्ण-रन्ध्रः ॥ [भ्प् ३.१५.४९] प्रादुश्चकर्थ यद् इदं पुरुहूत रूपं तेनेश निर्वृतिम् अवापुर् अलं दृशो नः । तस्मा इदं भगवते नम इद् विधेम यो ऽनात्मनां दुरुदयो भगवान् प्रतीतः ॥ [भ्प् ३.१५.५०] अथ क्रमेण व्याख्यायते । एवं तदैवेति । टीका च - एवं स्वानां महत्सु अतिक्रमम् अपतराधं तत्-क्षणम् एव विबुध्य, तस्मिन् यत्र ते सनकादयस् ताभ्यां जय-विजयाभ्यां रुद्धाः । तं देशं ययौ । आर्याणां हृद्यः मनोज्ञः । चरणौ चलयन्न् इति । अयं भावः - मच्- चरण-दर्शन्-प्रतिघातजं क्रोधं तौ दर्शयन् शमयिष्यामीति त्वरा- व्याजेन पद्भ्याम् एव ययौ । श्री-साहित्यं च निष्कामान् अपि विभूतिभिः पूरयित्वा क्षमापयितुम् इति । इत्य् एषा । अत्र तेषाम् आत्मारामाणाम् अप्य् आनन्द-दानार्थं चरण-दर्शनेन तस्य सच्चिदानन्द-घनत्वं । श्री-साहित्येन तच्-छक्ति-विलासस्यापि स्वरूपानितरत्वं विवक्षितम् । स्वानाम् इति बहु-वचनं द्वयोर् अप्य् अपराधः सर्वेष्व् एव परिवारेष्व् आपततीत्य् अपेक्षया तयोर् बहुमानाद् वा । स्व-शब्देन मुनीनां न तादृशं तद्-आत्मीयत्वम् इति विवक्षितम् । तत्र तैर् दृष्टं देवम् अनुवर्णयति पञ्चभिः । तं त्व् आगतम् इति । ते सनकादयः स्व-समधिना भाग्यं भजनीयं फलं यद् ब्रह्म तद् एवाक्ष-विषयं । यद् वा स्व-समाधेः स्वय्स हृदि ब्रह्माकारेण पर-तत्त्व- स्फूर्तेर् भाग्यं फल-रूपं । यतोऽक्ष-विषयं तदीय-स्व-प्रकाशकता- शक्ति-संस्कृत-निखिल-धीन्द्रिय-स्फुरितत्वेन सम्प्रति विस्पष्टम् एवानुभूय-मानम् । अनेन पूर्ववत् तस्य शब्द-स्पर्श-रूप-रस- गन्धाख्यानां सर्वेषाम् एव धर्माणां सच्-चिद्-आनन्द-घनात्मत्वं साधितम् । तथा नित्यम् एव तथाविध-सततोदित्वर-माधुरी- वैचित्र्यानुभव-पूर्वकं परम-प्रेमानन्द-सन्दोहेन सेवमानैस् तस्यात्मीयैः पुरुषैर् आनीत सेवोपविक [?] -नाना-वस्तुभिः सेव्यमानं भगवन्तं कथञ्चित् क्वचित् कदाचिद् एव तदानीं केनापि समाधिज- भाग्योदयेन केवलम् अपश्यन्न् इति तेषां परम-विदुषां स्पृहास्पदावस्थेषु श्री-वैकुण्ठ-पुरुषेषु कस्या अपि भगवद्-आनन्द- शक्तेर् विलास-मयत्वं दर्शितम् । अथ तेषां भगवद्-रतेर् उद्दीपनत्वेन चित्त-क्षोभकत्वात् तत्- परिच्छदादीनाम् अपि तादृशत्वम् आह हंसेति सार्धैस् त्रिभिः । केशरा मुक्ता-मय-प्रलम्बाः । कृत्स्न-प्रसादेति । कृत्स्नस्य द्वार-पाल-मुनि- वृन्दस्य प्रसादे सुमुखम् इति स्पृहणीयानां गुणानां धाम स्थानम् इति । तत्-तद्-गुणानां तादृशत्वं दर्शितम् । स्नेहावलोकेति विलासस्य । स्वः सुख- भोग-स्थानानि नित्यानन्तानन्द-रूपित्वात् । तेषां चूडामणिम् आत्म-धिष्ण्यं स्व-स्वरूपं स्थानं श्री-वैकुण्ठं । तादृशत्वेऽप्य् उरसि शोभितया श्रिया कृत्वा सुभगयन्तम् इव तत्र भूषण-विशेषं निदधानम् इव । इवेति वाक्यालङ्कारे । अनेन श्रीवैकुण्ठस्य । उक्तं च तद्-विश्व-गुर्व् इत्यादौ आपुः परां मुदम् इत्य् आदि [भ्प् ३.१६.२६] । वक्ष्यते च -- अथ ते मुनयो दृष्ट्वा नयनानन्द-भाजनम् । वैकुण्ठं तद्-अधिष्ठानं विकुण्ठं च स्वयं-प्रभम् ॥ [भ्प् ३.१६.२७] भगवन्तं परिक्रम्य प्रणिपत्यानुमान्य च । प्रतिजग्मुः प्रमुदिताः शंसन्तो वैष्णवीं श्रियम् ॥ [भ्प् ३.१६.२८] पीतांशुके इति । काञ्च्या वनमालया चेत्य् अत्रेत्थ्मभूत-लक्षणे तृतीया । विद्युद् इति । हरता मनोहरेण । तद् एवं परिच्छदादीनाम् अपि तादृशत्वं वर्णयित्वा पुनस् तस्यैवाति-मनो- हरत्वम् आह अवोपसृष्टम् इति[*एन्द्नोते #२५] । इन्दिराया उत्स्मितं गर्वः अव भगवति उपसृष्टं । अस्य कान्तस्य नित्येन लाभेन नित्यम् एवाधिकम् आविर्भावितम् इति तदीयानां धिया वितर्कितम् । अत्र हेतुः - बहु- सौष्ठवाढ्यम् अनन्त-स्वरूप-गुण-सम्पद्भिर् युक्तम् । नन्व् एवम्भूतस्य लक्ष्म्या अपि रहस्यमहानिधिरूपस्य परम-वस्तुनः कथं प्रकाशः स्मभवतीत्य् अत आह मह्यम् इति । मदादीनां भक्तानां कृते अङ्गं भजन्तं मूर्तिं प्रकटयन्तम् अस्मद्-विषयकम् अङ्गीकारं भजन्तम् इत्य् अर्थः । उल्लङ्घित-त्रिविध-सीम-समातिशायि- सम्भावनं तव परिव्रढिम-स्वभावम् माया-बलेन भवतापि निगुह्यमानं पश्यन्ति केचिद् अनिशं त्वद्-अनन्य-भावाः ॥ [स्तोत्र-रत्न, १३] इतिवत् । भक्तिर् एवैनं नयति भक्तिर् एवैनं दर्शयतीत्य् आदि श्रुतेः । तथाभूतं तम् अचक्षतेति । निरीक्ष्य च मुदा कैः शिरोभिर् नेमुः । न विशेषेण तृप्ता दृशो नेत्राणि येषां ते । तस्येति [३.१५.४३]। टीका च - स्वरूपानन्दाद् अपि तेषां भजनानन्दाधिक्यम् इत्य् आह । तस्य पदारविन्द-किञ्जल्कैः केशरैर् मिश्रा या तुलसी तस्या मकरन्देन युक्तो यो वायुः, स्व-विवरेण नासा-च्छिद्रेण, अक्षर-जुषां ब्रह्मानन्द-सेविनाम् अपि, संक्षोभं चित्तेऽतिहर्षं तनौ रोमाञ्चम् । इत्य् एषा ॥ अत्र पदयोर् अरविन्द-किञ्जल्क-मिश्रा या तुलसीति व्याख्येयम् । अरविन्द- तुलस्यौ च तदानीं वन-माला-स्थिते एव ज्ञेये । अस्तु तावद्-भगवद्-आत्म- भूतानां तेषाम् अङ्गोपाङ्गानां तेषु क्षोभ-कारित्वं तत्-समन्धि- समन्धिनो वायोर् अपीति भावः । हर्ष-कारितं सम्भ्रमम् आह द्वाभ्याम् । ते वा [३.१५.४४] इति । ते वै किल, वदनम् एव असित-पद्म-कोषः ईषद्-विकसितं नीलाम्बुजं तं उत् ऊर्ध्वं वीक्ष्य लब्ध-मनोरथाः सन्तः, नया एवारुण-मणयः तेषां श्रयणम् आश्रय-भूतं अङ्घ्रि-द्वन्द्वं पुनर् अवेक्ष्य अधो-दृष्ट्या वीक्ष्य पुनः पुनर् एवं वीक्ष्य युगपत् सर्वाङ्ग-लावण्य-ग्रहणाशक्तेः पश्चान् निदधुश् चिन्तयामासुः, युगपद् एव कथम् इदम् इदं सर्वं पश्येमेत्य्- उत्कण्ठाभिः स्थायिभाव-पोषकं चिन्ताख्यं भावम् आपुर् इत्य् अर्थः । पुंसाम् इति । बहु-मतं ब्रह्मणोऽपि धन-प्रकाशत्वाद् अत्यादरास्पदम् । पौंस्नं [?] वपुर् दर्शयानम् इति । पुरुषस्य गर्भोद-शायिनो गुणावतार- रूपं श्री-विष्ण्व्-आख्यं यद् वपुस् तद् अभिन्नतया स्वं वपुर् दर्शयन्तं, न तु ब्रह्मादिवद् अन्यथात्वेनेत्य् अर्थः । अनन्येन स्वेनैव सिद्धै`स्वरूप- भूतैर् इत्य् अर्थः । अतएवोत्पत्तिकैः तद्वद् एवानादि-सिद्धैर् इत्य् अर्थः । अणिमाद्य्-अष्टैश्वर्य-युतं विशिष्टं न तूपलक्षितम् । अनेन त्तेषां स्तुत्य्- आस्पद-विशेषणत्वेन ऐश्वर्योपलक्षित-समस्त-भगानां तादृशत्वं व्यञ्जितम् । समगृणन् सम्यग् अस्तुवन्न् इति । अथ श्री-भगवतस् तादृश-भाव-व्यञ्जिनीं निजाम् उक्तिं तेषाम् एव स्व- हार्दाभिव्यक्ति-करेण स्तुति-वाक्येन प्रमाणयति, श्री-कुमारा ऊचुर् इति । स्तुतिम् आह य इति पञ्चभिः । अत्राक्षर-जुषाम् अपि [भ्प् ३.१५.४३] इत्य् अनुसृत्य व्याख्यायते । नित्यं ब्रम-रूपेण प्रकाशसे न तच् चित्रम् । इदानीं तु विशुद्ध-सत्त्व-लक्सणेन स्वरूप-शक्ति-वृत्ति-विशेषेण प्रकाशितया घन- प्रकाश-पर-तत्त्वैक-रूपया मूर्त्या प्रत्यक्षोऽसि, अहो भाग्यम् अस्माकम् इत्य् आहुः । हे अनन्त यस् त्वं हृद्-गतोऽपि दुरात्मनाम् अन्तर्हितो न स्फुरसि, स नोऽस्माकम् अन्तर्हितो न भवसि, नयन-मूलं त्वयैव राद्धः प्राप्तोऽसि । तथा च - अपि संराधने प्रत्यक्षानुमानाभ्यां इत्य् अस्य विषय-वाक्यम् पराञ्चि यानि व्यतृणत् स्वयम्भूस् तस्मात् पराङ् पश्यसि नान्तरात्मन् । कश्चिद् धीरः प्रत्यग्-आत्मानम् ऐक्षद् आवृत्त-चक्षुर् अमृतत्वम् इच्छन्न् इति । अन्तर्धानाभावे हेतुः भवद्-उद्भवेन ब्रह्मणा तेनास्मत्-पित्रा यर्हि यदैवानुवर्णित-रहा उद्दिष्ट-ब्रह्माख्य-रहस्यः, तदैव नः कर्म- मार्गेण तद्-रूपतया गुहाः बुद्धिं गतोऽस्मीति । ननु, पित्रोपदिष्टं भवताम् अदृश्यम् आत्म-तत्त्वाख्यं रहः, अहं त्व् अन्य एव स्यां दृश्यत्वात् । नैवम् । अस्मत् प्रत्य् अभिज्ञया भेद-निरासाद् इत्य् आहुः तं त्वाम् इति । हे भगवन् परं केवलम् आत्म-तत्त्वं ब्रह्म-स्वरूपं त्वां विदाम विद्मः प्रत्यभिजानीमः । केन प्रत्यभिजानीथ? सम्प्रति अधुना सत्त्वेन, अस्मास्व् एतद्-रूपाविर्भावेन । एतावन्तं कालं न ज्ञातवन्तो वयं, अधुना तु साक्षाद्-अनुभवेन निश्चितवन्तः स्म इत्य् अर्थः । त्वं शुद्ध- चित्त-वृत्तौ ब्रह्मवत् नेत्रेऽप्य् अस्माकं स्फुरसि, न तु दृश्यत्वेनेति भावः । न केवलं प्रत्यभिज्ञा-मात्रम् इत्य् आहुः । एषाम् अस्माकं रतिं रचयन्तम् अन्यथा रतिर् अपि त्वय्य् अस्माकं नोद्भवेद् इति भावः । निरहं-मानादित्वेनान्येषाम् अप्य् आत्मारामाणाम् अन्यतो रत्य्-अभावम् एव द्योतयन्तस् तद्-आत्म-तत्त्वम् आहुः तत्रैव साधन-वशिष्ट्यात् किम् अपि वैशिष्ट्यं चाहुः । यत् त्वद्-रूपत्वेनाविर्भवद्-आत्म-तत्त्वं तेऽनुतापः कृपा, तेनैव विदितैर् दृढ-भक्ति-योगैर् विदुः । यद् वा अनुतापो दैन्यं तेन विदितैस् ते तव दृढ-भक्ति-योगैः । कीदृशाः ? उद्ग्रन्थयो निरहं-मानाः । अतएव विरागाः । तद् एवं पित्रानुवर्णित-रहा इत्य् अत्र रहः-शब्दश् चतुः- श्लोकी-रीत्या प्रेम-भक्तेर् एव वाचक इति व्यञ्जितम् । अथ पूर्वम् अभेद-मतयोऽपि सम्प्रति स्वरूपानन्द-शक्ति-विलासैर् विचित्रित- मतयो भूयोऽपि भेदात्मिकां भक्तिम् एव प्रार्थयितुं भक्तानां सुखातिशयम् आहुः, नात्यन्तिकम् इति । आत्यन्तिकं मोक्ष-लक्षणं प्रसादम् अपि, किम् उतान्यद् इन्द्रादि-पदम् । इदानीं स्वापराधं द्योतयन्तो भक्तिं प्रार्थयन्ते कामम् इति । हे भगवन्म्, अतः पूर्वम् अस्माकं वृजिनं नाभवत् । इदानीं तु सर्वाण्य् अपि जातानि यतस् त्वद्-भक्तौ शप्तौ । अतस् तैर् वृजिनैर् निरयेषु कामं नोऽस्माकं भवो जन्म स्यात् । अनेन तद्-अधिगम उत्तर-पूर्वार्धयोर् अश्लेष-विनाशौ तद्-व्यपदेशाद् इति न्यायेनासम्भव-तद्-भावानां ब्रह्म- ज्ञानिनाम् अपि स्वेषां बहु-नरक-कारि-वृजिनापात-क्षमापणेन तयोर् इत्थम्भूत-गुणो हरिर् इतिवत् सर्वाद्भुत-महत्तमत्वं सूचितम् । अहो निरया अपि भवेयुर् एव, न तावतापि पर्याप्तं, तेभ्यश् च नास्माकम् अपि भयम् । अत्र तु मूलं दुष्फलं भगवत्-पराङ्-मुखी-भाव एव, स त्व् अस्माकं माभूद् इति सकाकु प्रार्थयन्ते । नु वितर्के । यदि तु नश् चेतस् ते पदयो रमेत, तत्राप्य् अलिरद् एव केवल-तन्-माधुर्यास्वादापेक्षया, न तु ब्रह्मात्मानुभवापेक्षया, एवं वाचश् चेत्य् आदि । अत्र भतापराधस्य भगवता क्षमा तद्-इच्छा-मात्र-कृत-तत्-क्रोध-जननात् तेषाम् अपराधाभासत्वेनेति ज्ञेयम् । श्लोक-द्वयेऽस्मिन् कैवल्यान् नरकोऽपि त्वद्-भक्ति-मात्रं कामयमानानाम् अस्माकं तद्-अविरोधत्वात् श्रेयान् इति स्वारस्य-लब्धं, तथापीत्थं कृतार्थत्वम् अस्माकम् अतिचित्रम् इत्य् आहुः प्रादुर् इति । अनात्मनाम् आत्मनस् तव एकान्त-भक्ति-रहितानाम् अप्रकटोऽपि इत् इत्थं यः प्रतीतोऽसि, तस्मै तुभ्यं नम इदं विधेमेति । तत्रैतद् उक्तं भवति । एते ब्रह्म-विद्या- सिद्धानां परावर-गुरूणाम् अपि गुरवः । अतएव परमहंस-महा- मुनीनाम् इत्य् उक्तम् । तं त्वाम् अहं ज्ञान-घनं स्वभाव- प्रध्वस्त-माया-गुण-भेद-मोहैः । सनन्दनाद्यैर् हृदि संविभाव्यम्[*एन्द्नोते #२६] [भ्प् ९.८.२३] इति श्रीमद्-अंशुमद्-वाक्यादौ इहात्म-तत्त्वं सम्यग् जगाद मुनयो यद् अचक्षतात्मन्न् इति [भ्प् २.७.५] ब्रह्म-वाक्यादौ, तस्मै मृदित-कषायाय तमसः पारं दर्शयति भगवान् सनत्-कुमार इत्य् आदि श्रुतौ च तथा प्रसिद्धम् । आसन् नानुभवस्यैव तु सिद्धस्याणिमादिभिर् विघ्नोऽपि सम्भाव्यः । न तु सिद्धानुभवस्य, तं सप्रपञ्चम् अधिरूढ-समाधि- योगः स्वाप्नं पुनर् न भजते प्रतिबुद्ध-वस्तुर् इति [भ्प् ३.२८.३८] श्री- कपिल-देव-वाक्यात् । अतेव तेषां प्रध्वस्त-माया-गुण-भेद-मोहानां क्रोधादिकम् अपि दुर्घट-घटना-कारिण्या श्री-भगवद्-इच्छयैव जातम् इति तैर् अपि व्याख्यातम् । तद् एवं तेषां सतत-ब्रह्मानन्द-मग्नत्वं सिद्धम् । तद् उक्तम् - अक्षर-जुषाम् अपीति [भ्प् ३.१५.४३], योऽन्तर्हित [भ्प् ३.१५.४६] इत्य् आदि च । श्रूयते चान्यत्र ब्रह्म-जुषाम् अविक्षिप्त-चित्तत्वम् । यथा सप्तमे श्री- नारद-वाक्यम् - कामादिभिर् अनाबिद्धं प्रशान्ताखिल-वृत्तिर् यत् । चित्तं ब्रह्म-सुख-स्पृष्टं नैवोत्तिष्ठेत कर्हिचित् ॥ इति [भ्प् ७.१५.३५] तथापि तेषां भगवद्-आनन्दाकृष्ट-चित्तत्वम् उच्यते । एवम् अन्येषाम् अप्य् आत्मारामाणां तादृशत्वं श्रूयते । स्व-सुख-निभृत-चेतास् तद्-व्युदस् तान्य् अभावोऽप्य् अजित-रुचिर-लीलाकृष्ट-सारः [भ्प् १२.१२.६८] इत्य् आदिषु । अथ लोक-सङ्ग्रहार्थैर् वेषा तेषां भक्ति-प्रक्रिया प्राचीन-संस्कार-वशा वा ? नैवम् । उभयत्रापि वासो यथा परिकृतं मदिरा-मदान्ध [भ्प् ३.२८.३७] इतिवत् तत्रावेशासम्भवात् । दृश्यते त्व् अन्यत्रानावेशः मानसा मे सुता युष्मत्-पूर्वजाः सनकादयः । चेरुर् विहायसा लोकान् लोकेषु विगत- स्पृहा [भ्प् ३.१५.१२] इत्य् अभिधानात् । भगवति त्व् आवेशः परमहंस- महामुनीनाम् अन्वेषणीय-चरणौ [भ्प् ३.१५.३७] इत्य् अत्र यादृच्छिकताविरोध्य्-अन्वेषणीयत्वाभिधानात् । पञ्चमे तु, असङ्ग-निशित- ज्ञानानल-विधूताशेष-मलानां भवत्-स्वभाव-नामात्मरामाणां मुनीनाम् अनवरत-परिगुणित-गुण-गण [भ्प् ५.३.११] इत्य् अत्र गद्ये तद्-एक- निष्ठत्वम् अप्य् उक्तम् । अजित-रुचिर-लीलाकृष्ट-सार इत्य् [भ्प् १२.१२.६९] अत्रैव च । अत्रापि तेनेश निवृत्तिम् अवापुर् अलं दृशो न [भ्प् ३.१५.५०] इत्य् आदौ सुखदत्वम् अपि साक्षाद् एवोक्तम् । अत्र पूर्वोक्त-हेतोश् च स्तुतौ प्रतुतोपालम्भ-प्रसङ्गाच् च स्नेहावलोक-कलया हृदि संस्पृशन्तम् इति [भ्प् ३.१५.३९] साक्षाद् उक्तेश् च दृशाम् एव सुखं जातम् इत्य् अनासक्तिर् एव व्यञ्जितेत्य् अपि न व्याख्येयम् । तस्माद् आत्मारामाणां रमणास्पदत्वाद् ब्रह्माख्यम् आत्म-वस्त्व् एव श्री- भगवान् । तत्रापि चकार तेषां संक्षोभम् अक्षर-जुषाम् अपि चित्त-तन्वोर् इति [भ्प् ३.१५.४३] श्रवणात् ततोऽपि घन-प्रकाशः । तत् तद् विचित्र-श्री-भगवद्- अङ्गोपाङ्गाद्य्-अभिनिवेश-दर्शनानन्द-वैचित्री चोपलभ्यते, सा चान्यथानुपपत्त्या स्वरूप-शक्ति-विलास-रूपैवेति । ननु, भवतु तेषाम् आनन्दाधिक्यात् तस्मिन्निर्विशेष-स्वरूपानन्दस्यैव घन-प्रकाशता, उपाधि-वैशिष्ट्यात् । यतः, विशुद्ध-सत्त्वांश-भावितायां चित्त-वृत्तौ यद् ब्रह्म स्फुरति । तद् एव घनीभूताखण्ड-विशुद्ध-सत्त्व- मये भगवति स्फुरत्-तद्-अध्यस्ततया तदैक्यम् आपन्नायां तस्यां विशेषत एव स्फुरति । अतएव श्री-विग्रहादि-पर-ब्रह्मणोर् अभेद-वाक्यम् अपि तद् अत्यन्त-तादात्म्यापेक्षयैव । अतएव तत्र तत्रोपाधाव् एक एव निर्भेद-परमानन्दः समुपलभ्यते, न तु विशेषाकार-गन्धोऽपि, तत् तद् उपाधेर् अपेक्षणं तु प्रतिपद-तद्-आनन्द-समाधि-कौतुक-निबन्धनं तस्मात् कथम् अनेन प्रमाणेन तत्-तद्-उपाधीनाम् अपि पर-तत्त्वाकारत्वं साध्यते इति । उच्यते - भवन्-मते तावत् शुद्ध-चित्त-वृत्तौ पर-ब्रह्म स्फुरति सम्यग् एव स्फुरति । भेदांश-लेश-परित्यागेनैव ब्रह्म- विद्यात्वाङ्गीकारात् । असम्यग्-ज्ञानस्य तत्त्वानङ्गीकारात् तेन कैवल्यासम्भवाच् च । अतो न श्री-विग्रहादाव् अधिकाविर्भावाङ्गीकारो युज्यते । किं च, शुद्ध-सत्त्व-मया विग्रहादि-लक्षणोपाधय इति वदतस् तव कोऽभिप्रायः ? किं तत् परिणामास् ते तत्-प्रचुरा वा ? नाद्यः, रजोऽसद्- भावेन परिणामासम्भव इति ह्य् उक्तम् । न चान्त्यः, येषु विग्रहादिषु तत्- प्राचुर्यं ते मिश्र-सत्त्वस्य कार्य-भूता इत्य् अर्थापत्तौ सत्त्वं विशुद्धं श्रयते भवान् स्थितौ [भ्प् १०.२.३४] इत्य् आदि-वचन-जाते विशुद्ध-पद- वैयर्थ्यम् इति चोक्तम् एव । अस्तु वा विमिश्रत्वं तथापि तादृशे ब्रह्म- स्फुरण-योग्यतैव न सम्भवेत् किं पुनर् विशेषणेत्य् उद्देश्य-विस्मृतिश् च स्यात् । अथाखण्ड-विशुद्ध-सत्त्वाश्रयत्वेन तेऽपि तद्-रूपतयैवोच्यन्ते । ततश् च तेष्व् अनुभूताखण्ड-शुद्ध-सत्त्वे तस्मिन् ब्रह्मानुभवन्तीति चेत्, तत् अयुक्तं कल्पना-गौरवात्, तेऽचक्षताक्ष-विषयं स्व-समाधि-भाग्यम् इति [भ्प् ३.१५.३८] साक्षाद् एव गोचरी-कृतत्वेन उक्ततया परम्परा-दृष्टत्व- प्रतिघाताच् च । तस्य शुद्ध-सत्त्वस्य प्राकृतत्वं तु निषिद्धम् एव । तस्मान् न ते प्राकृत-सत्त्व-परिणामा न वा तत्-प्रचुराः, किन्तु स्व-प्रकाशत्ता- लक्षण-शुद्ध-सत्त्व-प्रकाशिता इति प्राक्तनम् एवोक्तं व्यक्तम् । अतएव तेषाम् उपाधित्व-निराकृतेस् तत्-तद्-अनुभवानन्द-वैचित्री च सम्पद्यते । तथैव तम् एवम् एवम्भूतम् अचक्षतेति तत्-तद्-विषय-सौन्दर्य-वर्णनन्ं प्रस्तुतोपकारित्वात् सार्थकं स्यात् । अखण्ड-शुद्ध-सत्त्व-मय- मात्रेणैवाभिप्रेत-सिद्धेः । अतएव निरीक्ष्य च न वितृप्त-दृश [भ्प् ३.१५.४२] इति दृक्-सम्बन्धि -त्वद्-रूप-कृतैवातृप्तिर् उक्ता । तथैव च शब्देनैवाक्षर-जयित्वं पदारविन्द-परिमलात्मक-वायु- लक्षणस्यतद्-विशेषस्यदर्शितम् । अन्यथोभयत्रापि ब्रह्मानन्दस्यैव निर्विशेषतयोपलभ्यमानत्वे विद्याजुषाम् अपीत्युपाधि-प्रधानम् एवोच्यते । उपाधि-युगलस्यैव मिथः स्पर्धित्व-प्राप्तेः । अनेनाक्षरानुभव- मुख-जयित्व-कथनेन वैशिष्ठादीनं पुत्र-शोकादिकम् इव तद्- आवेशाभास एवायम् इत्य् अपि निरस्तम् । अत एवम् एवोक्तं श्री-स्वामिभिरपि स्वरूपानन्दाद् अपि तेषां भजनानन्दाधिक्यम् आहेति । तस्माद् अस्ति वैचित्र्यम् । इति । अतएव तैर् अपि विचित्रतयैव प्रार्थितं चेतोऽलिवद् यदि नु ते पदयो रमेत [भ्प् ३.१५.४९] इत्य् आदौ । अक्क चेन् मधु विन्देत किम् अर्थं पर्वतं व्रजेत् इति न्यायेन तद्-उपाध्य्-अन्तरान्वेषण-वैयर्थ्यात् तेषाम् अतद्-अन्वेषण-कौतुकाभावाच् च । किं च, न तेषाम् अभेदात्मकोऽनुभवो वा दृश्यते, प्रत्युत नेमुर् निरीक्ष्य न वितृप्त-दृशो मुदा कैः [भ्प् ३.१५.४२], कामं भवः स्व-वृजिनैर् निरयेषु नः स्ताद् इत्य् आदौ [भ्प् ३.१५.४९], तत्-प्रतियोगि-नमस्काराद्य्-उपलक्षित- भेदात्मक-भक्ति-सुखम् एव दृश्यते । तस्मान् मायिकोपाधि-निहीनत्वाद्- धेयांशतया प्रतिभातत्वाच् च न तज्-जातीयं सुखम् अन्य-जातीयं कर्तुं शक्नोतीति सन्त्य् एवान्यथानुपपत्ति-सिद्धायाःस्वरूप-शक्तेर् एव विलासाः । अपि च - अस्तु तावज् जीवन्-मुक्त-दशायां तन्-मते विद्योपाधि- प्रतिफलितस्यैव सतो ब्रह्मणः सकाशात् श्री-भगवतो घन-प्रकाशतो सर्वोपाधि-विनिर्मुक्त-मुक्ति-दशायाम् अपि साक्षात् तादृशतास्त्य् एवेति सुव्यक्तं नात्यन्तिकं विगणयन्त्य् अपि ते प्रसादम् [भ्प् ३.१५.४८] इत्य् आदौ तस्मान् नोपाधितारम्य-चिन्ता । भवतः कथाया [भ्प् ३.१५.४८] इत्य् अनेन निरुपाधि-ब्रह्म-भूताद् उपरि च वैचित्री स्फुटम् एवासौ स्वीकृता । तस्मात् सान्तरङ्ग-वैभवस्य भगवतः सुखैक-रूपत्वं, तद्-रूपत्वेऽपि ब्रह्मतोऽपि घन-प्रकाशत्वं, स्वरूप-शकित्-विलास-वैचित्री चेति विद्वद्- अनुभव-प्रमाणेन निर्णीतम् । तत्र, मुक्ता अपि लीलया विग्रहं कृत्वा भजन्त इति । यं सर्वे देवा आमनन्ति मुमुक्षवो ब्रह्म-वादिनश् चेत्य् अत्र श्रुताव् अद्वैत-वाद-गुरवोऽपि । कृष्णो मुक्तैर् इज्यते वीत-मोहैर् इति भारते । ब्रह्म-भूतः प्रसन्नात्मा न शोचति न काङ्क्षति । समः सर्वेषु भूतेषु मद्-भक्तिं लभते पराम् ॥ इति [गीता १८.५४] श्री-भगवद्-गीतोपनिषत्सु । मुक्तानाम् अपि भक्तिर् हि नित्यानन्द-स्वरूपिणीति भारत-तात्पर्ये प्रमाणिता श्रुतिश् च । तथा आप्रायणात् तत्रापि हि दृष्टम् इत्य् अत्र च मध्व-भाष्य- प्रमाणिता सौपर्ण-श्रुतिः । सर्वदैनम् उपासीत यावन् मुक्तिम् उक्ता ह्य् एनम् उपासत इति । अतेव श्री-प्रह्लाद-बलि-प्रभृति-महाभागवत- सम्बन्धम् अभिप्रेत्य श्री-विष्णु-पुराणे[*एन्द्नोते #२७]ऽप्य् उक्तं पाताले तस्य न प्रीतिर् विमुक्तस्यापि जायते इति । ॥ ३.१५ ॥ श्री-ब्रह्मा देवान् ॥८५॥
[85] evaṃ śāntaraṅga-vaibhavasya bhagavataḥ svarūpa-bhūtayaiva śaktyā prakāśamānatvāt svarūpa-bhūtatvam | sā ca śakti-viśiṣṭasyaiva svarūpatvāt svarūpāntaḥpāte'pi bheda-lakṣaṇāṃ vṛttiṃ bhajantī tatra prakāśa-viśeṣaṃ vaicitrī-vṛndaṃ ca prakaṭayati | tatra tatra tādṛśatve bhramopāsanāsiddha- gurava evāsmākaṃ pramāṇam | tad etad āha caturdaśabhiḥ -- evaṃ tadaiva bhagavān aravinda-nābhaḥ svānāṃ vibudhya sad-atikramam ārya-hṛdyaḥ | tasmin yayau paramahaṃsa-mahā-munīnām anveṣaṇīya-caraṇau calayan saha-śrīḥ || [BhP 3.15.37] taṃ tv āgataṃ pratihṛtaupayikaṃ sva-pumbhis te ñcakṣatākṣa-viṣayaṃ sva-samādhi-bhāgyam | haṃsa-śriyor vyajanayoḥ śiva-vāyu-lolac- chubhrātapatra-śaśi-kesara-śīkarāmbum || [BhP 3.15.38] kṛtsna-prasāda-sumukhaṃ spṛhaṇīya-dhāma snehāvaloka-kalayā hṛdi saṃspṛśantam | śyāme pṛthāv urasi śobhitayā śriyā svaś- cūḍāmaṇiṃ subhagayantam ivātma-dhiṣṇyam || [BhP 3.15.39] pītāṃśuke pṛthu-nitambini visphurantyā kāñcyālibhir virutayā vana-mālayā ca | valgu-prakoṣṭha-valayaṃ vinatā-sutāṃse vinyasta-hastam itareṇa dhunānam abjam || [BhP 3.15.40] vidyut-kṣipan-makara-kuṇḍala-maṇḍanārha- gaṇḍa-sthalonnasa-mukhaṃ maṇimat-kirīṭam | dor-daṇḍa-ṣaṇḍa-vivare haratā parārdhya- hāreṇa kandhara-gatena ca kaustubhena || [BhP 3.15.41] atropasṛṣṭam iti cotsmitam indirāyāḥ svānāṃ dhiyā viracitaṃ bahu-sauṣṭhavāḍhyam | mahyaṃ bhavasya bhavatāṃ ca bhajantam aṅgaṃ nemur nirīkṣya na vitṛpta-dṛśo mudā kaiḥ || [BhP 3.15.42] tasyāravinda-nayanasya padāravinda- kiñjalka-miśra-tulasī-makaranda-vāyuḥ | antar-gataḥ sva-vivareṇa cakāra teṣāṃ saṅkṣobham akṣara-juṣām api citta-tanvoḥ || [BhP 3.15.43] te vā amuṣya vadanāsita-padma-kośam udvīkṣya sundaratarādhara-kunda-hāsam | labdhāśiṣaḥ punar avekṣya tadīyam aṅghri- dvandvaṃ nakhāruṇa-maṇi-śrayaṇaṃ nidadhyuḥ || [BhP 3.15.44] puṃsāṃ gatiṃ mṛgayatām iha yoga-mārgair dhyānāspadaṃ bahu-mataṃ nayanābhirāmam | pauṃsaṃ vapur darśayānam ananya-siddhair autpattikaiḥ samagṛṇan yutam aṣṭa-bhogaiḥ || [BhP 3.15.45] śrī-kumārā ūcuḥ yo 'ntarhito hṛdi gato 'pi durātmanāṃ tvaṃ so 'dyaiva no nayana-mūlam ananta rāddhaḥ | yarhy eva karṇa-vivareṇa guhāṃ gato naḥ pitrānuvarṇita-rahā bhavad-udbhavena || [BhP 3.15.46] taṃ tvāṃ vidāma bhagavan param ātma-tattvaṃ sattvena samprati ratiṃ racayantam eṣām | yat te 'nutāpa-viditair dṛḍha-bhakti-yogair udgranthayo hṛdi vidur munayo virāgāḥ || [BhP 3.15.47] nātyantikaṃ vigaṇayanty api te prasādaṃ kimv anyad arpita-bhayaṃ bhruva unnayais te | ye 'ṅga tvad-aṅghri-śaraṇā bhavataḥ kathāyāḥ kīrtanya-tīrtha-yaśasaḥ kuśalā rasa-jñāḥ || [BhP 3.15.48] kāmaṃ bhavaḥ sva-vṛjinair nirayeṣu naḥ stāc ceto 'livad yadi nu te padayo rameta | vācaś ca nas tulasivad yadi te 'ṅghri-śobhāḥ pūryeta te guṇa-gaṇair yadi karṇa-randhraḥ || [BhP 3.15.49] prāduścakartha yad idaṃ puruhūta rūpaṃ teneśa nirvṛtim avāpur alaṃ dṛśo naḥ | tasmā idaṃ bhagavate nama id vidhema yo 'nātmanāṃ durudayo bhagavān pratītaḥ || [BhP 3.15.50] atha krameṇa vyākhyāyate | evaṃ tadaiveti | ṭīkā ca - evaṃ svānāṃ mahatsu atikramam apatarādhaṃ tat-kṣaṇam eva vibudhya, tasmin yatra te sanakādayas tābhyāṃ jaya-vijayābhyāṃ ruddhāḥ | taṃ deśaṃ yayau | āryāṇāṃ hṛdyaḥ manojñaḥ | caraṇau calayann iti | ayaṃ bhāvaḥ - mac- caraṇa-darśan-pratighātajaṃ krodhaṃ tau darśayan śamayiṣyāmīti tvarā- vyājena padbhyām eva yayau | śrī-sāhityaṃ ca niṣkāmān api vibhūtibhiḥ pūrayitvā kṣamāpayitum iti | ity eṣā | atra teṣām ātmārāmāṇām apy ānanda-dānārthaṃ caraṇa-darśanena tasya saccidānanda-ghanatvaṃ | śrī-sāhityena tac-chakti-vilāsasyāpi svarūpānitaratvaṃ vivakṣitam | svānām iti bahu-vacanaṃ dvayor apy aparādhaḥ sarveṣv eva parivāreṣv āpatatīty apekṣayā tayor bahumānād vā | sva-śabdena munīnāṃ na tādṛśaṃ tad-ātmīyatvam iti vivakṣitam | tatra tair dṛṣṭaṃ devam anuvarṇayati pañcabhiḥ | taṃ tv āgatam iti | te sanakādayaḥ sva-samadhinā bhāgyaṃ bhajanīyaṃ phalaṃ yad brahma tad evākṣa-viṣayaṃ | yad vā sva-samādheḥ svaysa hṛdi brahmākāreṇa para-tattva- sphūrter bhāgyaṃ phala-rūpaṃ | yato'kṣa-viṣayaṃ tadīya-sva-prakāśakatā- śakti-saṃskṛta-nikhila-dhīndriya-sphuritatvena samprati vispaṣṭam evānubhūya-mānam | anena pūrvavat tasya śabda-sparśa-rūpa-rasa- gandhākhyānāṃ sarveṣām eva dharmāṇāṃ sac-cid-ānanda-ghanātmatvaṃ sādhitam | tathā nityam eva tathāvidha-satatoditvara-mādhurī- vaicitryānubhava-pūrvakaṃ parama-premānanda-sandohena sevamānais tasyātmīyaiḥ puruṣair ānīta sevopavika [?] -nānā-vastubhiḥ sevyamānaṃ bhagavantaṃ kathañcit kvacit kadācid eva tadānīṃ kenāpi samādhija- bhāgyodayena kevalam apaśyann iti teṣāṃ parama-viduṣāṃ spṛhāspadāvastheṣu śrī-vaikuṇṭha-puruṣeṣu kasyā api bhagavad-ānanda- śakter vilāsa-mayatvaṃ darśitam | atha teṣāṃ bhagavad-rater uddīpanatvena citta-kṣobhakatvāt tat- paricchadādīnām api tādṛśatvam āha haṃseti sārdhais tribhiḥ | keśarā muktā-maya-pralambāḥ | kṛtsna-prasādeti | kṛtsnasya dvāra-pāla-muni- vṛndasya prasāde sumukham iti spṛhaṇīyānāṃ guṇānāṃ dhāma sthānam iti | tat-tad-guṇānāṃ tādṛśatvaṃ darśitam | snehāvaloketi vilāsasya | svaḥ sukha- bhoga-sthānāni nityānantānanda-rūpitvāt | teṣāṃ cūḍāmaṇim ātma-dhiṣṇyaṃ sva-svarūpaṃ sthānaṃ śrī-vaikuṇṭhaṃ | tādṛśatve'py urasi śobhitayā śriyā kṛtvā subhagayantam iva tatra bhūṣaṇa-viśeṣaṃ nidadhānam iva | iveti vākyālaṅkāre | anena śrīvaikuṇṭhasya | uktaṃ ca tad-viśva-gurv ityādau āpuḥ parāṃ mudam ity ādi [BhP 3.16.26] | vakṣyate ca -- atha te munayo dṛṣṭvā nayanānanda-bhājanam | vaikuṇṭhaṃ tad-adhiṣṭhānaṃ vikuṇṭhaṃ ca svayaṃ-prabham || [BhP 3.16.27] bhagavantaṃ parikramya praṇipatyānumānya ca | pratijagmuḥ pramuditāḥ śaṃsanto vaiṣṇavīṃ śriyam || [BhP 3.16.28] pītāṃśuke iti | kāñcyā vanamālayā cety atretthmabhūta-lakṣaṇe tṛtīyā | vidyud iti | haratā manohareṇa | tad evaṃ paricchadādīnām api tādṛśatvaṃ varṇayitvā punas tasyaivāti-mano- haratvam āha avopasṛṣṭam iti[*ENDNOTE #25] | indirāyā utsmitaṃ garvaḥ ava bhagavati upasṛṣṭaṃ | asya kāntasya nityena lābhena nityam evādhikam āvirbhāvitam iti tadīyānāṃ dhiyā vitarkitam | atra hetuḥ - bahu- sauṣṭhavāḍhyam ananta-svarūpa-guṇa-sampadbhir yuktam | nanv evambhūtasya lakṣmyā api rahasyamahānidhirūpasya parama-vastunaḥ kathaṃ prakāśaḥ smabhavatīty ata āha mahyam iti | madādīnāṃ bhaktānāṃ kṛte aṅgaṃ bhajantaṃ mūrtiṃ prakaṭayantam asmad-viṣayakam aṅgīkāraṃ bhajantam ity arthaḥ | ullaṅghita-trividha-sīma-samātiśāyi- sambhāvanaṃ tava parivraḍhima-svabhāvam māyā-balena bhavatāpi niguhyamānaṃ paśyanti kecid aniśaṃ tvad-ananya-bhāvāḥ || [Stotra-ratna, 13] itivat | bhaktir evainaṃ nayati bhaktir evainaṃ darśayatīty ādi śruteḥ | tathābhūtaṃ tam acakṣateti | nirīkṣya ca mudā kaiḥ śirobhir nemuḥ | na viśeṣeṇa tṛptā dṛśo netrāṇi yeṣāṃ te | tasyeti [3.15.43]| ṭīkā ca - svarūpānandād api teṣāṃ bhajanānandādhikyam ity āha | tasya padāravinda-kiñjalkaiḥ keśarair miśrā yā tulasī tasyā makarandena yukto yo vāyuḥ, sva-vivareṇa nāsā-cchidreṇa, akṣara-juṣāṃ brahmānanda-sevinām api, saṃkṣobhaṃ citte'tiharṣaṃ tanau romāñcam | ity eṣā || atra padayor aravinda-kiñjalka-miśrā yā tulasīti vyākhyeyam | aravinda- tulasyau ca tadānīṃ vana-mālā-sthite eva jñeye | astu tāvad-bhagavad-ātma- bhūtānāṃ teṣām aṅgopāṅgānāṃ teṣu kṣobha-kāritvaṃ tat-samandhi- samandhino vāyor apīti bhāvaḥ | harṣa-kāritaṃ sambhramam āha dvābhyām | te vā [3.15.44] iti | te vai kila, vadanam eva asita-padma-koṣaḥ īṣad-vikasitaṃ nīlāmbujaṃ taṃ ut ūrdhvaṃ vīkṣya labdha-manorathāḥ santaḥ, nayā evāruṇa-maṇayaḥ teṣāṃ śrayaṇam āśraya-bhūtaṃ aṅghri-dvandvaṃ punar avekṣya adho-dṛṣṭyā vīkṣya punaḥ punar evaṃ vīkṣya yugapat sarvāṅga-lāvaṇya-grahaṇāśakteḥ paścān nidadhuś cintayāmāsuḥ, yugapad eva katham idam idaṃ sarvaṃ paśyemety- utkaṇṭhābhiḥ sthāyibhāva-poṣakaṃ cintākhyaṃ bhāvam āpur ity arthaḥ | puṃsām iti | bahu-mataṃ brahmaṇo'pi dhana-prakāśatvād atyādarāspadam | pauṃsnaṃ [?] vapur darśayānam iti | puruṣasya garbhoda-śāyino guṇāvatāra- rūpaṃ śrī-viṣṇv-ākhyaṃ yad vapus tad abhinnatayā svaṃ vapur darśayantaṃ, na tu brahmādivad anyathātvenety arthaḥ | ananyena svenaiva siddhai`svarūpa- bhūtair ity arthaḥ | ataevotpattikaiḥ tadvad evānādi-siddhair ity arthaḥ | aṇimādy-aṣṭaiśvarya-yutaṃ viśiṣṭaṃ na tūpalakṣitam | anena tteṣāṃ stuty- āspada-viśeṣaṇatvena aiśvaryopalakṣita-samasta-bhagānāṃ tādṛśatvaṃ vyañjitam | samagṛṇan samyag astuvann iti | atha śrī-bhagavatas tādṛśa-bhāva-vyañjinīṃ nijām uktiṃ teṣām eva sva- hārdābhivyakti-kareṇa stuti-vākyena pramāṇayati, śrī-kumārā ūcur iti | stutim āha ya iti pañcabhiḥ | atrākṣara-juṣām api [BhP 3.15.43] ity anusṛtya vyākhyāyate | nityaṃ brama-rūpeṇa prakāśase na tac citram | idānīṃ tu viśuddha-sattva-laksaṇena svarūpa-śakti-vṛtti-viśeṣeṇa prakāśitayā ghana- prakāśa-para-tattvaika-rūpayā mūrtyā pratyakṣo'si, aho bhāgyam asmākam ity āhuḥ | he ananta yas tvaṃ hṛd-gato'pi durātmanām antarhito na sphurasi, sa no'smākam antarhito na bhavasi, nayana-mūlaṃ tvayaiva rāddhaḥ prāpto'si | tathā ca - api saṃrādhane pratyakṣānumānābhyāṃ ity asya viṣaya-vākyam parāñci yāni vyatṛṇat svayambhūs tasmāt parāṅ paśyasi nāntarātman | kaścid dhīraḥ pratyag-ātmānam aikṣad āvṛtta-cakṣur amṛtatvam icchann iti | antardhānābhāve hetuḥ bhavad-udbhavena brahmaṇā tenāsmat-pitrā yarhi yadaivānuvarṇita-rahā uddiṣṭa-brahmākhya-rahasyaḥ, tadaiva naḥ karma- mārgeṇa tad-rūpatayā guhāḥ buddhiṃ gato'smīti | nanu, pitropadiṣṭaṃ bhavatām adṛśyam ātma-tattvākhyaṃ rahaḥ, ahaṃ tv anya eva syāṃ dṛśyatvāt | naivam | asmat praty abhijñayā bheda-nirāsād ity āhuḥ taṃ tvām iti | he bhagavan paraṃ kevalam ātma-tattvaṃ brahma-svarūpaṃ tvāṃ vidāma vidmaḥ pratyabhijānīmaḥ | kena pratyabhijānītha? samprati adhunā sattvena, asmāsv etad-rūpāvirbhāvena | etāvantaṃ kālaṃ na jñātavanto vayaṃ, adhunā tu sākṣād-anubhavena niścitavantaḥ sma ity arthaḥ | tvaṃ śuddha- citta-vṛttau brahmavat netre'py asmākaṃ sphurasi, na tu dṛśyatveneti bhāvaḥ | na kevalaṃ pratyabhijñā-mātram ity āhuḥ | eṣām asmākaṃ ratiṃ racayantam anyathā ratir api tvayy asmākaṃ nodbhaved iti bhāvaḥ | nirahaṃ-mānāditvenānyeṣām apy ātmārāmāṇām anyato raty-abhāvam eva dyotayantas tad-ātma-tattvam āhuḥ tatraiva sādhana-vaśiṣṭyāt kim api vaiśiṣṭyaṃ cāhuḥ | yat tvad-rūpatvenāvirbhavad-ātma-tattvaṃ te'nutāpaḥ kṛpā, tenaiva viditair dṛḍha-bhakti-yogair viduḥ | yad vā anutāpo dainyaṃ tena viditais te tava dṛḍha-bhakti-yogaiḥ | kīdṛśāḥ ? udgranthayo nirahaṃ-mānāḥ | ataeva virāgāḥ | tad evaṃ pitrānuvarṇita-rahā ity atra rahaḥ-śabdaś catuḥ- ślokī-rītyā prema-bhakter eva vācaka iti vyañjitam | atha pūrvam abheda-matayo'pi samprati svarūpānanda-śakti-vilāsair vicitrita- matayo bhūyo'pi bhedātmikāṃ bhaktim eva prārthayituṃ bhaktānāṃ sukhātiśayam āhuḥ, nātyantikam iti | ātyantikaṃ mokṣa-lakṣaṇaṃ prasādam api, kim utānyad indrādi-padam | idānīṃ svāparādhaṃ dyotayanto bhaktiṃ prārthayante kāmam iti | he bhagavanm, ataḥ pūrvam asmākaṃ vṛjinaṃ nābhavat | idānīṃ tu sarvāṇy api jātāni yatas tvad-bhaktau śaptau | atas tair vṛjinair nirayeṣu kāmaṃ no'smākaṃ bhavo janma syāt | anena tad-adhigama uttara-pūrvārdhayor aśleṣa-vināśau tad-vyapadeśād iti nyāyenāsambhava-tad-bhāvānāṃ brahma- jñāninām api sveṣāṃ bahu-naraka-kāri-vṛjināpāta-kṣamāpaṇena tayor itthambhūta-guṇo harir itivat sarvādbhuta-mahattamatvaṃ sūcitam | aho nirayā api bhaveyur eva, na tāvatāpi paryāptaṃ, tebhyaś ca nāsmākam api bhayam | atra tu mūlaṃ duṣphalaṃ bhagavat-parāṅ-mukhī-bhāva eva, sa tv asmākaṃ mābhūd iti sakāku prārthayante | nu vitarke | yadi tu naś cetas te padayo rameta, tatrāpy alirad eva kevala-tan-mādhuryāsvādāpekṣayā, na tu brahmātmānubhavāpekṣayā, evaṃ vācaś cety ādi | atra bhatāparādhasya bhagavatā kṣamā tad-icchā-mātra-kṛta-tat-krodha-jananāt teṣām aparādhābhāsatveneti jñeyam | śloka-dvaye'smin kaivalyān narako'pi tvad-bhakti-mātraṃ kāmayamānānām asmākaṃ tad-avirodhatvāt śreyān iti svārasya-labdhaṃ, tathāpītthaṃ kṛtārthatvam asmākam aticitram ity āhuḥ prādur iti | anātmanām ātmanas tava ekānta-bhakti-rahitānām aprakaṭo'pi it itthaṃ yaḥ pratīto'si, tasmai tubhyaṃ nama idaṃ vidhemeti | tatraitad uktaṃ bhavati | ete brahma-vidyā- siddhānāṃ parāvara-gurūṇām api guravaḥ | ataeva paramahaṃsa-mahā- munīnām ity uktam | taṃ tvām ahaṃ jñāna-ghanaṃ svabhāva- pradhvasta-māyā-guṇa-bheda-mohaiḥ | sanandanādyair hṛdi saṃvibhāvyam[*ENDNOTE #26] [BhP 9.8.23] iti śrīmad-aṃśumad-vākyādau ihātma-tattvaṃ samyag jagāda munayo yad acakṣatātmann iti [BhP 2.7.5] brahma-vākyādau, tasmai mṛdita-kaṣāyāya tamasaḥ pāraṃ darśayati bhagavān sanat-kumāra ity ādi śrutau ca tathā prasiddham | āsan nānubhavasyaiva tu siddhasyāṇimādibhir vighno'pi sambhāvyaḥ | na tu siddhānubhavasya, taṃ saprapañcam adhirūḍha-samādhi- yogaḥ svāpnaṃ punar na bhajate pratibuddha-vastur iti [BhP 3.28.38] śrī- kapila-deva-vākyāt | ateva teṣāṃ pradhvasta-māyā-guṇa-bheda-mohānāṃ krodhādikam api durghaṭa-ghaṭanā-kāriṇyā śrī-bhagavad-icchayaiva jātam iti tair api vyākhyātam | tad evaṃ teṣāṃ satata-brahmānanda-magnatvaṃ siddham | tad uktam - akṣara-juṣām apīti [BhP 3.15.43], yo'ntarhita [BhP 3.15.46] ity ādi ca | śrūyate cānyatra brahma-juṣām avikṣipta-cittatvam | yathā saptame śrī- nārada-vākyam - kāmādibhir anābiddhaṃ praśāntākhila-vṛttir yat | cittaṃ brahma-sukha-spṛṣṭaṃ naivottiṣṭheta karhicit || iti [BhP 7.15.35] tathāpi teṣāṃ bhagavad-ānandākṛṣṭa-cittatvam ucyate | evam anyeṣām apy ātmārāmāṇāṃ tādṛśatvaṃ śrūyate | sva-sukha-nibhṛta-cetās tad-vyudas tāny abhāvo'py ajita-rucira-līlākṛṣṭa-sāraḥ [BhP 12.12.68] ity ādiṣu | atha loka-saṅgrahārthair veṣā teṣāṃ bhakti-prakriyā prācīna-saṃskāra-vaśā vā ? naivam | ubhayatrāpi vāso yathā parikṛtaṃ madirā-madāndha [BhP 3.28.37] itivat tatrāveśāsambhavāt | dṛśyate tv anyatrānāveśaḥ mānasā me sutā yuṣmat-pūrvajāḥ sanakādayaḥ | cerur vihāyasā lokān lokeṣu vigata- spṛhā [BhP 3.15.12] ity abhidhānāt | bhagavati tv āveśaḥ paramahaṃsa- mahāmunīnām anveṣaṇīya-caraṇau [BhP 3.15.37] ity atra yādṛcchikatāvirodhy-anveṣaṇīyatvābhidhānāt | pañcame tu, asaṅga-niśita- jñānānala-vidhūtāśeṣa-malānāṃ bhavat-svabhāva-nāmātmarāmāṇāṃ munīnām anavarata-pariguṇita-guṇa-gaṇa [BhP 5.3.11] ity atra gadye tad-eka- niṣṭhatvam apy uktam | ajita-rucira-līlākṛṣṭa-sāra ity [BhP 12.12.69] atraiva ca | atrāpi teneśa nivṛttim avāpur alaṃ dṛśo na [BhP 3.15.50] ity ādau sukhadatvam api sākṣād evoktam | atra pūrvokta-hetoś ca stutau pratutopālambha-prasaṅgāc ca snehāvaloka-kalayā hṛdi saṃspṛśantam iti [BhP 3.15.39] sākṣād ukteś ca dṛśām eva sukhaṃ jātam ity anāsaktir eva vyañjitety api na vyākhyeyam | tasmād ātmārāmāṇāṃ ramaṇāspadatvād brahmākhyam ātma-vastv eva śrī- bhagavān | tatrāpi cakāra teṣāṃ saṃkṣobham akṣara-juṣām api citta-tanvor iti [BhP 3.15.43] śravaṇāt tato'pi ghana-prakāśaḥ | tat tad vicitra-śrī-bhagavad- aṅgopāṅgādy-abhiniveśa-darśanānanda-vaicitrī copalabhyate, sā cānyathānupapattyā svarūpa-śakti-vilāsa-rūpaiveti | nanu, bhavatu teṣām ānandādhikyāt tasminnirviśeṣa-svarūpānandasyaiva ghana-prakāśatā, upādhi-vaiśiṣṭyāt | yataḥ, viśuddha-sattvāṃśa-bhāvitāyāṃ citta-vṛttau yad brahma sphurati | tad eva ghanībhūtākhaṇḍa-viśuddha-sattva- maye bhagavati sphurat-tad-adhyastatayā tadaikyam āpannāyāṃ tasyāṃ viśeṣata eva sphurati | ataeva śrī-vigrahādi-para-brahmaṇor abheda-vākyam api tad atyanta-tādātmyāpekṣayaiva | ataeva tatra tatropādhāv eka eva nirbheda-paramānandaḥ samupalabhyate, na tu viśeṣākāra-gandho'pi, tat tad upādher apekṣaṇaṃ tu pratipada-tad-ānanda-samādhi-kautuka-nibandhanaṃ tasmāt katham anena pramāṇena tat-tad-upādhīnām api para-tattvākāratvaṃ sādhyate iti | ucyate - bhavan-mate tāvat śuddha-citta-vṛttau para-brahma sphurati samyag eva sphurati | bhedāṃśa-leśa-parityāgenaiva brahma- vidyātvāṅgīkārāt | asamyag-jñānasya tattvānaṅgīkārāt tena kaivalyāsambhavāc ca | ato na śrī-vigrahādāv adhikāvirbhāvāṅgīkāro yujyate | kiṃ ca, śuddha-sattva-mayā vigrahādi-lakṣaṇopādhaya iti vadatas tava ko'bhiprāyaḥ ? kiṃ tat pariṇāmās te tat-pracurā vā ? nādyaḥ, rajo'sad- bhāvena pariṇāmāsambhava iti hy uktam | na cāntyaḥ, yeṣu vigrahādiṣu tat- prācuryaṃ te miśra-sattvasya kārya-bhūtā ity arthāpattau sattvaṃ viśuddhaṃ śrayate bhavān sthitau [BhP 10.2.34] ity ādi-vacana-jāte viśuddha-pada- vaiyarthyam iti coktam eva | astu vā vimiśratvaṃ tathāpi tādṛśe brahma- sphuraṇa-yogyataiva na sambhavet kiṃ punar viśeṣaṇety uddeśya-vismṛtiś ca syāt | athākhaṇḍa-viśuddha-sattvāśrayatvena te'pi tad-rūpatayaivocyante | tataś ca teṣv anubhūtākhaṇḍa-śuddha-sattve tasmin brahmānubhavantīti cet, tat ayuktaṃ kalpanā-gauravāt, te'cakṣatākṣa-viṣayaṃ sva-samādhi-bhāgyam iti [BhP 3.15.38] sākṣād eva gocarī-kṛtatvena uktatayā paramparā-dṛṣṭatva- pratighātāc ca | tasya śuddha-sattvasya prākṛtatvaṃ tu niṣiddham eva | tasmān na te prākṛta-sattva-pariṇāmā na vā tat-pracurāḥ, kintu sva-prakāśattā- lakṣaṇa-śuddha-sattva-prakāśitā iti prāktanam evoktaṃ vyaktam | ataeva teṣām upādhitva-nirākṛtes tat-tad-anubhavānanda-vaicitrī ca sampadyate | tathaiva tam evam evambhūtam acakṣateti tat-tad-viṣaya-saundarya-varṇananṃ prastutopakāritvāt sārthakaṃ syāt | akhaṇḍa-śuddha-sattva-maya- mātreṇaivābhipreta-siddheḥ | ataeva nirīkṣya ca na vitṛpta-dṛśa [BhP 3.15.42] iti dṛk-sambandhi -tvad-rūpa-kṛtaivātṛptir uktā | tathaiva ca śabdenaivākṣara-jayitvaṃ padāravinda-parimalātmaka-vāyu- lakṣaṇasyatad-viśeṣasyadarśitam | anyathobhayatrāpi brahmānandasyaiva nirviśeṣatayopalabhyamānatve vidyājuṣām apītyupādhi-pradhānam evocyate | upādhi-yugalasyaiva mithaḥ spardhitva-prāpteḥ | anenākṣarānubhava- mukha-jayitva-kathanena vaiśiṣṭhādīnaṃ putra-śokādikam iva tad- āveśābhāsa evāyam ity api nirastam | ata evam evoktaṃ śrī-svāmibhirapi svarūpānandād api teṣāṃ bhajanānandādhikyam āheti | tasmād asti vaicitryam | iti | ataeva tair api vicitratayaiva prārthitaṃ ceto'livad yadi nu te padayo rameta [BhP 3.15.49] ity ādau | akka cen madhu vindeta kim arthaṃ parvataṃ vrajet iti nyāyena tad-upādhy-antarānveṣaṇa-vaiyarthyāt teṣām atad-anveṣaṇa-kautukābhāvāc ca | kiṃ ca, na teṣām abhedātmako'nubhavo vā dṛśyate, pratyuta nemur nirīkṣya na vitṛpta-dṛśo mudā kaiḥ [BhP 3.15.42], kāmaṃ bhavaḥ sva-vṛjinair nirayeṣu naḥ stād ity ādau [BhP 3.15.49], tat-pratiyogi-namaskārādy-upalakṣita- bhedātmaka-bhakti-sukham eva dṛśyate | tasmān māyikopādhi-nihīnatvād- dheyāṃśatayā pratibhātatvāc ca na taj-jātīyaṃ sukham anya-jātīyaṃ kartuṃ śaknotīti santy evānyathānupapatti-siddhāyāḥsvarūpa-śakter eva vilāsāḥ | api ca - astu tāvaj jīvan-mukta-daśāyāṃ tan-mate vidyopādhi- pratiphalitasyaiva sato brahmaṇaḥ sakāśāt śrī-bhagavato ghana-prakāśato sarvopādhi-vinirmukta-mukti-daśāyām api sākṣāt tādṛśatāsty eveti suvyaktaṃ nātyantikaṃ vigaṇayanty api te prasādam [BhP 3.15.48] ity ādau tasmān nopādhitāramya-cintā | bhavataḥ kathāyā [BhP 3.15.48] ity anena nirupādhi-brahma-bhūtād upari ca vaicitrī sphuṭam evāsau svīkṛtā | tasmāt sāntaraṅga-vaibhavasya bhagavataḥ sukhaika-rūpatvaṃ, tad-rūpatve'pi brahmato'pi ghana-prakāśatvaṃ, svarūpa-śakit-vilāsa-vaicitrī ceti vidvad- anubhava-pramāṇena nirṇītam | tatra, muktā api līlayā vigrahaṃ kṛtvā bhajanta iti | yaṃ sarve devā āmananti mumukṣavo brahma-vādinaś cety atra śrutāv advaita-vāda-guravo'pi | kṛṣṇo muktair ijyate vīta-mohair iti bhārate | brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati | samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu mad-bhaktiṃ labhate parām || iti [Gītā 18.54] śrī-bhagavad-gītopaniṣatsu | muktānām api bhaktir hi nityānanda-svarūpiṇīti bhārata-tātparye pramāṇitā śrutiś ca | tathā āprāyaṇāt tatrāpi hi dṛṣṭam ity atra ca madhva-bhāṣya- pramāṇitā sauparṇa-śrutiḥ | sarvadainam upāsīta yāvan muktim uktā hy enam upāsata iti | ateva śrī-prahlāda-bali-prabhṛti-mahābhāgavata- sambandham abhipretya śrī-viṣṇu-purāṇe[*ENDNOTE #27]'py uktaṃ pātāle tasya na prītir vimuktasyāpi jāyate iti | || 3.15 || śrī-brahmā devān ||85||
English translation
English witness · section(s) 75
Anuccheda 75
The devotees who serve Lord Vaikuntha as His direct associates are on the same transcendental platform as the Lord Himself, for without being equally transcendental they could not directly serve Him. This is confirmed by Vedic literature in these words: “One who is not like the Supreme Lord cannot worship or serve Him.” That the eternal associates of the Lord do not have material bodies, senses, and life-airs, as the conditioned souls born in the cycle of samsara do, but instead have spiritual forms made of pure transcendental goodness, is confirmed by the following statement of Srimad Bhagavatam (7.1.35): “The bodies of the inhabitants of Vaikuntha are completely spiritual, having nothing to do with the material body, senses or life air.”*
Bhagavat · Sanskrit §86 · English §76
Source[८६] अतएव शेष-पुरुषार्थ-स्वरूप एवासाव् इति स्फुटम् एवाहुर् गद्येन -- अथानयापि न भवत इज्ययोरु-भार-भरया समुचितम् अर्थम् इहोपलभामहे । आत्मन एवानुसवनम् अञ्जसाव्यतिरेकेण बोभूयमानाशेष-पुरुषार्थ-स्वरूपस्य ॥ [भ्प् ५.३.७-८] टीका च - आत्मनः स्वत एवानुसरणं सर्वदा अञ्जसा साक्षाद् वोभूयमाना अतिशयेन भवन्तो ये अशेषाः पुरुषार्थास् ते स्वरूपं यस्य परमानन्दस्य इत्य् एषा । श्रुतिश् च -सर्व-कामः सर्व-गन्धः सर्व-रसः इत्य् आदौ ॥ ॥ ५.३ ॥ ऋत्विग्-आदयः श्री-यज्ञ-पुरुषम् ॥८६॥
[86] ataeva śeṣa-puruṣārtha-svarūpa evāsāv iti sphuṭam evāhur gadyena -- athānayāpi na bhavata ijyayoru-bhāra-bharayā samucitam artham ihopalabhāmahe | ātmana evānusavanam añjasāvyatirekeṇa bobhūyamānāśeṣa-puruṣārtha-svarūpasya || [BhP 5.3.7-8] ṭīkā ca - ātmanaḥ svata evānusaraṇaṃ sarvadā añjasā sākṣād vobhūyamānā atiśayena bhavanto ye aśeṣāḥ puruṣārthās te svarūpaṃ yasya paramānandasya ity eṣā | śrutiś ca -sarva-kāmaḥ sarva-gandhaḥ sarva-rasaḥ ity ādau || || 5.3 || ṛtvig-ādayaḥ śrī-yajña-puruṣam ||86||
English translation
English witness · section(s) 76
Anuccheda 76
That the personal associates of the Lord are like their master is confirmed by the following statement of Srila Sukadeva Gosvami (Srimad Bhagavatam 6.9.28): “Surrounding and serving the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Narayana, were sixteen personal attendants, decorated with ornaments and appearing exactly like Him but without the mark of Srivatsa and the Kaustubha jewel. O King, when all the demigods saw the Supreme Lord in that posture, smiling with eyes like the petals of lotuses grown in autumn, they were overwhelmed with happiness and immediately fell down like rods, offering dandavats. Then they slowly rose and pleased the Lord by offering Him prayers.”*
Bhagavat · Sanskrit §87 · English §77
Source[८७] तद् एवं ब्रह्मणोऽपि यत् श्री-भगवति प्रकाश-सम्यक्त्वं तत् पूर्वम् एव विद्वद्-अनुभव-वचन-प्रचयेन सिद्धम् अपि विशेषतो विचार्यते । तत्रैकम् एव तत्त्वं द्विधा शब्द्यत इति न वस्तुनो भेद उपपद्यते । आविर्भावस्यापि भेद-दर्शनात् न च संज्ञा-मात्रस्य, किन्तुस्व-स्व-दर्शन-योग्यता-भेदेन द्विविधोऽधिकारी द्विधा दृष्टं तद् उपास्त इति । तत्राप्य् एकस्य दर्शनस्य वास्तवत्वम् अन्यस्य भ्रमजत्वम् इति न मन्तव्यम् उभयोर् अपि याथार्थ्येन दर्शितत्वात् । न चैकस्य वस्तुनः शक्त्या विक्रिअय्माणांशकत्वाद् अंशतो भेदः । विकृतत्व-निएधात् तयोः । तस्माद् दृष्टेर् असम्यक्-सम्यक्त्व [?] सत्य् अपि सम्यक्त्वे तद्-अननुसन्धानाद् वा एकस्मिन्न् अधिकारिण्य् एक-देशेन स्फुरद् एकभेदः परस्मिन्न् अखण्डतया द्वितीयो भेदः । एवं सति यत्र विशेषं विनैव वस्तुनः स्फूर्तिः, सा दृष्टिर् असम्पूर्णा, यथा ब्रह्माकारेण, यत्र स्वरूप-भूत-नाना-वैचित्री- विशेषवद्-आकारेण, सा सम्पूर्णा, यथा श्री-भगवद्-आकारेणेति लभ्यते । त एतद् अभिप्रेत्य प्रथमं दृष्टि-तारतम्येन तद्-अभिव्यक्ति-तारतम्यं तन्- महा-पुराणाविर्भाव-कारणाभ्यां प्रतिपाद्यते षड्भिः । श्री-नारद उवाच - जिज्ञासितम् अधीतं च ब्रह्म यत् तत् सनातनम् । तथापि शोचस्य् आत्मानम् अकृतार्थ इव प्रभो ॥ [भ्प् १.५.४] श्री-व्यास उवाच -- अस्त्य् एव मे सर्वम् इदं त्वयोक्तं तथापि नात्मा परितुष्यते मे । तन्-मूलम् अव्यक्तम् अगाध-बोधं पृच्छामहे त्वात्म-भवात्म-भूतम् ॥ [भ्प् १.५.५] स वै भवान् वेद समस्त-गुह्यम् उपासितो यत् पुरुषः पुराणः । परावरेशो मनसैव विश्वं सृजत्य् अवत्य् अत्ति गुणैर् असङ्गः ॥ [भ्प् १.५.६] श्री-नारद उवाच -- भवतानुदित-प्रायं यशो भगवतो ऽमलम् । येनैवासौ न तुष्येत मन्ये तद् दर्शनं खिलम् ॥ [भ्प् १.५.८] नैष्कर्म्यम् अप्य् अच्युत-भाव-वर्जितं न शोभते ज्ञानम् अलं निरञ्जनम् । कुतः पुनः शश्वद् अभद्रम् ईश्वरे न चार्पितं कर्म यद् अप्य् अकारणम् ॥ [भ्प् १.५.१२] ॐ नमो भगवते तुभ्यं वासुदेवाय धीमहि । प्रद्युम्नायानिरुद्धाय नमः सङ्कर्षणाय च ॥ [भ्प् १.५.३७] इति मूर्त्य्-अभिधानेन मन्त्र-मूर्तिम् अमूर्तिकम् । यजते यज्ञ-पुरुषं स सम्यग् दर्शनः पुमान् ॥ [भ्प् १.५.३८] श्लोका अमी बहुभिः संमिश्रा अप्य् अविस्तरत्वाय झटित्य् अर्थ-प्रत्ययस्य च संक्षिप्यैव समुद्धताः । क्रमेणार्था यथा जिज्ञासितम् इति । टीका च - यत् सनातनं नित्यं परं ब्रह्म, तच् च त्वया जिज्ञासितं विचारितम्, अधीतम् अधिगतं प्राप्तं चेत्य् अर्थः । तथापि शोचसि तत् किम् अर्थम् इति शेषः । इत्य् एषा । त्वम् इति त्वम् अर्क इव त्रिलोकीं पर्यटन् तथा वैष्णव-योग-बलांशेन च प्राण-वायुर् इव सर्व-प्राणिनाम् अन्तश्चरः सन् आत्मनां सर्वेषाम् एव साक्षी बहिर् अन्तर् वृत्तिज्ञः । अतः परे ब्रह्मणि धर्मतो योगेन निष्टातस्य । तद् उक्तं याज्ञवल्क्येन इज्याचार-दयाहिंसा- दान-स्वाध्याय-कर्मणाम् । अयं परमो लाभो यद् योगेनात्म-दर्शनम् ॥ इति । अवरे च ब्रह्मणि वेदाख्ये व्रतैः स्वाध्याय-नियमैर् निष्णातस्यापि मे अलम अत्यर्थं यन् न्यूनं तत् स्वयम् एव विचक्ष्व वितर्कय । भवतेति । भगवद्-यशो-वर्णनोपलक्षणं भजनं विना येनैव रुक्ष-ब्रह्म- ज्ञानेन असौ भगवान् तु तुष्येत, तद् एव दर्शनं ज्ञानं खिलं न्यूनं मन्ये तद् एव स्पष्टयति । नैष्कर्म्यम् इति । टीका च - निष्कर्म ब्रह्मवेद् एकाकारत्वान् निष्कर्मता-रूपं नैष्कर्म्यम् अज्यतेऽनेनेत्य् अञ्जनम् उपाधिः तन् निवर्तकं निरञ्जनम् । एवम्भूतम् अपि ज्ञानम् अच्युते भावो भक्तिस् तद्-वर्जितं चेत् अलम् अत्यर्थं न शोभते सम्यग्-अपरोक्षत्वाय न कल्पत इत्य् अर्थः । तदा शाश्वत् साधन-काले फल- काले च अभद्रं दुःख-स्वरूपं यत् काम्यं कर्म, यद् अप्य् अकारणम् अकाम्यं तच् चेति चकारस्यान्वयः । तद् अपि कर्म ईश्वरे नार्पितं चेत् कुतः पुनः शोभते ? बहिर्मुखत्वेन सत्त्व-शोधकत्वाभावात् । इत्य् एषा । यद् वा निरञ्जनम् इति निरूपाधिकम् अपीत्य् अर्थः । परमादरणीयत्वाद् एव द्वादशान्ते श्री-सूतेनापि पुनः कृतम् इदं पद्यम् । तस्माद् उक्तिर् एव सम्यग्-दर्शन-हेतुर् इत्य् उपसंहरति द्वाभ्याम् नम इति । मन्त्र-मूर्तिं मन्त्रोक्त-मूर्तिं, मन्त्रोऽपि मूर्तिर् यस्येति वा । अमूर्तिकं मन्त्रोक्त-व्यतिरिक्त-मूर्ति-शून्यं, प्राकृत-मूर्ति-रहितं वा, मूर्ति- स्वरूपयोर् एकत्वात् प्राकृतवन् न विद्यते पृथक्त्वेन मूर्तिर् यस्य तथाभूतं वा । स पुमान् सम्यग्-दर्शनः साक्षाच्-छ्री-भगवतः साक्षात्- कर्तृत्वाद् इति भावः ॥ ॥ १.५ ॥ श्री-सुतः ॥८७॥
[87] tad evaṃ brahmaṇo'pi yat śrī-bhagavati prakāśa-samyaktvaṃ tat pūrvam eva vidvad-anubhava-vacana-pracayena siddham api viśeṣato vicāryate | tatraikam eva tattvaṃ dvidhā śabdyata iti na vastuno bheda upapadyate | āvirbhāvasyāpi bheda-darśanāt na ca saṃjñā-mātrasya, kintusva-sva-darśana-yogyatā-bhedena dvividho'dhikārī dvidhā dṛṣṭaṃ tad upāsta iti | tatrāpy ekasya darśanasya vāstavatvam anyasya bhramajatvam iti na mantavyam ubhayor api yāthārthyena darśitatvāt | na caikasya vastunaḥ śaktyā vikriaymāṇāṃśakatvād aṃśato bhedaḥ | vikṛtatva-niedhāt tayoḥ | tasmād dṛṣṭer asamyak-samyaktva [?] saty api samyaktve tad-ananusandhānād vā ekasminn adhikāriṇy eka-deśena sphurad ekabhedaḥ parasminn akhaṇḍatayā dvitīyo bhedaḥ | evaṃ sati yatra viśeṣaṃ vinaiva vastunaḥ sphūrtiḥ, sā dṛṣṭir asampūrṇā, yathā brahmākāreṇa, yatra svarūpa-bhūta-nānā-vaicitrī- viśeṣavad-ākāreṇa, sā sampūrṇā, yathā śrī-bhagavad-ākāreṇeti labhyate | ta etad abhipretya prathamaṃ dṛṣṭi-tāratamyena tad-abhivyakti-tāratamyaṃ tan- mahā-purāṇāvirbhāva-kāraṇābhyāṃ pratipādyate ṣaḍbhiḥ | śrī-nārada uvāca - jijñāsitam adhītaṃ ca brahma yat tat sanātanam | tathāpi śocasy ātmānam akṛtārtha iva prabho || [BhP 1.5.4] śrī-vyāsa uvāca -- asty eva me sarvam idaṃ tvayoktaṃ tathāpi nātmā parituṣyate me | tan-mūlam avyaktam agādha-bodhaṃ pṛcchāmahe tvātma-bhavātma-bhūtam || [BhP 1.5.5] sa vai bhavān veda samasta-guhyam upāsito yat puruṣaḥ purāṇaḥ | parāvareśo manasaiva viśvaṃ sṛjaty avaty atti guṇair asaṅgaḥ || [BhP 1.5.6] śrī-nārada uvāca -- bhavatānudita-prāyaṃ yaśo bhagavato 'malam | yenaivāsau na tuṣyeta manye tad darśanaṃ khilam || [BhP 1.5.8] naiṣkarmyam apy acyuta-bhāva-varjitaṃ na śobhate jñānam alaṃ nirañjanam | kutaḥ punaḥ śaśvad abhadram īśvare na cārpitaṃ karma yad apy akāraṇam || [BhP 1.5.12] oṃ namo bhagavate tubhyaṃ vāsudevāya dhīmahi | pradyumnāyāniruddhāya namaḥ saṅkarṣaṇāya ca || [BhP 1.5.37] iti mūrty-abhidhānena mantra-mūrtim amūrtikam | yajate yajña-puruṣaṃ sa samyag darśanaḥ pumān || [BhP 1.5.38] ślokā amī bahubhiḥ saṃmiśrā apy avistaratvāya jhaṭity artha-pratyayasya ca saṃkṣipyaiva samuddhatāḥ | krameṇārthā yathā jijñāsitam iti | ṭīkā ca - yat sanātanaṃ nityaṃ paraṃ brahma, tac ca tvayā jijñāsitaṃ vicāritam, adhītam adhigataṃ prāptaṃ cety arthaḥ | tathāpi śocasi tat kim artham iti śeṣaḥ | ity eṣā | tvam iti tvam arka iva trilokīṃ paryaṭan tathā vaiṣṇava-yoga-balāṃśena ca prāṇa-vāyur iva sarva-prāṇinām antaścaraḥ san ātmanāṃ sarveṣām eva sākṣī bahir antar vṛttijñaḥ | ataḥ pare brahmaṇi dharmato yogena niṣṭātasya | tad uktaṃ yājñavalkyena ijyācāra-dayāhiṃsā- dāna-svādhyāya-karmaṇām | ayaṃ paramo lābho yad yogenātma-darśanam || iti | avare ca brahmaṇi vedākhye vrataiḥ svādhyāya-niyamair niṣṇātasyāpi me alama atyarthaṃ yan nyūnaṃ tat svayam eva vicakṣva vitarkaya | bhavateti | bhagavad-yaśo-varṇanopalakṣaṇaṃ bhajanaṃ vinā yenaiva rukṣa-brahma- jñānena asau bhagavān tu tuṣyeta, tad eva darśanaṃ jñānaṃ khilaṃ nyūnaṃ manye tad eva spaṣṭayati | naiṣkarmyam iti | ṭīkā ca - niṣkarma brahmaved ekākāratvān niṣkarmatā-rūpaṃ naiṣkarmyam ajyate'nenety añjanam upādhiḥ tan nivartakaṃ nirañjanam | evambhūtam api jñānam acyute bhāvo bhaktis tad-varjitaṃ cet alam atyarthaṃ na śobhate samyag-aparokṣatvāya na kalpata ity arthaḥ | tadā śāśvat sādhana-kāle phala- kāle ca abhadraṃ duḥkha-svarūpaṃ yat kāmyaṃ karma, yad apy akāraṇam akāmyaṃ tac ceti cakārasyānvayaḥ | tad api karma īśvare nārpitaṃ cet kutaḥ punaḥ śobhate ? bahirmukhatvena sattva-śodhakatvābhāvāt | ity eṣā | yad vā nirañjanam iti nirūpādhikam apīty arthaḥ | paramādaraṇīyatvād eva dvādaśānte śrī-sūtenāpi punaḥ kṛtam idaṃ padyam | tasmād uktir eva samyag-darśana-hetur ity upasaṃharati dvābhyām nama iti | mantra-mūrtiṃ mantrokta-mūrtiṃ, mantro'pi mūrtir yasyeti vā | amūrtikaṃ mantrokta-vyatirikta-mūrti-śūnyaṃ, prākṛta-mūrti-rahitaṃ vā, mūrti- svarūpayor ekatvāt prākṛtavan na vidyate pṛthaktvena mūrtir yasya tathābhūtaṃ vā | sa pumān samyag-darśanaḥ sākṣāc-chrī-bhagavataḥ sākṣāt- kartṛtvād iti bhāvaḥ || || 1.5 || śrī-sutaḥ ||87||
English translation
English witness · section(s) 77
Anuccheda 77
The great devotees of the Lord obtain transcendental benefits that cannot be destroyed by time. This is described by Prahlada Maharaja in a prayer to Lord Nrsimhadeva (Srimad Bhagavatam 7.9.24): “My dear Lord, now I have complete experience concerning the worldly opulence, mystic power, longevity and other material pleasures enjoyed by all living entities, from Lord Brahma down to the ant. As powerful time, You destroy them all. Therefore, because of my experience, I do not wish to possess them. My dear Lord, I request You to place me in touch with Your pure devotee and let me serve him as a sincere servant.”*
Srila Jiva Gosvami’s Sri Bhagavat-sandarbha An Essay on Bhagavan Volume Three
Table of Contents
The Spiritual World, Anuccheda 78 Page 2
The Four Kumaras See Lord Narayana, Anuccheda 79 Page 5
All Goals of Life are Present in Bhagavan, Anuccheda 80 Page 18
Brahman and Bhagavan are the Same Supreme, Anuccheda 81 Page 18
Bhagavan, the Devotees, Devotional Service and Liberation, Anucchedas 82-86 Page 20
Bhagavan is the Ultimate and Impersonal Brahma is Subordinate Anucchedas 87-92 Page 23
Bhagavan is the Origin of Brahma, Anuccheda 93 Page 27
Brahman is a Name of Bhagavan, Bhagavan is Better Than Brahma, The Devotees are Better Than the Impersonalists, Anuccheda 94 Page 31
Srimad Bhagavatam and Devotional Service, Anuccheda 95 Page 35
Bhagavat · Sanskrit §88–89 · English §78
Source[८८] तद् एवं दृष्टितारतम्यद्वारा तद्-अभिव्यक्ततारतम्येन श्री-भगवत उत्कर्ष उक्तः । अथ लिङ्गान्तरैर् अपि दर्श्यते । तत्रात्मराम-जनाकर्ष- लिङ्गेन गुणोत्कर्ष-विशेषेण तस्यैव पूर्णताम् आह । आत्मारामाश् च मुनयो निर्ग्रन्था अप्य् उरुक्रमे । कुर्वन्त्य् अहैतुकीं भक्तिम् इत्थम्-भूत-गुणो हरिः ॥ [भ्प् १.७.१०] टीका च - निर्ग्रन्था ग्रन्थेभ्यो निर्गताः । तद् उक्तं गीतासु - यदा ते मोह-कलिलं बुद्धिर् व्यतितरिष्यति । तदा गन्तासि निर्वेदं श्रोतव्यस्य श्रुतस्य च ॥ [गीता २.५२] इति । यद् वा ग्रन्थिर् एव ग्रन्थः निर्वृत्त-हृदय-ग्रन्थय इत्य् अर्थः । ननु मुक्तानां किं भक्त्येत्यादि-सर्वाक्षेप-परिहारार्थम् आह इत्थम्भूत- गुणः । इत्य् एषा ॥ ॥ १.७ ॥ श्री-सूतः ॥८८॥ [८९] आरोहभूमिकाक्रमेणापि तस्यैवाधिक्यम् आह -- मनो ब्रह्मणि युञ्जानो यत् तत् सद् असतः परम् । गुणावभासे विगुण एक-भक्त्यानुभाविते ॥ [भ्प् ३.२४.४२] निरहङ्कृतिर् निर्ममश् च निर्द्वन्द्वः सम-दृक् स्व-दृक् । प्रत्यक्-प्रशान्त-धीर् धीरः प्रशान्तोर्मिर् इवोदधिः ॥ [भ्प् ३.२४.४३] वासुदेवे भगवति सर्व-ज्ञे प्रत्यग्-आत्मनि । परेण भक्ति-भावेन लब्धात्मा मुक्त-बन्धनः ॥ [भ्प् ३.२४.४४] आत्मानं सर्व-भूतेषु भगवन्तम् अवस्थितम् । अपश्यत् सर्व-भूतानि भगवत्य् अपि चात्मनि ॥ [भ्प् ३.२४.४५] इच्छा-द्वेष-विहीनेन सर्वत्र सम-चेतसा । भगवद्-भक्ति-युक्तेन प्राप्ता भागवती गतिः ॥ [भ्प् ३.२४.४६] एक-भक्त्या अव्यभिचारिण्या साधन-लक्षणया भक्त्या, अनुभाविते निरन्तरम् अपरोक्षीकृते, तां विना कस्यचिद् अप्य् अर्थस्यासिद्धेः । निरहङ्कृतित्वाद् एव निर्ममः । तद्-द्वयाभावाद् एव मन-आदीनाम् अप्य् अभावः सिध्यति । समदृक् भेदाग्राहकः । स्वदृक् स्वस्वरूपाभेदेन ब्रह्मैव पश्यन् । प्रत्यक् अन्तर्मुखी प्रशान्ता विक्षेप-रहिता धीर् ज्ञानं यस्य सः । तद् एवं ब्रह्म-ज्ञान-मिश्र-भक्ति-साधन-वशेन ब्रह्मानुभवे जातेऽपि भक्ति-संस्कार-बलेन लब्ध-प्रेमादेस् तद्-ऊर्ध्वम् अपि श्री-भगवद्- अनुभवम् आह । वासुदेव इति । प्रत्यग्-आत्मनि सर्वेषाम् आश्रय-भूते परेण प्रेम-लक्षणेन भक्ति-भावेन तत्-सत्तयैव लब्धा आत्मानस् तदीयात्मका अहङ्कारादयो येनेति । ब्रह्म-ज्ञानेन प्राकृताहङ्कारादि-लयानन्तरम् आविर्भूतान् प्रेमानन्दात्मक-शुद्ध-सत्त्व-मयान् लब्धवान् इत्य् अर्थः । ननु त एव प्रत्यावर्तन्तां किं वा पूर्ववद् अमी अपि बन्ध-हेतवो भवन्तु । नेत्य् आह, मुक्त-बन्धनः । अनावृत्तिः शब्दाद् इति न्यायात् भक्त्य्- अतिशयेन लब्धात्मत्वम् एव प्रतिपादयति, आत्मानम् इति । आत्मात्र परमात्मा, सर्वथा तस्य भगवान् एवास्फुरद् इति वाक्यार्थः । ततः साक्षाद् एव तत्-प्राप्तिम् आह, इच्छा-द्वेषेति । तद् एवं तेन भागवती गतिः प्राप्ता । हेयत्वाद् अन्यत्रेच्छा-द्वेष-विहीनेन तस्माद् एव हेतोः सर्वत्र सम-चेतसा । तद् उक्तम् -- नारायण-पराः सर्वे न कुतश्चन बिभ्यति । स्वर्गापवर्ग-नरकेष्व् अपि तुल्यार्थ-दर्शिनः ॥ [भ्प् ६.१७.२८] यद् वा, मया लक्ष्म्या सह वर्तते इति सम इति सहस्र-नाम-भाष्यात् भगवच्-चेतसेति प्राप्तो भागवतीं गतिम् इति पाठे, स कर्दम एव तां गतिं प्राप्तः । अत्र भगवद्-भक्ति-योगेनेत्य् एव विशेष्यम् इति । एवम् एवोक्तं श्री-भगवद्-गीतोपनिषत्सु -- बुद्ध्या विशुद्धया युक्तो धृत्यात्मानं नियम्य च । शब्दादीन् विषयांस् त्यक्त्वा रागद्वेषौ व्युदस्य च ॥ [गीता १८.५१] विविक्तसेवी लघ्वाशी यत-वाक्-काय-मानसः । ध्यान-योग-परो नित्यं वैराग्यं समुपाश्रितः ॥ [गीता १८.५२] अहंकारं बलं दर्पं कामं क्रोधं परिग्रहम् । विमुच्य निर्ममः शान्तो ब्रह्म-भूयाय कल्पते ॥ [गीता १८.५३] ब्रह्म-भूतः प्रसन्नात्मा न शोचति न काङ्क्षति । समः सर्वेषु भूतेषु मद्-भक्तिं लभते पराम् ॥ [गीता १८.५४] भक्त्या माम् अभिजानाति यावान् यश् चास्मि तत्त्वतः । ततो मां तत्त्वतो ज्ञात्वा विशते तद्-अनन्तरम् ॥ [गीता १८.५५] इति । अत्र विंशतिर् मिलनार्थः, यथा दुर्योधनं परित्यज्य युधिष्ठिरं प्रविष्टवान् अयं राजेति । श्री-दशमेऽपि श्री-गोपैर् ब्रह्म-सम्पत्त्य्- अनन्तरम् एव वैकुण्ठो दृष्ट इति श्री-स्वामिभिर् एव च व्याख्यातम् ॥ ॥ ३.२४ ॥ श्री-मैत्रेयः ॥८९॥
[88] tad evaṃ dṛṣṭitāratamyadvārā tad-abhivyaktatāratamyena śrī-bhagavata utkarṣa uktaḥ | atha liṅgāntarair api darśyate | tatrātmarāma-janākarṣa- liṅgena guṇotkarṣa-viśeṣeṇa tasyaiva pūrṇatām āha | ātmārāmāś ca munayo nirgranthā apy urukrame | kurvanty ahaitukīṃ bhaktim ittham-bhūta-guṇo hariḥ || [BhP 1.7.10] ṭīkā ca - nirgranthā granthebhyo nirgatāḥ | tad uktaṃ gītāsu - yadā te moha-kalilaṃ buddhir vyatitariṣyati | tadā gantāsi nirvedaṃ śrotavyasya śrutasya ca || [Gītā 2.52] iti | yad vā granthir eva granthaḥ nirvṛtta-hṛdaya-granthaya ity arthaḥ | nanu muktānāṃ kiṃ bhaktyetyādi-sarvākṣepa-parihārārtham āha itthambhūta- guṇaḥ | ity eṣā || || 1.7 || śrī-sūtaḥ ||88|| [89] ārohabhūmikākrameṇāpi tasyaivādhikyam āha -- mano brahmaṇi yuñjāno yat tat sad asataḥ param | guṇāvabhāse viguṇa eka-bhaktyānubhāvite || [BhP 3.24.42] nirahaṅkṛtir nirmamaś ca nirdvandvaḥ sama-dṛk sva-dṛk | pratyak-praśānta-dhīr dhīraḥ praśāntormir ivodadhiḥ || [BhP 3.24.43] vāsudeve bhagavati sarva-jñe pratyag-ātmani | pareṇa bhakti-bhāvena labdhātmā mukta-bandhanaḥ || [BhP 3.24.44] ātmānaṃ sarva-bhūteṣu bhagavantam avasthitam | apaśyat sarva-bhūtāni bhagavaty api cātmani || [BhP 3.24.45] icchā-dveṣa-vihīnena sarvatra sama-cetasā | bhagavad-bhakti-yuktena prāptā bhāgavatī gatiḥ || [BhP 3.24.46] eka-bhaktyā avyabhicāriṇyā sādhana-lakṣaṇayā bhaktyā, anubhāvite nirantaram aparokṣīkṛte, tāṃ vinā kasyacid apy arthasyāsiddheḥ | nirahaṅkṛtitvād eva nirmamaḥ | tad-dvayābhāvād eva mana-ādīnām apy abhāvaḥ sidhyati | samadṛk bhedāgrāhakaḥ | svadṛk svasvarūpābhedena brahmaiva paśyan | pratyak antarmukhī praśāntā vikṣepa-rahitā dhīr jñānaṃ yasya saḥ | tad evaṃ brahma-jñāna-miśra-bhakti-sādhana-vaśena brahmānubhave jāte'pi bhakti-saṃskāra-balena labdha-premādes tad-ūrdhvam api śrī-bhagavad- anubhavam āha | vāsudeva iti | pratyag-ātmani sarveṣām āśraya-bhūte pareṇa prema-lakṣaṇena bhakti-bhāvena tat-sattayaiva labdhā ātmānas tadīyātmakā ahaṅkārādayo yeneti | brahma-jñānena prākṛtāhaṅkārādi-layānantaram āvirbhūtān premānandātmaka-śuddha-sattva-mayān labdhavān ity arthaḥ | nanu ta eva pratyāvartantāṃ kiṃ vā pūrvavad amī api bandha-hetavo bhavantu | nety āha, mukta-bandhanaḥ | anāvṛttiḥ śabdād iti nyāyāt bhakty- atiśayena labdhātmatvam eva pratipādayati, ātmānam iti | ātmātra paramātmā, sarvathā tasya bhagavān evāsphurad iti vākyārthaḥ | tataḥ sākṣād eva tat-prāptim āha, icchā-dveṣeti | tad evaṃ tena bhāgavatī gatiḥ prāptā | heyatvād anyatrecchā-dveṣa-vihīnena tasmād eva hetoḥ sarvatra sama-cetasā | tad uktam -- nārāyaṇa-parāḥ sarve na kutaścana bibhyati | svargāpavarga-narakeṣv api tulyārtha-darśinaḥ || [BhP 6.17.28] yad vā, mayā lakṣmyā saha vartate iti sama iti sahasra-nāma-bhāṣyāt bhagavac-cetaseti prāpto bhāgavatīṃ gatim iti pāṭhe, sa kardama eva tāṃ gatiṃ prāptaḥ | atra bhagavad-bhakti-yogenety eva viśeṣyam iti | evam evoktaṃ śrī-bhagavad-gītopaniṣatsu -- buddhyā viśuddhayā yukto dhṛtyātmānaṃ niyamya ca | śabdādīn viṣayāṃs tyaktvā rāgadveṣau vyudasya ca || [Gītā 18.51] viviktasevī laghvāśī yata-vāk-kāya-mānasaḥ | dhyāna-yoga-paro nityaṃ vairāgyaṃ samupāśritaḥ || [Gītā 18.52] ahaṃkāraṃ balaṃ darpaṃ kāmaṃ krodhaṃ parigraham | vimucya nirmamaḥ śānto brahma-bhūyāya kalpate || [Gītā 18.53] brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati | samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu mad-bhaktiṃ labhate parām || [Gītā 18.54] bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ | tato māṃ tattvato jñātvā viśate tad-anantaram || [Gītā 18.55] iti | atra viṃśatir milanārthaḥ, yathā duryodhanaṃ parityajya yudhiṣṭhiraṃ praviṣṭavān ayaṃ rājeti | śrī-daśame'pi śrī-gopair brahma-sampatty- anantaram eva vaikuṇṭho dṛṣṭa iti śrī-svāmibhir eva ca vyākhyātam || || 3.24 || śrī-maitreyaḥ ||89||
English translation
English witness · section(s) 78
Anuccheda 78
1 The Vaikuntha planets and the liberated devotees who reside there are described in Padma Purana, Uttara-khanda: “Countless bliss spiritual planets are in the spiritual sky, which is three fourths of the entire creation. 2 “All these spiritual planets are eternal, changeless, and free from the abominable material mode of passion. They are pure, and they have a golden effulgence bright as millions of suns. 3 “All these transcendental planets are all filled with Vedic knowledge and free from lust, anger, and other vices. On these planets reside great devotees whose only joy is the pure devotional service of Lord Narayana’s lotus feet.” 4 In these verses the word ‘tri-pad-vibhuti’ indicates the spiritual world beyond the material universes, and the word ‘pada-vibhuti’ indicates the material universes. 5 This is described in the Padma Purana, Uttara-khanda: “The eternal spiritual world is three fourths of existence, whereas the temporary material world is only one fourth of existence. 6 “The Supreme Personality of godhead, whose form is eternal, auspicious, transcendental, infallible, delightful, and always youthful, resides in that supreme abode accompanied by His potencies Isvari-devi, Sri-devi and Bhumi-devi. 7 The Vaikuntha planets and material world are both described in Srimad Bhagavatam (2.6.18): “The Supreme Personality of Godhead is the controller of immortality and fearlessness, and He is transcendental to death and the fruitive actions of the material world. O Narada, O brahmana, it is therefore difficult to measure the glories of the Supreme Person.”* 8 This verse from Srimad Bhagavatam directly mentions the Lord’s immortality and fearlessness, and the Lord’s position of being always liberated from material influence is implied although not directly and the other two qualities only implied in the following statement of the Sruti-sastra (Svetasvatara Upanisad 3.15): “The Supreme Personality of Godhead is the original master of all immortality.” The passage of Srimad Bhagavatam describes the Lord, the possessor of these qualities, (immortality, fearlessness, and liberation) whereas the passage from Sruti-sastra describes the qualities the Lord possesses. 9 Vaikunthaloka’s immortality is hinted in these words of Srimad Bhagavatam (2.9.9.): “Vaikuntha is adored by all self-realised persons freed from all kinds of miseries and fear of illusory existence.”* Vaikunthaloka’s blissfulness is hinted in these words of Srimad Bhagavatam (2.9.9): “Vaikuntha is the supreme planet above all others.”* 10 That the Vaikunthaloka is eternal is also described in the following statement of Padma Purana (Uttara-khanda 255.77): “The residence of Lord Visnu is eternal.” 11 That the Vaikuntha planets are completely free from all fear is hinted by the following statement of Srimad Bhagavatam (2.9.10): “In the personal abode of the Lord there is no predominance of the influence of time.”* 12 This is also confirmed by the following statement of Srimad Bhagavatam (12.11.19): “O brahmanas, the transcendental abode of the Lord is always free from all fear.” 13 That the abode of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is auspicious is hinted by Srimad Bhagavatam (2.9.10): “The illusory external energy (maya) cannot enter the personal abode of the Lord.”* Because it is completely free from the material modes, which turn one from the Lord, Vaikunthaloka should be understood to be a great reservoir of the auspiciousness of pure devotional service to the Supreme Lord. 14 That devotional service is the abode of all auspiciousness is confirmed by the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself in the following words (Naradiya Purana): “O best of the brahmanas, I grant to you unwavering pure devotional service unto Me. This devotional service is full of perfect transcendental bliss, and it is the reservoir of all auspiciousness.” 15 That the abode of the Lord is always liberated from material contact is confirmed by the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself in the following words (Srimad Bhagavatam 11.20.37): “My pure devotees attain liberation from matter by entering My transcendental abode.” 16 Taking shelter of secondary meanings of the words ‘amrta’ and ‘bhaya’ one may interpret them to mean ‘Janaloka and the other material planetary systems.’ This laboured misinterpretation is refuted by the use of the word ‘martyam’ (dying), which clearly indicates that these two words should be interpreted according to their primary meanings. This word (martyam) is explained by the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself in the following words (Srimad Bhagavatam 11.10.30): “Even Brahma who possesses the supreme life-span of 311 040 000 000 000 years, is also afraid of Me.” 17 In this verse (Srimad Bhagavatam 2.6.18), the word ‘annam’ means ‘the results of fruitive actions’, and the word ‘atyagat’ means ‘Transcending the three material planetary systems, the Lord is present in the spiritual world.’ 18 The word ‘esah’ means ‘The Supreme Lord whose form is full of immortality and all other opulences’, and the word ‘duratyayah’ means ‘He whom the brahmacaris and other transcendentalists cannot understand or measure by the speculative powers of the mind.” 19 In this way we have describe the eternal spiritual world, which is three quarters of all existence, and the material world, which is subject of destruction, and which is one quarter of all existence. 20 Lord Brahma again describes the opulence of the spiritual world, which is three quarters of all existence (Srimad Bhagavatam 2.6.19): “The Supreme Personality of Godhead is to be known as the supreme reservoir of all material opulences by the one fourth of His energy in which all the living entities exist. Deathlessness, fearlessness and freedom from the anxieties of old age and disease exist in the kingdom of God, which is beyond the three higher planetary systems and beyond the material coverings.”* 21 In this verse Brahma says: “The living entities, as well as death and other material qualities, exist within the material world which is one quarter of all existence (sthiti-padah). All the opulences of the Lord are distributed throughout the four quarters (padesu) of existence, including both spiritual and material worlds. The living entities (sarva-bhutani) including the personal associates of the Lord reside in all four quarters of creation (including both spiritual and material worlds).” 22 In this verse Lord Brahma describes the spiritual world which is three quarters of the creation. He says: “Deathlessness (amrtam), fearlessness (abhayam), and freedom from the anxiety of old-age and disease (ksemam) eternally exist (adhayi) in the kingdom of God, which is beyond (murdhasu) the three higher planetary systems, the material coverings and the three modes of material nature.” The material world is the creation’s single-quarter part where death and various fruitive actions exist and above that is the three-quarters part, or the spiritual world, where there are deathlessness and other auspicious conditions. The spiritual and material worlds are described by the Rg Veda (10.90.3): “Three quarters of existence is the eternal and perfectly opulent spiritual world.” The word ‘divi’, which means ‘Vaikuntha’, is the realm where all opulences, eternality, and other auspicious conditions exist. The auspiciousness described here refers to both Vaikuntha and its residents. 23 Brahma describes the other part of the four quarters of existence, the realm of the three material planetary systems, in these words (Srimad Bhagavatam 2.6.20): “The spiritual world, which consists of three fourths of the Lord’s energy, is situated beyond this material world, and it is especially meant for those who will never be reborn. Others, who are attached to family life and who do not strictly follow celibacy vows, must live within the three material worlds.”* 24 The word ‘ca’ (and) here means ‘and for all those’. In this verse Brahma says: ‘The spiritual world, which consists of three fourths (padas trayah) of the Lord’s energy, is situated beyond (bahih) the material world (tri-lokyah).” This is also explained in the Purusa-sukta (Rg Veda): “The spiritual world is three fourths of the Lord’s energy.” One may ask “Who resides in that spiritual world?” Brahma answers by saying: “The spiritual world is meant to be the residence of those who will never be reborn (aprajanam asramah).” This means the sannyasis, vanaprasthas and brahmacaris, or in other words, those who follow the vow of celibacy. Brahma describes the residents of the material world in these words: “Others (aparah), who are attached to family life (grha-medhah) and who do not strictly follow celibacy vows (abrhad-vratah), must live within (antah) the three material worlds (tri-lokyah).” 25 The Supreme Personality of Godhead is the master of both spiritual and material worlds, as Brahma explains to Narada (Srimad Bhagavatam 2.6.21): “By His energies, the all-pervading Personality of Godhead is thus comprehensively the master in the activities of controlling and in devotional service. He is the ultimate maters of both nescience and factual knowledge of all situations.”* 62 In this verse Brahma says: “The all-pervading (visvak) Personality of Godhead (purusah) is thus comprehensively the master (vicakrame) of the two destinations (srti) attained by the living entities.” One may ask: “What are these two destinations?’ Brahma answers this question by saying: “These two destinations are the enjoyment of the fruits of karma (sasana) and transcending those fruits (anasane). Then he describes the method of overcoming the fruits of karma. The word ‘avidya’ here means ‘the illusory potency maya’ and ‘vidya’ means ‘the spiritual potency’. The Lord is then described as the shelter (asrayah) of both potencies. It is said (Srimad Bhagavatam 2.6.22): “From that Personality of Godhead, all the universal globes and the universal form with all material elements, qualities and senses are generated. Yet He is aloof from such material manifestations, like the sun, which is separated from its rays and heat.”* In this way creation may be divided into fourths, (three-fourths) possessing all opulence, and (one fourth), possessing partial opulence. (The verse quoted from Srimad Bhagavatam was spoken by) Brahma to Narada.
Bhagavat · Sanskrit §90 · English §79
Source[९०] तथा तस्माज् ज्ञानेन सहितं ज्ञात्वा स्वात्मानम् उद्धव । ज्ञान-विज्ञान-सम्पन्नो भज मां भक्ति-भावितः ॥ [भ्प् ११.१३.५] स्वात्मानं जीव-स्वरूपम् । ज्ञानं विज्ञानं च बाह्यम् । किं बहुना अत्र श्री-चतुःसन-शुकादय एवोदाहरणम् इति ॥ ॥ ११.१३ ॥ श्री-भगवान् ॥९०॥
[90] tathā tasmāj jñānena sahitaṃ jñātvā svātmānam uddhava | jñāna-vijñāna-sampanno bhaja māṃ bhakti-bhāvitaḥ || [BhP 11.13.5] svātmānaṃ jīva-svarūpam | jñānaṃ vijñānaṃ ca bāhyam | kiṃ bahunā atra śrī-catuḥsana-śukādaya evodāharaṇam iti || || 11.13 || śrī-bhagavān ||90||
English translation
English witness · section(s) 79
Anuccheda 79
1 The form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is the master of the internal spiritual potencies, is manifest by the Lord’s own potency. By a specific potency the wonderful variety of the Lord’s many forms is manifested. Our evidence (for the description of the Lord’s form) is given by the Four Kumaras in the next fourteen verses (Srimad Bhagavatam 3.15.37-50): 2 “At that very moment, the Lord, who is called Padmanabha because of the lotus grown from His navel and who is the delight of the righteous, learned about the insult offered by His own servants to the saints. Accompanied by His spouse, the goddess of fortune, He went to the spot on those very feet sought for by recluses and great sages.* 3 “The sages, headed by Sanaka Rsi, saw that the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Visnu, who was formerly visible only within their hearts in ecstatic trance, had now actually become visible to their eyes. As He came forward, accompanied by His own associates bearing all paraphernalia, such as an umbrella and a camara fan, the white bunches of hair moved very gently, like two swans, and due to their favourable breeze the pearls garlanding the umbrella also moved, like drops of nectar falling from the white full moon of ice melting due to a gust of wind.* 4 “The Lord is the reservoir of all pleasure. His auspicious presence is meant for everyone’s benediction, and His affectionate smiling and glancing touch the core of the heart. The Lord’s beautiful bodily colour is blackish, and His broad chest is the resting place of the goddess of fortune, who glorifies the entire spiritual world, the summit of all heavenly planets. Thus it appeared that the Lord was personally spreading the beauty and good fortune of the spiritual world.* 5 “He was adorned with a girdle that shone brightly on the yellow cloth covering His large hips, and He wore a garland of fresh flowers which was distinguished by humming bees. His lovely wrist were graced with bracelets, and He rested one of His hands on the shoulder of Garuda, His carrier, and twirled a lotus with another hand.* 6 “His countenance was distinguished by cheeks that enhanced the beauty of His alligator-shaped pendants, which outshone lightning. His nose was prominent, and His head was covered with a gem-studded crown. A charming necklace hung between His stout arms, and His neck was adorned with the gem known by the name Kaustubha.* 7 “The exquisite beauty of Narayana, being many times magnified by the intelligence of His devotees, was so attractive that it defeated the pride of the goddess of fortune in being the most beautiful. My dear demigods, the Lord who thus manifested Himself is worshipable by me, by Lord Siva and by all of you. The sages regarded Him with unsated eyes and joyously bowed their heads at His lotus feet.* 8 “When the breeze carrying the aroma of tulasi leaves from the toes of the lotus feet of the Personality of Godhead entered the nostrils of those sages, they experienced a change both in body and in mind, even though they were attached to the impersonal Brahman understanding.* 9 “The Lord’s beautiful face appeared to them like the inside of a blue lotus, and the Lord’s smile appeared to be a blossoming jasmine flower. After seeing the face of the Lord, the sages were fully satisfied, and when they wanted to see Him further, they looked upon the nails of His lotus feet, which resembled rubies. Thus they viewed the Lord’s transcendental body again and again, and so they finally achieved meditation on the Lord’s personal feature.* 10 “This is the form of the Lord which is meditated upon by the followers of the yoga process, and it is pleasing to the yogis in meditation. It is not imaginary but factual, as proved by great yogis. The Lord is full in eight kinds of achievement, but for others these achievements are not possible in full perfection.* 11 “The Kumaras said: Our dear Lord, You are not manifested to rascals, even though You are seated within the heart of everyone. But as far as we are concerned, we see You face to face, although You are unlimited. The statements we have heard about You from our father, Brahma, through the ears have now been actually realised by Your kind appearance.* 12 “We known that You are the Supreme Absolute Truth, the Personality of Godhead, who manifests His transcendental form in the uncontaminated mode of pure goodness. This transcendental, eternal form of Your personality can be understood only by Your mercy, through unflinching devotional service, by great sages whose hearts have been purified in the devotional way.* 13 “Persons who are very expert and most intelligent in understand things as they are engage in hearing narrations of the auspicious activities and pastimes of the Lord, which are worth chanting and worth hearing. Such persons do not care even for the highest material benediction, namely liberation, to say nothing of less important benedictions like the material happiness of the heavenly kingdom.* 14 “O Lord, we pray that You let us be born in any hellish condition of life, just a long as our hearts and minds are always engaged in the service of Your lotus feet, our words are made beautiful (by speaking of Your activities) just as tulasi leaves are beautified when offered unto Your feet, and long as our ears are always filled with the chanting of Your transcendental qualities.* 15 “O Lord, we therefore offer our respectful obeisances unto Your eternal form as the Personality of Godhead, which You have so kindly manifested before us. Your supreme, eternal form cannot be seen by unfortunate, less intelligent persons, but we are so much satisfied in our minds and vision to see it.”* 16 Now these verses will be discussed. Sridhara Svami explains the first of these verses (Text 2): “This verse should be understood to mean: “The Supreme Lord, who is the delight of the righteous (arya-hrdyah), learned (vibudhya) about the insult (atikramam) offered by His own servants (svanam) who had checked the movements of the Four Kumaras, headed by Sanaka Kumara. Accompanied by the goddess of fortune, He went (yayau) to the spot (tasmin), quickly walking there (calayan) with His own feet (caranau).” “The Supreme Lord thought: ‘I will show My anger to these two gatekeepers because they have offended the sages who came to see My lotus feet. Laksmi-devi and I will both pacify the desireless sages by granting them many opulences.’” 17 In order to grant spiritual bliss to the Four Kumaras, whose pleasure was self-realisation, the Lord granted them the sight of His lotus feet. The Lord, whose superexcellent transcendental form is the abode of all eternity, knowledge and bliss, along with His pastimes-potency, the goddess of fortune, personally went to those sages. The word ‘svanam’ is used in the plural (and not the dual) in this verse, although it refers only to the two gatekeepers. It may be that the Lord took it that all His personal associates were responsible for the offense of these two, or it may be that the plural is used out of respect for the exalted gatekeepers. It should not be understood that the word ‘svanam’ is used here to refer to the four (Kumaras) sages. These sages were not intimate devotees of the Lord, as the gatekeepers of Vaikuntha were, and therefore the word “svanam” (His own servants) cannot appropriately refer to them. 18 The next five verses (Texts 3-7), describe the Supreme Personality of Godhead as He was seen by the Four Kumaras. They say: “The sages (te) headed by Sanaka Rsi saw the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Visnu, who was formerly visible only within their hearts in ecstatic trance (sva-samadhi-bhagyam), had now actually become visible to their eyes (aksa-visayam).” This passage may also be interpreted to mean: “As a result of their previous meditation on the Lord in ecstatic trance (sva-samadhi), the four Kumaras (te) now obtained the opportunity to directly see the Supreme Lord with their own eyes. The Lord’s own transcendental potency, which reveals the Lord’s form to the intelligence and senses of His devotees, revealed the Lord’s form to the four Kumaras. As the Kumaras had previously perceived the Lord in ecstatic meditation, in the same way they were now able to directly perceive the Lord, the sound of whose voice, and the touch, sight, taste and aroma of whose body are all full of complete eternity, knowledge and bliss. The Kumaras saw the Personality of Godhead as He is eternally manifested. As a result of their meditation on Him, the Kumaras were able to see the Personality of Godhead, who in various circumstances at various times is served with various articles of worship by His own personal associates filled with the intense bliss of pure love rising from directly seeing the great wonder of the charming sweetness of the Lord’s form. In this way the Supreme Lord’s potency of transcendental bliss reveals the role in the Lord’s pastimes of the residents of Vaikuntha, who have attained the most desirable condition of life. The Lord’s handsomeness which arouses great attraction and love in the hearts and minds of the Lord’s associates is described in the three and a half verses (Texts 4-7) beginning with the word ‘hamsa’. We may also note that the word ‘kesara’ used in this Text 3 means ‘a necklace of pearls.’ 19 The next verse (Text 4) says: “The Lord’s affectionate and playful glancing (snehavaloka) and smiling (sumukham) granted benediction (prasada) to everyone (krtsna), including the two doorkeepers and the four Kumaras. The Lord is the abode (dhama) of all desirable (sprhaniya) qualities. The Lord’s spiritual abode (atma-dhisnyam) of Vaikuntha, the abode of eternal, limitless, bliss, is the summit (cuda-manim) of all heavenly planets (svah). The Lord’s broad chest (urasi) is the resting place of the goddess of fortune (sobhitaya sriya). The word ‘subhagayantam iva’ may also be interpreted to mean “The goddess of fortune rested on the Lord’s chest as if she were a subhaga-ornament.” The word ‘iva’ (like) is used to express the analogy in this statement. 20 The Vaikuntha realm is again described in these words (Srimad Bhagavatam 3.15.26): “Thus the great sages, Sanaka, Sanatana, Sananda and Sanat-kumara, upon reaching the abovementioned Vaikuntha in the spiritual world by dint of their mystic yoga performance, perceived unprecedented happiness. They found that the spiritual sky was illuminated by highly decorated airplanes piloted by the best devotees of Vaikuntha and was predominated by the Supreme Personality of Godhead.”* 21 The four Kumaras’ departure from Vaikuntha is described in these words (Srimad Bhagavatam 3.16.27-28): “After seeing the Lord of Vaikuntha, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, in the self-illuminated Vaikuntha planet, the sages left that transcendental abode.* 22 “The sages circumambulated the Supreme Lord, offered their obeisances and returned, extremely delighted at learning of the divine opulences of the Vaisnava.”* 23 In the next verse (Srimad Bhagavatam 3.15.40 quoted in text 5) the words ‘kancya’ and ‘vana-malaya’ are in the instrumental case. In the verse after that (Srimad Bhagavatam 3.15.41, quoted in text 6) the word ‘harata’ means ‘charming’. Having described the beauty of the Lord’s garments and ornaments, Srimad Bhagavatam next describes the beauty of the Lord’s form in the next verse (3.15.42, quoted in text 7). This verse says: “The exquisite beauty (bahu-sausthavadhyam) of Narayana was so attractive that it defeated (upasrstam) the pride (utsmitam) of the goddess of fortune (indirayah) in being the most beautiful. The Lord’s great beauty was many times magnified by the intelligence (dhiya) of His devotees. The Lord was thus glorified by the devotees because His transcendental form was full of unlimited beauty, opulence, and charming qualities (bahu-sausthavadhyam).” 24 At this point someone may ask: “How is it possible that the confidential treasure o the Lord’s transcendental beauty is so great that it exceeds the beauty of Laksmi-devi, the goddess of fortune. Is it not true that there is no beauty greater than Laksmi’s? Brahma answered this question by describing the unequalled supremacy of the Lord’s beauty. Brahma says: “The Supreme Lord who thus manifested His transcendental form is worshipable (angam bhajantam) by me (mahyam), by Lord Siva, and by all of you.” 25 That the Supreme Personality of Godhead’s beauty and opulences are unequalled in all circumstances is confirmed by Sripada Yamunacarya in the following words (Stotra-ratna 13): “O my Lord, everything within material nature is limited by time, space and thought. Your characteristics, however, being unequalled and unsurpassed are always transcendental to such limitations. You sometimes cover such characteristics by Your own energy, but nevertheless Your unalloyed devotees are always able to see You under all circumstances.”* 26 That the Supreme Lord may be seen by pure devotional service is described in the Sruti-sastra: “Pure devotional service leads one to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Pure devotional service enables one to see the Supreme Personality of Godhead.” In this verse (Srimad Bhagavatam 3.15.42, quoted in text 7) it is said: “The four Kumaras regarded (niriksya) the Supreme Personality of Godhead with unsated (na vitrpta) eyes (drsah) and joyously (muda) bowed (nemuh) their heads (kaih) at His lotus feet.” 27 Sripada Sridhara Svami comments on the next verse (Srimad Bhagavatam 3.15.43, quoted in Text 8): “The bliss of devotional service to the Lord is greater even than the bliss of directly seeing the Lord. This is described in this verse, where Lord Brahma says: “When the breeze (vayuh) carrying the aroma (makaranda) of tulasi leaves (tulasi) from the toes of the lotus feet (padaravinda-kinjalka) of the Personality of Godhead (tasya) entered the nostrils (sva-vivarena) of those sages, they experienced a change (sanksobham) both in body (tanvoh) and mind (citta), even though they were attached to the impersonal Brahman understanding (aksara-jusam).” The change of body experienced by the four Kumaras was the ecstatic symptom of hairs on the body standing up, and the change of mind they experienced was intense happiness in the mind.” 28 The phrase ‘padaravinda-kinkajlka-misra-tulasi’ in this verse may be interpreted to mean ‘the aroma of the tulasi leaves and the aroma of the toes of the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead’, or again it may also be interpreted to mean ‘the aroma of the Lord’s feet, and the aroma of the lotus flowers and tulasi leaves from His garland.’ The breeze carried these aromas, mixed with the aroma of the Lord’s transcendental limbs. Carried by the breeze, these combined aromas agitated the minds and bodies of the four Kumaras. 29 In the next verse (Srimad Bhagavatam 3.15.44, quoted in text 9, Lord Brahma respectfully describes the reason the four Kumaras felt transcendental ecstasy. Brahma says: “The Lord’s beautiful face (vadana) appeared to them (te vai) like the inside (kosam) of a slightly blossomed blue (asita) lotus (padma). After seeing (udviksya) the face of the Lord, the sages were fully satisfied (labdhasisah), and when they wanted to see Him further, they looked down the nails (nakha) of His lotus feet (anghri-dvanvam) which resembled rubies (aruna-mani-srayanam). Thus they viewed (aveksya) the Lord’s transcendental body again and again (punah).” Because the four Kumaras were not able to see the beautiful features of all the Lord’s transcendental limbs at the same time, they meditated on the Lord’s form, and in that meditation they were able to see all the Lord’s transcendental limbs simultaneously. The four Kumaras thought: “How will we be able to see all the beautiful features of the Lord simultaneously?” Longing to seethe Lord in this way they meditated on Him. This meditation on the Lord increased their ecstatic love for Him. By this meditation the four Kumaras attained ecstatic love for the Supreme Personality of Godhead. 30 In the next verse (Srimad Bhagavatam 3.15.45 quoted in text 10) Lord Brahma says: “This human-like (pumsam) form (vapuh) displayed (darsayanam) by the Lord is respectfully meditated upon (matam) by Brahma and all the great demigods (bahu).” The form mentioned here is the guna-avatara Visnu, who is manifested from the purusa-avatara Garbhodakasayi Visnu. Lord Visnu is no different from His transcendental form, unlike Brahma and the other demigods who have external material forms different from their spiritual identities. Lord Brahma continues: “The Lord is full of His own beginningless, self-manifested, eternal (autpattikaih) opulences (siddhaih) such as the eight opulences (beginning with anima-siddhi) achieved by yoga-practice (asta-bhogaih). Because the Lord is full of these transcendental opulences, the four Kumaras glorified (samagrnan) Him with many prayers.” 31 In the next verses (Srimad Bhagavatam 3.15.46-50 quoted in texts 11-15) the four Kumaras offer prayers to the Lord, expressing their heart-felt feelings of love for Him. The phrase ‘aksara-jusam’ (the four Kumaras had previously been attached to the impersonal Brahman understanding) is explained by the Kumaras in the following words: “O Lord, that You are eternally manifest as the impersonal Brahma is neither very wonderful nor very significant. Your actually important feature is Your personal form, which Your own transcendental potency is now enabling us to see. How fortunate we have become now to be able to see You face to face (naya-mulam). O Lord, You are not manifested (antarhitah) to the rascals (duratmanam), even though You are seated (gatah) within the heart (hrdi) of everyone. But as far as we are concerned (nah), we see You face to face (nayana-mulam raddhah), although You are unlimited (ananta).” That one may see the Supreme Lord face to face by engaging in His devotional service is also confirmed in Vedanta-sutra (3.2.24): “By engaging in devotional service one may become eligible to directly see the Supreme Personality of Godhead face to face, and one may be able to understand Him with the mind and perceive Him within the heart by the process of meditation.” This is also confirmed in Katha Upanisad (2.1.1): 32 “Generally speaking, no one can see the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is beyond the grasp of the material senses. However, one who is intelligent and saintly, and who aspires for liberation, can turn his eyes from matter and become able to see the Supreme Personality of Godhead residing within his heart as the Supersoul.” 33 Because the Kumaras had heard about the Supreme Personality of Godhead from their father, Lord Brahma, they became eligible to see the Lord face to face. This is confirmed by the Kumaras in these words (Srimad Bhagavatam 3.15.46, quoted in text 11): “The first statements we have heard about You (anuvarnita-rahah) from our father Brahma (pitra) through the ears (karna-vivarena) have now been actually realised by Your kind appearance (guham gato nah...bhavad-udbhavena).”* 34 At this point Lord Narayana may object: “Is it not so that because your father taught you the Absolute Truth is invisible and very secret, and because I am now openly visible before your eyes, therefore I cannot be that Absolute Truth but must be something else.”? The four Kumaras reject the idea that Lord Narayana is different from the Absolute Truth. They say (in the next verse, text 12): “We know that You are the Supreme Absolute truth, the Personality of Godhead.” 35 The Kumaras says: “O Supreme Personality of godhead (bhagavan), we know (vidama) that You are the Supreme Absolute Truth (param atma-tattvam), whose form is spiritual.” Lord Narayana then may ask: ‘How do you know?’ The Kumaras then reply: “We know because You have now (samprati) manifested before us Your transcendental form in the uncontaminated mode of pure goodness (sattvena). Until this moment we did not understand You, but now that we can directly see You, we have concluded that You are the Supreme. You appear before the spiritual eyes of us who are pure in heart. You are not visible to ordinary material eyes.” The Kumaras continue: “You are not known by transcendental knowledge (if it is devoid of love for You). You have created (racayantam) our love (ratim) for You, for otherwise we would not be able to love You. To the self-realised sages who are free from pride and false-ego, but who have no love for You, You appear as the splendid Brahman effulgence. There is a specific spiritual path by which one attains love for You.” The Kumaras then describe that specific path. They say: “Your mercy is the spiritual practice by which Your spiritual form becomes manifest. By Your mercy (anutapa-viditaih) and by unflinching devotional service (drdha-bhakti-yogaih), one understands You. This spiritual practice is also genuine humbleness, by which one understands unflinching pure devotional service. Lord Narayana may ask: “What are the people who understand Me like?” The Kumaras then answer: “They are without attachment and are free from material bondage (udgranthayah). They are not interested in material life (viragah).” In this way these four verses (Srimad Bhagavatam 3.15.47-50) describe pure devotion and love for the Supreme Personality of Godhead. 36 Although previously the Kumaras thought themselves non different from the Supreme, now, influenced by the pastimes of the bliss potency of the Lord’s transcendental form, they understand they are different from the Supreme and they pray for pure devotional service. In the next verse (Srimad Bhagavatam 3.15.48, quoted in text 13), they describe the intense happiness of the devotees of the Lord. The phrase ‘atyantikam prasadam’ means ‘the benediction of impersonal liberation’ and the phrase ‘kimv anyat’ means ‘to say nothing of the material happiness of Indra and the other demigods.” 37 In the next verse (Srimad Bhagavatam 3.15.49, quoted in text 14) the Kumaras confess their own offense and pray for pure devotional service. They say: “O Supreme Personality of Godhead, before now we did not commit any sin, but now that two of Your devotees are cursed on our account, we have committed all sins. Therefore, let us (nah) be born (bhavah) in any hellish condition of life (nirayesu).” 38 They who understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead, however, never suffer a hellish life. This is described in Vedanta-sutra (4.1.13): “When one understands the Supreme Personality of Godhead the sins of both past and present are all destroyed. This is so because it is described in the Upanisads.” In this way they who understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead becomes excused from many great sins that would otherwise have cast them into a hellish condition of life. This fact shows the all-wonderful glory of the Supreme Lord, which Srimad Bhagavatam describes in the words (1.17.10): “The Lord possesses transcendental qualities.” 39 The Kumaras plead: “Let us be born in hell. We do not mind. We are not afraid of hell. (Our only request is that) we may never have the misfortune of becoming averse to You. (We are not afraid) if our hearts and minds (cetah) are always engaged in the service (rameta) of You lotus feet (padayoh). We will be like bumblebees that taste only the sweetness of Your lotus feet and our words will be engaged in describing our direct perception of You, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.” Hearing their heart-felt plea, the Supreme Lord forgave their offense to His devotees. By His wish their offense faded into non existence. In this way the passage should be understood. 40 In these two verses (Srimad Bhagavatam 3.15.49-50, quoted in text 14 and 15) the Kumaras say: “Because it is not impossible to serve You in hell, for us, who desire only devotional service, hell is better than impersonal liberation (where it is not possible to serve You). Our devotional service to You is the very wonderful success of our lives. In the next verse (Srimad Bhagavatam 3.15.50, quoted in text 15) the Kumaras says: “You do not appear before less intelligent persons (anatmanam), who do not have unalloyed devotion for You, although You have appeared before us (it pratitah). We offer (vidhema) our respectful obeisances (namah) to You (tasmai). 41 The four Kumaras are the spiritual masters of all other spiritual masters perfect in knowledge. They are the spiritual masters of the great paramahamsa sages. This is described by Sri Amsuman in the following words (Srimad Bhagavatam 9.8.23): “O my Lord, sages freed from the influence of the three modes of material nature - sages such as the four Kumaras (Sanat, Sanaka, Sanandana and Sanatana) - are able to think of You, who are concentrated knowledge. But how can an ignorant person like me think of You?”*** 42 The exalted position of the four Kumaras is also described by Lord Brahma in these words (Srimad Bhagavatam 1.7.5): “To create different planetary systems I had to undergo austerities and penance, and the Lord, thus being pleased with me, incarnated in four sanas (Sanaka, Sanatkumara, Sanandana, and Sanatana). In the previous creation the spiritual truth was devastated, but the four sanas explained it so nicely that the truth at once became clearly perceived by the sages.”* 43 The Kumaras are also glorified in Chandogya Upanisad (7.26.2): “To a person whose heart is cleansed of all impurity Lord Sanat-kumara reveals the Absolute Truth, who is beyond the darkness of ignorance.” 44 For a transcendentalist who has not yet attained the perfectional stage of spiritual realisation, anima-siddhi and the other mystic powers are obstacles to his progress. For the transcendentalist who has already attained perfection of spiritual realisation, however, they are not obstacles. This is explained by Lord Kapiladeva in these words (Srimad Bhagavatam 3.28.38): “The body of such a liberated yogi, along with the senses, is taken charge of by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and its functions until its destined activities are finished. The liberated devotee, being awake to his constitutional position and thus situated in samadhi, the highest perfectional stage of yoga, does not accept the by-products of his body as his own. Thus he considers his bodily activities to be like the activities of a body in a dream.”* 45 Although they were transcendentalists free the illusion of duality created by the modes of material nature, (because they were impersonalists) by the Supreme Personality of Godhead’s desire, which can do any impossible thing, the Kumaras were still filled with anger and other vices (as was seen in their anger directed to the gatekeepers of Vaikuntha). Although they were impersonalists always plunged in the bliss of impersonal Brahma, (they became personalists, devotees by contact with the Lord Himself) as is described in Srimad Bhagavatam 3.15.43-45 (quoted in texts 8-10). 46 In other places also it is said that the hearts of those who are actually advanced in spiritual life (the devotees) are not disturbed by material imperfections. In Srimad Bhagavatam (7.15.35) Narada Muni says: “When one’s consciousness is uncontaminated by material lusty desires, it becomes calm and peaceful in all activities, for one is situated in eternal blissful life. Once situated on that platform, one does not return to materialistic activities.”* 47 In this way the impersonalist Kumaras became attracted to the bliss of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Other impersonalist atmaramas also became attracted to the Lord and became devotees. In the scriptures is the example of Srila Sukadeva Gosvami (Srimad Bhagavatam 12.12.69): “Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto my spiritual master, the son of Vyasadeva, Sukadeva Gosvami. It is he who defeats all inauspicious things within this universe. Although in the beginning he was absorbed in the happiness of Brahman realisation and was living in a secluded place, giving up all other kinds of consciousness, he became attracted by the most melodious pastimes of Lord Krsna. He therefore mercifully spoke the supreme Purana, known as Srimad Bhagavatam, which is the light of the Absolute Truth and which describes the activities of Lord Krsna.”* 48 At this point someone may ask: “Do the activities of devotional service follow popular custom or the ancient samskara rituals?” The answer is given: Neither of them. Devotional service is beyond the material sphere. Here the example of an intoxicated person who cannot understand whether he is wearing clothing is given in Srimad Bhagavatam (3.28.37): “Because he has achieved his real identity, the perfectly realised soul has no conception of how the material body is moving or acting, just as an intoxicated person cannot understand whether or not he has clothing on his body.”* 49 Another example of the devotees’ aloofness from material desire is seen in the following statement (Srimad Bhagavatam 3.15.12): “Lord Brahma said: My four sons Sanaka, Sanatana, Sanandana and Sanat-kumara, who were born from my mind, are your predecessors. Sometimes they travel throughout the material and spiritual skies without any definite desire.”* The Kumaras were absorbed in thought of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. 50 The devotees’ attachment to the Lord is described in Srimad Bhagavatam (3.15.37): “The Lord’s feet are sought for by recluses and great sages.”* The devotees overcome any obstacle fate may place between them and the Lord. 51 The devotees are also described in these words (Srimad Bhagavatam (5.3.11): “Dear Lord, all the great sages who are thoughtful and saintly persons incessantly recount Your spiritual qualities. These sages have already burned up all the unlimited dirty things and, by the fire of knowledge, strengthened their detachment from the material world. Thus they have attained Your qualities and are self-satisfied. Yet even for those who feel spiritual bliss in chanting Your attributes, Your personal presence is very rare.”* In this prose passage the devotees’ exclusive faith in the Lord is described. 52 The devotees are again described in these words (Srimad Bhagavatam 12.12.69): “The devotees’ hearts are attracted to the charming pastimes of the invincible Supreme Personality of Godhead.” 53 The sight of the Lord gives great pleasure to the devotees. The Kumaras say (Srimad Bhagavatam 3.15.50): “O Lord, we therefore offer our respectful obeisances unto Your eternal form as the Personality of Godhead, which You have so kindly manifested before us. Your supreme, eternal form cannot be seen by unfortunate, less intelligent persons, but we are so much satisfied in our mind and vision to see it.”* 54 Someone may say that although, as the previous verse said, the Lord brings happiness to the eyes, the Lord himself is aloof and does not love anyone. This is not true, for another verse (Srimad Bhagavatam 3.15.39) says: “The Lord’s affectionate smiling and glancing touch the core of the heart.”* 55 Because the Supreme Personality of Godhead (bhagavan) attracts and delights the impersonalists and other transcendentalists, the spiritual substance named Brahman should be understood to be actually a feature of Lord Bhagavan. The Kumaras are an example of impersonalists who became attracted to Lord Bhagavan (Srimad Bhagavatam 3.15.43): “When the breeze carrying the aroma of tulasi leaves from the toes of the lotus feet of the Personality of Godhead entered the nostrils of those sages, they experienced a change both in body and in mind, even though they were attached to the impersonal Brahman understanding.”* 56 Beyond the bliss of Brahman is a more intense stage of spiritual realisation where one is filled with wonderful bliss by gazing at the wonderful limbs of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It is not appropriate to say otherwise. This bliss is a manifestation of the Lord’s own pastime potency. 57 At this point someone may protect: “Is it not so that because the bliss of Bhagavan is limited to a specific form, therefore the bliss of the formless, and therefore unlimited, Brahman is greater? Brahman appears in the thoughts of a person situated in pure goodness. When Bhagavan is manifested in the most pure form of the mode of goodness, then it becomes one with Brahman. In this way the truth of Bhagavan becomes manifested. In this way it is said that impersonal Brahman and the form of the Bhagavan are one and the same. In whatever form Brahman is manifest, the same formless bliss is present. That bliss does not have the slightest scent of a relationship with any specific form. That bliss is caused by meditation on the impersonal Brahman. Therefore, in the light of this evidence, how can it be said that the Absolute truth has a form? 58 In your opinion you have said that the impersonal Brahman appears in the thoughts of one who is pure and that by abandoning all partial, imperfect conceptions of God, and by becoming enlightened with genuine spiritual knowledge, the impersonal Brahman, the complete, final aspect of the Absolute Truth, becomes manifest. It is because of your incomplete knowledge and your attachment to the impersonal idea of God that you do not accept the truth that God has form and qualities. When you say the form and qualities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead are manifestations of the mode of pure goodness, what do you mean? Do you mean that they are transformations of the mode of pure goodness or have a large quantity of the mode of pure goodness. The first proposal, that they are transformations of the mode of pure goodness is clearly not true, for it has already been explained that it is not possible for something to be a transformation of the mode of goodness without some mixture of the mode of passion. The second proposal, that they have a large quantity of the mode of pure goodness, is also not true for that statement would imply that some other modes are also present and the goodness is not pure, but mixed with other modes. This idea makes meaningless the word ‘visuddha’ (pure) in the Srimad Bhagavatam (10.2.34) statement ‘sattvam visuddham srayate bhavan sthitau’ (O Lord, You manifest several incarnations, all with transcendental bodies, beyond the material modes of nature).* At this point our opponent may say: ‘All right, the form and qualities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead are in the mode of pure goodness, but they are certainly not spiritual. That is not possible. You can forget about thinking that they are different from the material energy.” To this I reply: If the sages see the spiritual nature present in the mode of perfectly pure goodness, then your argument is refuted because the inference you make is not valid. 59 The four Kumaras affirm that the form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is spiritual in these words (Srimad Bhagavatam 3.15.38): “The sages, headed by Sanaka Rsi, saw that the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Visnu, who was formerly visible only within their hearts in ecstatic trance, had now actually become visible to their eyes.”* In this quote the direct perception of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is described and the ideas that the Absolute Truth is invisible to all eyes, the pure goodness of the Lord’s form is material, the Lord’s form is a transformation of the mode of goodness and the Lord’s form has a large quantity of the mode of goodness, are all refuted. The truth, as has already been described, is that the Lord’s form is self-manifest, that is, manifest by the mode of pure goodness. In this way the ideas that the Lord’s form is material or that the Lord has no form, are both refuted and the wonder of the bliss of the direct perception of the Lord’s form is clearly established. In this way, by the description of the direct seeing of the Lord’s form and by the description of the Lord’s handsomeness, the truth that the Lord’s form is pure transcendental goodness is clearly proved. 60 In the words ‘The sages gazed at the form of the Lord with unsated eyes’ Srimad Bhagavatam (3.15.42) confirms the transcendental nature of the Lord’s form by explaining that the sages could never become sated by gazing at the Lord’s form. 61 In the passage beginning with the word ‘ca’ (and) (Srimad Bhagavatam 3.15.41-42) it is seen that the breeze carrying the aroma of the Lord’s lotus feet defeats the impersonal Brahman. If this were not so, then in both these passages the formlessness of the happiness of impersonal Brahman would have been described (and not the form of the Lord) and the word ‘aksara-jusam’ (attached to the impersonal Brahman understanding) would be replaced by the word ‘vidya-jusam’ (attached to transcendental knowledge). This is so because these two rival conceptions (the personal and impersonal definition of God) are mutually exclusive. In this way it may be understood that, just as Vasistha Muni easily conquered the slightest possibility of grieving over the death of his sons, so the bliss of the slightest glimpse of the personal form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead easily conquers the happiness of perceiving the impersonal Brahman. In this way the arguments of the impersonalists are refuted. Srila Sridhara Svami comments here (3.15.43): “The bliss of serving the Lord is greater even than the bliss of directly seeing Him.” This explanation (by Sridhara Svami) is certainly a source of great wonder. 62 For this reason the Kumaras offer the following wonderful prayer (Srimad Bhagavatam 3.15.49): “O Lord, we pray that You let us be born in any hellish condition of life, just as long as our hearts and minds are always engaged in the service of Your lotus feet, our words are made beautiful (by speaking of Your activities) just as tulasi leaves are beautified when offered unto Your lotus feet, and as long as our ears are always filled with the chanting of Your transcendental qualities.”* 63 The Nyaya-sastra says: “If honey is nearby, why go to a mountain to search for it?” There is no need to search for another, a more complicated, less obvious explanation for all this. The meaning is clear. 64 In these verses it is not stated that the jivas are non-different from the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but rather, the opposing view, that they are different, is clearly given. For example, in Srimad Bhagavatam (3.15.42) it is said: “The sages regarded Him (the Lord) with unsated eyes and joyously bowed their heads at His lotus feet.”* Also, the Kumaras say (Srimad Bhagavatam 3.15.49): “O Lord, we pray that You let us be born in any hellish condition of life, just as long as our hearts and minds are always engaged in the service of Your lotus feet, our words are made beautiful (by speaking of Your activities) just as tulasi leaves are beautified when offered unto Your lotus feet, and as long as our ears are always filled with the chanting of Your transcendental qualities.”* In these passages is seen the happiness of pure devotional service, where the devotee offers respectful obeisances to the Lord and knows that he is different from the Lord. All of this, of course is the opposite (of the impersonal view, where one thinks himself one with the Lord). The impersonalists’ view is an illusion of the worst kind and the happiness of impersonal realisation is also an illusion. Because they are filled with knowledge of the truth, the devotees do not misunderstand this illusory happiness, thinking it something other than it is. the spiritual pastimes of the Lord, however, are, manifested from His personal, internal potency, which is perfect and completely different from the happiness of impersonal Brahman. 65 The devotees’ conception of liberation, where one becomes free from all material designations and understands the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is the truth. It is better than the impersonalists’ conception of liberation, where, staying in the material world, one sees everything as a reflection of Brahman. This is confirmed by the four Kumaras in these words (Srimad Bhagavatam 3.15.48): “Persons who are very expert and most intelligent in understanding things as they are engage in hearing narrations of the auspicious activities and pastimes of the Lord, which are worth chanting and worth hearing. Such persons do not care even for the highest material benediction, namely liberation, to say nothing of other less important benedictions like the material happiness of the heavenly kingdom.”* From this we may understand that a devotee does not consider one status of material life better than another. 66 That the wonderful liberation of the devotees is better than the varietyless Brahman liberation of the impersonalists is confirmed by Srimad Bhagavatam (3.15.48): “Persons who are very expert and most intelligent in understanding things as they are engage in hearing narrations of the auspicious activities and pastimes of the Lord, which are worth chanting and worth hearing. Such persons do not care even for the highest material benediction, namely liberation, to say nothing of other less important benedictions like the material happiness of the heavenly kingdom.”* From this we may understand that the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the master of wonderful internal potencies, has a form of transcendental bliss. That the wonder of the pastimes and potencies in His form is more significant than the impersonal Brahman is confirmed by the personal experience of the wise. This is described in Srila Sridhara Svami’s commentary on Srimad Bhagavatam (10.87.21): “Giving up their material bodies, the devotees become liberated and worship the Lord by enjoying transcendental pastimes with Him.” This is also described in Nrsimha-tapani Upanisad (2.4): “All the demigods, brahmavadis, and sages who aspire for liberation, meditate on the Supreme Personality of Godhead.” The word ‘brahmavadi’ here means ‘the spiritual masters of the impersonalists.” This is also described in Mahabharata: “Lord Krsna is worshipped by liberated souls free from illusion.” 67 This is also described in Bhagavad-gita (18.54): “One who is thus transcendentally situated at once realises the Supreme Brahman and becomes fully joyful. He never laments or desires to have anything. He is equally disposed toward every living entity. In that state he attains pure devotional service unto Me.”* 68 This is also confirmed by the following statement of Sruti-sastra quoted in Sripada Madhvacarya’s commentary on Mahabharata: “The devotional service performed by liberated souls is full of eternal bliss.” This is also confirmed by Vedanta-sutra (4.1.12): “After liberation the process of devotional service continues.”* This is also confirmed in the following statement of Suparna-sruti quoted in Sripada Madhvacarya’s commentary: “One should always worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Even after attaining liberation one should continue to worship Him. The liberated souls worship Him.” 69 This is also confirmed by the following statement, where, discussing Prahlada Maharaja, Bali Maharaja and other great devotees, Sri Visnu Purana (2.5.7) says: “Even when placed in hell, what liberated soul does not continue to love the Supreme Personality of Godhead?”
Bhagavat · Sanskrit §91 · English §80
Source[९१] श्री-भगवता शब्द-ब्रह्म-मय-कम्बु-स्पृष्ट-कपोलः तत्-प्रकाशित- यथार्थ-निगदो ध्रुवो बालकोऽपि तथा विवृतवान् इत्य् एवम् आनन्द- चमत्कार-विशेष-श्रवणाद् अपि तस्यैव पूर्णत्वम् आह । या निर्वृतिस् तनु-भृतां तव पाद-पद्म- ध्यानाद् भवज्-जन-कथा-श्रवणेन वा स्यात् सा ब्रह्मणि स्व-महिमन्य् अपि नाथ मा भूत् किं त्व् अन्तकासि-लुलितात् पततां विमानात् ॥ [भ्प् ४.९.१०] स्व-महिमनि असाधारण-माहात्म्येऽपि माभूत् न भवतीत्य् अर्थः । अन्तकासिः कालः ॥ ॥ ४.९ ॥ ध्रुवः श्री-ध्रुवप्रियम् ॥ ९१ ॥
[91] śrī-bhagavatā śabda-brahma-maya-kambu-spṛṣṭa-kapolaḥ tat-prakāśita- yathārtha-nigado dhruvo bālako'pi tathā vivṛtavān ity evam ānanda- camatkāra-viśeṣa-śravaṇād api tasyaiva pūrṇatvam āha | yā nirvṛtis tanu-bhṛtāṃ tava pāda-padma- dhyānād bhavaj-jana-kathā-śravaṇena vā syāt sā brahmaṇi sva-mahimany api nātha mā bhūt kiṃ tv antakāsi-lulitāt patatāṃ vimānāt || [BhP 4.9.10] sva-mahimani asādhāraṇa-māhātmye'pi mābhūt na bhavatīty arthaḥ | antakāsiḥ kālaḥ || || 4.9 || dhruvaḥ śrī-dhruvapriyam || 91 ||
English translation
English witness · section(s) 80
Anuccheda 80
1 All goals of life are situated within the form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is described in Srimad Bhagavatam (5.3.7-8) where the rtvig priests say to Lord Yajna-purusa: “We have engaged in Your worship with many things and have offered sacrifices unto You, but we think that there is no need for so many arrangements to please Your Lordship. All of life’s goal and opulences are directly, self-sufficiently, unceasingly, and unlimitedly increasing in You at every moment. Indeed, You are unlimited enjoyment and blissful existence itself.”* 2 Srila Sridhara Svami comments: “This verse says ‘All of life’s goals and opulences (purusartha) are directly (anasa), self-sufficiently (atmanah), increasingly and unlimitedly (asesa) increasing (bobhuyamana) in You (svarupa) at every moment (anusavanam). Indeed, You are unlimited enjoyment and blissful existence itself.’”* 3 This is also described in Chandogya Upanisad (3.14.2): “The Supreme Personality of Godhead is all desires, all fragrances, all tastes.”