Paramātma · Sanskrit §84 · English §87
Source[८४] अत्रायम् अप्य् एकेषां पक्षः परमेश्वरस्य शक्ति-द्वयम् अस्ति स्वरूपाख्या मायाख्या चेति । पूर्वया स्वरूप-वैभव-प्रकाशनम् अपरया त्व् इन्द्र- जाल-वत्तयैव मोहितेभ्यो जीवेभ्यो विश्व-सृष्ट्य्-आदि-दर्शनम् । दृश्यते चैकस्य नानाविद्यावतः कस्यापि तथा व्यवहारः । न चैवम् अद्वैतवादिनाम् इव वेदनम् आपतितम् । सत्येनैव कर्त्रा सत्यम् एव द्रष्टारं प्रति सत्ययैव तथा शक्त्या वस्तुनः स्फोरणात् लोकेऽपि तथैव दृश्यत इति भवत्व् अपीदं नाम । यतः सत्यं न सत्यं नः कृष्ण-पादाब्जामोदम् अन्तरा । जगत् सत्यम् असत्यं वा कोऽयं तस्मिन् दुराग्रहः ॥ तद् एतन्-मते सत इदम् उत्थितम् इत्य् आदिवाक्यानि प्रायो यथा टीका- व्याख्यानम् एव ज्ञेयानि । क्वचित् तत्-कृतानुमानादौ भेद-मात्रस्यासत्त्वे प्रसक्ते वैकुण्ठादीनाम् अपि तथात्व-प्रसक्तिस् तन्-मते स्याद् इत्य् अत्र तु तेषाम् अयम् अभिप्रायः । वयं हि यल् लोक-प्रत्यक्षादि-सिद्धं वस्तु तद् एव तत्-सिद्ध-वस्त्व्-अन्तर-दृष्टान्तेन तद्-धर्मकं साधयामः । यत् तु तद् असिद्धं शास्त्रविद्-अनुभवैक-गम्य-तादृशत्वं तत् पुनस् तद्-दृष्टान्त- परार्धादिनाप्य् अन्यथाकर्तुं न शक्यत एवेति । जीवेश्वराभेद-स्थापना च चिद्-रूपता-मात्र एवेति । अथ स्वाभाविक-माया-शक्त्या परमेश्वरो विश्व- सृष्ट्य्-आदिकं करोति जीव एव तत्र मुह्यतीत्य् उक्तम् । तत्र सन्देहं प्रश्नोत्तराभ्यां परिहरत्य् अष्टभिः - श्री-विदुर उवाच ब्रह्मन् कथं भगवतश् चिन्-मात्रस्याविकारिणः । लीलया चापि युज्येरन् निर्गुणस्य गुणाः क्रियाः ॥ [भ्प् ३.७.२] हे ब्रह्मन् चिन्-मात्रस्य चिन्मात्र-स्वरूपस्य सतः स्वरूप-शक्त्या भगवतः श्री-वैकुण्ठादि-गत-तादृशैश्वर्यादि-युक्तस्य अतएव निर्गुणस्य प्राकृत-गुणास्पृष्टस्य तत एवाविकारिणस् तादृक्-स्वरूप-शक्ति-विलास- भूतानां क्रियाणाम् अनन्तानाम् अपि सदोदित-वरानन्त-विध-प्रकाशे तस्मिन् नित्य-सिद्धत्वात् तत्-तत्-क्रियाविर्ग्भाव-कर्तुस् तस्यावस्थाअन्तर- प्राप्तत्वाभावात् प्राकृत-कर्तुर् इव न विकारापत्तिर् इति । निर्विकारस्य च कथं सत्त्वादयः प्राकृत-गुणाः कथं वा तदासङ्ग-हेतुकाः स्थित्य्- आदयः क्रियाश् च युज्येरन् । ततश् च चिन्मात्र-वस्तु-विरोधाद् एव ते च ताश् च न युज्यन्ते । भगवत्त्वे तु स्वैर-चेष्टयापि न युज्येरन् इत्य् आह लीलया वापीति । अत्राविकारित्व-निर्गुणत्वाभ्यां सह चिन्मात्र-भगवत्त्वं चेत्य् उभयम् अपि स्वीकृत्यैव पूर्व-पक्षिणा पृष्टम् ।
[84] atrāyam apy ekeṣāṃ pakṣaḥ parameśvarasya śakti-dvayam asti svarūpākhyā māyākhyā ceti | pūrvayā svarūpa-vaibhava-prakāśanam aparayā tv indra- jāla-vattayaiva mohitebhyo jīvebhyo viśva-sṛṣṭy-ādi-darśanam | dṛśyate caikasya nānāvidyāvataḥ kasyāpi tathā vyavahāraḥ | na caivam advaitavādinām iva vedanam āpatitam | satyenaiva kartrā satyam eva draṣṭāraṃ prati satyayaiva tathā śaktyā vastunaḥ sphoraṇāt loke'pi tathaiva dṛśyata iti bhavatv apīdaṃ nāma | yataḥ satyaṃ na satyaṃ naḥ kṛṣṇa-pādābjāmodam antarā | jagat satyam asatyaṃ vā ko'yaṃ tasmin durāgrahaḥ || tad etan-mate sata idam utthitam ity ādivākyāni prāyo yathā ṭīkā- vyākhyānam eva jñeyāni | kvacit tat-kṛtānumānādau bheda-mātrasyāsattve prasakte vaikuṇṭhādīnām api tathātva-prasaktis tan-mate syād ity atra tu teṣām ayam abhiprāyaḥ | vayaṃ hi yal loka-pratyakṣādi-siddhaṃ vastu tad eva tat-siddha-vastv-antara-dṛṣṭāntena tad-dharmakaṃ sādhayāmaḥ | yat tu tad asiddhaṃ śāstravid-anubhavaika-gamya-tādṛśatvaṃ tat punas tad-dṛṣṭānta- parārdhādināpy anyathākartuṃ na śakyata eveti | jīveśvarābheda-sthāpanā ca cid-rūpatā-mātra eveti | atha svābhāvika-māyā-śaktyā parameśvaro viśva- sṛṣṭy-ādikaṃ karoti jīva eva tatra muhyatīty uktam | tatra sandehaṃ praśnottarābhyāṃ pariharaty aṣṭabhiḥ - śrī-vidura uvāca brahman kathaṃ bhagavataś cin-mātrasyāvikāriṇaḥ | līlayā cāpi yujyeran nirguṇasya guṇāḥ kriyāḥ || [BhP 3.7.2] he brahman cin-mātrasya cinmātra-svarūpasya sataḥ svarūpa-śaktyā bhagavataḥ śrī-vaikuṇṭhādi-gata-tādṛśaiśvaryādi-yuktasya ataeva nirguṇasya prākṛta-guṇāspṛṣṭasya tata evāvikāriṇas tādṛk-svarūpa-śakti-vilāsa- bhūtānāṃ kriyāṇām anantānām api sadodita-varānanta-vidha-prakāśe tasmin nitya-siddhatvāt tat-tat-kriyāvirgbhāva-kartus tasyāvasthāantara- prāptatvābhāvāt prākṛta-kartur iva na vikārāpattir iti | nirvikārasya ca kathaṃ sattvādayaḥ prākṛta-guṇāḥ kathaṃ vā tadāsaṅga-hetukāḥ sthity- ādayaḥ kriyāś ca yujyeran | tataś ca cinmātra-vastu-virodhād eva te ca tāś ca na yujyante | bhagavattve tu svaira-ceṣṭayāpi na yujyeran ity āha līlayā vāpīti | atrāvikāritva-nirguṇatvābhyāṃ saha cinmātra-bhagavattvaṃ cety ubhayam api svīkṛtyaiva pūrva-pakṣiṇā pṛṣṭam |
English translation
English witness · section(s) 87
Anuccheda 87
Text 1
In this way it is affirmed that the Supreme Lord performs no material activities and is not influenced by the material modes. This is also confirmed by the following words (Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.7.4):
Text 2
“By His self-sheltered potency of the three modes of material nature, the Lord has caused the creation of this universe. By her He maintains the creation and conversely dissolves it, again and again.”*
Text 3
Here the word “guna-mayya” means consisting of the three modes”, “atma-mayaya” means “by His own potency”, “samsthapayati” means “He protects”, and “pratyapidhasyati” means “He will dissolve”.
Paramātma · Sanskrit §85 · English §88
Source[८५] ततश् च तस्य चिन्-मात्र-स्वरूपस्य भवतु भगवत्त्वं तत्रास्माकं न सन्देहः । किन्तु तस्य कथम् इतर-गुणादि-स्वीकारो युज्यते इत्य् एव पृच्छत इति वाक्यार्थः । ततश् चिन्मात्रत्वे भगवत्त्वे च तस्य तुच्छा गुणाः क्रियाश् च न सम्भवन्त्य् एवेति द्विगुणीभूयैव प्रश्नः । लीलया वापि कथं युज्येरन् इति विशदयति । क्रीडायाम् उद्यमो ऽर्भस्य कामश् चिक्रीडिषान्यतः । स्वतस्-तृप्तस्य च कथं निवृत्तस्य सदान्यतः ॥ [भ्प् ३.७.३] उद्यमयैत् प्रवर्तयति इत्य् उद्यमः । अर्भकस्य क्रीडायां प्रवृत्ति-हेतुः कामोऽस्ति । अन्यतस् तु वस्त्व्-अन्तरेण बालान्तर-प्रवर्तनेन वा तस्य क्रीडेच्छा भवति । भगवतस् तु स्वतः स्वेनात्मना स्वरूप-वैभवेन च तृप्तस्य अत एवान्यतः सदा निवृत्तस्य च कथम् अन्यतो जीवाज् जगच् च निमित्तात् चिक्रीडिषेति । न च तस्य ते गुणास् ताङ् क्रियाश् च न विद्यन्ते इत्य् अपलपनीयम् ।
[85] tataś ca tasya cin-mātra-svarūpasya bhavatu bhagavattvaṃ tatrāsmākaṃ na sandehaḥ | kintu tasya katham itara-guṇādi-svīkāro yujyate ity eva pṛcchata iti vākyārthaḥ | tataś cinmātratve bhagavattve ca tasya tucchā guṇāḥ kriyāś ca na sambhavanty eveti dviguṇībhūyaiva praśnaḥ | līlayā vāpi kathaṃ yujyeran iti viśadayati | krīḍāyām udyamo 'rbhasya kāmaś cikrīḍiṣānyataḥ | svatas-tṛptasya ca kathaṃ nivṛttasya sadānyataḥ || [BhP 3.7.3] udyamayait pravartayati ity udyamaḥ | arbhakasya krīḍāyāṃ pravṛtti-hetuḥ kāmo'sti | anyatas tu vastv-antareṇa bālāntara-pravartanena vā tasya krīḍecchā bhavati | bhagavatas tu svataḥ svenātmanā svarūpa-vaibhavena ca tṛptasya ata evānyataḥ sadā nivṛttasya ca katham anyato jīvāj jagac ca nimittāt cikrīḍiṣeti | na ca tasya te guṇās tāṅ kriyāś ca na vidyante ity apalapanīyam |
English translation
English witness · section(s) 88
Anuccheda 88
Text 1
The question “How is it possible for the individual soul to be bewildered by the Lord’s illusory potency maya?” is hinted in these words (Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.7.5):
Text 2
“The pure soul is pure consciousness and is never out of consciousness, either due to circumstances, time, situations, dreams, or other causes. How, then, does he become engaged in nescience?”
Text 3
This verse explains that the individual soul (yo ‘sau atma) is never out of consciousness (aviluptavabodhah) in any kind of circumstances. The question is asked: “How (katham) does he (sah) become engaged (yujyeta) in nescience (ajaya)?” Here “decatah” means because of bad circumstances, or because of situation not favorable for the eyes”, “kalatah” means “because of time, which passes like lightning”, “avasthatah” means because of the various situations, such as the condition of the memory”, “svatah” means “because of dreams and illusions, such as the illusion of thinking the glittering on a seashell’s surface is genuine silver”, and “anyatah” means “because of other causes, as are seen in the example of the clay pot and other like examples”. In this way the individual soul’s consciousness is never interrupted (aviluptavabodhah). That is the meaning.
Paramātma · Sanskrit §86–87 · English §89
Source[८६] तथैव प्रसिद्धेर् इत्य् आह -- अस्राक्षीद् भगवान् विश्वं गुण-मय्यात्म-मायया । तया संस्थापयत्य् एतद् भूयः प्रत्यपिधास्यति ॥ [भ्प् ३.७.४] गुण-मय्या त्रैगुण्य-व्यञ्जिन्या आत्माश्रितया मायया संस्थापयति पालयति प्रत्यपिधास्यति प्रातिलौम्येन तिरोहितं करिष्यति । जीवस्य च कथं माया- मोहितत्वं
[86] tathaiva prasiddher ity āha -- asrākṣīd bhagavān viśvaṃ guṇa-mayyātma-māyayā | tayā saṃsthāpayaty etad bhūyaḥ pratyapidhāsyati || [BhP 3.7.4] guṇa-mayyā traiguṇya-vyañjinyā ātmāśritayā māyayā saṃsthāpayati pālayati pratyapidhāsyati prātilaumyena tirohitaṃ kariṣyati | jīvasya ca kathaṃ māyā- mohitatvaṃ
English translation
English witness · section(s) 89
Anuccheda 89
Text 1
Another problem is described in these words (Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.7.6):
Text 2
“The Lord, as the Supersoul, is situated in every living being’s heart. Why then do the living entities’ activities result in misfortune and misery?”*
Text 3
Here the words “bhagavan eka evaisa” refer to the Supersoul. “Sarva-ksetresv avasthitah” means situated in the material bodies of all conditioned souls”. The verse then asks: “Why (kutah) then do the living entities’(amusya) activities (karmabhih) result in misfortune (durbhagatvam) and misery (klecah)?” The meaning of this verse is: “As two things cannot occupy the same point in space, either in water or land, so these two propositions cannot both be true.”
Paramātma · Sanskrit §88 · English §90
Source[८८] घटतीत्य् आक्षेपान्तरम् आह -- देशतः कालतो यो ऽसाव् अवस्थातः स्वतो ऽन्यतः । अविलुप्तावबोधात्मा स युज्येताजया कथम् ॥ [भ्प् ३.७.५] योऽसौ देशादिभिर् अविलुप्तावबोध आत्मा जीवः स कथम् अजयाविद्यया युज्येत । तत्र देश-व्यवधानतो देश-गत-दोषतो वा चक्षुः प्रकाश इव कालतो विद्युद् इव अवस्थातः स्मृतिर् इव स्वतः शुक्ति-रजतम् इव अन्यतो घटादि-वस्त्व् इव न तस्यावबोधो लुप्यते अव्याहत-स्वरूप-भूत- ज्ञानाश्रयत्वाद् एवेत्य् अर्थः ॥
[88] ghaṭatīty ākṣepāntaram āha -- deśataḥ kālato yo 'sāv avasthātaḥ svato 'nyataḥ | aviluptāvabodhātmā sa yujyetājayā katham || [BhP 3.7.5] yo'sau deśādibhir aviluptāvabodha ātmā jīvaḥ sa katham ajayāvidyayā yujyeta | tatra deśa-vyavadhānato deśa-gata-doṣato vā cakṣuḥ prakāśa iva kālato vidyud iva avasthātaḥ smṛtir iva svataḥ śukti-rajatam iva anyato ghaṭādi-vastv iva na tasyāvabodho lupyate avyāhata-svarūpa-bhūta- jñānāśrayatvād evety arthaḥ ||
English translation
English witness · section(s) 90
Anuccheda 90
Text 1
The Supreme Personality of Godhead is not only spiritual in nature. He is also the master of all opulences. Sri Maitreya accepts this when he says (Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.7.9):
Text 2
“Certain conditioned souls put forward the theory that the Supreme Brahman, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is overcome by illusion, or maya, and at the same time they maintain that He is unconditioned. This is against all logic.”*
Text 3
Here the words “seyam bhagavato maya” mean the Lord’s potency that creates, maintains, and destroys the material worlds, a potency that is called maya and is manifested from the Lord’s inconceivable internal potency”. “Yan nayena virudhyate” means “This is against all logic”. The meaning is that the Lord’s inconceivable potency is beyond ordinary material logic.
Text 4
Although the internal and external potencies of the Lord are both inconceivable, for the external potency maya is itself manifested from the internal potency, nevertheless the Supreme Personality of Godhead is not touched by maya’s three material modes, which begin with the mode of goodness, nor is He touched by maya’s pastimes of creating, maintaining, and destroying the material worlds. That is the meaning.
Text 5
The Supreme Personality of Godhead is not only spirit. Here is the meaning: Neither material activities nor the material modes have any influence over the Supreme Personality of Godhead. However because maya’s material modes and material activities ultimately find their shelter in the Supreme Personality of Godhead, it is imagined that they have influence over Him. Here the words “seyam” mean “the Lord’s external potency, which is called maya”.
Text 6
The Supreme Lord describes the illusory potency maya in these words of Srimad-Bhagavatam (2.9.34):
“O Brahma, whatever appears to be of any value, if it is without relation to Me, has no reality. Know it as My illusory energy, that reflection which appears to be in darkness.”*
Text 7
The words in this verse (Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.7.9, which was quoted in text 2 of this anuccheda) may also be divided yan na yena virudhyate” instead of “yan nayena virudhyate” Interpreted in this way the word “yan” means “the maya potency, which takes shelter of the Supreme Lord”, “na” means “not”, “yena” means “by the Supreme Personality of Godhead”, and virudhyate” means “is contradicted.” Interpreted in this way, the words mean “This is not against all logic”.
Text 8
Here (in Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.9.34 quoted in text 6 of this anuccheda) the word “abhasah” (reflection) indicates that the rays of sunlight, even if they create colorful rainbows or bewildering mirages, never contradict or obscure the shining of the sun globe, which is their source. Thus in this interpretation of Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.7.9, quoted in text 2 of this anuccheda) the idea of a contradiction or of illogic is denied.
Text 9
In this way Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.7.9 may be interpreted according to these words of Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.7.10):
“The Lord possesses transcendental qualities and opulences.”
Text 10
If these words are interpreted “nayena virudhyate”, they may mean “the Supreme Personality of Godhead cannot be understood by material logic”. If the words are interpreted “na yena virudhyate” they may mean “the Supreme Personality of Godhead cannot be understood by taking shelter of His maya potency”.
Text 11
In Srimad-Bhagavatam (6.9.34) it is said:
“O Lord, You need no support, and although You have no material body, You do not need cooperation from us. Since You are the cause of the cosmic manifestation and You supply its material ingredients without being transformed, You create, maintain, and annihilate this cosmic manifestation by Yourself. Nevertheless,although You appear engaged in material activity, You are transcendental to all material qualities. Consequently, these transcendental activities of Yours are extremely difficult to understand.”*
In this prose passage of Srimad-Bhagavatam, it is clearly said that the Supreme Personality of Godhead does not perform material activities impelled by the material modes. In the next passage (Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.9.35) it is said:
“These are our inquiries. The ordinary conditioned soul is subject to the material laws, and he thus receives the fruits of his actions. Does Your Lordship , like an ordinary human being, exist within this material world in a body produced by the material modes? Do You enjoy or suffer the good or bad results of actions under the influence of time, past work, and so forth? Or, on the contrary, are You present here only as a neutral witness who is self-sufficient, free from all material desires, and always full of spiritual potency? We certainly cannot understand Your actual position.”*
In this prose passage of Srimad-Bhagavatam the Lord’s feature as the Supersoul is described and it is asked whether His presence in the material world of the three modes is like that of the conditioned souls who try to enjoy the material nature. In the next passage it is said:
“O Supreme Personality of Godhead, all contradictions can be reconciled in You. O Lord, since You are the Supreme Person, the reservoir of unlimited spiritual qualities, the Supreme Controller, Your unlimited glories are inconceivable to the conditioned souls. Many modern theologians argue about right and wrong without knowing what is actually right. Their arguments are always false and their judgments inconclusive because they have no authorized evidence with which to gain knowledge of You. Because their minds are agitated by scriptures containing false conclusions, they are unable to understand the truth concerning You. Furthermore, because of polluted eagerness to arrive at the right conclusion, their theories are incapable of revealing You, who are transcendental to their material conceptions. You are one without a second, and therefore in You contradictions like doing and not doing, happiness and distress, are not contradictory. Your potency is so great that it can do and undo anything as You like. With the help of that potency, what is impossible for You? Since there is no duality in Your constitutional position, You can do everything by the influence of Your energy.”*
In this prose passage of Srimad-Bhagavatam it is said that the Supreme Personality of Godhead has inconceivable potencies.
Text 12
That the Supreme Lord’s potencies are inconceivable is confirmed by the dessriptions that follow the word bhagavati” in this prose passage of Srimad-Bhagavatam (6.9.36).
Text 13
That the Supreme Lord employs His inconceivable potency to personally enter the material world is confirmed here (in Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.9.36) by the use of the word “svarupa- dvayabhavat”.
Text 14
In Srimad-Bhagavatam (6.9.37) it is said:
“A rope causes fear for a bewildered person who considers it a snake, but not for a person with proper intelligence who knows it to be only a rope. Similarly You, as the Supersoul in everyone’s heart, inspire fear or fearlessness according to one’s intelligence, but in You there is no duality.”*
The gist of this prose passage is: “O Lord, You appear in this world in order to enlighten the intelligent and the unintelligent.”
Text 15
In Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.9.34, which was quoted here (in text 11 of this anuccheda), the word “acarirah” means free of having to perform the activities that must be performed by a material body”, and “acaranah” means not needing to take shelter of the earth or any other thing”. That is the meaning.
Text 16
In Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.9.35 (quoted in text 11 of this anuccheda) it is hinted that the Lord employs His external potency to create the material world. For this reason the Lord’s internal potency is superior to the external potency.
Text 17
In Srimad-Bhagavatam (2.9.34) the Supreme Lord explains:
“O Brahma, whatever appears to be of any value, if it is without relation to me, has no reality. Know it as My illusory energy, that reflection which appears to be in darkness.”*
In this way it is shown that the Lord’s external potency, maya, is like a reflection. That the maya potency does not directly touch the Supreme Lord is described in these words of Srimad-Bhagavatam (2.7.23):
“O Supreme Personality of Godhead, You have cast away the effects of the material energy by dint of Your spiritual potency.”*
This also confirmed by these words of Srimad-Bhagavatam (2.7.47):
“In the Supreme Personality of Godhead the illusory energy does not stand.”*
Text 18
In this way any seeming contradictions in the nature of the Supreme Personality of Godhead are resolved and the inconceivable maya potency’s bewilderment of the conditioned souls is described. This is shown by the words “icvarasya” and “yan” in Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.7.9 (quoted here in the beginning of anuccheda 90). Here the word “yan” (yat) has the force of the instrumental case and it means “by the power of His transcendental knowledge and other opulences, the Supreme Personality of Godhead (icvarasya) is perfectly able to remain always free of the influence of maya”. On the other hand, even the liberated (vimuktasya) individual soul (jivasya) is in a much inferior (karpanyam) to the Lord, and may have to enter the trap of the three modes of material nature (bandhanam).
Text 19
The state of the individual soul fallen into the material world is described in these words of Srimad-Bhagavatam (6.5.15):
“If one becomes the husband of a prostitute, he loses all independence. Similarly, if a living entity has polluted intelligence, he prolongs his materialistic life. Frustrated by material nature, he must follow the movements of the intelligence, which brings various conditions of happiness and distress. If one performs fruitive activities under such conditions, what will be the benefit?”*
Text 20
The fate of the individual soul fallen in the material world is also described in these words spoken by the Personified Vedas (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.”***
Text 21
In the verse (Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.7.9) quoted in the beginning of this anuccheda the words “bhagavato maya” indicate that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is free from maya’s touch. As the monarch who controls maya, He is free from her power. This has been explained previously.
Paramātma · Sanskrit §89 · English §91
Source[८९] तत्रैव विरोधान्तरम् आह - भगवान् एक एवैष सर्व-क्षेत्रेष्व् अवस्थितः । अमुष्य दुर्भगत्वं वा क्लेशो वा कर्मभिः कुतः ॥ [भ्प् ३.७.६] एष एक एव भगवान् परमात्मापि सर्व-क्षेत्रेषु सर्वस्य जीवस्य क्षेत्रेषु देहेष्व् अवस्थितः । तत्र सति कथम् अमुष जीवस्य दुर्भगत्वं स्वरूप- भूत-ज्ञानादि-लोपः कर्मभिः क्लेशश् च तस्य वा कुतो नास्ति । न ह्य् एकस्मिन् जलादौ स्थितयोर् वस्तुनोः कस्यचित् तत्-संसर्गः कस्यचिन् नेति युज्यत इत्य् अर्थः ।
[89] tatraiva virodhāntaram āha - bhagavān eka evaiṣa sarva-kṣetreṣv avasthitaḥ | amuṣya durbhagatvaṃ vā kleśo vā karmabhiḥ kutaḥ || [BhP 3.7.6] eṣa eka eva bhagavān paramātmāpi sarva-kṣetreṣu sarvasya jīvasya kṣetreṣu deheṣv avasthitaḥ | tatra sati katham amuṣa jīvasya durbhagatvaṃ svarūpa- bhūta-jñānādi-lopaḥ karmabhiḥ kleśaś ca tasya vā kuto nāsti | na hy ekasmin jalādau sthitayor vastunoḥ kasyacit tat-saṃsargaḥ kasyacin neti yujyata ity arthaḥ |
English translation
English witness · section(s) 91
Anuccheda 91
Text 1
The conditioned soul in the material world who, bewildered by the Supreme Lord’s illusory potency maya, does not understand his true nature, is also described in these words of Srimad-Bhagavatam (3.7.10):
Text 2
“The living entity is in distress regarding his self-identity. He has no factual background, like a man who dreams that he sees his head cut off.”*
Text 3
Here “yad” means “of maya” and “arthena vina” mean “without a purpose”. Although he is eternal, always existing in the three phases of time (past, present, and future), the individual soul does not know this truth about himself. Here the word “atma-viparyayah” indicates that the conditioned soul has forgotten his true identity.
Text 4
Here the word “upadrastuh” refers to the individual spirit soul. Although this word is in the genitive case, it has the force of the instrumental. “Sva-cirac-cedanadibhih” means “in a dream he believes that his head has been cut off”.
Text 5
In truth the head is not really cut off. Indeed, it is not possible for anyone to sit in one place and see his own head being cut off in another place. The sight of this is only an illusion created by the Lord’s maya potency. This is described in the following words of Vedanta-sutra (3.2.3):
“It is like a dream created by the maya potency.”
Paramātma · Sanskrit §90 · English §92
Source[९०] तत्र केवलं चिन्-मात्रत्वं न सम्भवतीति भत्गवत्त्वम् एवाङ्गीकृत्य श्री- मैत्रेय उवाच - सेयं भगवतो माया यन् नयेन विरुध्यते । ईश्वरस्य विमुक्तस्य कार्पण्यम् उत बन्धनम् ॥ [भ्प् ३.७.९] यया विश्व-सृष्ट्य्-आदिकं भवति सेयं भगवतोऽचिन्त्य-स्वरूप-शक्तेर् मायाख्या शक्तिः । यद् या च नयेन तर्केण विरुध्यते तर्कातीततया सेयम् अप्य् अचिन्त्येत्य् अर्थः । यद्यप्य् एवं द्वयोर् अप्य् अचिन्त्यत्वं तथापि भगवतो म्>अयेत्य् अनेन व्यक्तत्वात् स्वरूप-शक्तेर् अन्तरङ्गत्वाद् बहिरङ्गाया मायाया गुणैः सत्त्वादिभिस् तत्-कार्यैः स्थापनादि-लीलाभिश् च नासौ स्पृशत इत्य् अर्थः । तन्त्रेण चायम् अर्थः । यद् यया मायया येन भगवता सह न विरुध्यते नासौ विरोध-विषयीक्रियत इति च एवम् एव षष्ठे नवमाध्याये - दुरवबोध इव तवायम् इत्य् [भ्प् ६.९.३४] आदिना गद्येन तस्य सगुण- कर्तृत्वं विरुध्य पुनर् अथ तत्रभवान् इति [भ्प् ६.९.३५] गद्येनान्तर्यामितया गुण-विसर्ग-पतितत्वेन जीववद् भोक्तृत्व-योगं सम्भाव्य, न हि विरोध उभयम् इत्य् [भ्प् ६.९.३६] आदि गद्येन तत्र तत्रावितर्क्य-शक्तित्वम् एव च सिद्धान्ते योजितम् । तत्र स्वरूप-शक्तेर् अवितर्क्यत्वं भगवतीत्य् आदिभिर् विशेषणैर् मायायाश् चात्म-मायाम् इत्य् अनेन दर्शितम् । तत्र स्वरूप-द्वयाभावाद् इत्य् अस्य तथाप्य् अचिन्त्य-शक्त्या तत्-कर्तृत्वं तद्-अन्तःपातित्वं च विद्यते इत्य् अर्थः । सम-विषम-मतीनाम् इति [भ्प् ६.९.३७] तु गद्यं तथाप्य् उच्चावच-बुद्धीनां तथा स्फुरसीति प्रतिपत्त्य्-अर्थं ज्ञेयम् । दुरवबोध इवेति प्राक्तन-गद्ये त्व् अशरीर इति शरीर-चेष्टां विना अशरण इति भूम्य्-आद्य्-आश्रयं विना इत्य् अर्थः । अथ तत्रेत्य् आदौ स्वकृतेऽपि तस्यापि हेतु-कर्तृत्वाद् योजनीयम् । तस्माद् अत्रापि स्वरूप-शक्तेर् एव प्राधान्यं दर्शितम् । अतएव ऋतेऽर्थं यत् प्रतीयेत इत्य् [भ्प् २.९.३४] आदौ मायाया आभास-स्थानीयत्वं प्रदर्श्य तद्-अस्पृश्यत्वम् एव भगवतो दर्शितम् । त्वम् आद्यः पुरुषः साक्षाद् इत्य् आदौ मायां व्युदस्य चिच्-छक्त्या इत्य् [भ्प् १.७.२३] अनेन च तथा ज्ञापितम् । माया परैत्य् अभिमुखे च विलज्जमाना इत्य् [भ्प् २.७.४७] अनेन च । तद् एवं भगवति तद्- विरोधं परिहृत्य जीवेऽप्य् अविद्या-सम्बन्धम् अतर्क्यत्वेन दर्शितया तन्- माययैव समादधति । ईश्वरस्येति यद् इत्य् अनेनैव सम्बध्यते । अर्थ-वशाद् अत्र च तृतीयया परिणम्यते । यद् यया ईश्वरस्य स्वरूप- ज्ञानादिभिः समर्थस्य अतएव विमुक्तस्य जीवस्य कार्पण्यं तत्-तत्- प्रकाश-तिरोभावस् तथा बन्धनं तद्-दर्शि-गुण-मय-जाल-प्रवेशश् च भवतीति । तद् उक्तम् - तत्-सङ्ग-भ्रंशितैश्वर्यम् इति [भ्प् ६.५.१५] । तद् एतत् सर्वम् अभिप्रेत्य श्रुतयोऽप्य् आहुः - स यद् अजया त्व् अजाम् इत्य् आदाव् अपेत- भग इति [भ्प् १०.८७.३८] च । अत्र मूल-पद्ये भगवतो मायेत्य् अनेन भगवत्त्वं तु मायिकम् इत्य् आयातम् । इन्द्रस्य मायेत्य् अत्र यथेन्द्रत्वम् ।
[90] tatra kevalaṃ cin-mātratvaṃ na sambhavatīti bhatgavattvam evāṅgīkṛtya śrī- maitreya uvāca - seyaṃ bhagavato māyā yan nayena virudhyate | īśvarasya vimuktasya kārpaṇyam uta bandhanam || [BhP 3.7.9] yayā viśva-sṛṣṭy-ādikaṃ bhavati seyaṃ bhagavato'cintya-svarūpa-śakter māyākhyā śaktiḥ | yad yā ca nayena tarkeṇa virudhyate tarkātītatayā seyam apy acintyety arthaḥ | yadyapy evaṃ dvayor apy acintyatvaṃ tathāpi bhagavato m>ayety anena vyaktatvāt svarūpa-śakter antaraṅgatvād bahiraṅgāyā māyāyā guṇaiḥ sattvādibhis tat-kāryaiḥ sthāpanādi-līlābhiś ca nāsau spṛśata ity arthaḥ | tantreṇa cāyam arthaḥ | yad yayā māyayā yena bhagavatā saha na virudhyate nāsau virodha-viṣayīkriyata iti ca evam eva ṣaṣṭhe navamādhyāye - duravabodha iva tavāyam ity [BhP 6.9.34] ādinā gadyena tasya saguṇa- kartṛtvaṃ virudhya punar atha tatrabhavān iti [BhP 6.9.35] gadyenāntaryāmitayā guṇa-visarga-patitatvena jīvavad bhoktṛtva-yogaṃ sambhāvya, na hi virodha ubhayam ity [BhP 6.9.36] ādi gadyena tatra tatrāvitarkya-śaktitvam eva ca siddhānte yojitam | tatra svarūpa-śakter avitarkyatvaṃ bhagavatīty ādibhir viśeṣaṇair māyāyāś cātma-māyām ity anena darśitam | tatra svarūpa-dvayābhāvād ity asya tathāpy acintya-śaktyā tat-kartṛtvaṃ tad-antaḥpātitvaṃ ca vidyate ity arthaḥ | sama-viṣama-matīnām iti [BhP 6.9.37] tu gadyaṃ tathāpy uccāvaca-buddhīnāṃ tathā sphurasīti pratipatty-arthaṃ jñeyam | duravabodha iveti prāktana-gadye tv aśarīra iti śarīra-ceṣṭāṃ vinā aśaraṇa iti bhūmy-ādy-āśrayaṃ vinā ity arthaḥ | atha tatrety ādau svakṛte'pi tasyāpi hetu-kartṛtvād yojanīyam | tasmād atrāpi svarūpa-śakter eva prādhānyaṃ darśitam | ataeva ṛte'rthaṃ yat pratīyeta ity [BhP 2.9.34] ādau māyāyā ābhāsa-sthānīyatvaṃ pradarśya tad-aspṛśyatvam eva bhagavato darśitam | tvam ādyaḥ puruṣaḥ sākṣād ity ādau māyāṃ vyudasya cic-chaktyā ity [BhP 1.7.23] anena ca tathā jñāpitam | māyā paraity abhimukhe ca vilajjamānā ity [BhP 2.7.47] anena ca | tad evaṃ bhagavati tad- virodhaṃ parihṛtya jīve'py avidyā-sambandham atarkyatvena darśitayā tan- māyayaiva samādadhati | īśvarasyeti yad ity anenaiva sambadhyate | artha-vaśād atra ca tṛtīyayā pariṇamyate | yad yayā īśvarasya svarūpa- jñānādibhiḥ samarthasya ataeva vimuktasya jīvasya kārpaṇyaṃ tat-tat- prakāśa-tirobhāvas tathā bandhanaṃ tad-darśi-guṇa-maya-jāla-praveśaś ca bhavatīti | tad uktam - tat-saṅga-bhraṃśitaiśvaryam iti [BhP 6.5.15] | tad etat sarvam abhipretya śrutayo'py āhuḥ - sa yad ajayā tv ajām ity ādāv apeta- bhaga iti [BhP 10.87.38] ca | atra mūla-padye bhagavato māyety anena bhagavattvaṃ tu māyikam ity āyātam | indrasya māyety atra yathendratvam |
English translation
English witness · section(s) 92
Anuccheda 92
Text 1
In this way the pure spirit soul misidentifies with the material body. This is shown by another example given in Srimad-Bhagavatam (3.7.11):
Text 2
“As the moon reflected on water appears to the seer to tremble due to being associated with the quality of the water, so the self associated with matter appears to be qualified as matter.”*
Text 3
This verse explains: “As the moon reflected on water appears to the seer to tremble due to being associated with the quality of the water, so the self associated with matter appears to be qualified as matter.”* The soul then thinks: “I am this material body”. Although what he is sees is only a false-ego reflection, the pure soul thinks he sees his actual self.
Text 4
The conditioned soul’s misidentification with the material body is also described in these words (Srimad-Bhagavatam 11.12.53) spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself:
“As one may imitate singers and dancers, so the inactive spirit soul imitates the activities of the material intelligence.”
Text 5
A liberated soul does not mistakenly identify with the material body. This is described in the following words (Srimad-Bhagavatam 5.11.12):
“A person who is liberated in this life (jivan- mukta) can see all these things vividly.”*
Text 6
Here the prefix “vi” means “entering that”. This means that because he is protected by the Lord’s inconceivable internal potency, the liberated soul is not touched by the inconceivable external potency maya. That is the conclusion. The verse quoted in the beginning of this anuccheda was spoken by Srila Sukadeva Gosvami.
Paramātma · Sanskrit §91 · English §93
Source[९१] एवं पूर्वत्रापि ज्ञेयम् । पुनर् अपि जीवस्य वस्तुतः स्वीय-तत्-तद्- अवस्थत्वाभावेऽपि भगवन्-माययैव तत्-तत्-प्रतीतिर् इति सदृष्टान्तम् उपपादयति । यद् अर्थेन विनामुष्य पुंस आत्म-विपर्ययः । प्रतीयत उपद्रष्टुः स्व-शिरश् छेदनादिकः ॥ [भ्प् ३.७.१०] यद् यस्य । मायया हेतोर् अर्थेन विनापि । यद्य् अपि तस्य त्रिकालम् एव सोऽर्थो नास्ति तथाप्य् आत्म-विपर्ययः आत्मविस्मृति-पूर्वक-पराभिमाने नाहम् एव तद्-धर्मीत्य् एवंरूपः सोऽर्थः स्यात् । उपद्रष्टुर् जीवस्य । तृतीयार्थे षष्ठी । स्वप्नावस्थायां जीवेन स्व-शिरश्-छेदनादिकोऽतीवासम्भवोऽर्थः प्रतीयते । न हि तस्य शिरश् छिन्नं न तु वा स्व-शिरश् छेदं कोऽपि पश्येत् । किन्तु भगवन्-मायैवान्यत्र-सिद्धं तद्-रूपम् अर्थं तस्मिन्न् आरोपयतीति ।
[91] evaṃ pūrvatrāpi jñeyam | punar api jīvasya vastutaḥ svīya-tat-tad- avasthatvābhāve'pi bhagavan-māyayaiva tat-tat-pratītir iti sadṛṣṭāntam upapādayati | yad arthena vināmuṣya puṃsa ātma-viparyayaḥ | pratīyata upadraṣṭuḥ sva-śiraś chedanādikaḥ || [BhP 3.7.10] yad yasya | māyayā hetor arthena vināpi | yady api tasya trikālam eva so'rtho nāsti tathāpy ātma-viparyayaḥ ātmavismṛti-pūrvaka-parābhimāne nāham eva tad-dharmīty evaṃrūpaḥ so'rthaḥ syāt | upadraṣṭur jīvasya | tṛtīyārthe ṣaṣṭhī | svapnāvasthāyāṃ jīvena sva-śiraś-chedanādiko'tīvāsambhavo'rthaḥ pratīyate | na hi tasya śiraś chinnaṃ na tu vā sva-śiraś chedaṃ ko'pi paśyet | kintu bhagavan-māyaivānyatra-siddhaṃ tad-rūpam arthaṃ tasminn āropayatīti |
English translation
English witness · section(s) 93
Anuccheda 93
Text 1
In this way it has been explained in a general way that the Supreme Personality of Godhead engages in pastimes of creating, maintaining, and destroying the material universes. Because some readers may still doubt that this is the truth, we will, as fence-maker will again and again push his fence-pots into the ground to make them secure, present more arguments to prove this truth beyond any doubts.
Text 2
Here someone may ask: “In His pastime of protecting the material world, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, in the forms of His many incarnations, enters the material world again and again. At these times the Lord takes the side of the devotees and, by fighting great battles and performing other like activities, diminishes the power of the demons. At these times the Lord shows His mercy to the devotees by smiling at them, gesturing that they not be afraid, and in many other ways also. Are all these activities really performed by the Supreme Lord Himself, or does He not really perform them personally?
Text 3
“The first of these views, that these activities are indeed performed by the Supreme Lord Himself, is the actual truth. However, on the other hand, it is not logical to assume that the Supreme Lord would ally Himself with one group of conditioned souls against another group of conditioned souls. The second view asserts that these incarnations and pastimes are not the forms and activities of the Supreme Lord Himself. In this way this second view is different from the first view.”
Text 4
To these words the following reply may be given: Yes. That is the truth. The Supreme Personality of Godhead does not descend to the this world for the purpose of granting protection to the world. Rather, He manifests the forms of His many incarnations and His many pastimes to please His associates from the spiritual world, the demigods that rule over the planets, and His many other devotees.
Text 5
This is also confirmed by the following words of the Padma Purana, where the Supreme Lord says:
“If I wish, I can kill all the demons in a single moment. The real reason I perform many activities is to give pleasure to My devotees.
Text 6
“By vision, by meditation, and by touch only do the fish, the tortoise, and the birds maintain their offspring. Similarly do I also, O Padmaja.”*
Text 7
In the Hari-bhakti-sudhodaya, the Supreme Lord says:
“All My desires are at once fulfilled. It is to fulfill My devotees’ desires that I take birth again and again in this world. Therefore, please tell Me: What is your desire?”
Text 8
This is also described in the following prayer, where Queen Kunti tells the Supreme Personality of Godhead (Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.8.20):
“You Yourself descend to propagate the transcendental science of devotional service unto the hearts of the advanced transcendentalists and mental speculators, who are purified by being able to dissriminate between matter and spirit. How, then, can we women know You perfectly?”*
Text 9
In his commentary on these words, Srila Sridhara Svami confirms that the Supreme Personality of Godhead does indeed descend to the material world for the purpose of teaching the science of devotional service.
Text 10
This is also confirmed by the following words, where Brahma tells the Supreme Personality of Godhead (Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.14.37):
“I can also understand that Your appearance as a small cowherd boy, a child of the cowherd men, is not at all a material activity. You are so much obliged by their affection that You are here to enthuse them with more loving service by Your transcendental presence. In Vrndavana there is no distinction between material and spiritual because everything is dedicated to Your loving service. My dear Lord, Your Vrndavana pastimes are simply to enthuse Your devotees. If someone takes Your Vrndavana pastimes to be material, he will be misled.”*
Text 11
That the Supreme Personality of Godhead incarnates through the agency of His in internal potency is confirmed by these words spoken by the demigod Brahma (Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.9.23):
“The Supreme Lord, the Personality of Godhead, is always the benefactor of the surrendered souls. His activities are always enacted through His internal potency, Rama, or the goddess of fortune. I pray only to engage in His service in the creation of the material world, and I pray that I not be materially affected by my works, for thus I may be able to give up the false prestige of being the creator.”*
Text 12
Here the word “grhita-gunavatarah” means the Lord’s incarnations, which are merciful and have a host of other virtues”. In this way it is declared that the Lord descends to the material world in order to give bliss to His devotees. He does not really descend to the world in order to take sides with the demigods and protect the world, for the protection of the world is easily accomplished by the Lord’s maya potency.
Text 13
In this world some devotees of the Lord may meet in order to taste together the bliss of pure love for the Supreme Lord. In that assembly some other persons, who do not understand the truth about the Lord’s glories, may also participate in the chanting, play on the mrdaggas and other musical instruments, and even dance in ecstatic bliss as they sing the Lord’s holy names.
Text 14
The Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself explains (Srimad-Bhagavatam 11.14.24):
“My devotee who weeps, laughs, dances and sries out as without shame he chants My holy names in a voice choked with ecstasy, purifies the entire world.”
Text 15
This is also described in the following words of the scriptures:
“Ignoring the material world, a great devotee dances, wild with transcendental bliss as he chants the holy names of Lord Hari.”
Text 16
Here someone may say that it is not possible for the devotees to be really happy, for they cannot ignore the sufferings of the non-devotees. Their troubles will stop the devotees’ bliss.
Text 17
Their bodies’ made of pure goodness, the great sages experience the greatest transcendental bliss. Seeing the love their Lord has for His devotees, the sages follow in His footsteps. In this way the sages are very merciful to the non-devotees. The sages’ bliss and mercy are not mutually contradictory qualities.
Text 18
The mercy of the sages is seen in the following words spoken by Maharaja Pariksit to all the great sages (Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.19.23):
“You are naturally inclined to do good to others, and for this you have no interest, either in this life or in the next.”*
Text 19
The mercy of the sages is also described by these words in the beginning of Jada Bharata’s story (Srimad-Bhagavatam 5.13.24):
“Being a Vaisnava, he was naturally very kindhearted, and he therefore told the king about the constitutional position of the soul.”*
Text 20
The sages’ mercifulness is also seen in these words from Sri Narada’s dessription of his previous birth (Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.5.24):
“Although they were impartial by nature, those followers of the Vedanta blessed me with their causeless mercy.”*
Text 21
The glories of the Lord and His devotees are described in this prayer spoken by Queen Kunti to Lord Krsna (Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.8.27):
“My obeisances unto You, who are the property of the materially impoverished. You have nothing to do with the actions and reactions of the material modes of nature. You are self- satisfied and therefore You are the most gentle and are the master of the monists.”*
Text 22
Srila Sridhara Svami comments:
“Here the word ‘akincana-vitta’ means ‘He who is the be-all-and-end-all of the materially impoverished devotees’.”
Text 23
In this way it is proved that the Supreme Lord is not ungrateful to His devotees. He loves His devotees. He removes their sufferings and brings them transcendental bliss.
Text 24
The best of the Supreme Lord’s internal potencies is the potency called hladini. The best activity of this potency is devotional service. In this way the Lord and His devotees love each other eternally.
Text 25
This is described in the following words of Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.86.59):
“The Supreme Personality of Godhead loves His devotees.”
Text 26
Devotional service thus delights the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This, of course, does not mean that the devotees are not delighted also. As one of the Lord’s potencies, devotional service is simultaneously one and different from the Lord.
Text 27
This is confirmed by the Lord Himself in the following words (Bhagavad-gita 4.11):
“All of them, as they surrender unto Me, I reward accordingly.”*
Text 28
Situated in the devotee’s heart, devotional service manifests as many activities. Engaged in devotional service in this way, the devotee thinks, “my service to the Lord brings me great bliss”. In this way devotional service brings a great wonder of transcendental bliss.
Text 29
In this way it is seen that the potencies and the Lord, who is the master of all potencies, are different. All this is explained in these words spoken to Durvasa Muni by Lord Sri Visnu (Srimad-Bhagavatam 9.4.63-68):
Text 30
“I am completely under the control of My devotees. Indeed, I am not at all independent. Because My devotees are completely devoid of material desires, I sit only within the cores of their hearts. What to speak of My devotee, even those who are devotees of My devotee are very dear to Me.*
Text 31
“O best of the brahmanas, without saintly persons for whom I am the only destination, I do not desire to enjoy My transcendental bliss and My supreme opulences.*
Text 32
“Since pure devotees give up their homes, wives, children, relatives, riches, and even their lives simply to serve Me, without any desire for material improvement in this life or in the next, how can I give up such devotees at any time?*
Text 33
“As chaste women bring their gentle husbands under control by service, the pure devotees, who are equal to everyone and completely attached to Me in the core of the heart, bring Me under their full control.*
Text 34
“My devotees, who are always satisfied to be engaged in My loving service, are not interested even in the four principles of liberation (salokya, sarupya, samipya, and sarsti), although these are automatically achieved by their service. What then is to be said of such perishable happiness as elevation to the higher planetary systems?*
Text 35
“The pure devotee is always within the core of My heart, and I am always in the heart of the pure devotee. My devotees do not know anything else but Me, and I do not know anyone else but them.”*
Text 36
That the Supreme Personality of Godhead is not ungrateful to His devotees is shown here in Srimad-Bhagavatam 9.4.65-67 (quoted here in texts 32-34). The idea that the devotees to not taste transcendental bliss is refuted by Srimad-Bhagavatam 9.4.68 (quoted here text 35). That the hladini-sakti is the best of the Lord’s potencies is affirmed by Srimad-Bhagavatam 9.4.63-64 (quoted here in texts 30-31).
Text 37
That the Supreme Personality of Godhead is present as the devotional service in His devotees’ hearts is described in Srimad-Bhagavatam 9.4.67 (quoted here in text 34).
Text 38
In the first of these statements it is seen that the Supreme Personality of Godhead has no faults. In the second of these statements the endeavor for happiness is seen in two ways: 1. a person may endeavor only for his own happiness, and 2. a person may endeavor to make others happy.
Text 39
In the first of these two kinds of endeavors mercy is not possible, for in that situation a person thinks only of his own benefit and he does not care about the benefit of others. In the second of these kinds of endeavor one feels happy in others happiness and unhappy in others suffering. In that situation one will desire that others may be happy. However, a person who has never been touched by the sufferings that others feel cannot experience the emotion of compassion. This is described in the following words of Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.10.14):
Text 40
“By seeing their faces, one whose body has been pricked by pins can understand the pain of others who are pinpricked. Realizing that this pain is the same for everyone, he does not want others to suffer in this way. But one who has never been pricked by pins cannot understand this pain.”*
Text 41
The Supreme Personality of Godhead is full of spiritual bliss and free of all material contamination. Therefore He does not make any distinction between material suffering and material so-called happiness, which is actually only a different kind of suffering. In this way the Lord is like the owl’s eyes, which do not make any distinction between the light and the darkness.
Text 42
Some philosophers assert that the Supreme Personality of Godhead has no connection at all with any material sufferings. They say that, because He is all-knowing He is certainly aware of the sufferings of others, but still He does not suffer personally. This is like the example of the person who traveled a very circuitous route in order to avoid passing a toll-station, but all his efforts only brought him to the toll-station anyway.
Text 43
They say that one perceives suffering when suffering touches the heart. The suffering may be one’s own personal suffering or the suffering of others. There is no real distinction. Both are suffering. Any idea that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is not all-knowing is refuted by the example that compares Him to the everywhere-shining sun. Also, in this way it is seen that the Lord does have transcendental qualities.
Text 44
This idea, that the Supreme Personality of Godhead personally suffers is not the truth. The truth is that even though He is aware of all suffering that every occurs, the Supreme Personality of Godhead never feels suffering personally. This is because He is all-powerful. He has the power to do anything, to undo anything, or to change anything into anything else. It is also because He is by His very nature the crest-jewel of all compassionate persons. he does not require to suffer personally in order to feel compassion for others. Thus He is not like the conditioned souls, who require to suffer in the material world before they can feel compassion for others’ suffering.
Text 45
Devotional service brings happiness to the devotees. Obstacles that prevent them from meeting the Supreme Personality of Godhead bring the devotees suffering. When the Lord sees these obstacles, His heart melts with compassion for the devotees. That compassion takes the form of devotional service.
Text 46
Many devotees, like Gajendra, turn to the Lord when they are troubled by material sufferings. In this condition they pray, “The Supreme Lord is my only shelter”, and thus they attain devotional service. Others, like the Yamalarjuna trees, attain devotional service by the mercy of great souls, like Sri Narada. Still others attain devotional service because they are naturally humble. In these ways the Lord gives His mercy and frees them from material sufferings. He does not consider whether they are qualified to receive His mercy or not qualified to receive it. He gives His mercy without restriction. In this way He stops the sufferings of His devotees. He rescues them from the cycle of repeated birth and death.
Text 47
If material sufferings had a different cause, they might never come to an end. In this way it is proved that material sufferings and material happiness are meant to bring the soul to the Supreme Lord and to the happiness of devotional service.
Text 48
If the perception of happiness and suffering were something different from this dessription, then the attainment of happiness and the end of suffering would be attained in a way other than by engaging in devotional service. This conclusion is not at all logical or true.
Text 49
Thus the conclusion is that the Supreme Personality of Godhead never experiences material happiness or material suffering. He is like a spiritual kalpa-vrksa that fulfills everyone’s desires. Sri Akrura confirms this in these words (Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.38.22):
Text 50
“No one is Krsna’s dearest friend. No one is His hated enemy. He rejects no one. Still, He reciprocates His devotees’ love. To them He is like a kalpa-vrksa tree that fulfills all desires.”
Text 51
Here the word “kaccit” means “a person who is not a devotee”. that the Supreme Personality of Godhead dearly loves His devotees is confirmed by these words (Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.48.26):
“My dear Lord, You are very affectionate to Your devotees. You are also a truthful and grateful friend. Where is that learned man who would give You up and surrender to someone else? You fulfill all the desires of Your devotees, so much so that sometimes You even give Yourself to them. Still, You neither increase nor decrease by such activity.”*
Text 52
That the Supreme Personality of Godhead is equal to all to also confirmed by these words of Lord Siva (Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.17.33-34):
“He holds no one as very dear and no one as inimical. he has no one for His own relative, and no one is alien to Him. He is actually the soul of the soul of all living entities. Thus He is the auspicious friend of all living beings and is very near and dear to all of them.*
Text 53
“The magnanimous Citraketu is a dear devotee of the Lord. He is equal to all living entities and is free from attachment and hatred. Similarly, I am also very dear to Lord Narayana.”*
Text 54
That the Supreme Personality of Godhead is equal to all and is like a desire tree that fulfills His devotees’ desires is described by Sri Prahlada is these words (Srimad-Bhagavatam 8.23.8):
“O Lord, Your pastimes are all wonderfully performed by Your inconceivable spiritual energy, and by her perverted reflection, the material energy, You have created all the universes. As the Supersoul of all living entities, You are aware of everything, and therefore You are certainly equal toward everyone. Nonetheless, You favor Your devotees. This is not partiality, however, for Your characteristic is like that of a desire tree, which yields everything according to one’s desire.”*
Text 55
This verse means: “O Lord, You favor Your devotees (bhakta-priyo ‘si), but still You are certainly equal toward everyone (sama-drcah). This is not partiality (avisamah), however, for Your characteristic is like that of a desire tree (kalpa-taru-svabhavah), which yields everything according to one’s desire.”*
Text 56
In another interpretation of this verse it is understood that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is like a desire tree or other like things and for this reason one should take shelter of Him. Also, He is naturally partial to His devotees, and this partiality to them dopes not at all conflict with His natural impartiality to everyone.
Text 57
In some readings the word “avisama-svabhavah” (He is naturally impartial) is replaced by “visama- svabhavah” (He is naturally partial to His devotees). His partiality to them is appropriate because in this way He reciprocates with them (bhaktan bhajate). Because the Lord has inconceivable potencies His impartiality to all and His partiality to His devotees do not contradict each other.
Text 58
That the Lord is partial to the devotees is also confirmed by these words of Srimad-Bhagavatam (2.4.14):
“Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto He who is the associate of the members of the Yadu dynasty and who is always a problem for the nondevotees. He is the supreme enjoyer of both the material and spiritual worlds, yet He enjoys His own abode in the spiritual sky. There is no one equal to Him because His transcendental opulence is immeasurable.”*
Text 59
Srila Sridhara Svami comments:
“Here there is no fault in the Lord’s partiality to the devotees, for the Lord has inconceivable powers and opulences.”
Text 60
That although He is equal to all, the Supreme Personality of Godhead is still partial to His devotees is confirmed by Sri Bhisma in these words of Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.9.21-22):
“Being the absolute Personality of Godhead, He is present in everyone’s heart. He is equally kind to everyone, and He is free from the false ego of differentiation. Therefore whatever He does is free from material inebriety. He is equibalanced.*
Text 61
“Yet, despite His being equally kind to everyone, He has graciously come before me while I am ending my life, for I am His unflinching servitor.”*
Text 62
This partiality to the devotees is confirmed by the Lord Himself in these words (Bhagavad-gita 9.29):
“I envy no one, nor am I partial to anyone. I am equal to all. But whoever renders service unto Me in devotion is a friend, is in Me, and I am also a friend to him.”*
Text 63
Thus the Supreme Personality of Godhead is not at fault for being partial to His devotees. Actually He manifests His various incarnations and pastimes by His transcendental potency for the purpose of pleasing His devotees. He does not descend to this world in order to protect the material world. That was already established by Vidura’s question (Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.7.2-7) previously quoted in this book.
Text 64
When He incarnates in the material world, the Lord associates with the material demigods. Because associating with them in His pastimes would ordinarily not be very pleasing to Him, He personally enters them and fills them with devotion. In this way they become acceptable companions for Him and He accepts them. When the Lord accepts the forms of His different incarnations by the agency of His internal potency, He does not lose or change His personality. He is the same person in each incarnation. The Lord incarnates only to please His devotees. Aside from His love for His devotees, He is impartial and equal to all, for He neither hates nor loves anyone. When a person has jaundice, sugar candy tastes bitter. However, eating sugar candy is the cure for jaundice. In the same way the Supreme Lord gives His association to the demons. That association is bitter for them, but it is also the cure for their continued existence in the world of birth and death. In this way the Supreme Lord acts for the demons’ welfare.
Text 65
That the Supreme Personality of Godhead acts so that the conditioned souls may become liberated is confirmed by these words (Srimad-Bhagavatam 9.24.57-58):
“O Maharaja Pariksit, but for the Lord’s personal desire there is no cause for His appearance, disappearance, or activities. As the Supersoul, He knows everything. Consequently, there is no cause that affects Him, not even the results of fruitive activities.*
Text 66
“The Supreme Personality of Godhead acts through His material energy in the creation, maintenance, and annihilation of this cosmic manifestation just to deliver the living entity by His compassion and stop the living entity’s birth, death, and duration of materialistic life. Thus He enables the living being to return home, back to Godhead.”*
Text 67
According to these words of Srila Sukadeva Gosvami at the end of Srimad-Bhagavatam’s Ninth Canto, the periodic dissolution of the material cosmos, material forms, and material qualities, and their subsequent re-manifestation are all the mercy of the Lord. This is also confirmed in Srila Sridhara Svami’s commentary.
Text 68
That the Supreme Personality of Godhead comes to the material world to protect the devotees is confirmed by this prayer in Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.70.27):
“My dear Lord, You are the proprietor of all the worlds and You have incarnated Yourself along with Your plenary expansion Lord Balarama. It is said that Your appearance in this incarnation is for the purpose of protecting the faithful and destroying the miscreants. Under the circumstances, how is it possible that miscreants like Jarasandha can put us into such deplorable conditions of life against Your authority? We are puzzled at the situation and cannot understand how it is possible.”*
Text 69
These words are a request sent to the Supreme Personality of Godhead by the kings imprisoned by Jarasandha. Srila Sridhara Svami gives the following explanation:
“The gist of this verse is: ‘O Lord, if You have descended to this world to protect the devotees, then why do we suffer so painfully? Why do Jarasandha and others disobey Your orders? Even though You give them protection, why do the people continue to suffer the results of their past karma? We do not understand why this is so? These things are not right.’ That is the meaning of this verse.”
Text 70
In this explanation by Srila Sridhara Svami it is seen that the Supreme Lord is supremely independent and can enjoy pastimes in any way He wishes, and it is also seen that it is very difficult to understand how the powerful maya potency awards to the demigods, demons, and other conditioned souls the results of their past fruitive actions.
Text 71
By their own actions, the individual spirit souls in the material world bring upon themselves various kinds of good and bad results. That is clearly seen in this world.
Text 72
The maya potency cannot imitate the Supreme Lord’s pastimes. The Supreme Lord is completely independent and can do whatever He likes.
Text 73
That Yamaraja and his servants are bound to follow the orders of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is seen in these words spoken by Lord Krsna to Yamaraja (Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.45.45):
“Some time back you caused the drowning of the son of Our teacher. I order you to return him.”*
Text 74
Because it is very rare that one will receive a direct order from the Supreme Lord in this way, Yamaraja is not at fault for acting in a way contrary to his ordinary duties.
Text 75
However, if some persons hate them, the Lord at once becomes the partisan of His devotees. This is not a fault on the Lord’s part. The Lord loves His devotees. He protects them, and, with His hladini potency, He brings them great bliss.
Text 76
The hatred of persons who oppose the devotees only increases the devotees’ love for the Lord, and that love brings the devotees a great wonder of intense transcendental bliss at every moment, a bliss that has nothing to do with the hopeless parched desert of impersonal so-called liberation.
Text 77
Thus devotional service, which is manifested from the Supreme Lord’s internal potency, eclipses everything else and makes it unimportant by comparison. This is described in the following words of Srimad-Bhagavatam (6.17.28):
“Devotees solely engaged in the devotional service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Narayana, never fear any condition of life. For them the heavenly planets, liberation, and the hellish planets are all the same, for such devotees are interested only in the service of the Lord.”*
Because they have no material desires and because they are interested to work for the welfare of all living beings, the devotees of the Lord become free from the many horrible and unbearable sufferings of continued material existence.
Text 78
The impersonalists find it very difficult to attain the true goal of life. Unaware of the true goal of life, the impersonalists attain impersonal liberation, which is just like hell. Materialists filled with material desires attain various so-called heavenly material worlds where they enjoy like worms in stool. The Supreme Personality of Godhead gives these destinations to the impersonalists and the materialists.
Text 79
That the activities of the Lord are always for the benefit of everyone is confirmed by Naga-patnis in these words (Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.16.33):
“O dear Lord, You are equal to everyone. For You there is no distinction between Your sons, friends, and enemies. Therefore the punishment which You have so kindly offered to Kaliya is exactly befitting. O Lord, You have descended especially for the purpose of annihilating all kinds of disturbing elements within the world, and because You are the Absolute Truth, there is no difference between Your mercy and punishment. We think, therefore, that this apparent punishment to Kaliya is actually some benediction.”*
Text 80
Here the word “sutanam” means “of the demigods, who are protected as if they were sons”, and damam” means “punishment”.
Text 81
Even Putana and other demons attained the same destination that is attained by the greatest devotees. Thus is is seen that even artificially imitating the activities of the great devotees is glorious. This is confirmed by the following words addressed to the Supreme Personality of Godhead (Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.14.35):
“I think of how You are so kind, so magnanimous that even Putana, who came to cheat You by dressing herself as a very affectionate mother, was awarded liberation and the actual post of a mother. And other demons belonging to the same family, such as Aghasura and Bakasura, were also favored with liberation.”*
Text 82
If some devotees commit offenses to other devotees, the offenders burn for a long time in the volcanic fires of hatred to not only other devotees, but even to the Supreme Lord Himself. After some time they receive the angry touch of the Supreme Lord. In that way their offenses become destroyed, and they attain the feet of the Lord at the end. Such devotees do not attain impersonal liberation, for they are protected by the eternal nature of the devotional service they have already performed.
Text 83
In this way the Lord is like a mother angry with her children. Thus the Lord’s actions are right, just, and good. This is explained in the following passage (Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.7.1- 12, which is discussed here in anucchedas 93-104), which begins with these words of Srimad-Bhagavatam (7.1.1), where King Pariksit inquired:
Text 84
“My dear brahmana, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Visnu, being everyone’s well-wisher, is equal and extremely dear to everyone. How, then, did He become partial like a common man for the sake of Indra, and thus kill Indra’s enemies? How can a person equal to everyone be partial to some and inimical toward others?*
Text 85
Here the word “samah” means “because He is the Supersoul, He is equal to all”, “suhrt” means the well-wisher”, and “bhagavan priyah” means the affectionate Supreme Personality of Godhead”. The question in this verse is: “If He is equal, affectionate, and helpful to all living beings, why does the Supreme Personality of Godhead show partiality by killing the demons?” Thus the Lord is partial. To some He is a dear friend, and to others He is an enemy.
Paramātma · Sanskrit §92 · English §94
Source[९२] माया-मात्रं तु कार्त्स्न्येनानभिव्यक्त-स्वरूपत्वाद् इति न्यायेन । अतएव शुद्धस्यापि सतो जीवस्यौपाधिकेनैव रूपेणोपाधि-धर्मापत्तिर् इति दृष्टान्तान्तरेणोपपादयतीति -- यथा जले चन्द्रमसः कम्पादिस् तत्-कृतो गुणः । दृश्यते ऽसन्न् अपि द्रष्टुर् आत्मनो ऽनात्मनो गुणः ॥ [भ्प् ३.७.११]॥ यथा जले प्रतिबिम्बितस्यैव चन्द्रमसो जलोपाधि-कृतः कम्पादि-गुणो धर्मो दृश्यते न त्व् आकाश-स्थितस्य तद्वद् अनात्मनः प्रकृत-रूपोपाधेर् धर्मः आत्मन शुद्धस्यासन्न् अपि अहम् एव सोऽयम् इत्य् आवेशान् माययोपाधि-तादात्म्यापन्नाहङ्काराभासस्य प्रतिबिम्ब-स्थानीयस्य तस्य द्रष्टुर् आध्यात्मिकावस्थस्यैव यद्यपि स्यात् तथापि शुद्धोऽसौ तद्- अभेदाभिमानेन तं पश्यतीत्य् अर्थः । तद् उक्तम् एकादशे श्री-भगवता - नृत्यतो गायतः पश्यन् यथैवानुकरोति ताम् । एवं बुद्धि-गुणान् पश्यन्न् अनीहोऽप्य् अनुकार्यते ॥ [भ्प् ११.२२.५३] इति । तथैवोक्तम् - शुद्धो विचष्टे ह्य् अविशुद्ध-कर्तुर् इति । वि-शब्दस्य चात्र तद्- आवेश एव तात्पर्यं तस्माद् भगवतोऽचिन्त्य-स्वरूपान्तरङ्ग-महा-प्रवल- शक्तित्वाद् बहिरङ्गया प्रवलयाप्य् अचिन्तयापि माययापि न सृष्टिः । जीवस्य तु तया सृष्टिर् इति सिद्धान्तितम् ॥ ३.७ ॥ श्री-शुकः ॥ ८५-९२ ॥
[92] māyā-mātraṃ tu kārtsnyenānabhivyakta-svarūpatvād iti nyāyena | ataeva śuddhasyāpi sato jīvasyaupādhikenaiva rūpeṇopādhi-dharmāpattir iti dṛṣṭāntāntareṇopapādayatīti -- yathā jale candramasaḥ kampādis tat-kṛto guṇaḥ | dṛśyate 'sann api draṣṭur ātmano 'nātmano guṇaḥ || [BhP 3.7.11]|| yathā jale pratibimbitasyaiva candramaso jalopādhi-kṛtaḥ kampādi-guṇo dharmo dṛśyate na tv ākāśa-sthitasya tadvad anātmanaḥ prakṛta-rūpopādher dharmaḥ ātmana śuddhasyāsann api aham eva so'yam ity āveśān māyayopādhi-tādātmyāpannāhaṅkārābhāsasya pratibimba-sthānīyasya tasya draṣṭur ādhyātmikāvasthasyaiva yadyapi syāt tathāpi śuddho'sau tad- abhedābhimānena taṃ paśyatīty arthaḥ | tad uktam ekādaśe śrī-bhagavatā - nṛtyato gāyataḥ paśyan yathaivānukaroti tām | evaṃ buddhi-guṇān paśyann anīho'py anukāryate || [BhP 11.22.53] iti | tathaivoktam - śuddho vicaṣṭe hy aviśuddha-kartur iti | vi-śabdasya cātra tad- āveśa eva tātparyaṃ tasmād bhagavato'cintya-svarūpāntaraṅga-mahā-pravala- śaktitvād bahiraṅgayā pravalayāpy acintayāpi māyayāpi na sṛṣṭiḥ | jīvasya tu tayā sṛṣṭir iti siddhāntitam || 3.7 || śrī-śukaḥ || 85-92 ||
English translation
English witness · section(s) 94
Anuccheda 94
Text 1
Here someone may say that because He has needs that require to be fulfilled, because He is partial to some living entities, and because He fears other living entities, the Supreme Personality of Godhead hatefully kills His enemies. This is not an accurate description of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is explained in the following words (Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.1.2):
Text 2
“Lord Visnu Himself, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is the reservoir of all pleasure. Therefore, what benefit would He derive from siding with the demigods? What interest would He fulfill in this way? Since the Lord is transcendental, why should He fear the asuras, and how could He be envious of them?”*
Text 3
Here the word “nihsreyasam” means transcendental pleasure”.
Paramātma · Sanskrit §93 · English §95
Source[९३] एवं सृष्ट्य्-आदि-लीला-त्रये योजिनेऽपि पुनर् विशेषतः संशय्य सिद्धान्तः क्रियते स्थूणा-निखनन-न्यायेन । ननु पालन-लीलायां ये येऽवतारास् तथा तत्रैव स्व-प्रसाद-व्यट्जक-स्मिताभय-मुद्रादि-चेष्टया सुर-पक्ष-पातो युद्धादि-चेष्टया दैत्य-संहार इत्य् आदिका या या वा लीलाः श्रूयन्ते ते च ताश् च स्वयं परमेश्वरेण क्रियन्ते न वा । आद्ये पूर्व-पक्षस् तद् अत्रस्थ एव प्रत्युत पक्ष-पातादिना वैषम्यं च । अन्ते तेषाम् अवताराणां लीलानां च न स्वरूप-भूतया सिध्यतीति सम्प्रतिपत्ति-भङ्गः । अत्रोच्यते । सत्यं विश्व- पालनार्थं परमेश्वरो न किञ्चित् करोति किन्तु स्वेन सहैवावतीर्णान् वैकुण्ठ-पार्षदान् तथाधिकारिक-देवाद्य्-अन्तर्गतान् तथा तटस्थान् अन्यांश् च भक्तान् आनन्दयितुं स्वरूप-शक्त्याविष्कारेणैव नानावतारान् लीलाश् चासौ प्रकाशयति । तद् उक्तं पाद्मे - मुहूर्तेनापि संहर्तुं शक्तो यद्यपि दानवान् । मद्-भक्तानां विनोदार्थं करोमि विविधाः क्रियाः ॥ दर्शन-ध्यान-संस्पर्शैर् मत्स्य-कूर्म-विहङ्गमाः । स्वान्य् अपत्यानि पुष्णन्ति तथाहम् अपि पद्मज ॥ इति । हरि-भक्ति-सुधोदये - नित्यं च पूर्ण-कामस्य जन्मानि विविधानि मे । भक्त-सर्वेष्ट-दानाय तस्मात् किं ते प्रियं वद ॥ इति । तथा श्री-कुन्ती-देवी-वचनं च -- भक्ति-योग-विधानार्थं कथं पश्येम हि स्त्रिय इति [भ्प् १.८.२०] । अत्र भक्ति-योग-विधानार्थं तद्-अर्थम् अवतीर्णं त्वाम् इति टीका च । श्री-ब्रह्म-वचनं च -- प्रपञ्चं निष्प्रपञ्चोऽपि विडम्बयसि भूतले । प्रपन्न-जनतानन्द- सन्दोहं प्रथितुं प्रभो ॥ [भ्प् १०.१४.३७] स्वरूप-शक्त्यैवाविष्कारश् च श्री-ब्रह्मणैव दर्शितः - एष प्रपन्न-वरदो रमयात्म-शक्त्या यद् यत् करिष्यति गृहीत-गुणावतार [भ्प् ३.९.२३] इत्य् आदिना । गृहीता गुणाः कारुण्यादयो यत्र तथाभूतोऽवतारो यस्येत्य् अर्थः । तद् एवं भक्तानन्दार्थम् एव तान् प्रकटयतस् तस्याननुसंहितम् अपि सुर-पक्ष-पातादि-विश्व-पालन-रूपं तन्-माया- कार्यं स्वत एव भवति । लोके यथा केचिद् भक्ताः परस्परं भगवत्- प्रेम-मुखोल्लासाय मिलितास् तद् अनभिज्ञान् अपि कांश्चिन् मार्दङ्गिकादीन् सङ्गृह्य तद्-गुण-गानानन्देनोन्मत्तवन् नृत्यन्तो विश्वेषाम् एवामङ्गलं घ्नन्ति मङ्गलम् अपि वर्धयन्तीति । तद् उक्तं वाग् गद्-गदेत्य् आदौ मद्- भक्ति-युक्तो भुवनं पुनातीति [भ्प् ११.१४.२४] । एवम् एवोक्तम् - सृष्ट्य्-आदिकं हरेर् नैव प्रयोजनम् अपेक्ष्य तु । कुरुते केवलानन्दाद् यथा मर्त्यस्य नर्तनम् ॥ इति । [नारायण-संहिता] न च वक्तव्यं स्वेन तेषां तैर् अपि स्वस्यानन्दने स्वतस् तृप्तता-हानिः स्यात् तथान्यान् परित्यज्य च तेषाम् एवानन्दने वैषम्यान्तरम् अपि स्याद् इति । तत्राद्ये विशुद्धोर्जित-सत्त्व-तनुम् आश्रितेऽपि मुनि-जने स्वतस् तृप्ति- पराकाष्ठां प्राप्तो भक्त-वात्सल्य-दर्शनात् तद्-अनुचर एवासौ गुणो न तु तत्-प्रतिघातीति लभ्यते । यथा सर्वान् मुनीन् प्रति श्री-परीक्षिद्-वाक्यम् नेहाथ नामुत्र च कश्चनार्थ ऋते परानुग्रहम् आत्म-शीलम् । [भ्प् १.१९.२३] तथा जड-भरत-चरितादौ - सिन्धु-पतय आत्म-सतत्वं विगणयतः परानुभावः परम-कारुणिकतयोपदिश्य इत्य् आदि [भ्प् ५.१३.२४] श्री-नारद-पूर्व-जन्मनि -- चक्रुः कृपां यद्यपि तुल्य-दर्शनाः; शुश्रूषमाणे मुनयो ऽल्प-भाषिणि । [भ्प् १.५.२४] तथा कुन्ती-स्तवे - नमो ऽकिञ्चन-वित्ताय निवृत्त-गुण-वृत्तये । आत्मारामाय शान्ताय कैवल्य-पतये नमः ॥ [भ्प् १.८.२७] अकिञ्चना भक्ता एव वित्तं सर्वस्वं यस्येति टीका च । ततोऽन्यथा चाकृतज्ञता-दोषश् च निर्दोषे भगवत्य् आपतति । ततः सिद्धे तथाविधस्यापि भक्त-वात्सल्ये भक्तानां दुःख-हान्या सुख-प्राप्त्या वा स्वानन्दो भवतीत्य् आयातम् एव । किं च परम-सारअ-भूताया अपि स्वरूप-शक्तेः सार- भूता ह्लादिनी नाम या वृत्तिस् तस्या एव सार-भूतो वृत्ति-विशेषो भक्तिः सा च रत्य्-अपर-पर्याया । भक्तिर् भगवति भक्ते च निक्षिप्त-निजोभय-कोटिः सर्वदा तिष्ठति । अतएवोक्तं भगवान् भक्त-भक्तिमान् इति । तस्माद् भक्तस्थया तया भगवतस् तृप्तौ न स्वतस् तृप्तिर्ता-हानिः । प्रत्युत शक्तित्वेन स्वरूपतो भिन्नाभिन्नाया अपि तस्याः ये यथा मां प्रपद्यन्ते तांस् तथैव भजाम्य् अहम् इति न्यायेन भक्त-चित्त-स्फुरिताया भेद-वृत्तेर् एव स्फुरणात् भगवतो मां ह्लादयत्य् अस्य भक्तिर् इति आनन्दचमत्कारातिशयश् च भवति । शक्ति-तद्वतोर् भेदमतेऽपि विशिष्टस्यैव स्वरूपत्वं सम्प्रतिपन्नम् । तद् एतत् सर्वम् अभिप्रेत्य भणितं दुर्वाससं प्रति श्री-विष्णुना - अहं भक्त-पराधीनो ह्य् अस्वतन्त्र इव द्विज । साधुभिर् ग्रस्त-हृदयो भक्तैर् भक्त-जन-प्रियः ॥ नाहम् आत्मानम् आशासे मद्-भक्तैः साधुभिर् विना । श्रियं चात्यन्तिकीं ब्रह्मन् येषां गतिर् अहं परा ॥ ये दारागार-पुत्राप्त- प्राणान् वित्तम् इमं परम् । हित्वा मां शरणं याताः कथं तांस् त्यक्तुम् उत्सहे ॥ मयि निर्बद्ध-हृदयाः साधवः सम-दर्शनाः । वशे कुर्वन्ति मां भक्त्य् सत्-स्त्रियः सत्-पतिं यथा ॥ मत्-सेवया प्रतीतं ते सालोक्यादि-चतुष्टयम् । नेच्छन्ति सेवया पूर्णाः कुतो ऽन्यत् काल-विप्लुतम् ॥ साधवो हृदयं मह्यं साधूनां हृदयं त्व् अहम् । मद्-अन्यत् ते न जानन्ति नाहं तेभ्यो मनाग् अपि ॥ [भ्प् ९.४.६३-६८] इति । अत्र ये दारागारेति त्रयम् अकृतज्ञता-निवारणे साधवो हृदयं मह्यम् इति स्वतस् तृप्ति-परिहारे । भक्तेः स्वरूप-शक्ति-सार-ह्लादिनी-सारत्वे च अहं भक्त-पराधीन इति द्वयम् । तत्रैव भक्तेष्व् अपि भक्ति-रूपेण तत्-प्रवेशे सति विशेषतो मत्-सेवया प्रतीतम् इत्य् अपि ज्ञेयम् । ततो न प्राक्तनो दोषः । द्वितीयेऽप्य् एवम् आचक्ष्महे । परानन्दने प्रवृत्तिर् द्विधा जायते परतो निजाभीष्ट- सम्पत्त्यै क्वचित् तद्-अभीष्ट-मात्र-सम्पत्त्यै च । तत्र प्रथमो नात्राप्य् अयुक्तः सात्मार्थ-मात्रतया कुत्रापि पक्षपाताभावात् । अत्रोत्तर-पक्षे पर-सुखस्य पर-दुःखस्य चानुभवेनैव परानुकूल्येनैव प्रवृत्तीच्छा जायते न तु यत्-किञ्चिज्-ज्ञान-मात्रेण चित्तस्य पर-दुःखास्पर्शे कृपा-रूप- विकारासम्भवात् । यथा कण्टक-बिद्धाङ्गो जन्तोर् नेच्छति तां व्यथाम् । जीव-साम्यं गतो लिङ्गैर् न तथाबिद्ध-कण्टकः ॥ इति न्यायात् । ततश् च सदा परमानन्दैकरूपेऽपहत-कल्मषे भगवति प्राकृतस्य सुखाभिध-दुःखस्य प्रसिद्ध-दुःखस्य च सूर्य पेचक-चक्षुर् ज्योतिष इव तमस इव चात्यन्ताभावात् तत्-तद्-अनुभवो नास्त्य् एव । यत् तु भगवति दुःख-सम्बन्धं परिजिहीर्षन्तोऽपि केचिद् एवं वदन्ति, तस्मिन् दुःखानुभव-ज्ञानम् अस्त्य् एव, तच् च परकीयत्वेनैव भासते न तु स्वीयत्वेनेति । तद् अपि घट्ट-कुड्यां प्रभातम् दुःखानुभवो नाम हि अन्तः-करणे दुःख-स्पर्शः, स च स्वस्माद् भवतु परस्माद् वेति दुःख-सम्बन्धाविशेषात् । असर्वज्ञता-दोषश् च सूर्य-दृष्टान्तेनैव परिहृतः, प्रत्युत गुणत्वेनैव दर्शितश् च । तस्मात् तस्मिन् यत् किञ्चिद् दुःख-ज्ञानम् अस्तु, दुःखानुभवस् तु नास्त्य् एव । यत एव कर्तुम् अकर्तुम् अन्यथा-कर्तुं समर्थे परम-करुणामय-निचय-शिरोमणौ तस्मिन् विराजमानेऽप्य् अद्यापि जीवाः संसार-दुःखम् अनुभवन्तीत्य् अत्र नैर्घृण्य- परिहारश् च भवति । यत् तु भक्तानां सुखं तत् तस्य भक्ति-रूपम् एव, तथा तेषां दुःखं भगवत्-प्राप्त्य्-अन्तरायेणैव भवति, तत्र चाधिका भगवत्य् एव चित्तार्द्रता जायते सा च भक्तिर् एवेति । क्वचिद् गजेन्द्रादीनाम् अपि प्राकृत एव दुःखे स एव मम शरणम् इत्य् आदिना तथैव भक्तिर् उद्भूतैवेति । क्वचिद् यमलार्जुनादिषु श्री-नारदादि- भक्तानां भक्तिः स्फुटैवेति च सर्वथा दैन्यात्मक-भक्त-भक्त्य्- अनुभव एव तं करुणयति न तु प्राकृतं दुःखं, योग्ये कारुणे सत्य् अयोग्यस्य कल्पनानौचित्यआत् दुःख-सद्-भावोऽस्त्य् एव कारणत्वे सर्व- संसारोच्छित्तेः । अथ तस्य परम्परा-कारणत्वम् अस्त्य् एव चेद् अस्स्तु न कापि हानिर् इति । तस्माद् उभयथा भक्तानन्दने तद्-भक्त्य्-अनुभव एव भगवन्तं प्रवर्तयतीति सिद्धम् । तत् एतद् उक्तं भवति । यद्य् अन्यस्य सुख-दुःखम् अनुभूयापि तत्-तत्-त्यागेनेतरस्य सुखः दुःख-हानिं वा सम्पादयति तदैव वैषम्यम् आपतति । श्री-भगवति तु प्राकृत-सुख- दुःखानुभवाभावान् न तद् आपतति, यथा कल्प-तरौ । तद् उक्तं श्रीमद्- अक्रूरेण - न तस्य कश्चिद् दयितः सुहृत्तमो न चाप्रियो द्वेष्य उपेक्ष्य एव वा । तथापि भक्तान् भजते यथा तथा सुर-द्रुमो यद्वद् उपाश्रितोऽर्थदः ॥ इति [भ्प् १०.३८.२२] । अत्र भक्ताद् अन्य एव कश्चिद् इति ज्ञेयम् । कः पण्डितस् त्वद्-अपरं शरणं समीयाद् भक्त-प्रियाद् ऋत-गिरः सुहृदः कृतज्ञाद् इत्य् [भ्प् १०.४८.२६] एतद्-वाक्येनैव तत्-प्रियत्व-प्रोक्तेः । श्री- महादेवेनाप्य् उक्तम् -- न ह्य् अस्यास्ति प्रियः कश्चिन् नाप्रियः स्वः परो ऽपि वा । आत्मत्वात् सर्व-भूतानां सर्व-भूत-प्रियो हरिः ॥ तस्य चायं महा-भागश् चित्रकेतुः प्रियो ऽनुगः । सर्वत्र सम-दृक् शान्तो ह्य् अहं चैवाच्युत-प्रियः ॥ [भ्प् ६.१७.३३-३४] तथोक्तं श्री-प्रह्लादेनापि -- चित्रं तवेहितम् अहो ऽमित-योगमाया- लीला-विसृष्ट-भुवनस्य विशारदस्य । सर्वात्मनः समदृशो ऽविषमः स्वभावो भक्त-प्रियो यद् असि कल्पतरु-स्वभावः ॥ [भ्प् ८.२३.८] इति । अर्थश् च -- यत् त्वं भक्त-प्रियोऽसि सोऽपि समदृशस् तव स्वभावोऽविषमः विषमो न भवति । तत्र हेतु-गर्भ-विशेषणं कल्पतरु-स्वभाव इति । तस्माद् विषम-स्वभावतया प्रतीतेऽपि त्वय्य् अवैष्यम् इत्य् अतीव चित्रम् इति । अथवा परत्रापि कल्प-वृक्षादि-लक्षणे समान एवाश्रयणीये वस्तुनि भक्त- पक्ष-पात-रूप-वैषम्य-दर्शनाद् वैषम्यम् अपि समस्यैव स्वभाव इत्य् एव व्याख्येयम् । तथा पूर्वत्रापि भक्तान् भजत इति वैषम्य एव योजनीयम् इति । वस्तुतस् तु श्री-भगवत्य् अचिन्त्यम् ऐश्वर्यम् एव मुख्यस् तद्-अविरोधे हेतुः । यद् उक्तम् - नमो नमस् तेऽस्त्व् ऋषभाय सात्वताम् इत्य् [भ्प् २.४.१४] आदौ द्वितीयस्य चतुर्थे टीकायाम् । तद् एवं वैषम्य-प्रतीताव् अप्य् अदोषत्वायाचिन्त्यम् ऐश्वर्यम् आहेति । तद् उक्तं श्री-भीष्मेण सर्वात्मनः समदृशो ह्य् अद्वयस्यानहङ्कृतेः । तत्-कृतं मति-वैषम्यं निरवद्यस्य न क्वचित् ॥ तथाप्य् एकान्त-भक्तेषु पश्य भूपानुकम्पितम् । यन् मे ऽसूंस् त्यजतः साक्षात् कृष्णो दर्शनम् आगतः ॥ इति [भ्प् १.९.२१-२२] तथा श्री-भगवता - समो ऽहं सर्वभूतेषु न मे द्वेष्यो ऽस्ति न प्रियः ये भजन्ति तु मां भक्त्या मयि ते तेषु चाप्य् अहम् ॥ इति [भ्प् ९.२९] तद् एवं तत्-तद्-दोषे भक्त-पक्ष-पातस्य स्वरूप-शक्ति-सार-भूतत्वे भक्त-विनोदार्थम् एव स्वरूप-शक्त्यैव स्वयम् एव च तत्-तद्-अवतार-लीलाः करोति भगवान् ततो विश्व-पालनं तु स्वयम् एव सिध्यतीति स्थिते न वैदुर- प्रश्नस् तद्-अवस्थः । अत्र देवादीनां प्राकृततया तैः सह लीलायां स्वतस् तृप्तता-हानिस् तेषु तद्-अंशावेशादि-स्वीकारेणाग्रे परिहर्तव्या । तथा न चावतारादीनां स्वरूप-शक्त्य्-आत्मता-हानिः । तथा भक्त-विनोदैक- प्रयोजनक-स्वैर-लीला-कैवल्येन चान्यत्र राग-द्वेषाभावान् न वैषम्यम् अपि प्रत्युत पित्त-दूषित-जिह्वानां खण्डाद् वैरस्य इव तस्मान् निग्रहेऽप्य् अनुभूयमाने तेषां दुष्टतादि-क्षपण-लक्षणं हितम् एव भवति । अत्र न ह्य् अस्य जन्मनो हेतुः कर्मणो वा महीपते । आत्म-मायां विनेशस्य परस्य द्रष्टुर् आत्मनः । यन् मया चेष्टितं पुंसः स्थित्य्-उत्पत्त्य्-अप्ययाय हि । अनुग्रहस् तन्-निवृत्तेर् आत्म-लाभाय चेष्यते ॥ [भ्प् ९.२४.५७-५८] इति नवमान्तस्थ-श्री-शुक-वाक्यानुसारेण प्रलये लीनोपाधेर् जीवस्य धर्माद्य्-असम्भवाद् उपाधि-सृष्ट्य्-आदिना धर्मादि-सम्पादनेनानुग्रह इति तदीय=टीकानुसारेण च । तथा, लोके भवान् जगति नः कलयावतीर्णः सद्-रक्षणाय खल-निग्रहणाय चान्यः । कश्चित् तदीयम् अभियाति निदेशम् ईश किं वा जनः स्वकृतम् ऋछति तन् न विद्मः ॥ [भ्प् १०.७०.२७] इति जरासन्ध-बद्ध-राज-वृन्द-निवेदनेऽपि ईश्वरे त्वयि सद्-रक्षणार्थम् अवतीर्णेऽपि चेद् अस्माकं दुःखं स्यात् तर्हि किम् अन्यः कश्चिज् जरासन्धादिस् त्वद्-आज्ञाम् अपि लङ्घयति किं च त्वया वक्ष्यमाणोऽपि जनः स्व-कर्म- दुःखं प्राप्नोतीत्य् एवेति न विद्मः । न चैतद् उभयम् अपि युक्तम् इति भावः । इति तदीय-टीकानुसारेण च लीलायाः स्वैरत्वेऽपि दुर्घटनी मायैव तदा तदा देवानुसरादीनां तत्-तत्-कर्मोद्बोध-सन्धानम् अपि घटयति । यथा स्व-स्व-कर्मणा पृथग् एव चेष्टमानानां जीवानां चेष्टा-विशेषाः परस्पर-शुभाशुभ-शकुन्ततया घटिता भवतीत्य् आदिकं लोकेऽपि दृश्यते । यत्र तु क्वचिद् एषा तल्-लीलाजवम् अनुगन्तुं न शक्नोति तत्रैव परमेशितुः स्वैरता व्यक्तीभवति । यथा - गुरु-पुत्रम् इहानीतं निज-कर्म-निबन्धनम् । आनयस्व महाराज मच्-छासन-पुरस्कृतः ॥ [भ्प् १०.४५.४५] इति यम-विषयक-श्री-भगवद्-आदेशादौ । ततश् च तस्यातिविरल-प्रचारत्वान् न सर्वत्र कृत-हान्य्-अकृताभ्यागम-प्रसङ्गश् च । अथ यदि केचिद् भक्तानाम् एव द्विषन्ति तदा तदा भक्त-पक्ष- पातान्तःपातित्वाद् भगवता स्वयं तद्-द्वेषेऽपि न दोषः । प्रत्युत भक्त- विषयक-तद्-रतेः पोषकत्वेन ह्लादिनी-वृत्ति-भूतानन्दोल्लास-विशेष एवासौ । येन हि द्वेषेण प्रतिपद-प्रोन्मीलत्-सान्द्रानन्द-वैचित्री-समतिरिक्त-भक्ति- रस-मरुस्थल-ब्रह्म-कैवल्यापादान-रूपत्वेन तदीय-भक्ति-रस-महा- प्रतियोगितया ततोऽन्यथा दुश्चिकित्सतया च तत्रोचितम् । तद्-उत्थ-भगवत्- तेजसा तत्-स्वरूप-शक्तेर् अपि तिरस्कारेण ध्वंसाभाव-तुल्यत्वम् । स्वर्गापवर्ग-नरकेष्व् अपि तुल्यार्थ-दर्शिन इति [भ्प् ६.१७.२८] न्यायेनान्येषाम् अतीव दुःसहं तेषाम् अपि कामुकानां निकामम् अनभीष्टम् उद्दण्ड-दण्ड-विशेषं कुर्वत्य् एव भगवति तस्य सर्व-हित- पर्यवसायि-चारित्र-स्वभावत्वाद् एव तत्-तद्-दुर्वार-दुर्वासनामयाशेष- संसार-क्लेश-नाशोऽपि भवति । यः खल्व् अभेदोपासकानाम् अतिकृच्छ्र- साध्यः पुरुषार्थः । क्वचिच् च परमार्थ-वस्त्व्-अवभिज्ञानां नरक- निर्विशेषं तेषां कामिनां तु निकामम् अभीष्टं विटकीटानाम् इवामेध्यं स्वर्ग-विशेषं तेभ्यो ददाति स परमेश्वरः । अतएवोक्तं नागपत्नीभिः - रिपोः सुतानाम् अपि सुतवत् पाल्यानां देवानाम् इत्य् [भ्प् १०.१६.३३] अर्थः । दमम् इति यतो दम अपीत्य् अर्थः । यत् तु पूतनादाव् उत्तम-भक्त-गतिः श्रूयत तद्-भक्तानुकरण- माहात्म्येनैवेति तत्र तत्र स्पष्टम् एव । यथा सद्-वेषाद् अपि पूतनापि सकुलेत्य् [भ्प् १०.१४.३५] आदि । अथ यदि केचिद् भक्ता एव सन्तो भक्तान्त्रेषु कथञ्चिद् अपराध्यन्ति तदा तेनैवापराधेन भक्तेषु भगवति च विवर्तमानं द्वेष-बाडवानल- ज्वालालापम् अनुभूय चिरात् कथञ्चित् पुनः सद्-वेषेणापि भगवत्- संस्पर्शादिना सपरिकरे तद्-अपराध-दोषे विनष्टे स्वपदम् एव प्राप्नुवन्ति । न तु ब्रह्म-कैवल्यम् भक्ति-लक्षण-बीजस्यानश्वर- वभावत्वात् । तेषु भगवतः क्रोधश् च बालेषु मातुर् इवेति ॥ [९३] तथा हि श्री-राजोवाच - समः प्रियः सुहृद् ब्रह्मन् भूतानां भगवान् स्वयम् । इन्द्रस्यार्थे कथं दैत्यान् अवधीद् विषमो यथा ॥ [भ्प् ७.१.१] परमात्मत्वेन समः सुहृत् हितकारी प्रियः प्रीति-विषयो भगवान् । एवं सति साम्येनैवोपकर्तव्यत्वेन प्रीति-विषयत्वेन न च सर्वेष्व् एव प्राप्तेषु कथं विषम इव दैत्यान् अवधीत् । विषमत्वम् उपलक्षणम् असुहृदि वा प्रिय इव चेति ।
[93] evaṃ sṛṣṭy-ādi-līlā-traye yojine'pi punar viśeṣataḥ saṃśayya siddhāntaḥ kriyate sthūṇā-nikhanana-nyāyena | nanu pālana-līlāyāṃ ye ye'vatārās tathā tatraiva sva-prasāda-vyaṭjaka-smitābhaya-mudrādi-ceṣṭayā sura-pakṣa-pāto yuddhādi-ceṣṭayā daitya-saṃhāra ity ādikā yā yā vā līlāḥ śrūyante te ca tāś ca svayaṃ parameśvareṇa kriyante na vā | ādye pūrva-pakṣas tad atrastha eva pratyuta pakṣa-pātādinā vaiṣamyaṃ ca | ante teṣām avatārāṇāṃ līlānāṃ ca na svarūpa-bhūtayā sidhyatīti sampratipatti-bhaṅgaḥ | atrocyate | satyaṃ viśva- pālanārthaṃ parameśvaro na kiñcit karoti kintu svena sahaivāvatīrṇān vaikuṇṭha-pārṣadān tathādhikārika-devādy-antargatān tathā taṭasthān anyāṃś ca bhaktān ānandayituṃ svarūpa-śaktyāviṣkāreṇaiva nānāvatārān līlāś cāsau prakāśayati | tad uktaṃ pādme - muhūrtenāpi saṃhartuṃ śakto yadyapi dānavān | mad-bhaktānāṃ vinodārthaṃ karomi vividhāḥ kriyāḥ || darśana-dhyāna-saṃsparśair matsya-kūrma-vihaṅgamāḥ | svāny apatyāni puṣṇanti tathāham api padmaja || iti | hari-bhakti-sudhodaye - nityaṃ ca pūrṇa-kāmasya janmāni vividhāni me | bhakta-sarveṣṭa-dānāya tasmāt kiṃ te priyaṃ vada || iti | tathā śrī-kuntī-devī-vacanaṃ ca -- bhakti-yoga-vidhānārthaṃ kathaṃ paśyema hi striya iti [BhP 1.8.20] | atra bhakti-yoga-vidhānārthaṃ tad-artham avatīrṇaṃ tvām iti ṭīkā ca | śrī-brahma-vacanaṃ ca -- prapañcaṃ niṣprapañco'pi viḍambayasi bhūtale | prapanna-janatānanda- sandohaṃ prathituṃ prabho || [BhP 10.14.37] svarūpa-śaktyaivāviṣkāraś ca śrī-brahmaṇaiva darśitaḥ - eṣa prapanna-varado ramayātma-śaktyā yad yat kariṣyati gṛhīta-guṇāvatāra [BhP 3.9.23] ity ādinā | gṛhītā guṇāḥ kāruṇyādayo yatra tathābhūto'vatāro yasyety arthaḥ | tad evaṃ bhaktānandārtham eva tān prakaṭayatas tasyānanusaṃhitam api sura-pakṣa-pātādi-viśva-pālana-rūpaṃ tan-māyā- kāryaṃ svata eva bhavati | loke yathā kecid bhaktāḥ parasparaṃ bhagavat- prema-mukhollāsāya militās tad anabhijñān api kāṃścin mārdaṅgikādīn saṅgṛhya tad-guṇa-gānānandenonmattavan nṛtyanto viśveṣām evāmaṅgalaṃ ghnanti maṅgalam api vardhayantīti | tad uktaṃ vāg gad-gadety ādau mad- bhakti-yukto bhuvanaṃ punātīti [BhP 11.14.24] | evam evoktam - sṛṣṭy-ādikaṃ harer naiva prayojanam apekṣya tu | kurute kevalānandād yathā martyasya nartanam || iti | [Nārāyaṇa-saṃhitā] na ca vaktavyaṃ svena teṣāṃ tair api svasyānandane svatas tṛptatā-hāniḥ syāt tathānyān parityajya ca teṣām evānandane vaiṣamyāntaram api syād iti | tatrādye viśuddhorjita-sattva-tanum āśrite'pi muni-jane svatas tṛpti- parākāṣṭhāṃ prāpto bhakta-vātsalya-darśanāt tad-anucara evāsau guṇo na tu tat-pratighātīti labhyate | yathā sarvān munīn prati śrī-parīkṣid-vākyam nehātha nāmutra ca kaścanārtha ṛte parānugraham ātma-śīlam | [BhP 1.19.23] tathā jaḍa-bharata-caritādau - sindhu-pataya ātma-satatvaṃ vigaṇayataḥ parānubhāvaḥ parama-kāruṇikatayopadiśya ity ādi [BhP 5.13.24] śrī-nārada-pūrva-janmani -- cakruḥ kṛpāṃ yadyapi tulya-darśanāḥ; śuśrūṣamāṇe munayo 'lpa-bhāṣiṇi | [BhP 1.5.24] tathā kuntī-stave - namo 'kiñcana-vittāya nivṛtta-guṇa-vṛttaye | ātmārāmāya śāntāya kaivalya-pataye namaḥ || [BhP 1.8.27] akiñcanā bhaktā eva vittaṃ sarvasvaṃ yasyeti ṭīkā ca | tato'nyathā cākṛtajñatā-doṣaś ca nirdoṣe bhagavaty āpatati | tataḥ siddhe tathāvidhasyāpi bhakta-vātsalye bhaktānāṃ duḥkha-hānyā sukha-prāptyā vā svānando bhavatīty āyātam eva | kiṃ ca parama-sāraa-bhūtāyā api svarūpa-śakteḥ sāra- bhūtā hlādinī nāma yā vṛttis tasyā eva sāra-bhūto vṛtti-viśeṣo bhaktiḥ sā ca raty-apara-paryāyā | bhaktir bhagavati bhakte ca nikṣipta-nijobhaya-koṭiḥ sarvadā tiṣṭhati | ataevoktaṃ bhagavān bhakta-bhaktimān iti | tasmād bhaktasthayā tayā bhagavatas tṛptau na svatas tṛptirtā-hāniḥ | pratyuta śaktitvena svarūpato bhinnābhinnāyā api tasyāḥ ye yathā māṃ prapadyante tāṃs tathaiva bhajāmy aham iti nyāyena bhakta-citta-sphuritāyā bheda-vṛtter eva sphuraṇāt bhagavato māṃ hlādayaty asya bhaktir iti ānandacamatkārātiśayaś ca bhavati | śakti-tadvator bhedamate'pi viśiṣṭasyaiva svarūpatvaṃ sampratipannam | tad etat sarvam abhipretya bhaṇitaṃ durvāsasaṃ prati śrī-viṣṇunā - ahaṃ bhakta-parādhīno hy asvatantra iva dvija | sādhubhir grasta-hṛdayo bhaktair bhakta-jana-priyaḥ || nāham ātmānam āśāse mad-bhaktaiḥ sādhubhir vinā | śriyaṃ cātyantikīṃ brahman yeṣāṃ gatir ahaṃ parā || ye dārāgāra-putrāpta- prāṇān vittam imaṃ param | hitvā māṃ śaraṇaṃ yātāḥ kathaṃ tāṃs tyaktum utsahe || mayi nirbaddha-hṛdayāḥ sādhavaḥ sama-darśanāḥ | vaśe kurvanti māṃ bhakty sat-striyaḥ sat-patiṃ yathā || mat-sevayā pratītaṃ te sālokyādi-catuṣṭayam | necchanti sevayā pūrṇāḥ kuto 'nyat kāla-viplutam || sādhavo hṛdayaṃ mahyaṃ sādhūnāṃ hṛdayaṃ tv aham | mad-anyat te na jānanti nāhaṃ tebhyo manāg api || [BhP 9.4.63-68] iti | atra ye dārāgāreti trayam akṛtajñatā-nivāraṇe sādhavo hṛdayaṃ mahyam iti svatas tṛpti-parihāre | bhakteḥ svarūpa-śakti-sāra-hlādinī-sāratve ca ahaṃ bhakta-parādhīna iti dvayam | tatraiva bhakteṣv api bhakti-rūpeṇa tat-praveśe sati viśeṣato mat-sevayā pratītam ity api jñeyam | tato na prāktano doṣaḥ | dvitīye'py evam ācakṣmahe | parānandane pravṛttir dvidhā jāyate parato nijābhīṣṭa- sampattyai kvacit tad-abhīṣṭa-mātra-sampattyai ca | tatra prathamo nātrāpy ayuktaḥ sātmārtha-mātratayā kutrāpi pakṣapātābhāvāt | atrottara-pakṣe para-sukhasya para-duḥkhasya cānubhavenaiva parānukūlyenaiva pravṛttīcchā jāyate na tu yat-kiñcij-jñāna-mātreṇa cittasya para-duḥkhāsparśe kṛpā-rūpa- vikārāsambhavāt | yathā kaṇṭaka-biddhāṅgo jantor necchati tāṃ vyathām | jīva-sāmyaṃ gato liṅgair na tathābiddha-kaṇṭakaḥ || iti nyāyāt | tataś ca sadā paramānandaikarūpe'pahata-kalmaṣe bhagavati prākṛtasya sukhābhidha-duḥkhasya prasiddha-duḥkhasya ca sūrya pecaka-cakṣur jyotiṣa iva tamasa iva cātyantābhāvāt tat-tad-anubhavo nāsty eva | yat tu bhagavati duḥkha-sambandhaṃ parijihīrṣanto'pi kecid evaṃ vadanti, tasmin duḥkhānubhava-jñānam asty eva, tac ca parakīyatvenaiva bhāsate na tu svīyatveneti | tad api ghaṭṭa-kuḍyāṃ prabhātam duḥkhānubhavo nāma hi antaḥ-karaṇe duḥkha-sparśaḥ, sa ca svasmād bhavatu parasmād veti duḥkha-sambandhāviśeṣāt | asarvajñatā-doṣaś ca sūrya-dṛṣṭāntenaiva parihṛtaḥ, pratyuta guṇatvenaiva darśitaś ca | tasmāt tasmin yat kiñcid duḥkha-jñānam astu, duḥkhānubhavas tu nāsty eva | yata eva kartum akartum anyathā-kartuṃ samarthe parama-karuṇāmaya-nicaya-śiromaṇau tasmin virājamāne'py adyāpi jīvāḥ saṃsāra-duḥkham anubhavantīty atra nairghṛṇya- parihāraś ca bhavati | yat tu bhaktānāṃ sukhaṃ tat tasya bhakti-rūpam eva, tathā teṣāṃ duḥkhaṃ bhagavat-prāpty-antarāyeṇaiva bhavati, tatra cādhikā bhagavaty eva cittārdratā jāyate sā ca bhaktir eveti | kvacid gajendrādīnām api prākṛta eva duḥkhe sa eva mama śaraṇam ity ādinā tathaiva bhaktir udbhūtaiveti | kvacid yamalārjunādiṣu śrī-nāradādi- bhaktānāṃ bhaktiḥ sphuṭaiveti ca sarvathā dainyātmaka-bhakta-bhakty- anubhava eva taṃ karuṇayati na tu prākṛtaṃ duḥkhaṃ, yogye kāruṇe saty ayogyasya kalpanānaucityaāt duḥkha-sad-bhāvo'sty eva kāraṇatve sarva- saṃsārocchitteḥ | atha tasya paramparā-kāraṇatvam asty eva ced asstu na kāpi hānir iti | tasmād ubhayathā bhaktānandane tad-bhakty-anubhava eva bhagavantaṃ pravartayatīti siddham | tat etad uktaṃ bhavati | yady anyasya sukha-duḥkham anubhūyāpi tat-tat-tyāgenetarasya sukhaḥ duḥkha-hāniṃ vā sampādayati tadaiva vaiṣamyam āpatati | śrī-bhagavati tu prākṛta-sukha- duḥkhānubhavābhāvān na tad āpatati, yathā kalpa-tarau | tad uktaṃ śrīmad- akrūreṇa - na tasya kaścid dayitaḥ suhṛttamo na cāpriyo dveṣya upekṣya eva vā | tathāpi bhaktān bhajate yathā tathā sura-drumo yadvad upāśrito'rthadaḥ || iti [BhP 10.38.22] | atra bhaktād anya eva kaścid iti jñeyam | kaḥ paṇḍitas tvad-aparaṃ śaraṇaṃ samīyād bhakta-priyād ṛta-giraḥ suhṛdaḥ kṛtajñād ity [BhP 10.48.26] etad-vākyenaiva tat-priyatva-prokteḥ | śrī- mahādevenāpy uktam -- na hy asyāsti priyaḥ kaścin nāpriyaḥ svaḥ paro 'pi vā | ātmatvāt sarva-bhūtānāṃ sarva-bhūta-priyo hariḥ || tasya cāyaṃ mahā-bhāgaś citraketuḥ priyo 'nugaḥ | sarvatra sama-dṛk śānto hy ahaṃ caivācyuta-priyaḥ || [BhP 6.17.33-34] tathoktaṃ śrī-prahlādenāpi -- citraṃ tavehitam aho 'mita-yogamāyā- līlā-visṛṣṭa-bhuvanasya viśāradasya | sarvātmanaḥ samadṛśo 'viṣamaḥ svabhāvo bhakta-priyo yad asi kalpataru-svabhāvaḥ || [BhP 8.23.8] iti | arthaś ca -- yat tvaṃ bhakta-priyo'si so'pi samadṛśas tava svabhāvo'viṣamaḥ viṣamo na bhavati | tatra hetu-garbha-viśeṣaṇaṃ kalpataru-svabhāva iti | tasmād viṣama-svabhāvatayā pratīte'pi tvayy avaiṣyam ity atīva citram iti | athavā paratrāpi kalpa-vṛkṣādi-lakṣaṇe samāna evāśrayaṇīye vastuni bhakta- pakṣa-pāta-rūpa-vaiṣamya-darśanād vaiṣamyam api samasyaiva svabhāva ity eva vyākhyeyam | tathā pūrvatrāpi bhaktān bhajata iti vaiṣamya eva yojanīyam iti | vastutas tu śrī-bhagavaty acintyam aiśvaryam eva mukhyas tad-avirodhe hetuḥ | yad uktam - namo namas te'stv ṛṣabhāya sātvatām ity [BhP 2.4.14] ādau dvitīyasya caturthe ṭīkāyām | tad evaṃ vaiṣamya-pratītāv apy adoṣatvāyācintyam aiśvaryam āheti | tad uktaṃ śrī-bhīṣmeṇa sarvātmanaḥ samadṛśo hy advayasyānahaṅkṛteḥ | tat-kṛtaṃ mati-vaiṣamyaṃ niravadyasya na kvacit || tathāpy ekānta-bhakteṣu paśya bhūpānukampitam | yan me 'sūṃs tyajataḥ sākṣāt kṛṣṇo darśanam āgataḥ || iti [BhP 1.9.21-22] tathā śrī-bhagavatā - samo 'haṃ sarvabhūteṣu na me dveṣyo 'sti na priyaḥ ye bhajanti tu māṃ bhaktyā mayi te teṣu cāpy aham || iti [BhP 9.29] tad evaṃ tat-tad-doṣe bhakta-pakṣa-pātasya svarūpa-śakti-sāra-bhūtatve bhakta-vinodārtham eva svarūpa-śaktyaiva svayam eva ca tat-tad-avatāra-līlāḥ karoti bhagavān tato viśva-pālanaṃ tu svayam eva sidhyatīti sthite na vaidura- praśnas tad-avasthaḥ | atra devādīnāṃ prākṛtatayā taiḥ saha līlāyāṃ svatas tṛptatā-hānis teṣu tad-aṃśāveśādi-svīkāreṇāgre parihartavyā | tathā na cāvatārādīnāṃ svarūpa-śakty-ātmatā-hāniḥ | tathā bhakta-vinodaika- prayojanaka-svaira-līlā-kaivalyena cānyatra rāga-dveṣābhāvān na vaiṣamyam api pratyuta pitta-dūṣita-jihvānāṃ khaṇḍād vairasya iva tasmān nigrahe'py anubhūyamāne teṣāṃ duṣṭatādi-kṣapaṇa-lakṣaṇaṃ hitam eva bhavati | atra na hy asya janmano hetuḥ karmaṇo vā mahīpate | ātma-māyāṃ vineśasya parasya draṣṭur ātmanaḥ | yan mayā ceṣṭitaṃ puṃsaḥ sthity-utpatty-apyayāya hi | anugrahas tan-nivṛtter ātma-lābhāya ceṣyate || [BhP 9.24.57-58] iti navamāntastha-śrī-śuka-vākyānusāreṇa pralaye līnopādher jīvasya dharmādy-asambhavād upādhi-sṛṣṭy-ādinā dharmādi-sampādanenānugraha iti tadīya=ṭīkānusāreṇa ca | tathā, loke bhavān jagati naḥ kalayāvatīrṇaḥ sad-rakṣaṇāya khala-nigrahaṇāya cānyaḥ | kaścit tadīyam abhiyāti nideśam īśa kiṃ vā janaḥ svakṛtam ṛchati tan na vidmaḥ || [BhP 10.70.27] iti jarāsandha-baddha-rāja-vṛnda-nivedane'pi īśvare tvayi sad-rakṣaṇārtham avatīrṇe'pi ced asmākaṃ duḥkhaṃ syāt tarhi kim anyaḥ kaścij jarāsandhādis tvad-ājñām api laṅghayati kiṃ ca tvayā vakṣyamāṇo'pi janaḥ sva-karma- duḥkhaṃ prāpnotīty eveti na vidmaḥ | na caitad ubhayam api yuktam iti bhāvaḥ | iti tadīya-ṭīkānusāreṇa ca līlāyāḥ svairatve'pi durghaṭanī māyaiva tadā tadā devānusarādīnāṃ tat-tat-karmodbodha-sandhānam api ghaṭayati | yathā sva-sva-karmaṇā pṛthag eva ceṣṭamānānāṃ jīvānāṃ ceṣṭā-viśeṣāḥ paraspara-śubhāśubha-śakuntatayā ghaṭitā bhavatīty ādikaṃ loke'pi dṛśyate | yatra tu kvacid eṣā tal-līlājavam anugantuṃ na śaknoti tatraiva parameśituḥ svairatā vyaktībhavati | yathā - guru-putram ihānītaṃ nija-karma-nibandhanam | ānayasva mahārāja mac-chāsana-puraskṛtaḥ || [BhP 10.45.45] iti yama-viṣayaka-śrī-bhagavad-ādeśādau | tataś ca tasyātivirala-pracāratvān na sarvatra kṛta-hāny-akṛtābhyāgama-prasaṅgaś ca | atha yadi kecid bhaktānām eva dviṣanti tadā tadā bhakta-pakṣa- pātāntaḥpātitvād bhagavatā svayaṃ tad-dveṣe'pi na doṣaḥ | pratyuta bhakta- viṣayaka-tad-rateḥ poṣakatvena hlādinī-vṛtti-bhūtānandollāsa-viśeṣa evāsau | yena hi dveṣeṇa pratipada-pronmīlat-sāndrānanda-vaicitrī-samatirikta-bhakti- rasa-marusthala-brahma-kaivalyāpādāna-rūpatvena tadīya-bhakti-rasa-mahā- pratiyogitayā tato'nyathā duścikitsatayā ca tatrocitam | tad-uttha-bhagavat- tejasā tat-svarūpa-śakter api tiraskāreṇa dhvaṃsābhāva-tulyatvam | svargāpavarga-narakeṣv api tulyārtha-darśina iti [BhP 6.17.28] nyāyenānyeṣām atīva duḥsahaṃ teṣām api kāmukānāṃ nikāmam anabhīṣṭam uddaṇḍa-daṇḍa-viśeṣaṃ kurvaty eva bhagavati tasya sarva-hita- paryavasāyi-cāritra-svabhāvatvād eva tat-tad-durvāra-durvāsanāmayāśeṣa- saṃsāra-kleśa-nāśo'pi bhavati | yaḥ khalv abhedopāsakānām atikṛcchra- sādhyaḥ puruṣārthaḥ | kvacic ca paramārtha-vastv-avabhijñānāṃ naraka- nirviśeṣaṃ teṣāṃ kāmināṃ tu nikāmam abhīṣṭaṃ viṭakīṭānām ivāmedhyaṃ svarga-viśeṣaṃ tebhyo dadāti sa parameśvaraḥ | ataevoktaṃ nāgapatnībhiḥ - ripoḥ sutānām api sutavat pālyānāṃ devānām ity [BhP 10.16.33] arthaḥ | damam iti yato dama apīty arthaḥ | yat tu pūtanādāv uttama-bhakta-gatiḥ śrūyata tad-bhaktānukaraṇa- māhātmyenaiveti tatra tatra spaṣṭam eva | yathā sad-veṣād api pūtanāpi sakulety [BhP 10.14.35] ādi | atha yadi kecid bhaktā eva santo bhaktāntreṣu kathañcid aparādhyanti tadā tenaivāparādhena bhakteṣu bhagavati ca vivartamānaṃ dveṣa-bāḍavānala- jvālālāpam anubhūya cirāt kathañcit punaḥ sad-veṣeṇāpi bhagavat- saṃsparśādinā saparikare tad-aparādha-doṣe vinaṣṭe svapadam eva prāpnuvanti | na tu brahma-kaivalyam bhakti-lakṣaṇa-bījasyānaśvara- vabhāvatvāt | teṣu bhagavataḥ krodhaś ca bāleṣu mātur iveti || [93] tathā hi śrī-rājovāca - samaḥ priyaḥ suhṛd brahman bhūtānāṃ bhagavān svayam | indrasyārthe kathaṃ daityān avadhīd viṣamo yathā || [BhP 7.1.1] paramātmatvena samaḥ suhṛt hitakārī priyaḥ prīti-viṣayo bhagavān | evaṃ sati sāmyenaivopakartavyatvena prīti-viṣayatvena na ca sarveṣv eva prāpteṣu kathaṃ viṣama iva daityān avadhīt | viṣamatvam upalakṣaṇam asuhṛdi vā priya iva ceti |
English translation
English witness · section(s) 95
Anuccheda 95
Text 1
Then it is said (Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.1.3):
“O greatly fortunate and learned brahmana, whether Narayana is partial or impartial has become a subject of great doubt. Kindly dispel my doubt with positive evidence that Narayana is always neutral and equal to everyone.”*
Text 2
The doubt here is about the Lord’s qualities, such as His awarding both mercy and punishment.
Paramātma · Sanskrit §94 · English §96
Source[९४] किं च यस्य यैः प्रयोजनं सिध्यति स तत्-पक्षपाती भवति । येभ्यो बिभेति तान् द्वेषेण हन्ति न तु तद् अत्रास्तीत्य् आह -- न ह्य् अस्यार्थः सुर-गणैः साक्षान् निःश्रेयसात्मनः । नैवासुरेभ्यो विद्वेषो नोद्वेगश् चागुणस्य हि ॥ [भ्प् ७.१.२] निःश्रेयसं परमानन्दः ।
[94] kiṃ ca yasya yaiḥ prayojanaṃ sidhyati sa tat-pakṣapātī bhavati | yebhyo bibheti tān dveṣeṇa hanti na tu tad atrāstīty āha -- na hy asyārthaḥ sura-gaṇaiḥ sākṣān niḥśreyasātmanaḥ | naivāsurebhyo vidveṣo nodvegaś cāguṇasya hi || [BhP 7.1.2] niḥśreyasaṃ paramānandaḥ |
English translation
English witness · section(s) 96
Anuccheda 96
Text 1
Then it is said (Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.7.4):
“The great sage Sukadeva Gosvami said: My dear king, you have put before me and excellent question. Discourses concerning the activities of the Lord, in which the glories of His devotees are also found, are extremely pleasing to devotees. Such wonderful topics always counteract the miseries of the materialistic way of life.”*
Text 2
In this verse it is said: “My dear king, you have put before me and excellent, well-considered question. The glories of the Lord are wonderful and without precedent.” The Lord’s activities are wonderful because even though He is supremely impartial, the Lord is still partial to His devotees. Then the verse declares: “By hearing about the Lord’s activities, a person increases His devotion of the Lord.” The word “bhagavata-mahatmyam” means “the glories of Prahlada and the other devotees of the Lord”. In this way it is seen that the Supreme Personality of Godhead always acts for the benefit of His devotees. It is not otherwise. This conclusion will be clearly explained in later parts of this book.
Text 3
In his commentary on Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.1.1, Srila Sridhara Svami prays:
“I bow down before Lord Nrsimha, whose wonderful form is filled with transcendental bliss, who is the partisan of His devotees, and who rips apart anyone who becomes His devotee’s attacker.”