Paramātma · Sanskrit §32 · English §33
Source[३२] साधिते च सव्रूप-भूतेऽहम्भावे प्रतिक्षेत्रं भिन्नत्वम् अपि साधितम् । यत् तु वस्तुनो यद्य् अनानात्वम् आत्मनः प्रश्न ईदृशः । कथं घटेत वो विप्रा वक्तुर् वा मे क आश्रयः ॥ [भ्प् ११.१३.२२] इत्यादौ ज्ञानिनो लौकिक-गुरु-रीतिं तदीय-प्राकृत-दृष्टिं वानुसृत्य स्वस्य जीवान्तर-साधारण्य-कल्पना-मये श्री-हंस-देव-वाक्ये जीवात्मनाम् एकत्वम् । तत् खलु अंश-भेदेऽपि ज्ञानेच्छून् प्रति ज्ञानोपयोगित्वेन तम् अविविच्यैव समानाकारत्वेन । भेद-व्यपदेशः यथा तत्रैव । पञ्चात्मकेषु भूतेषु समानेष्व् अपि वस्तुतः । को भवान् इति वः प्रश्नो वाचारम्भो ह्य् अनर्थकः ॥ [भ्प् ११.१३.२३] इति । तत्राप्य् अंश-भेदोऽस्त्य् एव । अत उक्तं स्वयं भगवता -- शुनि चैव श्वपाके च पण्डिताः समदर्शिनः [गीता ५.१८] इति । निर्दोषं हि समं ब्रह्म इत्य् आदि च [गीता ५.१९] । अत्र ब्रह्मेति जीव-ब्रह्मैवोच्यते । यथा यथाहम् एतत् सद्- असत् स्व-मायया पश्ये मयि ब्रह्मणि कल्पितं परे इति । मयि ब्रह्मणि देहात्मकं परे ब्रह्मणि च जगद्-आत्मकं सद्-असत् कार्य-कारण- सङ्घातं स्व-विषयक-मायया जीव-मायाख्यया देह एवाहं तथा इन्द्र- चन्द्राद्य्-आत्मकं जगद् एवेश्वर इतीदं कल्पितम् एव यया मत्या पश्ये पश्यामीत्य् अर्थः । समान-कारणत्वाद् एव पूर्ववद् अन्यत्र च सोऽहं स च त्वम् इति । तद् एवं सर्वेषाम् एव जीवानाम् एकाकारत्वे सति । यावत् स्याद् गुण- वैषम्यं तावन् नानात्वम् आत्मनः । नानात्वम् आत्मनो यावत् पारतन्त्र्यं तदैव हीत्य्-आदिषु देवादि-देह-भेद-कृतागन्तुक-नानात्वं निगद्यते । वेणु-रन्ध्र-विभेदेन भेदः षड्-जादि-संज्ञ्तः । अभेद-व्यापिनी वायोस् तथा तस्य महात्मनः ॥ इत्य् [विप् २.१४.३२] आदिकं तु परमात्म-विषयकम् एव । तद् एतत् सर्वम् अभिप्रेत्य जीवानां प्रतिक्षेत्रं भिन्नत्वं स्व-पक्षत्वेन निर्दिशन्ति । अपरिमिता ध्रुवास् तनु-भृतो यदि सर्व-गता इति ॥ [भ्प् १०.८७.३०] अत्र यदि-शब्दात् पूर्व-पाठेनापरिमितत्वं ध्रुवत्वं चासन्दिग्धम् इति तत्र स्वपक्षत्वं पश्चात्-पाठेन सर्व-गतत्वं तु सन्दिग्धम् इति । तत्र पर-पक्षत्वं स्पष्टम् एव । अतएव एको देवः सर्व-भूतेषु गूढ इत्य् आदिकं पर्मात्म-परं वाक्यं जीवानाम् एकत्वं बोधयति ॥ १०.८७ ॥ श्रुतयः ॥३२॥
[32] sādhite ca savrūpa-bhūte'hambhāve pratikṣetraṃ bhinnatvam api sādhitam | yat tu vastuno yady anānātvam ātmanaḥ praśna īdṛśaḥ | kathaṃ ghaṭeta vo viprā vaktur vā me ka āśrayaḥ || [BhP 11.13.22] ityādau jñānino laukika-guru-rītiṃ tadīya-prākṛta-dṛṣṭiṃ vānusṛtya svasya jīvāntara-sādhāraṇya-kalpanā-maye śrī-haṃsa-deva-vākye jīvātmanām ekatvam | tat khalu aṃśa-bhede'pi jñānecchūn prati jñānopayogitvena tam avivicyaiva samānākāratvena | bheda-vyapadeśaḥ yathā tatraiva | pañcātmakeṣu bhūteṣu samāneṣv api vastutaḥ | ko bhavān iti vaḥ praśno vācārambho hy anarthakaḥ || [BhP 11.13.23] iti | tatrāpy aṃśa-bhedo'sty eva | ata uktaṃ svayaṃ bhagavatā -- śuni caiva śvapāke ca paṇḍitāḥ samadarśinaḥ [Gītā 5.18] iti | nirdoṣaṃ hi samaṃ brahma ity ādi ca [Gītā 5.19] | atra brahmeti jīva-brahmaivocyate | yathā yathāham etat sad- asat sva-māyayā paśye mayi brahmaṇi kalpitaṃ pare iti | mayi brahmaṇi dehātmakaṃ pare brahmaṇi ca jagad-ātmakaṃ sad-asat kārya-kāraṇa- saṅghātaṃ sva-viṣayaka-māyayā jīva-māyākhyayā deha evāhaṃ tathā indra- candrādy-ātmakaṃ jagad eveśvara itīdaṃ kalpitam eva yayā matyā paśye paśyāmīty arthaḥ | samāna-kāraṇatvād eva pūrvavad anyatra ca so'haṃ sa ca tvam iti | tad evaṃ sarveṣām eva jīvānām ekākāratve sati | yāvat syād guṇa- vaiṣamyaṃ tāvan nānātvam ātmanaḥ | nānātvam ātmano yāvat pāratantryaṃ tadaiva hīty-ādiṣu devādi-deha-bheda-kṛtāgantuka-nānātvaṃ nigadyate | veṇu-randhra-vibhedena bhedaḥ ṣaḍ-jādi-saṃjñtaḥ | abheda-vyāpinī vāyos tathā tasya mahātmanaḥ || ity [ViP 2.14.32] ādikaṃ tu paramātma-viṣayakam eva | tad etat sarvam abhipretya jīvānāṃ pratikṣetraṃ bhinnatvaṃ sva-pakṣatvena nirdiśanti | aparimitā dhruvās tanu-bhṛto yadi sarva-gatā iti || [BhP 10.87.30] atra yadi-śabdāt pūrva-pāṭhenāparimitatvaṃ dhruvatvaṃ cāsandigdham iti tatra svapakṣatvaṃ paścāt-pāṭhena sarva-gatatvaṃ tu sandigdham iti | tatra para-pakṣatvaṃ spaṣṭam eva | ataeva eko devaḥ sarva-bhūteṣu gūḍha ity ādikaṃ parmātma-paraṃ vākyaṃ jīvānām ekatvaṃ bodhayati || 10.87 || śrutayaḥ ||32||
English translation
English witness · section(s) 33
Anuccheda 33
Text 1
Another reason why the individual souls in the different material bodies are all different persons and are not the same is given in the word “anu”, which means “atom”. No one can count the number of atoms present in all directions. The atom is the smallest of all small things. This is known by the wise. Therefore the soul, atomic in size, fills the entire material body with consciousness. That is the soul’s nature. As medicine placed in the mouth strengthens the entire body, and as a magnet moves pieces of iron, so the soul exerts its influence over the material body. The atomic nature of the soul is described by the Lord Himself in these words of Srimad-Bhagavatam (11.16.11):
“Of atomic particles, I am the soul.”
Text 2
In this way it is said that the individual soul is the smallest of the small. Because it cannot be easily understood, we will not here describe the great smallness of the soul’s size. In Srimad-Bhagavatam (11.16.11) the Supreme Personality of Godhead declares:
“Of great things I am the mahat-tattva, and of small things I am the spirit soul.”
These two statements seem to be mutually contradictory. Because the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the original cause of everything, He is all pervading in the material world. In this way he is the greatness of the mahat-tattva. He is also the smallness of the individual souls, which should not be considered material, like earth or the other material elements. Understood in this way, the Lord’s statement is appropriate and logical.
Text 3
The Sruti-sastras also describe the atomic nature of the individual soul. In the Mundaka Upanisad (3.1.9) it is said:
“The soul is atomic in size and can be perceived by perfect intelligence. The atomic soul is floating in five kinds of air (prana, apana, vyana, samana, and udana), and is situated within the heart.”*
In the Svetasvatara Upanisad (5.9) it is said:
“When the upper point of a hair is divided into one hundred parts, and again each of such parts is further divided into one hundred parts, each such part is the measurement of the dimension of the spirit soul.”*
In the Svetasvatara Upanisad (5.8) it is also said:
“The spirit soul is atomic in size.”
Text 4
The verse quoted in the beginning of this anuccheda was spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Paramātma · Sanskrit §33 · English §34
Source[३३] प्रति-क्षेत्र-भिन्नत्वे हेत्व्-अन्तरम् अणुर् इति । अणुः परमाणुर् इत्य् अर्थः । परमाणुश् च यस्य दिग्-भेदेऽप्य् अंशो न कल्पयितुं शक्यते स एवांशस्य परा काष्ठेति तद्-विदः । अणोर् अप्य् अखण्ड-देह-चेतयितृत्वं प्रभाव- विशेषाद् गुणाद् एव भवति । यथा शिर आदुअ धार्यमाणस्य जतु- जठितस्यापि महौषधि-खण्डस्याखण्ड-देह-पुष्टीकरणादि-हेतुः प्रभावः । यथा वायस्कान्तादेर् लौह-चालनादि-हेतुः प्रभाव एव तद्वत् । तद् एतद् अणुत्वम् आह सूक्ष्माणाम् अप्य् अहं जीव इति [भ्प् ११.१६.११] तस्मात् सूक्ष्मता-पराकाष्ठा-प्राप्तो जीव इत्य् अर्थः । दुर्ज्ञेयत्वाद् यत् सूक्ष्मत्वं तद् अत्र न विवक्षितम् । महतां च महान् अहं सूक्ष्माणाम् अप्य् अहं जीव इति परस्पर-प्रतियोगित्वेन वाक्य-द्वयस्यानन्दर्यौक्तौ स्वारस्य-भङ्गात् । प्रपञ्च-मध्ये हि सर्व-कारणत्वान् महत्-तत्त्वस्य महत्त्वं नाम व्यापकत्वं न तु पृथिव्याद्य्-अपेक्षया सुज्ञेयत्वं यथा तद्वत् प्रपञ्चे जीवानाम् अपि सूक्ष्मत्वं परमाणुत्वम् एवेति स्वारस्यम् । श्रुतयश् च - एषोऽणुर् आत्मा चेतसा वेदितव्यो यस्मिन् प्राणः पञ्चधा संविवेशेति [मुण्डु ३.१.९] । बालाग्र-शत-भागस्य शतधा कल्पितस्य च । भागो जीवः स विज्ञेयः [श्वेतु ५.९] इति । आराग्र-मात्रो ह्य् अपरोऽपि दृष्ट इति च ॥ ११.१६ ॥ श्री-भगवान् ॥३३॥
[33] prati-kṣetra-bhinnatve hetv-antaram aṇur iti | aṇuḥ paramāṇur ity arthaḥ | paramāṇuś ca yasya dig-bhede'py aṃśo na kalpayituṃ śakyate sa evāṃśasya parā kāṣṭheti tad-vidaḥ | aṇor apy akhaṇḍa-deha-cetayitṛtvaṃ prabhāva- viśeṣād guṇād eva bhavati | yathā śira ādua dhāryamāṇasya jatu- jaṭhitasyāpi mahauṣadhi-khaṇḍasyākhaṇḍa-deha-puṣṭīkaraṇādi-hetuḥ prabhāvaḥ | yathā vāyaskāntāder lauha-cālanādi-hetuḥ prabhāva eva tadvat | tad etad aṇutvam āha sūkṣmāṇām apy ahaṃ jīva iti [BhP 11.16.11] tasmāt sūkṣmatā-parākāṣṭhā-prāpto jīva ity arthaḥ | durjñeyatvād yat sūkṣmatvaṃ tad atra na vivakṣitam | mahatāṃ ca mahān ahaṃ sūkṣmāṇām apy ahaṃ jīva iti paraspara-pratiyogitvena vākya-dvayasyānandaryauktau svārasya-bhaṅgāt | prapañca-madhye hi sarva-kāraṇatvān mahat-tattvasya mahattvaṃ nāma vyāpakatvaṃ na tu pṛthivyādy-apekṣayā sujñeyatvaṃ yathā tadvat prapañce jīvānām api sūkṣmatvaṃ paramāṇutvam eveti svārasyam | śrutayaś ca - eṣo'ṇur ātmā cetasā veditavyo yasmin prāṇaḥ pañcadhā saṃviveśeti [MuṇḍU 3.1.9] | bālāgra-śata-bhāgasya śatadhā kalpitasya ca | bhāgo jīvaḥ sa vijñeyaḥ [ŚvetU 5.9] iti | ārāgra-mātro hy aparo'pi dṛṣṭa iti ca || 11.16 || śrī-bhagavān ||33||
English translation
English witness · section(s) 34
Anuccheda 34
Text 1
That the individual souls are different from the Supreme Personality of Godhead is confirmed by these words of Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.87.30):
“O Supreme Eternal! If the embodied living entities were eternal and all pervading like You, then they would not be under Your control. But if the living entities are accepted as minute energies of Your Lordship, then they are at once subject to Your supreme control. Therefore real liberation entails surrender by the living entities to Your control, and that surrender will make them happy. In that constitutional position only can they be controllers. Therefore, men with limited knowledge who advocate the monistic theory that God and the living entities are equal in all respects are actually misleading themselves and others.”*
Text 2
Here is the meaning: the Sruti-sastras declare that the individual soul is a part-and-parcel of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is confirmed in Bhagavad-gita (15.7), where the Supreme Lord declares:
“The living entities in this material world are My parts and parcels.”*
Because they are parts of the Lord, it is not possible for the individual souls to be all pervading. This verse (Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.87.30) declares: “O Supreme Eternal! If the embodied living entities were eternal and all pervading like You, then they would not be under Your control.” The truth is, however, that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is clearly the controller, and the individual spirit souls are clearly under His control. It cannot be claimed that this is not he conclusion of the Vedic literatures.
Text 3
The verse therefore affirms, “If the embodied living entities were eternal and all pervading like You, then they would not be under Your control.” Therefore it is not possible that the individual spirit souls are all pervading. That is the meaning.
Text 4
That the individual souls are manifested from the Supreme Personality of Godhead is explained in these words of Taittiriya Upanisad (3.1.1):
“All created beings emanate from the Absolute Truth, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.”*
Because the individual spirit souls are manifested from the Lord the relationship between the individual soul and the Lord is that of controlled (the individual soul) and controller (the Supreme Lord) or the object in which all pervasiveness is manifested (the individual soul) and the person who is all pervading (the Supreme Lord).
Text 5
Seeing everywhere the chain of causes and effects are manifested in this way, the speaker of this verse says “ajani” (was born). The word “yan-mayam” means “consisting of this”, and “yad ajani” means “was born”. The phrase “yan niyantr bhavet tad avimucya” means “He is the creator”. Although not explicitly stated, here it is hinted “He is all pervading”.
Text 6
Some thinkers claim that the individual souls are equal to the Supersoul, who is the creator of the worlds. This idea is not true. It is not real knowledge (amatam). The word “mata-dustataya” means “this idea is impure, for it contradicts the conclusions of the Sruti-sastras”.
Text 7
In the Sruti-sastra, in the Catur-veda-sikha, it is said:
“No individual soul is equal to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. All individual souls are born, die, and are filled with many faults. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is never born and never dies. All the individual souls are imperfect and subordinate to the Lord.”
Text 8
In the Svetasvatara Upanisad (6.8) it is said:
“No one is greater than the Supreme Personality of Godhead. No one is equal to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.”
Text 9
In the scriptures it is also said:
“Who created all the worlds? The Supreme Personality of Godhead creates and sustains all existence.”
Text 10
In the Sri Visnu Purana (1.12.57) it is said:
“The wise know that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the master of all, for it is He who creates and sustains all existence.”
Text 11
The Supersoul’s all-pervasiveness is described in these words of Svetasvatara Upanisad (6.11):
“The Supreme Personality of Godhead manifests Himself as the all pervading Supersoul, the witness present in the hearts of all living entities. He witnesses all activities of the living entity. He is the supreme living force, and yet He is transcendental to all material qualities.”*
From these words the truth that the individual spirit souls are atomic in size may also be inferred.
Text 12
The soul is also described in these words of Bhagavad-gita (2.24):
“The soul is everlasting, all pervading, unchangeable, immovable, and eternally the same.”*
In this verse the word “sarva-gatah” (all pervading) refers to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The word “sarva-gata” may also refer to an unchanging atomic individual soul who takes shelter (gata) of the the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is everything (sarva). The verse quoted in the beginning of this anuccheda was spoken by the Personified Vedas.
Paramātma · Sanskrit §34 · English §35
Source[३४] तथा - अपरिमिता ध्रुवास् तनु-भृतो यदि सर्व-गतास् तर्हि न शास्यतेति नियमो ध्रुव नेतरथा । अजनि च यन् मयं तद् अविमुच्य नियन्तृ भवेत् समम् अनुजानतां यद् अमतं मत-दुष्टतया ॥ [भ्प् १०.८७.३०] अयम् अर्थः - परमात्मनोऽंशत्वं तस्माज् जायमानत्वं च जीवस्य श्रूयते । तत्र ममैवांशो जीव लोके [गीता १५.७] इत्य् आदि सिद्धेऽंशत्वे तावत् तस्य विभुत्वम् उक्तम् इत्य् आहुः । अपरिमिता वस्तुत एवानन्त-सङ्ख्या नित्याश् च ये तनु-भृतो जीवास् ते यदि सर्वगता विभवाः स्युः, तर्हि तेषां व्याप्यत्वाभावेन समत्वात् शास्यतेति नियमो न स्यात् । ईश्वरो नियन्ता जीवो नियम्य इति वेद-कृत-नियमो न घटत इत्य् अर्थः । हे ध्रुव इतरथा जीवस्याणुत्वेन व्याप्य-भावे तु सति न तन्-नियमो न अपि तु स घटत एवेत्य् अर्थः । अथ यतो वा इमानि भूतानि जायन्ते इति जायमानत्वावस्थायाम् अपि व्याप्य- व्यापकत्वेनैव नियन्तृत्वं भवति । सर्वत्रैव कार्य-कारणयोस् तथाभाव-दर्शनाद् इत्य् आहुः अजनीति । यन्-मयं यद्-उपादानकं यद् अजनि जायत इत्य् अर्थः । तद्-उपादानं कर्तृ तस्य जायमानस्य यन्-नियन्तृ भवेत् तद् अविमुच्य किञ्चिद् अप्य् अनुक्ता व्याप्यैवेत्य् अर्थः । किं च यद्-उपादान- रूपं परमात्माख्यं तत्त्वं केनाप्य् अपरेण समं समानम् इत्य् अनुजानतां यः कश्चित् तथा वदति तत्रानुज्ञाम् अपि ददताम् अमतं ज्ञातं न भवतीत्य् अर्थः । तत्र हेतुः मत-दुष्टतया तस्य मतस्याशुद्धत्वेन । तत्राशुद्धत्वं श्रुत्वा च विरोधात् । श्रुतिश् च असमो वा एष परो न हि कश्चिद् एव दृश्यते सर्वे त्व् एते न वा जायन्ते च म्रियते सर्वे ह्य् अपूर्णाश् च भवन्तीति चतुर्वेद-शिखायाम् । न तत्-समश् चाभ्यधिकश् च दृश्यते इति । अथ कस्माद् उच्यते ब्रह्मा बृंहति बृंहयति चेति चान्यत्र । बृहत्वाद् बृंहणत्वाच् च यद् ब्रह्म परमं विदुर् इति [विप् १.१२.५७] श्री-विष्णु-पुराणे । अतः परमात्मन एव सर्व-व्यापकत्वम् । एको देवः सर्व-भूतेषु गूढः सर्व-व्यापी सर्व-भूतान्तरात्मा इत्य् आदौ । तस्माद् अणुर् एव जीव इति । यत् तु श्री-भगवद्-गीतासु नित्यः सर्व-गतः स्थाणुर् इत्य् आदिना जीव- निरूपणं तत्र सर्व-गतः श्री-भगवान् एव तत्-स्थस् तद्-आश्रितश् चासाव् अगुणश् च इति सर्वगतः स्थाणुर् जीवः प्रोक्तः ॥ १०.८७ ॥ श्रुतयः ॥३४॥
[34] tathā - aparimitā dhruvās tanu-bhṛto yadi sarva-gatās tarhi na śāsyateti niyamo dhruva netarathā | ajani ca yan mayaṃ tad avimucya niyantṛ bhavet samam anujānatāṃ yad amataṃ mata-duṣṭatayā || [BhP 10.87.30] ayam arthaḥ - paramātmano'ṃśatvaṃ tasmāj jāyamānatvaṃ ca jīvasya śrūyate | tatra mamaivāṃśo jīva loke [Gītā 15.7] ity ādi siddhe'ṃśatve tāvat tasya vibhutvam uktam ity āhuḥ | aparimitā vastuta evānanta-saṅkhyā nityāś ca ye tanu-bhṛto jīvās te yadi sarvagatā vibhavāḥ syuḥ, tarhi teṣāṃ vyāpyatvābhāvena samatvāt śāsyateti niyamo na syāt | īśvaro niyantā jīvo niyamya iti veda-kṛta-niyamo na ghaṭata ity arthaḥ | he dhruva itarathā jīvasyāṇutvena vyāpya-bhāve tu sati na tan-niyamo na api tu sa ghaṭata evety arthaḥ | atha yato vā imāni bhūtāni jāyante iti jāyamānatvāvasthāyām api vyāpya- vyāpakatvenaiva niyantṛtvaṃ bhavati | sarvatraiva kārya-kāraṇayos tathābhāva-darśanād ity āhuḥ ajanīti | yan-mayaṃ yad-upādānakaṃ yad ajani jāyata ity arthaḥ | tad-upādānaṃ kartṛ tasya jāyamānasya yan-niyantṛ bhavet tad avimucya kiñcid apy anuktā vyāpyaivety arthaḥ | kiṃ ca yad-upādāna- rūpaṃ paramātmākhyaṃ tattvaṃ kenāpy apareṇa samaṃ samānam ity anujānatāṃ yaḥ kaścit tathā vadati tatrānujñām api dadatām amataṃ jñātaṃ na bhavatīty arthaḥ | tatra hetuḥ mata-duṣṭatayā tasya matasyāśuddhatvena | tatrāśuddhatvaṃ śrutvā ca virodhāt | śrutiś ca asamo vā eṣa paro na hi kaścid eva dṛśyate sarve tv ete na vā jāyante ca mriyate sarve hy apūrṇāś ca bhavantīti caturveda-śikhāyām | na tat-samaś cābhyadhikaś ca dṛśyate iti | atha kasmād ucyate brahmā bṛṃhati bṛṃhayati ceti cānyatra | bṛhatvād bṛṃhaṇatvāc ca yad brahma paramaṃ vidur iti [ViP 1.12.57] śrī-viṣṇu-purāṇe | ataḥ paramātmana eva sarva-vyāpakatvam | eko devaḥ sarva-bhūteṣu gūḍhaḥ sarva-vyāpī sarva-bhūtāntarātmā ity ādau | tasmād aṇur eva jīva iti | yat tu śrī-bhagavad-gītāsu nityaḥ sarva-gataḥ sthāṇur ity ādinā jīva- nirūpaṇaṃ tatra sarva-gataḥ śrī-bhagavān eva tat-sthas tad-āśritaś cāsāv aguṇaś ca iti sarvagataḥ sthāṇur jīvaḥ proktaḥ || 10.87 || śrutayaḥ ||34||
English translation
English witness · section(s) 35
Anuccheda 35
Text 1
That the individual soul is eternally pure in its nature is described in these words of Srimad-Bhagavatam (5.11.12):
“A person who is pure and liberated in this life can see all these things vividly.”
Text 2
These words explain that a soul who is pure can understand the truth. A soul who is eternally pure knows the eternal truth. Such a soul is not subjected to various kinds of material transformations. In this way a soul who is conscious of the truth acts in a particular way in relation to his material body and the various things of this world. A person who is not aware of the truth acts in a different way in relation to these things.
Text 3
In the scriptures it is said:
“O Lord, without Your help no one has the power to do anything.”
In this way the pure soul understands the position of the Supersoul. The Supersoul is, ultimately, the real doer of activities.
Text 4
This is also described in the following words of Srimad-Bhagavatam (6.16.24):
“As iron has the power to burn when made red-hot in the association of fire, so the body, senses, living force, mind, and intelligence, although merely lumps of matter, can function in their activities when infused with a particle of consciousness by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. As iron cannot burn unless heated by fire, the bodily senses cannot act unless favored by the Supreme Brahman.”*
Text 5
The superior position of the material nature is described in these words of Srimad-Bhagavatam (3.26.8):
Text 6
“The cause of the conditioned soul’s body and senses and the senses’ presiding deities, the demigods, is the material nature. This is understood by learned men. The feelings of happiness and distress of the soul, who is transcendental by nature, are caused by the spirit soul himself.”*
Text 7
Above the material nature is the Supersoul. By understanding the ultimate superiority of the Supersoul, the individual soul attains the transcendental state where he is freed from the touch of matter. This is described in Srimad-Bhagavatam (11.25.26) where the Supreme Personality of Godhead declares:
Text 8
“A worker free of attachment is in the mode of goodness, a worker blinded by personal desire is in the mode of passion, and a worker who has completely forgotten how to tell right from wrong is in the mode of ignorance. But a worker who has taken shelter of Me is understood to be transcendental to the modes of nature.”***
Text 9
The meaning of this verse is clear. This verse was spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Paramātma · Sanskrit §35 · English §36
Source[३५] अथ शुद्ध-स्वरूपत्वान् नित्य-निर्मलत्वम् उदाहृतम् एव । शुद्धो विचष्टे ह्य् अविशुद्ध-कर्तुर् इत्य् अनेन । तथा तेनैव शुद्धस्यापि ज्ञातृत्वम् अप्य् उदाहृतम् । ज्ञानं च नित्यस्य स्वाभाविक-धर्मत्वान् नित्यम् । अतएव न विक्रियात्मकम् अपि । तथा चैतन्य-सम्बन्धेन देहादेः कर्तृत्व-दर्शनात् । क्वचिद् अचेतनस्य कर्तृत्वं च । न ऋते तत् क्रियते किं च नारे इत्य् आदाव् अन्तर्यामि-चैतन्य-सम्बन्धेन भवतीत्य् अङ्गीकाराच् च शुद्धाद् एव कर्तृत्वं प्रवर्तते । तद् उक्तम् - देहेन्द्रिय-प्राण-मनो-धियोऽमी यद्-अंश- बिद्धाः प्रचरन्ति कर्मस्व् इति [भ्प् ६.१६.२४] । तत् तूपाधि-प्राधान्येन प्रवर्तमानम् उपाधि-धर्मत्वेन व्यपदिश्यते । यथा - कार्य-कारण- कर्तृत्वे कारणं प्रकृतिं विदुर् इत्य् [भ्प् ३.२६.८] आदौ । परमात्म- प्राधान्येन प्रवर्तमानं तु निरुपाधिकम् एवेत्य् आह । सात्त्विकः कारकोऽसङ्गी रागान्धो राजसः स्मृतः । तामसः स्मृति-विभ्रष्टो निर्गुणो मद्-अपाश्रयः ॥ [भ्प् ११.२५.२६] स्पष्टम् ॥ ११.२५ ॥ श्री-भगवान् ॥३५॥
[35] atha śuddha-svarūpatvān nitya-nirmalatvam udāhṛtam eva | śuddho vicaṣṭe hy aviśuddha-kartur ity anena | tathā tenaiva śuddhasyāpi jñātṛtvam apy udāhṛtam | jñānaṃ ca nityasya svābhāvika-dharmatvān nityam | ataeva na vikriyātmakam api | tathā caitanya-sambandhena dehādeḥ kartṛtva-darśanāt | kvacid acetanasya kartṛtvaṃ ca | na ṛte tat kriyate kiṃ ca nāre ity ādāv antaryāmi-caitanya-sambandhena bhavatīty aṅgīkārāc ca śuddhād eva kartṛtvaṃ pravartate | tad uktam - dehendriya-prāṇa-mano-dhiyo'mī yad-aṃśa- biddhāḥ pracaranti karmasv iti [BhP 6.16.24] | tat tūpādhi-prādhānyena pravartamānam upādhi-dharmatvena vyapadiśyate | yathā - kārya-kāraṇa- kartṛtve kāraṇaṃ prakṛtiṃ vidur ity [BhP 3.26.8] ādau | paramātma- prādhānyena pravartamānaṃ tu nirupādhikam evety āha | sāttvikaḥ kārako'saṅgī rāgāndho rājasaḥ smṛtaḥ | tāmasaḥ smṛti-vibhraṣṭo nirguṇo mad-apāśrayaḥ || [BhP 11.25.26] spaṣṭam || 11.25 || śrī-bhagavān ||35||
English translation
English witness · section(s) 36
Anuccheda 36
Text 1
That the spirit soul experiences the various perceptions offered in the material world is described in these words of Srimad-Bhagavatam (3.26.8):
Text 2
“The feelings of happiness and distress of the soul, who is transcendental by nature, are caused by the spirit soul himself.”*
Text 3
The phrase that precedes these words is “karanam viduh” (learned men know this is the cause). This verse was spoken by Lord Kapiladeva.
Paramātma · Sanskrit §36–37 · English §37
Source[३६] अथ भोक्तृत्वं संवेदन-रूपत्वेन यथा तथा तत्रैव चिद्-रूपे पर्यवस्यतीत्य् आह भोक्तृत्वे सुख-दुःखानां पुरुषं प्रकृतेः परम् इति [भ्प् ३.२६.८] ॥ कारणम् इति पूर्वेणैवान्वयः ॥ ३.२६ ॥ श्री-कपिल-देवः ॥३६॥ [३७] अथ परमात्मैक-शेषत्वेति व्याख्येयम् । एकः परमात्मनोऽन्यः शेषोऽंशः । स चासौ स च एक-शेषः । परमात्मन एक-शेषः परमात्मैक- शेषः । तस्य भावस् तत्त्वं तद् एव स्वभावः प्रकृतिर् यस्य स परमात्मैक-शेषत्व-स्वभावः । तथाभूतश् चायं सर्वदा मोक्ष- दशायाम् अपीत्य् अर्थः । एतादृशत्वं चास्य स्वतः स्वरूपत एव न तु परिच्छेदादिना । तदीय-स्वाभाविकाचिन्त्य-शक्त्या स्वाभाविक-तदीय-रश्मि- परमाणु-स्थानीयत्वात् औपाधिकावथायास् त्व् अंशेन प्रकृति-शेषत्वम् अपि भवति इति च स्वत इत्य् अस्य भावः । शक्ति-रूपत्वं चास्य तटस्थ-शक्त्य्- आत्मकत्वात्, तथा तदीय-रश्मि-स्थानीयत्वेऽपि नित्य-तद्-आश्रयित्वात् तद्- व्यतिरेकेण व्यतिरेकात् । हेतुर् भावोऽस्य सर्गादेर् इत्य् अनुसारेण जगत्-सृष्टौ तत्-साधनत्वात् । द्रव्य-स्वरूपत्वेऽपि प्रधान-साम्याच् चावगम्यते । उक्तं च प्रकृति-विशेषत्वेन तस्य शक्तित्वम् - विष्णु-शक्तिः परा प्रोक्ता क्षेत्रज्ञाख्या तथा परा । अविद्या कर्म-संज्ञाख्या तृतीया शक्तिर् उच्यते ॥ इति विष्णु-पुराणे [विप् ६.७.६१] । भूमिर् आपोऽनलो वायुर् इत्य् [गीता ७.४] आदौ भिन्ना प्रकृतिर् अष्टधेत्य् अनन्तरम् । अपरेयम् इतस् त्व् अन्यां प्रकृतिं विद्धि मे पराम् । जीव-भूतां महाबाहो ययेदं धार्यते जगत् ॥ इति श्री-गीतोपनिषत्सु च । विष्णु-शक्तिः परा प्रोक्तेत्य् आदि विष्णु-पुराण-वचने तु तिसॄणाम् एव पृथक् शक्तित्व-निर्देशात् क्षेत्रज्ञस्याविद्या-कर्म-सम्बन्धेन शक्तित्वम् इति परास् तम् । किन्तु स्वरूपेनैवेत्य् आयातम् । तथा च गीतम् ममैवांश इति । अतएवापरेयम् इतस् त्व् अन्याम् इत्य् उक्तम् । क्षेत्रज्ञ एता मनसो विभूतीर् इत्य् आदौ क्षेत्रज्ञ-शब्दश् च शुद्धेऽपि प्रवर्तते क्षेत्र-शब्दस्योपलक्षण- मात्रत्वात् । तद् एवं शक्तित्वेऽप्य् अन्यत्वम् अस्य तटस्थत्वात् । तटस्थत्वं च माया-शक्त्य्- अतीतत्वात् । अस्याविद्यापराभवादि-रूपेण दोषेण परमात्मनो लेपाभावाच् चोभय-कोटाव् अप्रवेशात् । तस्य तच्-छक्तित्वे सत्य् अपि परमात्मनस् तल्- लेपाभावश् च यथा क्वचिद् एक-देश-स्थे रश्मौ छायया तिरस्कृतेऽपि सूर्यस्यातिरस्कारस् तद्वत् । उक्तं च तटस्थत्वं श्री-नारद-पञ्चरात्रे - यत् तटस्थं तु चिद्-रूपं स्व-संवेद्याद् विनिर्गतम् । रञ्जितं गुण-रागेण स जीव इति कथ्यते ॥ इत्य् आदौ । अतो विष्णु-पुराणेऽप्य् अन्तराल एव पठितोऽसौ । अन्यत्वं च श्रुतौ अस्मान् मायी सृजते विश्वम् एतत् तस्मिंश् चान्यो मायया संनिरुद्धः [श्वेतु ४.९] । तयोर् अन्यः पिप्पलं स्वाद्व् अत्ति इत्य् आदौ । अतएवोक्तं वैष्णवे विभेद-जनके ज्ञाने नाशम् आत्यन्तिकं गते । आत्मनो ब्रह्मणो भेदम् असन्तं कः करिष्यतीति । देवत्व-मनुष्यत्वादि-लक्षणो विशेषतो यो भेदस् तस्य जनकेऽप्य् अज्ञाने नाशं गते ब्रह्मणः परमात्मनः सकाशाद् आत्मनो जीवस्य यो भेदः स्वाभाविकस् तं भेदम् असन्तं कः करिष्यति अपि तु सन्तं विद्यमानम् एव सर्व एव करिष्यतीत्य् अर्थः । उत्तरत्र पाठे नासन्तम् इत्य् एतस्य विधेयत्वाद् अन्यार्थः कष्ट-सृष्ट एवेति मोक्षदायाम् अपि तद्- अंशत्वाव्यभिचारः स्वाभाविक-शक्तित्वाद् एव । अतएवाविद्या-विमोक्ष- पूर्वक-स्वरूपावस्ह्तिति-लक्षणायां मुक्तौ तल्-लीनस्य तत्-साधर्म्यापत्तिर् भवति । निरञ्जनः परमं साम्यम् उपैतीत्य् आदि-श्रुतिभ्यः । इदं ज्ञानम् उपाश्रित्य मम साधर्म्यम् आगताः । स्वर्गेऽपि नोपजायते प्रलये न व्यथन्ति चेति श्री-गीतोपनिषद्भ्यश् च । अतएव ब्रह्म वेद ब्रह्मैव भवतीत्य् [मुण्ड् ३.२.९] आदिषु च ब्रह्म-तादात्म्यम् एव बोधयति । स्वाभाव्यापत्तिर् उपपत्तेर् इतिवत् । तद् एवं शक्तित्वे सिद्धे शक्ति-शक्तिमतोः परस्परानुप्रवेशात् शक्तिमद्-व्यतिरेके शक्ति-व्यतिरेकात् चित्त्वाविशेषाच् च क्वचिद् अभेद-निर्देश एकस्मिन्न् अपि वस्तुनि शक्ति-वैविध्य-दर्शनात् भेद- निर्देशश् च नासमञ्जसः । श्री-रामानुजीयास् तु अधिष्ठानाधिष्ठात्रोर् अपि जीवेशयोर् अभेद-व्यपदेशो व्यक्ति-जात्योर् गवादि-व्यपदेशवद् इति मन्यन्ते । यथा श्री-विष्णु-पुराणे[*एन्द्नोते #७]- योऽयं तवागतो देव- समीपं देवता-गणः । स त्वम् एव जगत्-स्रष्टा यतः सर्व-गतो भवान् ॥ इति । श्री-गीतासु च - सर्वं समाप्नोषि ततोऽसि सर्व इति । तत्र ज्ञानेच्छून् प्रति शास्त्रम् अभेदम् उपदिशति भक्तीच्छून् प्रति तु भेदम् एव । क्वचित् तु परमात्म-प्रतिबिम्बत्वं यद् अस्य श्रूयते, यथा - यथा पुरुष आत्मानम् एकम् आदर्श-चक्षुषोर् द्विधा-भूतम् एवेक्षेत तथैवान्तरम् आवयोर् इति । तद् अपि ज्ञानेच्छून् प्रत्य् अभेद-दृष्टि- पोषणार्थम् एवोच्यते न वास्तव-वृत्त्यैव प्रतिबिम्बत्वेन । अद्वयवाद- गुरु-मतेऽप्य् अम्बुवद् अग्रहणाद्[*एन्द्नोते #८] इति [व्स् ३.२.१९] न्याय- विरोधाद् वृद्धि-ह्रास-भाक्त्वम् अन्त्रभावाद् उभय-सामञ्जस्याद् एवम् इति [व्स् ३.२.२०] न्यायेन यथा-कथञ्चित् प्रतिबिम्ब-सादृश्य-मात्राङ्गीकाराच् च । तद् एतत् तस्य पर्मात्मांश-रूपताया नित्यत्वं श्री-गीतोपनिषद्भिर् अपि दर्शितम् ममैवांशो जीव-लोके जीव-भूतः सनातन इति । तद् एवं अंशत्वं तावद् आह तत्र समष्टेः -- एष ह्य् अशेष-सत्त्वानाम् आत्मांशः परमात्मनः । आद्यो ऽवतारो यत्रासौ भूत-ग्रामो विभाव्यते ॥ [भ्प् ३.६.८] टीका च - अशेष-सत्त्वानाम् प्राणिनाम् आत्मा व्यष्टीनां तद्-अंशत्वात् अंशो जीवः । अवतारतोक्तिस् तस्मिन् नारायणाविर्भावाभिप्रायेणेत्य् एषा ॥ ३.६ ॥ श्री- शुकः ॥ ३७ ॥
[36] atha bhoktṛtvaṃ saṃvedana-rūpatvena yathā tathā tatraiva cid-rūpe paryavasyatīty āha bhoktṛtve sukha-duḥkhānāṃ puruṣaṃ prakṛteḥ param iti [BhP 3.26.8] || kāraṇam iti pūrveṇaivānvayaḥ || 3.26 || śrī-kapila-devaḥ ||36|| [37] atha paramātmaika-śeṣatveti vyākhyeyam | ekaḥ paramātmano'nyaḥ śeṣo'ṃśaḥ | sa cāsau sa ca eka-śeṣaḥ | paramātmana eka-śeṣaḥ paramātmaika- śeṣaḥ | tasya bhāvas tattvaṃ tad eva svabhāvaḥ prakṛtir yasya sa paramātmaika-śeṣatva-svabhāvaḥ | tathābhūtaś cāyaṃ sarvadā mokṣa- daśāyām apīty arthaḥ | etādṛśatvaṃ cāsya svataḥ svarūpata eva na tu paricchedādinā | tadīya-svābhāvikācintya-śaktyā svābhāvika-tadīya-raśmi- paramāṇu-sthānīyatvāt aupādhikāvathāyās tv aṃśena prakṛti-śeṣatvam api bhavati iti ca svata ity asya bhāvaḥ | śakti-rūpatvaṃ cāsya taṭastha-śakty- ātmakatvāt, tathā tadīya-raśmi-sthānīyatve'pi nitya-tad-āśrayitvāt tad- vyatirekeṇa vyatirekāt | hetur bhāvo'sya sargāder ity anusāreṇa jagat-sṛṣṭau tat-sādhanatvāt | dravya-svarūpatve'pi pradhāna-sāmyāc cāvagamyate | uktaṃ ca prakṛti-viśeṣatvena tasya śaktitvam - viṣṇu-śaktiḥ parā proktā kṣetrajñākhyā tathā parā | avidyā karma-saṃjñākhyā tṛtīyā śaktir ucyate || iti viṣṇu-purāṇe [ViP 6.7.61] | bhūmir āpo'nalo vāyur ity [Gītā 7.4] ādau bhinnā prakṛtir aṣṭadhety anantaram | apareyam itas tv anyāṃ prakṛtiṃ viddhi me parām | jīva-bhūtāṃ mahābāho yayedaṃ dhāryate jagat || iti śrī-gītopaniṣatsu ca | viṣṇu-śaktiḥ parā proktety ādi viṣṇu-purāṇa-vacane tu tisṝṇām eva pṛthak śaktitva-nirdeśāt kṣetrajñasyāvidyā-karma-sambandhena śaktitvam iti parās tam | kintu svarūpenaivety āyātam | tathā ca gītam mamaivāṃśa iti | ataevāpareyam itas tv anyām ity uktam | kṣetrajña etā manaso vibhūtīr ity ādau kṣetrajña-śabdaś ca śuddhe'pi pravartate kṣetra-śabdasyopalakṣaṇa- mātratvāt | tad evaṃ śaktitve'py anyatvam asya taṭasthatvāt | taṭasthatvaṃ ca māyā-śakty- atītatvāt | asyāvidyāparābhavādi-rūpeṇa doṣeṇa paramātmano lepābhāvāc cobhaya-koṭāv apraveśāt | tasya tac-chaktitve saty api paramātmanas tal- lepābhāvaś ca yathā kvacid eka-deśa-sthe raśmau chāyayā tiraskṛte'pi sūryasyātiraskāras tadvat | uktaṃ ca taṭasthatvaṃ śrī-nārada-pañcarātre - yat taṭasthaṃ tu cid-rūpaṃ sva-saṃvedyād vinirgatam | rañjitaṃ guṇa-rāgeṇa sa jīva iti kathyate || ity ādau | ato viṣṇu-purāṇe'py antarāla eva paṭhito'sau | anyatvaṃ ca śrutau asmān māyī sṛjate viśvam etat tasmiṃś cānyo māyayā saṃniruddhaḥ [ŚvetU 4.9] | tayor anyaḥ pippalaṃ svādv atti ity ādau | ataevoktaṃ vaiṣṇave vibheda-janake jñāne nāśam ātyantikaṃ gate | ātmano brahmaṇo bhedam asantaṃ kaḥ kariṣyatīti | devatva-manuṣyatvādi-lakṣaṇo viśeṣato yo bhedas tasya janake'py ajñāne nāśaṃ gate brahmaṇaḥ paramātmanaḥ sakāśād ātmano jīvasya yo bhedaḥ svābhāvikas taṃ bhedam asantaṃ kaḥ kariṣyati api tu santaṃ vidyamānam eva sarva eva kariṣyatīty arthaḥ | uttaratra pāṭhe nāsantam ity etasya vidheyatvād anyārthaḥ kaṣṭa-sṛṣṭa eveti mokṣadāyām api tad- aṃśatvāvyabhicāraḥ svābhāvika-śaktitvād eva | ataevāvidyā-vimokṣa- pūrvaka-svarūpāvashtiti-lakṣaṇāyāṃ muktau tal-līnasya tat-sādharmyāpattir bhavati | nirañjanaḥ paramaṃ sāmyam upaitīty ādi-śrutibhyaḥ | idaṃ jñānam upāśritya mama sādharmyam āgatāḥ | svarge'pi nopajāyate pralaye na vyathanti ceti śrī-gītopaniṣadbhyaś ca | ataeva brahma veda brahmaiva bhavatīty [Muṇḍ 3.2.9] ādiṣu ca brahma-tādātmyam eva bodhayati | svābhāvyāpattir upapatter itivat | tad evaṃ śaktitve siddhe śakti-śaktimatoḥ parasparānupraveśāt śaktimad-vyatireke śakti-vyatirekāt cittvāviśeṣāc ca kvacid abheda-nirdeśa ekasminn api vastuni śakti-vaividhya-darśanāt bheda- nirdeśaś ca nāsamañjasaḥ | śrī-rāmānujīyās tu adhiṣṭhānādhiṣṭhātror api jīveśayor abheda-vyapadeśo vyakti-jātyor gavādi-vyapadeśavad iti manyante | yathā śrī-viṣṇu-purāṇe[*ENDNOTE #7]- yo'yaṃ tavāgato deva- samīpaṃ devatā-gaṇaḥ | sa tvam eva jagat-sraṣṭā yataḥ sarva-gato bhavān || iti | śrī-gītāsu ca - sarvaṃ samāpnoṣi tato'si sarva iti | tatra jñānecchūn prati śāstram abhedam upadiśati bhaktīcchūn prati tu bhedam eva | kvacit tu paramātma-pratibimbatvaṃ yad asya śrūyate, yathā - yathā puruṣa ātmānam ekam ādarśa-cakṣuṣor dvidhā-bhūtam evekṣeta tathaivāntaram āvayor iti | tad api jñānecchūn praty abheda-dṛṣṭi- poṣaṇārtham evocyate na vāstava-vṛttyaiva pratibimbatvena | advayavāda- guru-mate'py ambuvad agrahaṇād[*ENDNOTE #8] iti [Vs 3.2.19] nyāya- virodhād vṛddhi-hrāsa-bhāktvam antrabhāvād ubhaya-sāmañjasyād evam iti [Vs 3.2.20] nyāyena yathā-kathañcit pratibimba-sādṛśya-mātrāṅgīkārāc ca | tad etat tasya parmātmāṃśa-rūpatāyā nityatvaṃ śrī-gītopaniṣadbhir api darśitam mamaivāṃśo jīva-loke jīva-bhūtaḥ sanātana iti | tad evaṃ aṃśatvaṃ tāvad āha tatra samaṣṭeḥ -- eṣa hy aśeṣa-sattvānām ātmāṃśaḥ paramātmanaḥ | ādyo 'vatāro yatrāsau bhūta-grāmo vibhāvyate || [BhP 3.6.8] ṭīkā ca - aśeṣa-sattvānām prāṇinām ātmā vyaṣṭīnāṃ tad-aṃśatvāt aṃśo jīvaḥ | avatāratoktis tasmin nārāyaṇāvirbhāvābhiprāyeṇety eṣā || 3.6 || śrī- śukaḥ || 37 ||
English translation
English witness · section(s) 37
Anuccheda 37
Text 1
Srila Sridhara Svami comments on this verse:
“This is an ekasesa-samasa with the Supersoul as the first member of the compound.”
In this ekasesa-samasa the eka is the Supersoul and the sesa is the part-and-parcel living entity. In this compound word the nature of the Supersoul is described. Here it is said that the Supersoul is eternally free from the touch of matter. That is His nature. He is never subjected to material limitations.
Note: An ekasesa-samasa is a single word that refers to two persons. The word “purusam” (the person) in the previous text quoted from Supreme Personality of Godhead is the ekasesa-samasa referred to here. This word refers to both the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the individual spirit soul.
Text 2
By His inconceivable potency the Supreme Personality of Godhead manifests the individual souls, who are His parts and parcels and who are like atomic particles of light manifested from Him. Because the individual souls are thus parts of the Supreme Lord, the use of an ekasesa-samsa here is appropriate.
Text 3
The individual spirit soul is the marginal potency of the Supreme Lord. The soul is a particle of light manifested from the Lord. The soul eternally rests within the Lord. In these ways the individual soul is different from the Supreme Lord. Still, in other ways, the individual soul is certainly like the Lord. The individual soul even shares, to an extent, the Lord’s activity of creating the material world. This is seen in the following words of Srimad-Bhagavatam (12.7.18):
“Out of ignorance the living entity performs material activities and thereby becomes in one sense the cause of the creation, maintenance, and destruction of the universe.”***
Text 4
The individual spirit souls are also a specific potency of the Supreme Lord. This is described in the following words of Visnu Purana (6.7.61 and 63):
“The potency of Lord Visnu is summarized in three categories: namely the spiritual potency, the living entities, and ignorance. The spiritual potency is full of knowledge, the living entities, although belonging to the spiritual potency, are subject to bewilderment, and the third energy, which is full of ignorance, is always visible in fruitive activities.”*
Text 5
“This living entity, covered by the influence of nescience, exists in different forms in the material creation. O king, he is thus proportionately freed from the influence of material energy, to greater or lesser degrees.”*
Text 6
That the individual spirit souls are a potency of the Lord also described by the Lord Himself in these words (Bhagavad-gita 7.4-5):
“Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence, and false-ego, altogether these eight comprise My separated material energies.*
Text 7
“Besides this inferior nature, O mighty-armed Arjuna, there is a superior energy of Mine, which are all living entities who are struggling with material nature and are sustaining the universe.”*
Text 8
In Visnu Purana 6.7.61 (quoted here in text 4 of this anuccheda) three distinct potencies are described. There it is stated that even when it is in contact with the potency of ignorance and fruitive activities, the ksetrajna potency, or the individual souls, are always part of the Lord’s spiritual (para) potency.
Text 9
Indeed, the individual spirit souls are all part-and-parcel of the Supreme Lord Himself. This is confirmed in Bhagavad-gita (15.7), where the Supreme Lord declares:
“The living entities in this conditioned world are My eternal fragmental parts.”*
Text 10
That the individual spirit souls are a spiritual potency of the Lord is again affirmed by the Lord in these words (Bhagavad- gita 7.5):
“Besides this inferior nature, O mighty-armed Arjuna, there is a superior energy of Mine, which are all living entities who are struggling with material nature and are sustaining the universe.”*
Text 11
In Srimad-Bhagavatam 5.11.12 the word “ksetrajna” is used to describe the individual spirit souls. Even the liberated souls are described there by that word. The word “ksetrajna” is here in the singular, even though all the spirit souls are meant.
Text 12
Because He is the marginal potency, the individual soul is different from the Lord. Because he is superior to the maya potency of material ignorance, the individual soul is called the marginal potency. Because his position is on the border between the nature of the potency of material ignorance and the nature of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the individual spirit soul is called the marginal potency.
Text 13
Even though he is the Lord’s potency, the individual soul is not like the Lord in all respects. As an ordinary object may sometimes be covered by a shadow, but the sun is never covered by a shadow, in the same way the individual soul may be bewildered by the illusory potency maya, but the Supreme Personality of Godhead is never bewildered.
Text 14
That the individual soul is the Lord’s marginal potency is also confirmed by these words of Sri Narada-pancaratra:
“The Lord’s marginal potency, which is spiritual, conscious, and liable to the contamination of the material modes, is called the individual soul.”
Text 15
That the individual soul and the Supreme Personality of Godhead are different is also confirmed by the following words of the Svetasvatara Upanisad (4.9):
“Simply by studying the Vedas it is very difficult for the conditioned soul, illusioned by maya and trapped in the material world, to understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the controller of the illusory potency and the creator of the material universes.”*
This is also confirmed by the following words of Mundaka Upanisad (3.1.1) and Svetasvatara Upanisad (4.6-7):
“In the individual spirit soul and the Supersoul, Supreme Personality of Godhead, are like two friendly birds sitting on the same tree. One of the birds (the individual atomic soul) is eating the fruit of the tree (the sense gratification afforded by the material body), and the other bird (the Supersoul) is not trying to eat these fruits, but is simply watching His friend.*
Text 16
This is also confirmed by the following words of Visnu Purana (6.7.94):
“When the false ideas about the difference of the soul are completely dispelled, who will refute the statement that the individual soul and the Supreme Personality of Godhead are different?”
Text 17
Here the words “vibheda-janake ‘jnane nasam gate” mean “when the illusion of thinking that the demigods, human beings, and other species of life have different kinds of souls is completely dispelled”. Here “brahmanah” means of the Supreme Personality of Godhead”, and “atmanah” means “of the individual spirit soul”. “Bhedam asantam kah karisyati” means “That the individual soul and the Supreme Personality of Godhead are different is the truth. Everyone knows that it is true.”
Text 18
An alternate reading of this text gives the words “nasantam” instead of “asantam” If this alternate reading is accepted, the last part of this verse should be interpreted in a different way. Then it means, “Because he is one of the Lord’s potencies, even after attaining liberation the soul remains always part-and-parcel of the Lord.”
Text 19
When he becomes free from ignorance and situated in his original constitutional position, the soul is said to be liberated. In this liberated condition his spiritual nature is like that of the Lord Himself. This is described in the following words of Mundaka Upanisad (3.2.9):
Text 20
“When he is liberated from the grip of matter, the individual soul attains a spiritual nature like that of the Supreme Lord Himself.”
Text 21
This is also confirmed by the following words of Bhagavad-gita (14.2), where the Supreme Personality of Godhead declares:
“By becoming fixed in this knowledge, one can attain to the transcendental nature, which is like My own nature. Thus established, one is not born at the time of creation nor disturbed at the time of dissolution.”*
Text 22
This is also confirmed by the following words of Mundaka Upanisad (3.2.9):
“A person who understands the Supreme attains a spiritual nature like that of the Supreme.”
These words teach that the soul attains a spiritual nature like that of the Supreme. In this way one comes to understand something of the inconceivable Lord.
Text 23
That the liberated soul attains a spiritual nature like that of the Lord is also confirmed by the following words of Vedanta- sutra (3.2.36):
“This is true, for it is reasonable and logical.”
Text 24
In this way it is proved that the individual souls are potencies of the Supreme Lord. The potency and the master of potencies have a close relationship. Still, the potencies are different from the master of potencies, and the master of potencies is different from His potencies. Then again, in another sense they are not different from each other. Then again, because there are many different potencies, and thus spiritual variety is very real, it is not wrong to discuss the differences that exist within the spiritual reality. The followers of Sri Ramanujacarya also affirm that the creator and His creation are certainly different, that the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the individual spirit soul are certainly different, that the whole and the part are different, and that, for example, a single cow and the sum total of all cows are different.
Text 25
That the individual spirit souls and the Supreme Personality of Godhead are different is also confirmed by the following prayer in Sri Visnu Purana (1.9.69):
“Whoever comes before You, be he a demigod, is created by You, O Supreme Personality of Godhead.”*
Text 26
This is also confirmed by the following words of Sri Bhagavad-gita (11.40):
“O Supreme Personality of Godhead, You are all pervading, and thus You are everything!”*
Text 27
To persons who desire impersonal knowledge, the scriptures teach that the Supreme and the individual souls are not different. To persons who desire to serve the Lord in devotional service, the scriptures teach that the Supreme and individual souls are different. In some places the scriptures declare that the individual souls are reflections of the Supreme. An example of this is found in the following words of Srimad-Bhagavatam (4.28.63):
Text 28
“As a person sees the reflection of his body in a mirror to be one with himself and not different, whereas others actually see two bodies, so in our material condition, in which the living being is affected and yet not affected, there is a difference between God and the living entity.”*
Text 29
Although, in order to encourage the impersonalists in their idea that they are not different from the Lord, it may sometimes be said that the individual souls are reflections of the Lord, that idea is not really true. The individual souls are not reflections of the Lord.
Text 30
This idea of the impersonalist gurus, that the individual souls are reflections of the Supreme, is refuted by the following words of Vedanta-sutra (3.2.19-20):
“The individual souls are not reflections of the Supreme, like reflections of the sun in various bodies of water. The scriptures’ example of a reflection is merely meant to show the greatness of the Supreme and the smallness of the individual soul. It is not meant to be taken literally.”
In this way the Vedanta-sutra affirms that the individual soul is only like a reflection of the Supreme. The soul is not literally a reflection of the Supreme.
Text 31
That the individual spirit souls are eternally parts-and-parcels of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is confirmed by the Lord Himself in these words of Sri Bhagavad-gita (15.7):
“The living entities in this conditioned world are My eternal fragmental parts.”*
Text 32
That the sum total of all individual souls is a part and parcel of the Lord is confirmed by these words of Srimad-Bhagavatam (3.6.8):
“The gigantic universal form of the Supreme Lord is the first incarnation and plenary portion of the Supersoul. He is the self of an unlimited number of living entities, and in Him rests the aggregate creation, which thus flourishes.”*
Text 33
Srila Sridhara Svami comments:
In this verse the word “asesa-bhutanam” means “of the living entities”. This is so because the totality of living entities are part and parcel of the Lord. The word “amsah” means “the individual spirit soul”, and the word “avatara” means “the incarnation of Lord Narayana”.
Text 34
This verse was spoken by Srila Sukadeva Gosvami.
Paramātma · Sanskrit §38 · English §38
Source[३८] अथ व्यष्टेः - एकस्यैव ममांशस्य जीवस्यैव महामते । बन्धोऽस्याविद्ययानादेर् विद्यया च तथेतरः ॥ [भ्प् ११.११.४] इतरो मोक्षः । अत्र रश्मि-परमाणु-स्थानीयो व्यष्टिः । तत्र सर्वाभिमानी कश्चित् समष्टिर् इति ज्ञेयम् ॥ ११.११ ॥ श्री-भगवान् ॥३८॥
[38] atha vyaṣṭeḥ - ekasyaiva mamāṃśasya jīvasyaiva mahāmate | bandho'syāvidyayānāder vidyayā ca tathetaraḥ || [BhP 11.11.4] itaro mokṣaḥ | atra raśmi-paramāṇu-sthānīyo vyaṣṭiḥ | tatra sarvābhimānī kaścit samaṣṭir iti jñeyam || 11.11 || śrī-bhagavān ||38||
English translation
English witness · section(s) 38
Anuccheda 38
Text 1
That each individual soul, taken for himself, is a part and parcel of the Lord is confirmed by these words spoken by the Supreme Lord Himself (Srimad-Bhagavatam 11.11.4):
“O most intelligent Uddhava, the living entity, called jiva, is part and parcel of Me, but due to ignorance he has been suffering in material bondage since time immemorial. By knowledge, however, he can be liberated.”***
Text 2
Here the word “itarah” means “liberation”. Here the individual soul is like a single particle of sunlight, and the sum total of all individual souls is like the sum total of all sunlight. In this way it should be understood. This verse was spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead
Paramātma · Sanskrit §39 · English §39
Source[३९] तत्र शक्तित्वेनैवांशत्वं व्यञ्जयन्ति - स्व-कृत-पुरेऽप्य् अमीष्व् अबहिर्-अन्तर-संवरणं तव पुरुषं वदन्त्य् अखिल-शक्ति-धृतोऽंश-कृतम् । [भ्प् १०.८७.२०] इति । अबहिर्-अन्तर-संवर्णं बहिर् बहिरङ्गाणि कारणानि कार्याणि अन्तर् अन्तरङ्गानि तैर् असंवरणं कार्य-कारणैर् असंस्पृष्टम् । अंश-कृतम् अंशम् इत्य् अर्थः । अखिल-शक्ति-धृतः सर्व-शक्ति-धरस्येति विशेषणं जीव- शक्ति-विशिष्टस्यैव तव जीवोऽंशो न तु शुद्धस्येति गमयित्वा जीवस्य तच्- छक्ति-रूपत्वेनैवांशत्वम् इत्य् अनेनैवांशत्वम् इत्य् एतद् व्यञ्जयन्ति । अथ तटस्थत्वं च स यद् अजया त्यजाम् अनुशयीतेत्य् आदौ व्यक्तम् अस्ति उभयकोटाव् अप्रविष्टत्वाद् एव ॥ १०.८७ ॥ श्रुतयः श्री-भगवन्तम् ॥३९॥
[39] tatra śaktitvenaivāṃśatvaṃ vyañjayanti - sva-kṛta-pure'py amīṣv abahir-antara-saṃvaraṇaṃ tava puruṣaṃ vadanty akhila-śakti-dhṛto'ṃśa-kṛtam | [BhP 10.87.20] iti | abahir-antara-saṃvarṇaṃ bahir bahiraṅgāṇi kāraṇāni kāryāṇi antar antaraṅgāni tair asaṃvaraṇaṃ kārya-kāraṇair asaṃspṛṣṭam | aṃśa-kṛtam aṃśam ity arthaḥ | akhila-śakti-dhṛtaḥ sarva-śakti-dharasyeti viśeṣaṇaṃ jīva- śakti-viśiṣṭasyaiva tava jīvo'ṃśo na tu śuddhasyeti gamayitvā jīvasya tac- chakti-rūpatvenaivāṃśatvam ity anenaivāṃśatvam ity etad vyañjayanti | atha taṭasthatvaṃ ca sa yad ajayā tyajām anuśayītety ādau vyaktam asti ubhayakoṭāv apraviṣṭatvād eva || 10.87 || śrutayaḥ śrī-bhagavantam ||39||
English translation
English witness · section(s) 39
Anuccheda 39
Text 1
That the individual soul’s nature is to be both a potency of the Lord and a part and parcel of the Lord is confirmed by the following prayer (Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.87.20):
Text 2
“It is explained in the Vedic literatures that the living entities entrapped in different species of life are part and parcel of the Supreme Lord.”*
Text 3
In the compound word “abahir-antar-asamvahanam” the word “bahih” means “external activities”, “antah” means “internal activities”, and “asamvaranam” means “untouched by cause and effect”. “Amsa-krtam” means “part and parcel”, and “akhila-sakti-dhrtah” means “of He who possesses all potencies, especially the potencies that are the individual spirit souls”. Here the prayers says, “O Lord, You do not send a pure soul into the material world”. This verse thus affirms that the individual spirit souls are potencies of Lord and parts and parcels of the Lord.
Text 4
That the individual souls are the marginal potency of the Lord is described in these words of Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.87.38):
“The illusory material nature attracts the minute living entity to embrace her, and as a result he assumes forms composed of her qualities. Subsequently, he loses all of his spiritual qualities and must undergo repeated deaths.”***
In this way it is said that the individual souls are on the border between the spiritual and material worlds. This verse was spoken by the Personified Vedas to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Paramātma · Sanskrit §40 · English §40
Source[४०] अथ ज्ञानेच्छुं प्रति जीवेशयोर् अभेदम् आह -- अहं भवान् न चान्यस् त्वं त्वम् एवाहं विचक्ष्व भोः । न नौ पश्यन्ति कवयश् छिद्रं जातु मनाग् अपि ॥ [भ्प् ४.२८.६२] स्पष्टं ॥ ४.२८ ॥ श्री-परमात्मा पुरञ्जनम् ॥ ४० ॥
[40] atha jñānecchuṃ prati jīveśayor abhedam āha -- ahaṃ bhavān na cānyas tvaṃ tvam evāhaṃ vicakṣva bhoḥ | na nau paśyanti kavayaś chidraṃ jātu manāg api || [BhP 4.28.62] spaṣṭaṃ || 4.28 || śrī-paramātmā purañjanam || 40 ||
English translation
English witness · section(s) 40
Anuccheda 40
Text 1
To describe the way in which the individual spirit soul and the Supreme Personality of Godhead are not different, the Srimad-Bhagavatam (4.28.62) gives the following explanation to those persons who desire impersonal knowledge:
Text 2
“My dear friend, I, the Supersoul, and you, the individual soul, are not different in quality, for we are both spiritual. In fact, My dear friend, you are qualitatively not different from Me in your constitutional position. Just try to consider this subject. Those who are actually advanced scholars, who are in knowledge, do not find any qualitative difference between you and Me.”*
Text 3
The meaning of this verse is clear. This verse was spoken by the Supersoul to King Puranjana.
Paramātma · Sanskrit §41 · English §41
Source[४१] तत्र पूर्वोक्त-रीत्या प्रथमं तावत् सर्वेषाम् एव तत्त्वानां परस्परानुप्रवेश- विवक्षयैक्यं प्रतीयते इत्य् एवं शक्तिमति परमात्मनि जीवाख्य-शक्त्य्- अनुप्रवेश-विवक्षैव तयोर् ऐक्य-पक्षे हेतुर् इत्य् अभिप्रैते श्री-भगवान् -- परस्परानुप्रवेशात् तत्त्वानां पुरुषर्षभम् । पौर्वापर्य-प्रसङ्ख्यानं यथा वक्तुर् विवक्षितम् ॥ [भ्प् ११.२२.७] टीका च - अन्योन्यस्मिन्न् अनुप्रवेशाद् वक्तुर् यथा विवक्षितं तथा पूर्वा अल्प-सङ्ख्या अपरा अधिक-सङ्ख्या तयोर् भावः परुवापर्यं तेन प्रसङ्ख्यानं गणनम् इत्य् एषा ॥ ११.२२॥ श्री-भगवान् ॥ ४१ ॥
[41] tatra pūrvokta-rītyā prathamaṃ tāvat sarveṣām eva tattvānāṃ parasparānupraveśa- vivakṣayaikyaṃ pratīyate ity evaṃ śaktimati paramātmani jīvākhya-śakty- anupraveśa-vivakṣaiva tayor aikya-pakṣe hetur ity abhipraite śrī-bhagavān -- parasparānupraveśāt tattvānāṃ puruṣarṣabham | paurvāparya-prasaṅkhyānaṃ yathā vaktur vivakṣitam || [BhP 11.22.7] ṭīkā ca - anyonyasminn anupraveśād vaktur yathā vivakṣitaṃ tathā pūrvā alpa-saṅkhyā aparā adhika-saṅkhyā tayor bhāvaḥ paruvāparyaṃ tena prasaṅkhyānaṃ gaṇanam ity eṣā || 11.22|| śrī-bhagavān || 41 ||
English translation
English witness · section(s) 41
Anuccheda 41
Text 1
In the previous quote it was affirmed that every thing is present in every other thing. In this way it is affirmed that the potency that is the individual spirit soul is present within the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is the Supersoul and the master of all potencies. It is in this way that the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the individual spirit souls are one. That every thing is present in every other thing is described in these words of Srimad-Bhagavatam (11.22.7):
Text 2
“O best of men, because every thing is present in every other thing, philosophers may calculate the different causes and effects in different ways, according to their personal desire.”
Text 3
Srila Sridhara Svami comments:
“Here the words ‘parasparanupravesad yatha vaktur vivaksitam’ mean ‘because they enter each other, it may be as one wishes to describe it’. ‘Paurvaparya-prasankhyanam’ means ‘one may count the causes and effects as few or many, as one likes’.”
Text 4
This verse was spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Paramātma · Sanskrit §42 · English §42
Source[४२] अथाव्यतिरेकेण चिद्-रूपत्वाविशेषेणापि तयोर् ऐक्यम् उपदिशति - पुरुषेश्वरयोर् अत्र न वैलक्षण्यम् अण्व् अपि । तद्-अन्य-कल्पनापार्था इति [भ्प् ११.२२.११] । टीका च - कथं तर्हि पञ्चविंशति-पक्षस् तत्राह पुरुषेति । वैलक्षण्यं विसदृशत्वं नास्ति द्वयोर् अपि चिद्-रूपत्वात् । अतस् तयोर् अत्यन्तम् अन्यत्व- कल्पना-पार्था इत्य् एषा । अत्र सदृशत्वानन्यत्वाभ्यां तयोः शक्ति- शक्तिमत्त्वं दर्शितम् । तेनाव्यतिरेकोऽपि ॥ ११.२१ ॥ श्री-भगवान् ॥४२॥
[42] athāvyatirekeṇa cid-rūpatvāviśeṣeṇāpi tayor aikyam upadiśati - puruṣeśvarayor atra na vailakṣaṇyam aṇv api | tad-anya-kalpanāpārthā iti [BhP 11.22.11] | ṭīkā ca - kathaṃ tarhi pañcaviṃśati-pakṣas tatrāha puruṣeti | vailakṣaṇyaṃ visadṛśatvaṃ nāsti dvayor api cid-rūpatvāt | atas tayor atyantam anyatva- kalpanā-pārthā ity eṣā | atra sadṛśatvānanyatvābhyāṃ tayoḥ śakti- śaktimattvaṃ darśitam | tenāvyatireko'pi || 11.21 || śrī-bhagavān ||42||
English translation
English witness · section(s) 42
Anuccheda 42
Text 1
Now will be explained the truth that the individual spirit soul and the Supreme Personality of Godhead are, because they are both spiritual nature, qualitatively one. In Srimad-Bhagavatam (11.22.11) it is said:
Text 2
“According to knowledge in the material mode of goodness, there is no qualitative difference between the living entity and the supreme controller. The imagination of qualitative difference between them is useless speculation.”***
Text 3
Srila Sridhara Svami comments:
“Someone may ask: ‘What is the nature of the 25 material elements?’ That question is answered in this verse. The words ‘na vailaksanyam’ mean the two of them are not different, for they are both spiritual in nature. The word ‘anya-kalpanapartha’ means the idea that they are different is a useless speculation.”
Text 4
The individual soul and the Supreme Personality of Godhead are similar and not different because one is the potency and the other is the master of all potencies. That is how they are not different. This verse was spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead.