Paramātma · Sanskrit §43 · English §43
Source[४३] अथ भक्तीच्छुं प्रति तयोर् भेदम् उपदिशति । यदा रहितम् आत्मानं भूतेन्द्रिय-गुणाशयैः । स्वरूपेण मयोपेतं पश्यन् स्वाराज्यम् ऋच्छति ॥ [भ्प् ३.९.३३] आत्मानं जीवं स्वरूपेण तस्या जीव-शक्तेर् आश्रय-भूतेन शक्तिमता मया उपेतं युक्तम् । स्वाराज्यं सार्ष्ट्यादिकम् ॥ ३.९ ॥ ग्रभोदशायी ब्रह्माणम् ॥४३॥
[43] atha bhaktīcchuṃ prati tayor bhedam upadiśati | yadā rahitam ātmānaṃ bhūtendriya-guṇāśayaiḥ | svarūpeṇa mayopetaṃ paśyan svārājyam ṛcchati || [BhP 3.9.33] ātmānaṃ jīvaṃ svarūpeṇa tasyā jīva-śakter āśraya-bhūtena śaktimatā mayā upetaṃ yuktam | svārājyaṃ sārṣṭyādikam || 3.9 || grabhodaśāyī brahmāṇam ||43||
English translation
English witness · section(s) 43
Anuccheda 43
Text 1
To persons who desire devotional service, the scriptures teach that the individual spirit soul and the Supreme Personality of Godhead are different. The Supreme Personality of Godhead (Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.9.33) explains:
Text 2
“When you are free from the conception of gross and subtle bodies and when your senses are free from all influences of the modes of material nature, you will realize your pure form in My association. At that time you will be situated in pure consciousness.”*
Text 3
“Virahitam atmanam svarupena” means “the individual spirit soul freed from the material elements and other material encumbrances”, “mayopetam” means in the association of Me, the master of all potencies and the shelter of the potency that is the individual spirit soul”, and “svarajyam” means “the various kinds of liberation, which begin with the liberation of having opulences like the Lord (sarsti).” This verse was spoken by Lord Garbhodakasayi Visnu to Brahma.
Paramātma · Sanskrit §44 · English §44
Source[४४] तत्र भेदे हेतुम् आह - अनाद्य्-अविद्या-युक्तस्य पुरुषस्यात्म-वेदनम् । स्वतो न सम्भवाद् अन्यस् तत्त्वज्ञो ज्ञानदो भवेत् ॥ [भ्प् ११.२२.१०] टीका च - स्वतो न सम्भवति, अन्यतस् तु सम्भवात् । स्वतः सर्वज्ञः पर्मेश्वरोऽन्यो भवेद् इति अड्-विंशति-तत्त्व-पोअक्षाभिप्रायः इत्य् एषा । ज्ञानदत्वम् अत्र ज्ञानाज् ज्ञातुश् च वैलक्षण्यम् ईश्वरस्य बोधयत्य् एवेति भावः । एवं त्वत्तो ज्ञानं हि जीवानां प्रमोषस् तेऽत्र शक्तितः [भ्प् ११.२२.२८] इत्य् उद्धव-वाक्यं चाग्रे । अत्र यदि जीवाज्ञानकल्पितम् एव तस्य परमेश्वरत्वं स्यात् तर्हि स्थाणु- पुरुषवत् तस्य ज्ञान-दत्तम् अपि न स्याद् इत्य् अतः सत्य एव जीवेश्वर-भेद इत्य् एवं श्रीमद्-ईश्वरेणैव स्वयं तस्य पारमर्थिकेश्वराभिमानित्वेनैवास्तित्वं मूढान् प्रति बोधितम् इति स्पष्टम् । भेद-वादिनश् चात्रैव प्रकरणे यथा विविक्तं यद् वक्त्रं गृह्णीमो युक्ति-सम्भवाद् इत्य् अत्र परम-विवेकजस् तु भेद एवेति । तथा, मायां मदीयाम् उदगृह्य वदतां किं नु दुर्घटम् इति [भ्प् ११.२२.४] च मन्यते । ननु, श्रुतिः प्रत्यक्षम् ऐतिह्यम् अनुमानं चतुष्टयम् । प्रमाणेष्व् अनवस्थानाद् विकल्पान् स विरज्यते ॥ इत्य् [भ्प् ११.१९.१७] अत्र भेद-मात्रं निषिध्यते विकल्प-शब्दस्य संशयार्थत्वात् । संशयं परित्यज्य वस्तुन्य् एव निष्ठा करोतीत्य् अर्थः । अतएव कर्मणां परिणामित्वाद् आविरिञ्च्याद् अमङ्गलम् । विपश्चिन् नश्वरं पश्येद् अदृष्टम् अपि दृष्टवद् इत्य् अत्रास्योत्तर-श्लोकेऽपि विरिञ्चम् एवावधिं कृत्वा नश्वरत्व- दृष्टिर् उक्ता न तु वैकुण्ठादिकम् अपीति ॥ ११.१९ ॥ श्री-भगवान् ॥४४॥
[44] tatra bhede hetum āha - anādy-avidyā-yuktasya puruṣasyātma-vedanam | svato na sambhavād anyas tattvajño jñānado bhavet || [BhP 11.22.10] ṭīkā ca - svato na sambhavati, anyatas tu sambhavāt | svataḥ sarvajñaḥ parmeśvaro'nyo bhaved iti aḍ-viṃśati-tattva-poakṣābhiprāyaḥ ity eṣā | jñānadatvam atra jñānāj jñātuś ca vailakṣaṇyam īśvarasya bodhayaty eveti bhāvaḥ | evaṃ tvatto jñānaṃ hi jīvānāṃ pramoṣas te'tra śaktitaḥ [BhP 11.22.28] ity uddhava-vākyaṃ cāgre | atra yadi jīvājñānakalpitam eva tasya parameśvaratvaṃ syāt tarhi sthāṇu- puruṣavat tasya jñāna-dattam api na syād ity ataḥ satya eva jīveśvara-bheda ity evaṃ śrīmad-īśvareṇaiva svayaṃ tasya pāramarthikeśvarābhimānitvenaivāstitvaṃ mūḍhān prati bodhitam iti spaṣṭam | bheda-vādinaś cātraiva prakaraṇe yathā viviktaṃ yad vaktraṃ gṛhṇīmo yukti-sambhavād ity atra parama-vivekajas tu bheda eveti | tathā, māyāṃ madīyām udagṛhya vadatāṃ kiṃ nu durghaṭam iti [BhP 11.22.4] ca manyate | nanu, śrutiḥ pratyakṣam aitihyam anumānaṃ catuṣṭayam | pramāṇeṣv anavasthānād vikalpān sa virajyate || ity [BhP 11.19.17] atra bheda-mātraṃ niṣidhyate vikalpa-śabdasya saṃśayārthatvāt | saṃśayaṃ parityajya vastuny eva niṣṭhā karotīty arthaḥ | ataeva karmaṇāṃ pariṇāmitvād āviriñcyād amaṅgalam | vipaścin naśvaraṃ paśyed adṛṣṭam api dṛṣṭavad ity atrāsyottara-śloke'pi viriñcam evāvadhiṃ kṛtvā naśvaratva- dṛṣṭir uktā na tu vaikuṇṭhādikam apīti || 11.19 || śrī-bhagavān ||44||
English translation
English witness · section(s) 44
Anuccheda 44
Text 1
The reason why the individual spirit soul and the Supreme Personality of Godhead are different is given in these words (Srimad-Bhagavatam 11.22.10):
“Because a person who has been covered by ignorance since time immemorial is not capable of effecting his own self- realization, there must be some other personality who is in factual knowledge of the Absolute Truth and can impart this knowledge to him.”***
Text 2
Srila Sridhara Svami comments:
“Here the words ‘svato na’ mean ‘it is not possible for him’, and the words ‘sambhavad anyah’ mean ‘for another person it is possible’. That other person is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is omniscient and knows everything about the 26 elements of this world.”
Text 3
The meaning here is that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the knower and teacher of transcendental knowledge. In that way He is different from the individual spirit souls. This is explained in the following words of Srimad-Bhagavatam (11.22.28), where Uddhava tells the Supreme Lord:
“From You alone the knowledge of the living beings arises, and by Your potency that knowledge is stolen away. Indeed, no one but Yourself can understand the real nature of Your illusory potency.”***
Text 4
If an individual spirit soul is so bewildered that he thinks himself the Supreme Personality of Godhead, that individual spirit soul does not have the power to teach knowledge of the real truth. The real truth is that individual spirit soul and the Supreme Personality of Godhead are different. However, when speaking to bewildered fools, the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself may sometimes teach this arrogant idea that the individual soul is identical with the Supreme Lord.
Text 5
The truth is that the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the individual spirit soul are different. Nevertheless, the Lord Himself declares (Srimad-Bhagavatam 11.22.9):
“Therefore, no matter which of these thinkers is speaking, and regardless of whether in their calculations they include material elements within their previous subtle causes or else within their subsequent manifest products, I accept their conclusions as authoritative, because a logical explanation can always be given for each of the different theories.”***
The Lord also said (Srimad-Bhagavatam 11.22.4):
“Because all material elements are present everywhere, it is reasonable that different learned brahmanas have analyzed them in different ways. All such philosophers spoke under the shelter of My mystic potency, and thus they could say anything without contradicting the truth.”***
In this way it is seen that the different philosophies are ultimately manifested by the potency of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Text 6
Here someone may say: In Srimad-Bhagavatam (11.19.17) it is said:
“From the four types of evidence: Vedic knowledge, direct experience, traditional wisdom, and logical deduction, one can understand the temporary, insubstantial nature of the material world, by which one becomes detached from the duality of this world.”***
Text 7
This verse refutes the idea that the scriptures’ teachings are different. Here the word “vikalpa” means “doubt”. When one becomes free from doubt, one has full faith and trust. That is the meaning.
Text 8
Srimad-Bhagavatam (11.19.18) continues:
“An intelligent person should see that any material activity is subject to constant transformation and that even on the planet of Lord Brahma there is thus simply unhappiness. Indeed, a wise man can understand that just as all that he has seen is temporary, similarly, all things within the universe have a beginning and an end.”***
Text 9
In this, the following verse, it is said that one may see the temporary nature of the material worlds, even up to the world of the demigod Brahma. However, the world of Vaikunthaloka and the other spiritual worlds are not temporary. The verse quoted in the beginning of this anuccheda was spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Paramātma · Sanskrit §45 · English §45
Source[४५] अन्यत्रापि श्री-जामातृ-मुनिभिर् उपदिष्टस्य जीव-लक्षणस्यविओपजीव्यत्वेन तं लक्षयति त्रिभिः - अहं ममाभिमानोत्थैः काम-लोभादिभिर् मलैः । वीतं यदा मनः शुद्धम् अदुःखम् असुखं समम् ॥ [भ्प् ३.२५.१६] तदा पुरुष आत्मानं केवलं प्रकृतेः परम् । निरन्तरं स्वयं-ज्योतिर् अणिमानम् अखण्डितम् ॥ [भ्प् ३.२५.१७] ज्ञान-वैराग्य-युक्तेन भक्ति-युक्तेन चात्मना । परिपश्यत्य् उदासीनं प्रकृतिं च हतौजसम् ॥ [भ्प् ३.२५.१८] स्पष्टैव योजना । तवाहम् इति पद्येन स आत्मा नित्य-निर्मल इति । आत्मानम् इत्य् अनेनैवाहम् अर्थ इति । अन्यथा ह्य् आत्मत्व-प्रतीत्य्-अभावः स्यात् । केवलम् इत्य् अनेनैक-रूप-स्वरूप-भाग् इति । प्रकृतेः परम् इत्य् अनेन विकार- रहितः । भक्ति-युक्तेनेत्य् अनेन परमात्म-प्रसादाधीन-तत्-प्रकाशत्वात् निरन्तरम् इत्य् अनेन नित्यत्वात् परमात्मैक-शेषत्वम् इति । स्वयं ज्योतिर् इत्य् अनेन स्वस्मै स्वयं प्रकाश इति ज्ञान-मात्रात्मको न च इति च । अणिमानम् इत्य् अनेनाणुर् एवेति प्रति-क्षेत्रं भिन्न इति च । अखण्डितम् इत्य् अनेन विच्छिन्न- ज्ञानादि-शक्तित्वात् ज्ञातृत्व-कर्तृत्व-भोक्तृत्व-निज-धर्मक इति व्यञ्जितम् ॥ ३.२५ ॥ श्री-कपिलदेवः ॥४५॥
[45] anyatrāpi śrī-jāmātṛ-munibhir upadiṣṭasya jīva-lakṣaṇasyaviopajīvyatvena taṃ lakṣayati tribhiḥ - ahaṃ mamābhimānotthaiḥ kāma-lobhādibhir malaiḥ | vītaṃ yadā manaḥ śuddham aduḥkham asukhaṃ samam || [BhP 3.25.16] tadā puruṣa ātmānaṃ kevalaṃ prakṛteḥ param | nirantaraṃ svayaṃ-jyotir aṇimānam akhaṇḍitam || [BhP 3.25.17] jñāna-vairāgya-yuktena bhakti-yuktena cātmanā | paripaśyaty udāsīnaṃ prakṛtiṃ ca hataujasam || [BhP 3.25.18] spaṣṭaiva yojanā | tavāham iti padyena sa ātmā nitya-nirmala iti | ātmānam ity anenaivāham artha iti | anyathā hy ātmatva-pratīty-abhāvaḥ syāt | kevalam ity anenaika-rūpa-svarūpa-bhāg iti | prakṛteḥ param ity anena vikāra- rahitaḥ | bhakti-yuktenety anena paramātma-prasādādhīna-tat-prakāśatvāt nirantaram ity anena nityatvāt paramātmaika-śeṣatvam iti | svayaṃ jyotir ity anena svasmai svayaṃ prakāśa iti jñāna-mātrātmako na ca iti ca | aṇimānam ity anenāṇur eveti prati-kṣetraṃ bhinna iti ca | akhaṇḍitam ity anena vicchinna- jñānādi-śaktitvāt jñātṛtva-kartṛtva-bhoktṛtva-nija-dharmaka iti vyañjitam || 3.25 || śrī-kapiladevaḥ ||45||
English translation
English witness · section(s) 45
Anuccheda 45
Text 1
In another place in this book (anuccheda 19), Sri Jamata Muni has described the nature of the individual spirit soul. The soul’s nature is also described in these three verses of Srimad-Bhagavatam (3.25.16-18):
Text 2
“When one is completely cleansed of the impurities of lust and greed produced from the false identification of the body as ‘I’ and bodily possessions as ‘mine’, one’s mind becomes purified. In that state he transcends the state of so-called material happiness and distress.*
Text 3
“At that time the soul can see himself to be transcendental to material existence and always self-effulgent, never fragmented, although very minute in size.*
Text 4
“In that position of self-realization, by practice of knowledge and renunciation in devotional service, one sees everything in the right perspective. He becomes indifferent to material existence, and the material influence acts less powerfully upon him.”*
Text 5
The meaning of these verses is clear. These verses are explained by Jamata Muni in the passage quoted in this book in anuccheda 19, texts 6-8. The soul described in the first of these Srimad-Bhagavatam verses is explained to be “nitya-nirmala” (eternally pure) in the parallel passage of Jamata Muni. The word “atmanam” (the self) in the second of these Srimad-Bhagavatam verses is explained to be “aham-arthah” (conscious of his identity as an individual person) in the parallel passage of Jamata Muni. The word “kevalam” (only) in the second of these Srimad-Bhagavatam verses is explained to be “eka-svarupa-rupa-bhak” (he has his own original spiritual form) in the parallel passage of Jamata Muni. The words “prakrteh param” (above matter) in the second of these Srimad-Bhagavatam verses are explained to be “na vikari” (not subject to the changes matter imposes) in the parallel passage of Jamata Muni. The word “bhakti-yuktena” in the third of these Srimad-Bhagavatam verses is explained by the affirmation that the Lord manifests Himself by His own kindness in the parallel passage of Jamata Muni. The word “nirantaram” in the second of these Srimad-Bhagavatam verses is explained by the word “paramatmaika-sesatvam” (he is part and parcel of the Supreme Personality of Godhead) in the parallel passage of Jamata Muni. The word “svayam-jyotih” in the second of these Srimad-Bhagavatam is explained by the words “svasmai svayam-prakasah” (he is self-manifest) and “jnana-matratmako na ca” (his knowledge is not limited to the perception of the material world) in the parallel passage of Jamata Muni. The word “animanam” in the second of these Srimad-Bhagavatam verses is explained by the words “anuh” (he is atomic in size) and “pratiksetram bhinnah” (he is different from other persons) in the parallel passage of Jamata Muni. The word “akhanditam”, which means that the potency of knowledge and the other potencies are not limited or incomplete, in the second of these Srimad-Bhagavatam verses is explained by the word “jnatrtva-kartrtva-bhoktrtva-nija-dharmaka” (in his original spiritual nature he is a knower, a doer, and an enjoyer) in the parallel passage of Jamata Muni. In this way the meaning of these words is explained. These verses of Srimad-Bhagavatam were spoken by Lord Kapiladeva.
Paramātma · Sanskrit §46 · English §46
Source[४६] तथेदम् अपि प्राक्तन-लक्षणा-विरुद्धम् - आत्मा नित्यो ऽव्ययः शुद्ध एकः क्षेत्र-ज्ञ आश्रयः । अविक्रियः स्व-दृग् हेतुर् व्यापको ऽसङ्ग्य् अनावृतः ॥ [भ्प् ७.७.१९] एतैर् द्वादशभिर् विद्वान् आत्मनो लक्षणैः परैः । अहं ममेत्य् असद्-भावं देहादौ मोहजं त्यजेत् ॥ [भ्प् ७.७.२०] अव्ययः अपक्षय-शून्यः । एको न तु देहेद्रियादि-सङ्घात-रूपः । क्षेत्रज्ञो ज्ञातृत्वादि-धर्मकः । इन्द्रियादीनाम् आश्रयः । स्वाभाविक-ज्ञातृत्वाद् एवाविक्रियः । स्वदृक् स्वस्मै स्वयं प्रकाशः । हेतुः सर्गादि-निमित्तम् । तद् उक्तं श्री-सूतेन - हेतुर् जीवोऽस्य सर्गादेर् अविद्या-कर्म-कारक [भ्प् १२.७.१८] इति । व्यापको व्याप्ति-शीलः । असङ्गी अनावृतश् च स्वतः प्रकाश-रूपत्वात् । अहं ममेत्य् असद्भावं देहादौ मोहजं त्यजेद् इति देहाद्य्-अधिकरणकस्य मोहजस्यैव त्यागो न तु स्वरूप-भूतस्येत्य् अहम अर्थ इति । व्यज्जते । तद् एवं जीवस् तअद् -अंशत्वात् सूक्ष्म-ज्योती-रूप इत्य् एके । तथैव हि कौस्तुभांशत्वेन व्यञ्जितम् । तथा च स्कान्द-प्रभास-खण्डे जीव- निरूपणे - न तस्य रूपं वर्णा वा प्रमाणं दृश्यते क्वचित् । न शक्यं कथितुं वापि सूक्ष्मश् चानन्त-विग्रहः ॥ बालाग्र-शत-भागस्य शतधा कल्पितस्य च । तस्मात् सूक्ष्मतरो देवः स चानन्त्याय कल्प्य्ते ॥ आदित्य-वर्णं सूक्ष्माभम् अब्-बिन्दुम् इव पुष्करे । नक्षत्रम् इव पश्यन्ति योगिनो ज्ञान-चक्षुषा ॥ इति ॥ ॥७.९॥ श्री-प्रह्लादोऽसुर-बालकान् ॥४६॥
[46] tathedam api prāktana-lakṣaṇā-viruddham - ātmā nityo 'vyayaḥ śuddha ekaḥ kṣetra-jña āśrayaḥ | avikriyaḥ sva-dṛg hetur vyāpako 'saṅgy anāvṛtaḥ || [BhP 7.7.19] etair dvādaśabhir vidvān ātmano lakṣaṇaiḥ paraiḥ | ahaṃ mamety asad-bhāvaṃ dehādau mohajaṃ tyajet || [BhP 7.7.20] avyayaḥ apakṣaya-śūnyaḥ | eko na tu dehedriyādi-saṅghāta-rūpaḥ | kṣetrajño jñātṛtvādi-dharmakaḥ | indriyādīnām āśrayaḥ | svābhāvika-jñātṛtvād evāvikriyaḥ | svadṛk svasmai svayaṃ prakāśaḥ | hetuḥ sargādi-nimittam | tad uktaṃ śrī-sūtena - hetur jīvo'sya sargāder avidyā-karma-kāraka [BhP 12.7.18] iti | vyāpako vyāpti-śīlaḥ | asaṅgī anāvṛtaś ca svataḥ prakāśa-rūpatvāt | ahaṃ mamety asadbhāvaṃ dehādau mohajaṃ tyajed iti dehādy-adhikaraṇakasya mohajasyaiva tyāgo na tu svarūpa-bhūtasyety ahama artha iti | vyajjate | tad evaṃ jīvas taad -aṃśatvāt sūkṣma-jyotī-rūpa ity eke | tathaiva hi kaustubhāṃśatvena vyañjitam | tathā ca skānda-prabhāsa-khaṇḍe jīva- nirūpaṇe - na tasya rūpaṃ varṇā vā pramāṇaṃ dṛśyate kvacit | na śakyaṃ kathituṃ vāpi sūkṣmaś cānanta-vigrahaḥ || bālāgra-śata-bhāgasya śatadhā kalpitasya ca | tasmāt sūkṣmataro devaḥ sa cānantyāya kalpyte || āditya-varṇaṃ sūkṣmābham ab-bindum iva puṣkare | nakṣatram iva paśyanti yogino jñāna-cakṣuṣā || iti || ||7.9|| śrī-prahlādo'sura-bālakān ||46||
English translation
English witness · section(s) 46
Anuccheda 46
Text 1
The previously described qualities of the soul are described in the same way in these words of Srimad-Bhagavatam (7.7.19-20):
Texts 2 and 3
“The word ‘atma’ refers to the Supreme Lord or the living entities. Both of them are spiritual, free from birth and death, free from deterioration, and free from material contamination. They are individual, they are knowers of the external body, and they are the foundation or shelter of everything. They are free from material change, they are self-illuminated, they are the cause of all causes, and they are all pervading. They have nothing to do with the material body, and therefore they are always uncovered. With these transcendental qualities, one who is actually learned must give up the illusory conception of life, in which one thinks, ‘I am this material body, and everything in relationship with this body is mine’.”*
Text 4
In this verse “avyayah” means “without decay”, “ekah” means “not the material body, senses, or other material things”, “ksetrajnah” means “the knower of the field of activities”, “asrayah” means “the resting-place of the material senses”, “avikriyah” means “because he is the knower of the field of activities he is not subject to material transformations”, “sva-drk” means “self-manifest”, and “hetuh” means “the creator of the material world and other things”.
Text 5
That the individual spirit soul is also, in one sense, the creator of the material world is corroborated by the following words of Sri Suta Gosvami (Srimad-Bhagavatam 11.7.18):
“Out of ignorance the living being performs material activities and thereby becomes, in one sense, the cause of the creation, maintenance, and destruction of the universe.”***
Text 6
In the two verses quoted in the beginning of this anuccheda, the word “vyapakah” means “all pervading”, “asangy anavrtah” mean “because it is self-manifest, the soul is neither dependent on the material body nor covered by material contamination”, and “aham mamety asad-bhavam dehadau mohajam tyajet” means “one should renounce the illusions that begin with the material body, but one should not renounce his individual identity as a spirit soul.” Some thinkers say that the individual spirit souls are tiny particles of light. It is sometimes said that the individual spirit souls are particles of light from the Supreme Lord’s Kaustubha jewel. The individual souls are thus described as tiny particles of light in these words of Skanda Purana, Prabhasa-khanda:
Text 7
“The individual so has no material form and no material status. No evidence for these ideas can be found in any scripture. No one can speak words to prove these ideas. The infinitesimal soul enters a limitless number of material bodies.
Text 8
“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 dimension of the spirit soul.*
Text 9
“With eyes of knowledge the yogis see that that the individual soul is like a tiny particle of sunlight, like a star shining in the sky, like a drop of water on a lotus flower.”
Text 10
The verse quoted in the beginning of this anuccheda was spoken by Sri Prahlada to the demons’ sons.
Paramātma · Sanskrit §47 · English §47
Source[४७] तद् एवम् अनन्ता एव जीवाख्यास् तटस्थाः शक्तयः । तत्र तासां वर्ग- द्वयम् । एको वर्गोऽनादित एव भगवद्-उन्मुखः अन्यस् त्व् अनादित एव भगवत्-पराङ्मुखः । स्वभावतस् तदीय-ज्ञान-भावात् तदीय- ज्ञानाभावाच् च । अत्र प्रथमोऽन्तरङ्गाशक्ति-विलासानुगृहीतो नित्य- भगवत्-परिकर-रूपो गरुडादिकः । यथोक्तं पाद्मोत्तर-खण्डे त्रिपाद्- विभूतेर् लोकास् त्व् इत्य् आदौ भगवत्-सन्दर्भोदाहृते (८१) । अस्य च तटस्थत्वं जीवत्व-प्रसिद्धेर् ईश्वरत्व-कोटाव् अप्रवेशात् । अपरस्य तत्- पराङ्मुखत्व-दोषेण लब्ध-च्छिद्रया मायया परिभूतः संसारी । यथोक्तं हंस-गुह्य-स्तवे - सर्वं पुमान् वेद गुणांश् च तज्-ज्ञो न वेद सर्वज्ञम् अनन्तम् ईडे इति [भ्प् ६.४.२५] । एकादशे च -- भयं द्वितीयाभिनिवेशतः स्याद् इति [भ्प् ११.२.३७] । तद्-वर्ग-द्वयम् एवोक्तं श्री-विदुरेणापि - तत्त्वानां भगवंस् तेषां कतिधा प्रति-सङ्क्रमः । तत्रेमं क उपासीरन् क उ स्विद् अनुशेरते ॥ [भ्प् ३.७.३७] इत्य् अनेन । तत्र परमेश्वर-पराड्मुखानां शुद्धानाम् अपि तच्-छक्ति-विशिष्टान् परमेश्वरात् सोपाधिकं जन्म भवति । तच् च जन्म निजोपाधि-जन्मना निज-ज्नमाभिमान-हेतुकाध्यात्मिकावस्था-प्राप्तिर् एव । तद् एतद् आहुः -- न घटत उद्भवः प्रकृति-पुरुषयोर् अजयोर् उभय-युजा भवन्य् असुभृतो जल-बुद्बुदवत् । त्वयि न इमे ततो विविध-नाम-गुणैः परमे सरित इवार्णवे मधुनि लिख्युर् अशेष-रसाः ॥ [भ्प् १०.८७.३१] प्रकृतेस् त्रैगुण्यं पुरुषं शुद्धौ जीवस् तयोर् द्वयोर् अप्य् अजत्वाद् उद्भवो न घटते ये चासुभृत आध्यात्मिक-रूपाः सोपाधयो जीवा जायन्ते तत्-तद्- उभय-शक्ति-युजा परमात्मनैव कारणेन जायन्ते प्रकृति-विकार-प्रलयेण सुप्त-वासनत्वात् शुद्धास् ताः परमात्मनि लीना जीवाख्याः शक्तयः सृष्टि- काले विकारिणीं प्रकृतिम् आसृज्य क्ष्भित-वासनाः सत्यः सोपाधिकावस्थां प्राप्नुवन्त्य एव व्युच्चरन्तीत्य् अर्थः । एतद् अभिप्रेत्यैव भगवान् एक आसेदम् इत्य् [३.५.२३] आदि तृतीय-स्कन्ध-प्रकरणे - काल-वृत्त्या तु मायायां गुण-मय्याम् अधोक्षजः । पुरुषेणात्म-भूतेन वीर्यम् आधत्त वीर्यवान् ॥ [भ्प् ३.५.२६] इत्य् अनेन वीर्य-शब्दोक्तस्य जीवस्य प्रकृतावाधानम् उक्तम् । एवं श्री- गीतोपनिषत्स्व् अपि मम योनिर् महद् ब्रह्म तस्मिन् गर्भं दधाम्य् अहम् इत्य् [गीता १४.३] अत्रोक्तम् । टीकाकारैश् च ब्रह्म-शब्देन प्रकृतिर् व्याख्याता गर्भ-शब्देन जीव इति । पुनर् एष एव तृतीये - दैवात् क्षुभित-धर्मिण्यां स्वस्यां योनौ परः पुमान् । आधत्त वीर्यं सासूत महत् तत्त्वं हिरण्मयम् ॥ [भ्प् ३.२६.१९] इत्य् अत्र वीर्यं चिच्-छक्तिम् इति टीकायां व्याख्यातमतः शक्तित्वम् अस्य टीका- सम्मतम् । ततोऽकस्माद् उद्भव-मात्रांशे दृष्टान्तः । जल-बुद्बुदवद् इति । अतः पुनर् अपि प्रलय-समये इमे सोपाधिका जीवास् त्वयि बिम्बस्थानीय- मूल-चिद्-रूपे रश्मि-स्थानीय-चिद्-एक-लक्षण-शुद्ध-जीव-शक्तिमये । तत एव स्वम् अपीतो भवतीत्य् आदि श्रुतौ स्व-शब्दाभिधेये परमे परमात्मनि विविध-नाम-गुणैर् विविधाभिर् देवादि संज्ञाभिर् विविधैः शुभाशुभ- गुणैश् च सह लिल्युर् लीयन्ते । पूर्ववत् प्रलयेऽपि दृष्टान्तः सरित इवार्णव इति अशेष-रसा इव मधुनि इति च । अत्र देव-मनुष्यादि-नाम-रूप- परित्यागेन तस्मिन् लीनेऽपि स्वरूप-भेदोऽस्त्य् एव तत्-तद्-अंश-सद्-भावाद् इत्य् अभिप्रायः । अत्र श्रुतयः अजाम् एकाम् इत्य् [श्वेतु ५.५] आदि । यथा नद्यः स्यन्दमानाः समुद्रे ऽस्तं गच्छन्ति नाम-रूपे विहाय । तथा विद्वान् नाम-रूपाद् विमुक्तः परात् परं पुरुषम् उपैति दिव्यम् ॥ [मुण्डु ३.२.८] इति । यथा सौम्येमा मधु-कृतो निस्तिष्ठन्ति नाना-रूपाणाम् वृक्षाणां रसान् समवहारम् एकतां रसं गमयन्ति ॥ [छाउ ६.९.१] ते यथा विवेकं न लभन्ते अमुषाहं वृक्षस्य रसोऽस्मीत्य् एवं खलु सौम्येमाः सर्वाः प्रजाः सति सम्पद्य न विदुः सति सम्पद्यामह इति ॥ इति [छाउ ६.९.२] ॥ १०.८७ ॥ श्रुतयः श्री-भगवन्तम् ॥४७॥
[47] tad evam anantā eva jīvākhyās taṭasthāḥ śaktayaḥ | tatra tāsāṃ varga- dvayam | eko vargo'nādita eva bhagavad-unmukhaḥ anyas tv anādita eva bhagavat-parāṅmukhaḥ | svabhāvatas tadīya-jñāna-bhāvāt tadīya- jñānābhāvāc ca | atra prathamo'ntaraṅgāśakti-vilāsānugṛhīto nitya- bhagavat-parikara-rūpo garuḍādikaḥ | yathoktaṃ pādmottara-khaṇḍe tripād- vibhūter lokās tv ity ādau bhagavat-sandarbhodāhṛte (81) | asya ca taṭasthatvaṃ jīvatva-prasiddher īśvaratva-koṭāv apraveśāt | aparasya tat- parāṅmukhatva-doṣeṇa labdha-cchidrayā māyayā paribhūtaḥ saṃsārī | yathoktaṃ haṃsa-guhya-stave - sarvaṃ pumān veda guṇāṃś ca taj-jño na veda sarvajñam anantam īḍe iti [BhP 6.4.25] | ekādaśe ca -- bhayaṃ dvitīyābhiniveśataḥ syād iti [BhP 11.2.37] | tad-varga-dvayam evoktaṃ śrī-vidureṇāpi - tattvānāṃ bhagavaṃs teṣāṃ katidhā prati-saṅkramaḥ | tatremaṃ ka upāsīran ka u svid anuśerate || [BhP 3.7.37] ity anena | tatra parameśvara-parāḍmukhānāṃ śuddhānām api tac-chakti-viśiṣṭān parameśvarāt sopādhikaṃ janma bhavati | tac ca janma nijopādhi-janmanā nija-jnamābhimāna-hetukādhyātmikāvasthā-prāptir eva | tad etad āhuḥ -- na ghaṭata udbhavaḥ prakṛti-puruṣayor ajayor ubhaya-yujā bhavany asubhṛto jala-budbudavat | tvayi na ime tato vividha-nāma-guṇaiḥ parame sarita ivārṇave madhuni likhyur aśeṣa-rasāḥ || [BhP 10.87.31] prakṛtes traiguṇyaṃ puruṣaṃ śuddhau jīvas tayor dvayor apy ajatvād udbhavo na ghaṭate ye cāsubhṛta ādhyātmika-rūpāḥ sopādhayo jīvā jāyante tat-tad- ubhaya-śakti-yujā paramātmanaiva kāraṇena jāyante prakṛti-vikāra-pralayeṇa supta-vāsanatvāt śuddhās tāḥ paramātmani līnā jīvākhyāḥ śaktayaḥ sṛṣṭi- kāle vikāriṇīṃ prakṛtim āsṛjya kṣbhita-vāsanāḥ satyaḥ sopādhikāvasthāṃ prāpnuvantya eva vyuccarantīty arthaḥ | etad abhipretyaiva bhagavān eka āsedam ity [3.5.23] ādi tṛtīya-skandha-prakaraṇe - kāla-vṛttyā tu māyāyāṃ guṇa-mayyām adhokṣajaḥ | puruṣeṇātma-bhūtena vīryam ādhatta vīryavān || [BhP 3.5.26] ity anena vīrya-śabdoktasya jīvasya prakṛtāvādhānam uktam | evaṃ śrī- gītopaniṣatsv api mama yonir mahad brahma tasmin garbhaṃ dadhāmy aham ity [Gītā 14.3] atroktam | ṭīkākāraiś ca brahma-śabdena prakṛtir vyākhyātā garbha-śabdena jīva iti | punar eṣa eva tṛtīye - daivāt kṣubhita-dharmiṇyāṃ svasyāṃ yonau paraḥ pumān | ādhatta vīryaṃ sāsūta mahat tattvaṃ hiraṇmayam || [BhP 3.26.19] ity atra vīryaṃ cic-chaktim iti ṭīkāyāṃ vyākhyātamataḥ śaktitvam asya ṭīkā- sammatam | tato'kasmād udbhava-mātrāṃśe dṛṣṭāntaḥ | jala-budbudavad iti | ataḥ punar api pralaya-samaye ime sopādhikā jīvās tvayi bimbasthānīya- mūla-cid-rūpe raśmi-sthānīya-cid-eka-lakṣaṇa-śuddha-jīva-śaktimaye | tata eva svam apīto bhavatīty ādi śrutau sva-śabdābhidheye parame paramātmani vividha-nāma-guṇair vividhābhir devādi saṃjñābhir vividhaiḥ śubhāśubha- guṇaiś ca saha lilyur līyante | pūrvavat pralaye'pi dṛṣṭāntaḥ sarita ivārṇava iti aśeṣa-rasā iva madhuni iti ca | atra deva-manuṣyādi-nāma-rūpa- parityāgena tasmin līne'pi svarūpa-bhedo'sty eva tat-tad-aṃśa-sad-bhāvād ity abhiprāyaḥ | atra śrutayaḥ ajām ekām ity [ŚvetU 5.5] ādi | yathā nadyaḥ syandamānāḥ samudre 'staṃ gacchanti nāma-rūpe vihāya | tathā vidvān nāma-rūpād vimuktaḥ parāt paraṃ puruṣam upaiti divyam || [MuṇḍU 3.2.8] iti | yathā saumyemā madhu-kṛto nistiṣṭhanti nānā-rūpāṇām vṛkṣāṇāṃ rasān samavahāram ekatāṃ rasaṃ gamayanti || [ChāU 6.9.1] te yathā vivekaṃ na labhante amuṣāhaṃ vṛkṣasya raso'smīty evaṃ khalu saumyemāḥ sarvāḥ prajāḥ sati sampadya na viduḥ sati sampadyāmaha iti || iti [ChāU 6.9.2] || 10.87 || śrutayaḥ śrī-bhagavantam ||47||
English translation
English witness · section(s) 47
Anuccheda 47
Text 1
Thus the Lord’s marginal potencies, who are called the individual spirit souls are limitless in number. Still, they may be divided into two groups: 1. the souls who, from time immemorial, are favorable to the Supreme Lord, and 2. the rebellious souls who, from time immemorial, are averse to the Supreme Lord. This is because one group is aware of the Lord’s glories and the other group is not aware of them.
Text 2
The first group consists of Garuda and the other eternal associates of the Lord, These devotees take shelter of the Lord’s internal potency and enjoy pastimes with Him. They reside in the spiritual world, which will be described in the Bhagavat- sandarbha (anuccheda 78) where the following words of Padma Purana, Uttara-khanda are quoted:
“Countless blissful spiritual planets are in the spiritual sky, which is three fourths of the entire creation.”
Thus, although the nature of the individual souls is on the borderline of the nature of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the individual souls do not enter that nature. Thus they remain different from the Lord.
Text 3
The other individual souls, the rebellious souls who are averse to the Supreme Lord, become conquered by the illusory potency maya and must live in the material world. They are described in the following words of the Hamsa-guhya Prayers (Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.4.25):
“But the living being, because of his spiritual nature, can know his body, then life airs, the senses, the elements, and the sense objects, and he can also know the three qualities that form their roots. Nevertheless, although the living being is completely aware of them, he is unable to see the Supreme Being, who is omniscient and unlimited. I therefore offer my respectful obeisances unto Him.”*
Text 4
The rebellious individual spirit souls averse to the Supreme Lord, souls who must then reside in the material world, are also described in these words of Srimad-Bhagavatam (11.2.37):
“When the living entity is attracted by the material energy, which is separate from Krsna, he is overpowered by fear. Because he is separated from the Supreme Personality of Godhead by the material energy, his conception of life is reversed. In other words, instead of being the eternal servant of Krsna, he becomes Krsna’s competitor. This is called viparyayo’smrtih.”*
Text 5
The rebellious souls averse to the Lord and thus residing in the material world are also described in these words of Sri Visnu Purana (6.7.63):
“The living entity, covered by the influence of nescience, exists in different forms in the material condition. O king, he is thus proportionately freed from the influence of material energy, to greater or lesser degrees.”*
Text 6
The two groups of individual souls are hinted in these words of Sri Vidura (Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.7.37):
“Please describe how many dissolutions there are for the elements of material nature and who survives after the dissolution to serve the Lord while He is asleep.”*
Text 7
The rebellious pure spirit souls averse to the Lord thus take birth in a material body. When the body is thus born, the bewildered soul thinks he is born. He thinks that his existence begins at that point.
Text 8
The Personified Vedas describe the birth of these rebellious souls in these words addressed to the Supreme Personality of Godhead (Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.87.31):
“Neither material nature nor the soul who tries to enjoy her are ever born, yet living bodies come into being when these two combine, just as bubbles form where water meets the air. And just as rivers merge into the ocean or the nectar from many different flowers blends into honey, so all these conditioned beings eventually merge back into You, the Supreme, along with their various names and qualities.”*
Text 9
Here the word “prakrtih” means “the three modes of material nature”, “purusah” means “the pure spirit soul”. Because neither the individual souls nor the material world of the three modes are ever born, the verse declares, “na ghatata udbhavah” (they are not born). “Asu-bhrtah” means “the souls who take birth in material bodies”, the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself causes these two potencies (the potency that is the individual soul and the potency that is the material energy) to take birth. When the various transformations of matter finally destroy the material world, the potencies known as the pure individual souls, their material desires now dormant, enter the Supreme Personality of Godhead. However, when the material world is created again, these souls become attracted to the various transformations of matter. Their material desires thus aroused, they again take birth in material bodies. That is the meaning of this verse.
Text 10
This is also described in the following words of Srimad-Bhagavatam (3.5.23):
“The Supreme Personality of Godhead, the master of all living entities, existed prior to the creation as one without a second. It is by His will only that creation is made possible and again everything merges in Him.”*
Text 11
The creation is again described in these words of Srimad-Bhagavatam (3.5.26):
“The Supreme Living Being in His feature as the transcendental purusa incarnation, who is the Lord’s plenary expansion, impregnates the material nature of three modes, and thus by the influence of eternal time the living entities appear.”*
Text 12
The word “virya” here describes the individual soul’s entrance into the material world. This is also described by the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself in these words of Bhagavad-gita 14.3):
“The total material substance, called Brahman, is the source of birth, and it is that Brahman that I impregnate, making possible the births of the living beings, O son of Bharata.”*
In his explanation of this verse, the commentator says that here the word “brahma” means “the material world” and the word “garbham” means “the individual spirit soul”.
Text 13
This is also described in the following words of Srimad-Bhagavatam (3.26.19):
“After the Supreme Personality of Godhead impregnates material nature with His internal potency, material nature delivers the sum total of the cosmic intelligence, who is known as Hiranmaya. This takes place in material nature when she is agitated by the destinations of the conditioned souls.”*
Text 14
Here Srila Sridhara Svami explains that the word “virya” means “the spiritual potency”. Thus the conclusion of the commentator is that the individual souls are potencies of the Supreme Lord. Here the word “jala-budbuda-vat” (like bubbles in the water) is given to describe the souls’ birth in the material world. Then again, the verse explains, “at the time of cosmic annihilation the embodied souls again enter You, O Lord”. Thus the pure individual souls are a potency of the Lord. They are like rays of light emanating from the sun that is the Lord. This is confirmed in the Sruti-sastra in the words:
“The living entities are manifested from the Lord.”
Here the word “parame means “in the Supreme Personality of Godhead”, “vividha-nama-gunaih” means “with the names of the various demigods and other living beings and with their auspicious and inauspicious qualities also”, and “lilyuh” means “they merged”.
Text 15
This verse gives two example to describe the period of cosmic devastation. One example is the example of rivers entering the ocean and the other is the example of the nectar of different flowers blending into honey.
Text 16
In this way the souls abandon their names and forms of demigods, human beings, or other species of life and merge into the body of the Lord. However, because they are all in truth parts and parcels of the Lord, they all retain their individual identities, even when they are merged in the Lord’s body.
Text 17
This is also described in the following words of Chandogya Upanisad (6.3.2):
“Then the Supreme Personality of Godhead thought: Let me create the names and forms of the three kinds of material bodies and let me place the conditioned souls in those bodies.”
Text 18
This is also described in these words of the Svetasvatara Upanisad (4.5):
“An unborn man enjoys an unborn red, white, and black woman who bears many children like herself. Another unborn man first enjoys and then forsakes her.”
Note: The unborn woman is the material nature. The colors red, white, and black are the modes of passion, goodness, and ignorance. The many children are the ingredients of the material universes. The first unborn man is the conditioned soul. The second unborn man is the soul who, after trying to enjoy matter, finally renounces the world and attains liberation.
Text 19
This is also described in these words of the Mundaka Upanisad (3.2.8):
“As rivers abandon their names and forms and meet with the ocean, so the wise transcendentalist abandons his material name and form and meets the glorious Supreme Person.”
Text 20
This is also described in these words of Chandogya Upanisad (6.9.1-2):
“As bees make honey from the nectar of many different kinds of trees, and as, when merged together in the honey, the different nectars do not stand up and say: ‘I am the nectar from such-and-such tree’, or ‘I am the nectar from such-and-such tree’, in the same way, when they merge into the body of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the many different spirit souls do not say ‘I have come from such-and-such species of life’, or ‘I have come from such-and-such species of life’.”
Text 21
The verse quoted in the beginning of this anuccheda was spoken by the Personified Vedas to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Paramātma · Sanskrit §48 · English §48–52
Source[४८] तद् एवं परमात्मनस् तटस्थाख्या शक्तिर् विवृता । अन्तराङ्गाख्या तु पूर्ववद् एव ज्ञेया । अथ बहिरङ्गाख्या विव्रियते । एषा माया भगवतः सृष्टि-स्थित्य्-अन्त-कारिणी त्रि-वर्णा वर्णितास्माभिः किं भूयः श्रोतुम् इच्छसि ॥ [भ्प् ११.३.१८] भगवतः स्वरूप-भूतैश्वर्यादेः । परमात्मन एषा तटस्थ-लक्षणेन पूर्वोक्ता जगत्-सृष्ट्य्-आदि-कारिणी मायाख्या शक्तिः । त्रयो वर्णा यस्याः सा । तथा चाथर्वणिकाः पठन्ति । सितासिता च कृष्णा च सर्व-काम-दुघा विभोर् इति । उक्तं च दैवी ह्य् एषा गुणमयी मम माया दुरत्यया [गीता ७.१४] इति ॥११.३॥ अन्तरीक्षो विदेहम् ॥४८॥
[48] tad evaṃ paramātmanas taṭasthākhyā śaktir vivṛtā | antarāṅgākhyā tu pūrvavad eva jñeyā | atha bahiraṅgākhyā vivriyate | eṣā māyā bhagavataḥ sṛṣṭi-sthity-anta-kāriṇī tri-varṇā varṇitāsmābhiḥ kiṃ bhūyaḥ śrotum icchasi || [BhP 11.3.18] bhagavataḥ svarūpa-bhūtaiśvaryādeḥ | paramātmana eṣā taṭastha-lakṣaṇena pūrvoktā jagat-sṛṣṭy-ādi-kāriṇī māyākhyā śaktiḥ | trayo varṇā yasyāḥ sā | tathā cātharvaṇikāḥ paṭhanti | sitāsitā ca kṛṣṇā ca sarva-kāma-dughā vibhor iti | uktaṃ ca daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā [Gītā 7.14] iti ||11.3|| antarīkṣo videham ||48||
English translation
English witness · section(s) 48–52
Anuccheda 48
Text 1
In this way we have described the Lord’s marginal potency. We have already described the Lord’s internal potency. Now we will describe the Lord’s external potency.
Text 2
The Lord’s external potency is described in these words of Srimad-Bhagavatam (11.3.16):
“I have now described maya, the illusory energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This illusory potency, consisting of the three modes of material nature, is empowered by the Lord for the creation, maintenance, and annihilation of the material universe. Now, what more do you wish to hear?”***
Text 3
Here the word “bhagavatah” means “of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is the master of all opulences and glories”, “esa” means, “the previously described potency, which is called ‘maya’, which is the cause of creation, maintenance and destruction, and which has a relationship with the marginal potency,” and “tri-varnah” means “the three modes of material nature”.
Text 4
The three modes of nature are described in the following words of the Atharva Veda:
“From the Supreme Personality of Godhead were manifested three modes that were white, red, and black. These modes were meant to fulfill the material desires of the conditioned souls.”
Text 5
The three modes of material nature are also described by the Supreme Lord in these words of Bhagavad-gita (7.14):
“This divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three modes of material nature, is very difficult to overcome.”*
In this verse the word “gunamayi” refers to the three modes of material nature.
Text 6
The verse quoted in the beginning of this anuccheda was spoken by Antariksa Muni to the king of Videha.
Anucchedas 49-50
Text 1
The maya potency has two parts: 1. the modes of material nature, which are the creators of the material world, and 2. the various ingredients of which the things in the material world are made. The ways these two parts are different are described in the four Srimad-Bhagavatam verses to be quoted now in this book.
Text 2
In the first of these verses the Supreme Personality of Godhead declares (Srimad-Bhagavatam 11.24.1):
“Now I shall describe to you the science of snkhya, which has been perfectly established the ancient authorities. By understanding this science a person can immediately give up the illusion of material duality.”***
Text 3
Srila Sridhara Svami comments:
“The illusory potency maya imposes material duality on the spirit souls. The sankhya philosophy is spoken to make the souls free of material duality. In this way the Lord praises the sankhya philosophy.”
Text 4
In this context the word “pradhana” is a synonym for “prakrti” (material nature).
Text 5
In the second of these verses the Supreme Personality of Godhead declares (Srimad-Bhagavatam 11.24.2):
“Originally, during the Satya-yuga, when all men were very expert in spiritual discrimination, and also previous to that, during the period of annihilation, the seer existed alone, non-different from the seen object.”***
Text 6
Srila Sridhara Svami comments:
“Here the word ‘atho’ means ‘completely’, and ‘jnanam’ means ‘there was no longer any difference between seer and seen, for all was merged in Brahman’.”
Text 7
This is also described in the following words of Srimad-Bhagavatam (3.5.23):
“The Supreme Personality of Godhead, the master of all living entities, existed prior to the creation as one without a second. It is by His will only that creation is made possible and again everything merges in Him. This Supreme Self is symptomized by different names.”*
Text 8
This is also described in the following words of Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.2.11):
“Learned transcendentalists who know the Absolute Truth call this non-dual substance Brahman, Paramatma, or Bhagavan.”*
In this way the word “Brahman” and the term “the Supreme Personality of Godhead” both signify the same transcendental Absolute.
Text 9
At the end of this chapter of Srimad-Bhagavatam (11.24.29) the Supreme Personality of Godhead declares:
“Thus I, the perfect seer of everything material and spiritual, have spoken this knowledge of Sankhya, which destroys the illusion of doubt by scientific analysis of creation and annihilation.”***
In this verse the words “paravara-drsa maya” describe the transcendental status of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Text 10
Here someone may ask: When did this occur, that the seer existed alone, non-different from the seen object? The answer is given here (in Srimad-Bhagavatam 11.24.2, quoted in text 7) in the words “yada viveka-nipuna adau krta-yuge ‘yuge” (Originally, during the Satya-yuga, when all men were very expert in spiritual discrimination, and also previous to that, during the period of annihilation). Here the word “ayuge” means “previous to that, during the period of annihilation”.
Text 11
In the next of these verses (Srimad-Bhagavatam 11.24.3) the Supreme Personality of Godhead declares:
“That one Absolute Truth, remaining free from material dualities and inaccessible to ordinary speech and mind, divided Himself into two categories: the material nature and the living entities who are trying to enjoy the manifestations of that nature.”***
Text 12
Srila Sridhara Svami comments:
“Here the words ‘brhad van-mano-gocaram’ means ‘the Absolute Truth, who is beyond the mind and words’. In the word ‘maya-phala-rupena’ ‘maya’ refers to the visible world and ‘phala’ refers to the seer of the material world. The word ‘dvidha’ means ‘as maya and as the enjoyer of maya’.”
Text 13
Here “maya” means “the visible world”, and “phala” means “he who sees the visible world”. These are the two distinctions. What is seen by the Supreme is called “maya”, and the seer that is manifested from the Supreme is called “phala”. That is the meaning.
Text 14
In the last of these verses (Srimad-Bhagavatam 11.24.4) the Supreme Personality of Godhead declares:
“Of these two categories of manifestation, one is material nature, which embodies both the subtle causes and manifests products of matter. The other is the conscious living entity, designated as the enjoyer.”***
Text 15
Srila Sridhara Svami comments:
“Here the word ‘tayoh’ means ‘the two different parts-and-parcels of the Lord, one of them the cause and the other the effect’.”
Text 16
These two potencies are also described in the following words of Sri Visnu Purana (1.2.24):
“O brahmana, from the transcendental body of Lord Visnu are manifested the spirit souls, the material nature, and other things also.”
Text 17
Srila Sridhara Svami comments:
“This verse means: ‘From the transcendental body of Lord Visnu, which is not material, are manifested the spirit souls and the material nature, which were both described previously in this book. Other things, created by the maya potency, were also manifested’.”
Text 18
The four Srimad-Bhagavatam verses that form the root of these four anucchedas (49-52) were spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Paramātma · Sanskrit §49 · English §53
Source[४९] तस्या मायायाश् चांश-द्वयम् । तत्र गुण-रूपस्य मायाख्यस्य निमित्तांशस्य द्रव-रूपस्य प्रधानाख्यस्योपादानांशस्य च परस्परं भेदम् आह चतुर्भिः । अथ ते सम्प्रवक्ष्यामि साङ्ख्यं पूर्व-विनिश्चितम् । यद् विज्ञाय पुमान् सद्यो जह्याद् वैकल्पिकं भ्रमम् ॥ [भ्प् ११.२४.१] टीका च - अद्वितीयात् परमात्मनो मायया प्रकृति-पुरुष-द्वारा सर्वं द्वैतम् उदेति पुनस् तत्रैव लीयते इत्य् अनुसन्दधानस्य पुरुषस्य द्वन्द्व- भ्रमो निवर्तते इति वक्तुं साङ्ख्यं प्रस्तौति अथ ते इत्य् एषा । अत्र प्रधान- पर्यायः प्रकृति-शब्धः ॥४९॥
[49] tasyā māyāyāś cāṃśa-dvayam | tatra guṇa-rūpasya māyākhyasya nimittāṃśasya drava-rūpasya pradhānākhyasyopādānāṃśasya ca parasparaṃ bhedam āha caturbhiḥ | atha te sampravakṣyāmi sāṅkhyaṃ pūrva-viniścitam | yad vijñāya pumān sadyo jahyād vaikalpikaṃ bhramam || [BhP 11.24.1] ṭīkā ca - advitīyāt paramātmano māyayā prakṛti-puruṣa-dvārā sarvaṃ dvaitam udeti punas tatraiva līyate ity anusandadhānasya puruṣasya dvandva- bhramo nivartate iti vaktuṃ sāṅkhyaṃ prastauti atha te ity eṣā | atra pradhāna- paryāyaḥ prakṛti-śabdhaḥ ||49||
English translation
English witness · section(s) 53
Anuccheda 53
Text 1
The different activities of these two parts-and-parcels of the Lord, which are the cause and ingredient of the material world, are described in these words of Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.63.26):
Text 2
“Time, fate, karma, purification, the individual soul and his propensities, the subtle material elements, the material body, the life air, false ego, the various senses, the totality of these as reflected in the living being’s subtle body, all this constitutes Your material illusory energy, maya, an endless cycle like that of seed and plant. I take shelter of You, the negation of this maya.”***
Text 3
Srila Sridhara Svami comments:
“In this verse the word ‘kalah’ means ‘the agitator’, ‘karma’ means ‘the cause’, ‘daivam’ means ‘that which brings results’, ‘sva-bhava’ means ‘that which purifies’, ‘jiva’ means ‘he who possesses that’, ‘dravyam’ means ‘the subtle material elements’, ‘ksetram’ means ‘the material world’, ‘pranah’ means ‘the string of life’, ‘atma’ means ‘false ego’, ‘vikarah’ means ‘the eleven senses and the five gross elements, which are then considered the sixteen ingredients of the world’, ‘tat-sanghatah’ means ‘the material body, which is manifested from past karma as a sprout is manifested from the planting of a seed’, ‘tat’ means ‘to You, who stop these manifestations of maya’, and ‘prapadye’ means ‘I worship’.”
Text 4
Of the items mentioned in this verse, time, fate, karma, and purification are causes and the other items are the ingredients of the world. The individual spirit souls are counted in both categories. They are among the ingredients of the world, and, as one of the Lord’s potencies, they are also counted among the causes. When the soul is placed in a material body and he accepts that material designation, the false ego, which is a transformation of ignorance, is manifested.
Text 5
The false ego is described in these words of Srimad-Bhagavatam (3.6.25):
“Thereafter the materialistic ego of the gigantic form separately manifested itself, and it entered into Rudra, the controller of false ego, with his own partial activities, by which the living entity transacts his objective actions.”*
Text 6
Srila Sridhara Svami comments:
“Here the word ‘atmanam’ means ‘false ego’, ‘abhimanah’ means ‘Rudra’, and ‘karmana’ means ‘with the activities of the false ego’.”
Text 7
Here the word “nirbhinnam” means “the voice and other working senses”. A further explanation is found at the end of the Third Canto in the commentary on the adhyatma-prakarana chapter.
Text 8
Here is described the root from which materialistic activities grow. The field of activities and the primordial state of material nature are included among the ingredients of the material world manifested by the root material potency, maya. The conditioned soul is subject to maya, but the pure soul is free from maya’s grip. That is taught here. The verse quoted in the beginning of this anuccheda was spoken by the Sivajvara to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Paramātma · Sanskrit §50 · English §54
Source[५०] आसीज् ज्ञान-मयो अर्थं एकम् एवाविकल्पितम् । यदा विवेक-निपुणा आदौ कृत-युगे युगे ॥ [भ्प् ११.२४.२] टीका च - अथो शब्दः कार्त्स्न्ये । ज्ञानं द्रष्टृ । तेन दृश्य-रूपः कृत्स्नोऽप्य् अर्थश् च विकल्प-शून्यम् एकम् एव । ब्रह्मण्य् एव लीनम् आसीद् इत्य् अर्थः । इत्य् एषा । तृतीय-स्कन्धे च भगवान् एक आसेदम् अग्र आत्मात्मनां विभुर् इत्य् [भ्प् ३.५.२३] आदौ यद् भगवत्त्वेन शब्द्यते तद् एवात्र ब्रह्मत्वेन शब्द्यते इति वदन्तीत्य् आदिवद् उभत्रैकम् एव वस्तु प्रतिपाद्यम् । अन्ते तु एष साङ्ख्य- विधिः प्रोक्त इत्य् आदौ परावर-दृशा मयेत्य् अनेन भगवद्-रूपेणाप्य् अवस्थितिः स्पष्टैव । कदेत्य् अपेक्षायाम् आह । यदा आदौ कृत-युगे विवेक- निपुणा जना भवन्ति तस्मिन् युगे तत् पूर्वस्मिन् प्रलय-समय इत्य् अर्थः ॥५०॥
[50] āsīj jñāna-mayo arthaṃ ekam evāvikalpitam | yadā viveka-nipuṇā ādau kṛta-yuge yuge || [BhP 11.24.2] ṭīkā ca - atho śabdaḥ kārtsnye | jñānaṃ draṣṭṛ | tena dṛśya-rūpaḥ kṛtsno'py arthaś ca vikalpa-śūnyam ekam eva | brahmaṇy eva līnam āsīd ity arthaḥ | ity eṣā | tṛtīya-skandhe ca bhagavān eka āsedam agra ātmātmanāṃ vibhur ity [BhP 3.5.23] ādau yad bhagavattvena śabdyate tad evātra brahmatvena śabdyate iti vadantīty ādivad ubhatraikam eva vastu pratipādyam | ante tu eṣa sāṅkhya- vidhiḥ prokta ity ādau parāvara-dṛśā mayety anena bhagavad-rūpeṇāpy avasthitiḥ spaṣṭaiva | kadety apekṣāyām āha | yadā ādau kṛta-yuge viveka- nipuṇā janā bhavanti tasmin yuge tat pūrvasmin pralaya-samaya ity arthaḥ ||50||
English translation
English witness · section(s) 54
Anuccheda 54
Text 1
In discussing the various causes, two activities will be first discussed. These two are described in the following words of Srimad-Bhagavatam (11.11.3):
Text 2
“O Uddhava, both knowledge and ignorance, being products of maya, are expansions of My potency. Both knowledge and ignorance are beginningless and perpetually award liberation and bondage to embodied living beings.”***
Text 3
Srila Sridhara Svami comments:
“In this verse the word ‘tanu” means the two potencies, and ‘me mayaya vinirmite’ means ‘created by My maya’. Even though it is in the singular, the compound word ‘moksa-bandha-kari’ should be understood to be in the dual. Here someone may object: ‘Is it not so that, because they are effects and not causes, bondage and liberation cannot be eternal?’ The verse answers this objections by speaking the word ‘adye’, which means ‘existing from time without beginning’. The meaning here is ‘When I teach untruth, I am trapped in material bondage, but when I teach the truth, then I attain liberation’. That is the meaning.”
Text 4
Because they are manifested from maya’s activities, knowledge and ignorance are here called activities of maya. Because maya is limitless, what she creates has no beginning. That is the meaning in this verse. In this way the individual soul’s liberation is manifest. From ignorance bondage is manifested and from knowledge liberation is manifested. In this way liberation is eternal. That is the meaning.
Text 5
In Srimad-Bhagavatam (11.3.16) it is said:
“I have now described maya, the illusory energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This illusory potency, consisting of the three modes of material nature, is empowered by the Lord for the creation, maintenance, and annihilation of the material universe.”***
It should not be said that because it does not declare that the maya potency can grant liberation, this statement disagrees with the previously quoted Srimad-Bhagavatam verse. The truth is that this statement (Srimad-Bhagavatam 11.3.26) does declare that maya can grant liberation. This statement declares that maya brings the final annihilation. The final annihilation it describes is in truth liberation.
Text 6
What is called “vidya” (knowledge) here is the means by which the Lord’s personal potency of transcendental knowledge is manifested. The “avidya” (ignorance) here is of two kinds: 1 avaranatmika, and 2. viksepatmika. The first of these covers the soul’s natural spiritual knowledge, and the second of these overwhelms the soul with many ideas that have nothing to do with the real truth.
Paramātma · Sanskrit §51 · English §55
Source[५१] तन्-माया-फल-रूपेण केवलं निर्विकल्पितम् । वाङ्-मनो-गोचरं सत्यं द्विधा समभवद् बृहत् ॥ [भ्प् ११.२४.३] टीका च - तद् बृहद् ब्रह्म वाङ्-मनो-गोचरं यथा भवति तथा । माया दृश्यम् । फलं तत्-प्रकाशः । तद्-रूपेण माया-रूपेण विलास-रूपेण च द्विधाभूद् इत्य् एषा । अत्र माया दृश्यम् इति फलं तत्-प्रकाश इति छेदः । तेन ब्रह्मणा यद् दृश्यं वस्तु तन् माया । तस्य ब्रह्मणो यः प्रकाश- विकाशः स फलम् इत्य् अर्थः ॥५१॥
[51] tan-māyā-phala-rūpeṇa kevalaṃ nirvikalpitam | vāṅ-mano-gocaraṃ satyaṃ dvidhā samabhavad bṛhat || [BhP 11.24.3] ṭīkā ca - tad bṛhad brahma vāṅ-mano-gocaraṃ yathā bhavati tathā | māyā dṛśyam | phalaṃ tat-prakāśaḥ | tad-rūpeṇa māyā-rūpeṇa vilāsa-rūpeṇa ca dvidhābhūd ity eṣā | atra māyā dṛśyam iti phalaṃ tat-prakāśa iti chedaḥ | tena brahmaṇā yad dṛśyaṃ vastu tan māyā | tasya brahmaṇo yaḥ prakāśa- vikāśaḥ sa phalam ity arthaḥ ||51||
English translation
English witness · section(s) 55
Anuccheda 55
Text 1
Now the various causes will be described. The most celebrated of these is the maya potency, which has three aspects: 1. jnana (knowledge), 2. iccha (desire), and kriya (activity). Among these, knowledge of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is described in these words of Srimad-Bhagavatam (3.5.25):
Text 2
“The Lord is the seer, and the external energy, which is seen, works as both cause and effect in the cosmic manifestation. O greatly fortunate Vidura, this external energy is known as maya, or illusion, and through her agency only is the entire material manifestation made possible.”*
Text 3
Srila Sridhara Svami comments:
“Here the words ‘sa vai’ mean ‘the seer and the seen’. The word ‘sat’ means ‘what is seen’, and ‘asat’ means ‘what is not seen’. ‘Sad-asad-atmika’ means ‘which has the nature of both sat and asat’.”
Text 4
The desire feature of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is described in these words of Srimad-Bhagavatam (3.5.23):
“The Personality of Godhead, the master of all living entities, existed prior to the creation as one without a second. It is by His will only that creation is made possible and again everything merges in Him.”*
Text 5
Srila Sridhara Svami comments:
“Here the word ‘atmeccha maya’ means ‘follows the will of the Supreme Personality of Godhead’.
Text 6
The activity feature of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is described in these words of Srimad-Bhagavatam (11.3.16):
“I have now described maya, the illusory energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This illusory potency, consisting of the three modes of material nature, is empowered by the Lord for the creation, maintenance, and annihilation of the material universe.”***
Text 7
Although the knowledge and other features of the Supreme Personality of Godhead are never maya, nevertheless maya is one of the Lord’s potencies. Therefore the Lord’s knowledge and other features are not directly employed for the purposes of illusion. Rather they are used to benefit the Lord’s devotees. It is only the material reflection of the Lord’s activities that are engaged in maya’s activities. It is in that sense that the word “jnanadi” is used here.
Text 8
The Lord’s knowledge and other features are of two kinds: 1. the features that, because they are the Lord’s own transcendental opulences, inspire faith in the Lord Himself, and 2. the features that, because they are opulences given to the Lord’s devotees, inspire faith in the Lord’s devotees. The former are opulences like the relationship between the seer and seen, the Lord’s desire to create the universe, the Lord’s potency of time, and other like features of the Lord. The latter are like knowledge, ignorance, desire, activity, and other like features.
Text 9
The pradhana, which is an ingredient of the material world, is described in these words of Srimad-Bhagavatam (3.26.10):
“The unmanifested eternal combination of the three modes is the cause of the manifest state and is called pradhana. It is called prakrti when in the manifested stage of existence.”*
Text 10
This verse says, “The unmanifested eternal combination of the three modes is the cause of the manifest state and is called pradhana. It is called prakrti when in the manifested stage of existence.”* The reason the pradhana is here called “avyaktam” (unmanifested) is given here in the word “avisesam”, which means that because the three modes are situated in equilibrium, and no one of them is stronger than the others, there is no variety.
Text 11
The reason the material nature is called pradhana” is given in the word visesavat”, which means “the situation where the mahat-tattva and other forces create variety is a superior situation”.
Text 12
The reason the material nature is called “prakrti” is given in the word “sad-asad-atmika”, which means “the cause of the mahat-tattva and the other causes and effects”.
Text 13
The reason the material nature is called “nitya” (eternal) is that the material nature remains as a cause even after the material worlds are destroyed in the cosmic annihilation. Also, when the material worlds are created or maintained, the material nature is still not in the position of being something that was created by the five gross material elements. Still, even though the mahat-tattva and other material features are great in these ways, the Supreme Lord is nevertheless different from them. The Supreme Lord is beyond the touch of the material modes. The Supreme Lord remains the original cause, and the mahat-tattva, avyakta, and other material features are all effects created by Him.
Text 14
This is described in the following words of Sri Visnu Purana (1.2.19-21):
“The great sages say that the unmanifested material nature (pradhana) is the eternal and subtle cause and effect of the material world, . . .
Text 15
“. . . imperishable, independent, immeasurable, real, untouched by sound, touch, form, and the like, . . .
Text 16
“. . . consisting of the three modes, the creator of the material universe, the beginningless origin of birth and destruction, everything, and the cause that continues to exist even after the material universes are destroyed.”
Text 17
The unmanifested material nature (pradhana), which from beginningless time is the subtle form of the material universe, is known by many names, such as “avyakrta” and “avyakta”. The knowers of Vedanta affirm that this unmanifested material nature is subordinate to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is affirmed in the following words of Vedanta-sutra (1.4.3):
“The unmanifested material nature (pradhana), is always subordinate to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.”
Text 18
The followers of the sankhya theory claim that the unmanifested material nature is independent of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This mistaken idea is refuted by the arguments presented in Vedanta-sutra 1.4.1-15.
Text 19
The truth that the unmanifested material nature is subordinate to and dependent on the Supreme Personality of Godhead is also confirmed by the following words of Svetasvatara Upanisad (6.16):
“The Supreme Personality of Godhead is the Supersoul, the master of all transcendental qualities, and He is the master of the cosmic manifestation in regard to bondage to the conditional state of material existence and liberation from that bondage.”*
Text 20
The verse quoted in the beginning of this anuccheda was spoken by Lord Kapiladeva.
Paramātma · Sanskrit §52 · English §56
Source[५२] तयोर् एकतरो ह्य् अर्थः प्रकृतिः सोभयात्मिका । जानन्त्य् अन्यतमो भावः पुरुषः सोऽभिधीयते ॥ [भ्प् ११.२४.४] टीका च - तयोर् द्विधाभूतयोर् अंशयोर् मध्ये उभयात्मिका कार्य-कारण- रूपिणी । इत्य् एषा । श्री-विष्णु-पुराणे - विष्णोः स्वरूपात् परतो हि तेऽन्ये रूपं प्रधानं पुरुषश् च विप्र इत्य् [विप् १.२.२४] अत्र तेषाम् एव टीका च - परतो निरुपादेर् विष्णोः स्वरूपात् ते प्राग् उक्ते प्रधानं पुरुषं चेति द्वे रूपे अन्ये माया-कृते इति ॥ ११.२४ ॥ भगवान् ॥५२॥
[52] tayor ekataro hy arthaḥ prakṛtiḥ sobhayātmikā | jānanty anyatamo bhāvaḥ puruṣaḥ so'bhidhīyate || [BhP 11.24.4] ṭīkā ca - tayor dvidhābhūtayor aṃśayor madhye ubhayātmikā kārya-kāraṇa- rūpiṇī | ity eṣā | śrī-viṣṇu-purāṇe - viṣṇoḥ svarūpāt parato hi te'nye rūpaṃ pradhānaṃ puruṣaś ca vipra ity [ViP 1.2.24] atra teṣām eva ṭīkā ca - parato nirupāder viṣṇoḥ svarūpāt te prāg ukte pradhānaṃ puruṣaṃ ceti dve rūpe anye māyā-kṛte iti || 11.24 || bhagavān ||52||
English translation
English witness · section(s) 56
Anuccheda 56
Text 1
In this way the three potencies of the Lord have been described in these two sandarbhas. To remove any confusion that may arise for the host of different names that may be given to these three potencies, the following verses are quoted from the scriptures:
Text 2
“The Lord’s potencies are maya, antaranga, and bahiranga. The bewildering powers of maya are seen in the pradhana (unmanifested matter).
Text 3
“Maya, bahiranga, and pradhana are three names for the Lord’s material potency. Cit-sakti and antaranga are names for the Lord’s spiritual potency. The pure spirit souls are manifestation of the Supreme Lord’s potency of knowledge and power.
Text 4
“From the spiritual potency comes the potency of transcendental knowledge. When it is engaged in activities that bring bewilderment, the spiritual potency is called Yogamaya.
Text 5
“Pradhana, avyakrta, and avyakta are names of the material potency, which is made of three modes of matter. However, the wise do not use these names to refer to the spiritual potency or the Yogamaya potency.”
Text 6
The activities of the material potency maya are described in the following words of Srimad-Bhagavatam (3.26.61-62):
“From these seven principles, roused into activity and united by the presence of the Lord, an unintelligent egg arose, from which appeared the celebrated Cosmic Being.*
Text 7
“The universal egg, or the universe in the shape of an egg, is called the manifestation of material energy. Its layers of water, air, fire, sky, ego, and mahat-tattva increase in thickness one after another. Each layer is ten times bigger than the previous one, and the final outside layer is covered by pradhana. Within the egg is the universal form of Lord Hari, of whose body the fourteen planetary systems are parts.”*.
Text 8
Here the word “tena” means “by the Supreme Personality of Godhead”, “anuviddhebhyah” means the mahat-tattva and other material principles were agitated”. From those material principles and unintelligent egg was manifested. From that egg appeared the celebrated Cosmic Being. The word “bhagavatah” means “of the purusa-avatara”.