Sections 1–10

English witness · section(s) 1

All Glories To Sri Sri Radha-Govindadeva

SRI TATTVA-SANDARBHA

BY SRILA JIVA GOSWAMI

The first book of the Sri Bhagavata-sandarbha, the six books also known as Sri Sat-sandarbha, by 108 Srila Jiva Gosvami Prabhupada. Sri-krsno jayati All glories to Lord Sri Krsna!

TEXT 1

krsna-varnam tvisakrsnam sangopangastra-parsadam yajïaih sankirtana-prayair yajanti hi su-medhasah “In the Age of Kali intelligent persons perform congregational chanting to worship the incarnation of Godhead who constantly sings the names of Krsna. Although His complexion is not blackish, He is Krsna Himself. He is accompanied by His associates, servants, weapons, and confidential companions” [Srimad-Bhagavatam 11.5.32].

COMMENTARY Invocation I natva krsnadasa-varyam prabhupadam tattvartha-dam bhasa-tikam karomy aham sri-vaisnavanam tustaye “After paying my obeisances to the best among Lord Krsna’s devotees, Srila Prabhupada, who has imparted knowledge about the essence of Vedic literature, I write this translation and COMMENTARY for the satisfaction of the Vaisnavas.” In the Vedic culture every undertaking begins with an invocation, technically called mangalacarana. The purpose is to invoke the blessings of the Supreme Personality of Godhead so He may remove any obstacle to the completion of the work. This book, Sri Sat-sandarbha, is a detailed treatise on the Lord’s name, fame, abode, qualities, pastimes, and associates. As such, it is already all-auspicious and thus needs no invocation. Srila Jiva Gosvami nonetheless performs mangalacarana, following in the footsteps of the previous acaryas and setting an ideal example for his readers. A book’s mangalacarana is of three types and may have one or more verses. The three types are: Namas-kriyatmaka: paying obeisances to one’s teacher(s) or worshipable deity, or to both. Asir-vadatmaka: praying to the Lord for His blessings, bestowing blessings upon the readers, or exclaiming “All glories to the Lord!” Vastu-nirdesatmaka: summarizing the subject matter of the book. Often the mangalacarana will also describe four essential elements of the book, called anubandha-catustaya: adhikari ca sambandho visayas ca prayojanam avasyam eva vaktavyam sastradau tu catustayam “At its beginning a book must describe these four items: the qualifications of the person who may read the book (adhikari), the connection between the book and its subject (sambandha), the subject itself (visaya or abhidheya), and what the reader will gain by reading the book and following the path it prescribes (prayojana).” In modern books these four items are usually covered in the introduction. It is significant that Srila Jiva Gosvami begins his mangalacarana with a quotation from Srimad-Bhagavatam and not with an original verse. By doing so he shows his reverence for Srimad-Bhagavatam and his surrender to the instructions of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, for whom Srimad-Bhagavatam was the supreme scriptural authority. Srila Jiva Gosvami also implies that in the Sat-sandarbha he will analyze the Bhagavatam and establish its superiority over all other scriptures. In addition, this verse establishes that his worshipable Deity is Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. The opening verse was spoken by Karabhajana Rsi in response to a question Maharaja Nimi posed concerning the Lord’s color, name, and mode of worship in the various yugas. In this verse Karabhajana Rsi describes the Lord’s incarnation in Kali-yuga, and in so doing he indirectly reveals that Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is Lord Sri Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Krsna-varnam indicates one who describes the pastimes of Lord Krsna to others or who always chants “Krsna, Krsna.” Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu certainly meets this criterion for being krsna-varna. Varnam also means “class” or “category.” So krsna-varnam may also indicate one who is in the same class as Krsna. Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu is krsna-varna in this sense because He is nondifferent from Lord Sri Krsna. Varna also means “letter” or “word,” and thus krsna-varnam also indicates one whose name has the word Krsna in it—in this case Sri Krsna Caitanya. Other meanings of varna are “fame,” “form,” “outward appearance,” “quality,” and “ritual.” One may apply all these meanings to the phrase krsna-varnam and thus understand it to indicate Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu. For example, krsna-varnam may indicate one whose fame is like Krsna’s or whose form is like Krsna’s. In Sarva-samvadini, a supplementary COMMENTARY to Sri Sat-sandarbha by Srila Jiva Gosvami himself, he explains that Lord Caitanya is referred to as krsna-varna because people were reminded of Lord Sri Krsna just by seeing Him. Another reason is that although Sri Caitanya displayed a golden complexion to the common man, to His intimate associates He sometimes appeared blackish. Finally, krsna-varna also means one who is blackish like Krsna, but in the case of Lord Caitanya krsna-varna must refer to His inner complexion. This Srila Jiva Gosvami explains in the next Text. The compound word tvisakrsnam may be broken as tvisa akrsnam, giving the meaning “whose bodily hue is not blackish.” In Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.8.13), Garga Muni tells Nanda Maharaja: asan varnas trayo hy asya grhnato ’nu-yugam tanuh suklo raktas tatha pita idanim krsnatam gatah “Your son Krsna appears as an incarnation in every millennium. In the past He assumed three different colors—white, red, and yellow—and now He has appeared in a blackish color.” According to Srimad-Bhagavatam, the Supreme Personality of Godhead had a white complexion when He appeared in Satya-yuga, a reddish one in Treta-yuga, and a blackish one in Dvapara-yuga. So by the process of elimination the word akrsnam, “non-blackish,” must indicate the incarnation with a yellow complexion—that is, the golden avatara, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Garga Muni’s mention of His yellow color “in previous yugas” may refer either to Lord Caitanya’s previous appearances or to His future appearances, but Garga Muni uses the past tense because he is mentioning the yellow incarnation along with other incarnations who had appeared in the past. The usage is similar to what a person might say if he saw a householder and fifteen brahmacaris walking on the road: “The brahmacaris are coming.” Yet another consideration is that Gargacarya may have used the past tense to hide Krsna’s future incarnation as Lord Caitanya. Garga’s purpose would have been to avoid confusing Nanda Maharaja and to play along with the Lord’s plan to appear in Kali-yuga as the channa-avatara, or hidden incarnation. This last reason is why the Vedic scriptures only indirectly refer to Lord Caitanya’s incarnation. In the Bhagavad-gita (7.25) Lord Krsna says, naham prakasah sarvasya yoga-maya-samavrtah: “Because the veil of Yogamaya covers Me, I am not manifest to everyone as I am.” This declaration specifically applies to the Lord’s appearance in Kali-yuga as Sri Krsna Caitanya. Prahlada Maharaja also refers to Lord Caitanya when he says in Srimad-Bhagavatam (7.9.38), channah kalau yad abhavas tri-yugo ’tha sa tvam: “O Lord, Your incarnation in Kali-yuga is hidden, or confidential, and therefore you are called Tri-yuga, one who incarnates in three yugas [namely Satya, Treta, and Dvapara].” Here the word channa (“covered”) also signifies that Lord Caitanya is Lord Krsna covered by the mood and complexion of Sri Radhika. The Naradiya Purana (5.47) also foretells the Lord’s appearance as a devotee: aham eva kalau vipra nityam pracchanna-vigrahah bhagavad-bhakta-rupena lokan raksami sarvada “The Lord said: ‘Concealing My real identity, O vipra [Markandeya Rsi], I appear in Kali-yuga in the garb of a devotee and always protect My devotees.’” Tvisakrsnam may also be broken up as tvisa krsnam, meaning “one whose complexion is blackish.” Although Lord Caitanya’s complexion was golden, He is Lord Krsna Himself, and thus the words tvisa krsnam indicate His original form as Lord Krsna, which He revealed only to certain devotees, such as Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya. Sangopangastra-parsadam means “with His limbs, ornaments, weapons, and associates.” According to Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana, Lord Caitanya’s limbs are Lord Nityananda Prabhu and Advaita Acarya, His ornaments are Srivasa Thakura, Srila Haridasa Thakura, and others, His weapons are the holy names, which dispel ignorance, and His associates are Gadadhara, Govinda, and the many other devotees who stayed with Him in Jagannatha Puri. Sangopangastra-parsadam may also refer to Lord Caitanya’s form as Sri Krsna, which He showed to His intimate devotees. This form has beautiful limbs decorated with ornaments (such as the Kaustubha gem), which act like weapons by attracting one’s mind toward Lord Krsna and thus killing one’s demoniac mentality. The Lord’s ornaments are also associates of His, since they are living persons and are His devotees. The words yajïaih sankirtana-prayair yajanti hi su-medhasah convey the following meaning: The Vedas recommend many processes for worshiping the Supreme Lord, but in Kali-yuga the wise worship Him by chanting His holy names congregationally. Lord Caitanya inaugurated this process and is thus called the father of the sankirtana movement. Su-medhasah means “people of fine intelligence.” The implication is that less intelligent people will worship the Lord in other ways and that outright fools will oppose the sankirtana movement. Sankirtana is very dear to Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He Himself was always absorbed in performing sankirtana, and He enjoined everyone to participate, declaring it the universal remedy for all the defects of Kali-yuga. Sukadeva Gosvami confirms this in Srimad-Bhagavatam (12.3.51–52): kaler dosa-nidhe rajann asti hy eko mahan gunah kirtanad eva krsnasya mukta-sangah param vrajet

krte yad dhyayato visnum tretayam yajato makhaih dvapare paricaryayam kalau tad dhari-kirtanat “My dear king, although Kali-yuga is an ocean of faults, there is still one good quality about this age: Simply by chanting the names of Krsna one can become free from material bondage and be promoted to the transcendental kingdom. Whatever result was obtained in Satya-yuga by meditating on Visnu, in Treta-yuga by performing sacrifices, and in Dvapara-yuga by serving the Lord’s lotus feet can be obtained in Kali-yuga simply by chanting the Hare Krsna maha-mantra.” Srila Jiva Gosvami’s worshipable Deity is Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Therefore Jiva Gosvami begins his topmost literary achievement by quoting a verse about Sri Caitanya from Srimad-Bhagavatam, the supreme scriptural authority for all time. This is a vastu-nirdesatmaka mangalacarana.

English witness · section(s) 2

TEXT 2

antah krsnam bahir gauram darsitangadi-vaibhavam kalau sankirtanadyaih smah krsna-caitanyam asritah In Kali-yuga we take shelter of Sri Krsna Caitanya by chanting the Lord’s holy names congregationally and engaging in other devotional practices. He is blackish within but golden without, and He has revealed to everyone the opulences of His beautiful bodily limbs and other features.

COMMENTARY Invocation II Here Srila Jiva Gosvami explains the meaning of the opening verse. Lord Krsna, whose complexion is blackish, covered Himself with the golden complexion of Srimati Radharani to appear in Kali-yuga as Krsna Caitanya. He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but His purpose is to show us how to be devotees of the Lord. For this reason it is not readily apparent that He is the Supreme Lord, and so Srimad-Bhagavatam describes Him as “the hidden incarnation.” Or, alternatively, the words antah krsnam bahir gauram here may be taken to mean not that Lord Caitanya is blackish within and golden without but that He is Krsna within though outwardly appearing as Gaura, Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Srila Jiva Gosvami also indicates here that one can please Lord Krsna Caitanya by chanting the Hare Krsna maha-mantra. Darsitangadi-vaibhavam means that Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu manifested His opulence through His limbs and associates. His body was so beautiful that just by seeing Him people would be inspired to surrender to Him. He also manifested His supremacy through Nityananda Prabhu and other associates who preached the chanting of the holy name. This phrase can also mean that Lord Caitanya manifested the ’greatness of his associates by engaging them in distributing love of Godhead. By using the plural form “we” in the phrase “we take shelter of Sri Krsna Caitanya,” Srila Jiva Gosvami includes the readers of Sri Sat-sandarbha. He invites them to join him in taking shelter of Lord Caitanya by participating in the sankirtana movement, the universal process for pleasing the Supreme Lord and attaining deliverance. By using the plural Sri Jiva also implies that Lord Caitanya’s teachings are not limited to a particular sect or nationality. So far Srila Jiva Gosvami has described his worshipable Deity. Next he performs asir-vadatmaka-mangalacarana, invoking auspiciousness by declaring the glories of his spiritual masters.

English witness · section(s) 3

TEXT 3

jayatam mathura-bhumau Srila-rupa-sanatanau yau vilekhayatas tattvam jïapakau pustikam imam All glories to Srila Rupa Gosvami and Srila Sanatana Gosvami in the land of Mathura! They have engaged me in writing this book to broadcast the essential truth about the Supreme Lord.

COMMENTARY Invocaton III Here Srila Jiva Gosvami explains his reason for composing the Sat-sandarbha. He is doing so at the behest of his spiritual masters, Rupa and Sanatana Gosvamis, who are also his uncles. Jiva Gosvami studied under them, and they asked him to compile their teachings into a book for the benefit of all. This request is indicated by the word jïapakau, which literally means “those who like to teach others.” Previously Srila Rupa and Srila Sanatana were glorious in Bengal as ministers of Hussein Shah. Now they are glorious in the land of Mathura, which is itself glorious, being the place of Lord Krsna’s pastimes. To be glorious in this land means to have the wealth of krsna-prema, love of Godhead, which is the most rare possession. To show this achievement Jiva Gosvami adds the honorofic “Srila” before their names. “Srila” signifies that Rupa and Sanatana Gosvamis are endowed with transcendental knowledge, renunciation, devotional service, and love of God. Srila Jiva Gosvami prays that through the Sat-sandarbha these two great souls may manifest their opulence and glory for the welfare of others. According to Sanskrit grammatical rules, the pronoun imam (“this”) is used for objects near at hand. Since at this point Jiva Gosvami is in the process of writing the Sat-sandarbha, his mention here of pustikam imam (“this book”) may seem a defect. Baladeva Vidyabhusana comments, however, that because the book already exists within the author’s mind, his usage is proper.

English witness · section(s) 4

TEXT 4

ko ’pi tad-bandhavo bhatto daksina-dvija-vamsa-jah vivicya vyalikhad grantham likhitad vrddha-vaisnavaih Sri Gopala Bhatta Gosvami, a friend of Sri Rupa’s and Sri Sanatana’s born in a South Indian brahmana family, compiled the original version of this book based on the works of venerable Vaisnavas.

COMMENTARY The Source of Sri Sat-sandarbha Srila Gopala Bhatta Gosvami was the son of Venkata Bhatta, the head priest of the temple of Lord Ranganatha at Sri Rangam, where the Sri-vaisnava sect has its headquarters. It was in Venkata’s home that Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu stayed for the four months of the rainy season during His tour of South India. There He and Venkata discussed philosophy, as is known from the Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya-lila, chapter nine, and the Bhakti-ratnakara, first wave. At that time Gopala Bhatta was a young boy, and he learned the intricacies of Gaudiya-vaisnava philosophy directly from Sri Caitanya. Later he studied the writings of the eminent Vaisnavas of the Sri-sampradaya. On Lord Caitanya’s order Gopala Bhatta later moved to Vrndavana, where he established the temple of Sri Radha-ramana. He is one of the great authorities on Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s teachings. As we shall learn further on, the venerable Vaisnavas Srila Jiva Gosvami refers to here as sources for Srila Gopala Bhatta Gosvami include Sri Ramanujacarya, Sri Madhvacarya, and Sridhara Svami. Srila Gopala Bhatta Gosvami culled the essence from the works of these previous acaryas and Vaisnava scholars and then composed a book explaining the essential truths about Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That book is the basis for the present work. In this way Jiva Gosvami hints at the authenticity of his work, for by basing it on Srila Gopala Bhatta Gosvami’s book he implies that the work is authoritative, free of concocted ideas.

English witness · section(s) 5

TEXT 5

tasyadyam granthanalekham kranta-vyutkranta-khanditam paryalocyatha paryayam krtva likhati jivakah Some parts of this first book by Gopala Bhatta Gosvami were in correct sequence, and some were not. Some parts were incomplete or lost. Now, after careful study, Jiva is rewriting this book in the proper sequence.

COMMENTARY Homage to Sri Gopala Bhatta Gosvami The following question may arise: If Gopala Bhatta Gosvami had already composed a work on this subject, why should Rupa and Sanatana have engaged Jiva Gosvami in compiling a similar work? Jiva Gosvami replies in this verse: His mission is to complete the task that Gopala Bhatta Gosvami began and to set the material in proper order. In the previous two verses Jiva Gosvami has already established that his work is not a product of his imagination but is based on the authority of the scriptures and previous acaryas. By using the word jivaka, Jiva Gosvami makes a pun on his name. Jivaka means “a petty soul,” or else it can be taken as the name of the author. Out of humility the author refers to himself here in the third person. The suffix kan is used in this con TEXT in a diminutive sense, to indicate that a humble soul is writing. As jivanugas, or followers of Srila Jiva Gosvami, we may prefer to interpret jivaka in other ways. We may, for example, apply the definition jivan kapayati bhagavatartha-pradanandeneti jivakah: “One who makes the living beings emit ecstatic sounds by supplying them with the esoteric meaning of Srimad-Bhagavatam [through his Bhagavata-sandarbha] is jivaka.” Or, alternatively, jiva-svarupa-sambandhabhidheya-prayojanan kayati varnayatiti jivakah: “One who explains the nature of the jiva, his relation with the Lord, the process by which he can achieve the ultimate goal of life, and also that ultimate goal—such a person is jivaka.” Or, jivayati jivan krsna-prema-pradaneneti jivo, jiva eva jivaka iti svarthe kan: “One who infuses life into living beings by giving them love of Krsna is jiva or, equivalently, jivaka.” Finally, the word jivaka may also be formed by applying to the root jiv the suffix -aka in the sense of “blessing.” In this case jivaka means “the person who confers blessings on the living entities.”

English witness · section(s) 6

TEXT 6

yah Sri-krsna-padambhoja- bhajanaikabhilasa-van tenaiva drsyatam etad anyasmai sapatho ’rpitah This book may be studied only by one whose sole desire is to serve the lotus feet of Lord Sri Krsna. I warn everyone else not to read it.

COMMENTARY Qualifications of the Reader Here Srila Jiva Gosvami defines the adhikari, the person qualified to read Sri Sat-sandarbha. Sri Jiva is writing only for those whose sole desire is to serve Lord Krsna. He bars all others from reading this work. What prompts him to do so is not fear that critics will find defects in his work; since he is working under the order and supervision of learned Vaisnavas, namely Rupa Gosvami and Sanatana Gosvami, and since all his statements will be based on scripture, there is no question of defects. Rather, it is out of compassion that Jiva Gosvami says that the Sat-sandarbha “may be studied only by one whose sole desire is to serve the lotus feet of Lord Sri Krsna.” His intention is to prohibit those who have no desire to engage in devotional service from reading his book. In the Sat-sandarbha he intends to establish the glories of the Supreme Personality of Godhead with great logic and force and with scriptural reference. Such a book will displease those who have no desire to be devoted to the Supreme Lord, since they cannot tolerate His glorification. If such persons happen to read this book, they may become offensive toward the Lord and His devotees and thus bring hellish miseries upon themselves. For their benefit, therefore, Sri Jiva pens this statement forbidding them to read Sri Sat-sandarbha. In the Bhagavad-gita (18.67), Lord Krsna imposes a similar restriction on Arjuna: idam te natapaskaya nabhaktaya kadacana na casusrusave vacyam na ca mam yo ’bhyasuyati “This confidential knowledge may never be explained to those who are not austere, or devoted, or engaged in devotional service, nor to one who is envious of Me.” In this TEXT the word eka (“only”) significantly means that even among those desiring to render service to Lord Krsna, none should harbor personal ambition in his heart and misuse Sri Sat-sandarbha for gaining profit, adoration, and distinction. Finally, here Srila Jiva Gosvami indicates indirectly that in Sri Sat-sandarbha he will establish service to Lord Krsna as the supreme goal of life.

English witness · section(s) 7

TEXT 7

atha natva mantra-gurun gurun bhagavatartha-dan Sri-bhagavata-sandarbham sandarbham vasmi lekhitum After offering obeisances to my initiating spiritual master and to those spiritual masters who taught me the meaning of Srimad-Bhagavatam, I wish to write this book called Sri Bhagavata-sandarbha.

COMMENTARY Homage to the Teachers After showing reverence to his teachers, Srila Jiva Gosvami names his book in this verse. He calls it Sri Bhagavata-sandarbha because in it he will explain the essential meanings of the Bhagavata Purana (Srimad-Bhagavatam). To explain the term sandarbha, in his COMMENTARY on this TEXT Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana quotes a well-known verse of unknown origin: gudharthasya prakasas ca saroktih sresthata tatha nanartha-vatvam vedyatvam sandarbhah kathyate budhaih “A literary work that explains the confidential aspects of a subject, incorporates its essence, explains the superiority of the subject, gives its various meanings, and is worth learning is called a sandarbha by learned scholars.” The Bhagavata-sandarbha is also called the Sat-sandarbha because it contains six books, the Tattva-, Bhagavat-, Paramatma-, Krsna-, Bhakti-, and Priti-sandarbhas. Each Sandarbha is an analysis of the subject stated in its title, and each is based on Srimad-Bhagavatam. Srila Jiva Gosvami also wrote a verse-by-verse COMMENTARY on Srimad-Bhagavatam called the Krama-sandarbha, and this is sometimes referred to as the seventh Sandarbha. Both Vaisnavas and others have written many essays and treatises on Srimad-Bhagavatam, but among all of them these six works stand as the most exhaustive exposition of the Bhagavata philosophy. His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada joined the other acaryas coming in succession after Srila Jiva Gosvami in praising him as the greatest Vaisnava philosopher of all time. Srila Prabhupada called Sri Sat-sandarbha “the last word on the teachings of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu.” Thus it is clear that Srila Jiva Gosvami is perfectly justified in giving the title sandarbha to his work. In the next Text, while giving blessings to his readers, Jiva Gosvami indirectly explains the subject matter of the Sat-sandarbha, the process presented in the book by which one can attain the goal, and the goal itself.

English witness · section(s) 8

TEXT 8

yasya brahmeti samjïam kvacid api nigame yati cin-matra-sattapy amso yasyamsakaih svair vibhavati vasayann eva mayam pumams ca ekam yasyaiva rupam vilasati parama-vyomni narayanakhyam sa Sri-krsno vidhattam svayam iha bhagavan prema tat-pada-bhajam The feature of Lord Krsna as pure consciousness, without any manifest characteristics, is called Brahman in some portions of the Vedas. In another feature He expands as the Purusa, who controls the external potency, Maya, by His many plenary portions. In yet another of His principal forms He is present as Narayana in the spiritual sky, Vaikuntha. May that Lord Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, bestow love for Himself on those who worship His lotus feet in this world.

COMMENTARY The Essence of Sri Sat-sandarbha Although one without a second, Lord Sri Krsna has limitless expansions. His feature that manifests as dazzling effulgence, without form, qualities, or opulences, is called Brahman in some sections of the Vedas. Some transcendentalists worship this undivided, formless aspect of the Absolute, considering it the ultimate reality. For such persons the Absolute Truth, Lord Krsna, appears as impersonal Brahman. This feature of the Lord is described in the Taittiriya Upanisad (2.1.1): satyam jïanam anantam brahma. “Brahman is eternal, conscious, and unlimited.” Another aspect of Lord Krsna is His controlling feature called the Purusa. There are three such Purusa expansions. The first is Karanodakasayi Visnu, who lies in the Causal Ocean and is the Supersoul of the entire material creation. The Lord has only one Karanodakasayi Visnu expansion, also called Maha-Visnu. He activates the material energy with His glance. The second Purusa is Garbhodakasayi Visnu, the Supersoul expansion within each of the innumerable universes. He is the source of the various lila-avataras, the Supreme Lord’s pastime incarnations, who appear in the various universes. The Supreme Lord delegates the responsibility for creating each universe to one of the innumerable Brahmas, each of whom is born from the lotus flower growing from Garbhodakasayi Visnu’s lotus navel. The third Purusa is Ksirodakasayi Visnu, who expands as the Supersoul in all life forms, and indeed in every atom. These three Purusavataras are also called Sankarsana, Pradyumna, and Aniruddha, respectively. Krsna controls the material nature through the agency of His Purusa incarnations. A summary description of these three Purusa manifestations is given in the Satvata-tantra (cited by Rupa Gosvami in his Laghu-bhagavatamrta 1.25): visnos tu trini rupani purusakhyany atho viduh ekam tu mahatah srastr dvitiyam tv anda-samsthitam trtiyam sarva-bhuta-stham tani jïatva vimucyate “Lord Visnu has three forms called Purusas. The first is Maha-Visnu, who is the creator of the total material energy [mahat], the second is Garbhodakasayi Visnu, who is situated within each universe, and the third is Ksirodakasayi, who lives in the heart of every living being. He who knows these three becomes liberated from the clutches of Maya.” Beyond the material creation is the spiritual sky (para-vyoma), which contains the various spiritual planets, called Vaikunthas. The chief Deity in the spiritual sky is Lord Narayana, a vilasa expansion of Lord Sri Krsna. The Laghu-bhagavatamrta (1.15) defines a vilasa form as follows:

svarupam anyakaram yat tasya bhati vilasatah prayenatma-samam saktya sa vilaso nigadyate “When the Lord expands into a form that appears different from His original form but has almost all His original qualities, that form is called a vilasa expansion.” Lord Krsna in His two-handed form is svayam bhagavan, the original Personality of Godhead. This svayam-rupa is described in the Laghu-bhagavatamrta (1.12): ananyapeksi yad rupam svayam-rupah sa ucyate. “That form of the Supreme Lord which is not a dependent expansion of some other form is called svayam-rupa, a ‘self-sufficient form.’” The Lord’s svayam-rupa is grounded in itself and is the basis of all other forms. It is completely independent, second to no other form. In Sri Krsna-sandarbha Srila Jiva Gosvami will explain all this in greater detail. Here he briefly describes the essence of Srimad-Bhagavatam, giving us a seed that he will cultivate until it gradually grows into the tree of Sri Bhagavata-sandarbha. Words have an integral relationship with their meaning, or reference, and in Sanskrit linguistics this relationship is called vacya-vacaka-sambandha. Similarly, a book has an integral relationship with its subject through the meanings of the words that constitute it. In the present TEXT the phrase sa krsnah indicates that svayam bhagavan, Lord Sri Krsna, is the subject (visaya) of the Sat-sandarbha. By this phrase Srila Jiva Gosvami establishes the vacya-vacaka-sambandha between his book and the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Sri Krsna. The process (abhidheya) for realizing Lord Sri Krsna is devotional service to His lotus feet, a fact indicated by the words tat-pada-bhajam. The purpose (prayojana) of this process is to attain love of Godhead, indicated by the word prema. In this way Srila Jiva Gosvami here alludes to the four introductory topics mentioned in TEXT 1: the subject of the book, the book’s relationship with the subject, the process of achieving the final purpose, and the final purpose itself. In the next TEXT he explicitly states these four and explains the means of acquiring valid knowledge about them.

English witness · section(s) 9

TEXT 9

athaivam sucitanam Sri-krsna-tad-vacya-vacakata-laksana-sambandha-tad-bhajana-laksana-vidheya-saparyayabhidheya-tat-prema-laksana-prayojanakhyanam arthanam nirnayaya tavat pramanam nirniyate. tatra purusasya bhramadi-dosa-catustaya-dustatvat sutaram alaukikacintya-svabhava-vastu-sparsayogyatvac ca tat-pratyaksadiny api sa-dosani. Four topics were suggested in the previous Text: Sri Krsna as the subject (visaya), the connection between Him and the words describing Him (sambandha), service to Him as the recommended process to be performed (abhidheya or vidheya), and pure love for Him as the final purpose (prayojana). Now, to understand these topics we should first determine the means of acquiring valid knowledge. Human beings are bound to have four defects: They are subject to delusion, make mistakes, tend to cheat, and have imperfect senses. Thus their direct perception, inference, and so forth are deficient, especially since these means of knowing cannot help them gain access to the inconceivable spiritual reality.

COMMENTARY Vaisnava Epistemology Without knowing the purpose of a book, a prospective reader is unlikely to take a keen interest in it, so in the previous TEXT Srila Jiva Gosvami outlines his subject and purpose. Now, with the phrase tad-bhajana-laksana-vidheya, he states that devotional service as explained in the Vedic scriptures is the process for achieving the final goal, prema-bhakti. But before one practices any important process he should have correct knowledge about it. Thus the need arises for discerning the various means of acquiring valid knowledge. This portion of Tattva-sandarbha therefore deals with Vaisnava epistemology. Jiva Gosvami first establishes the validity of his means of acquiring knowledge before analyzing the four topics mentioned in the previous Text. In English the word “knowledge” means valid knowledge. In Sanskrit, valid knowledge is called prama, and a means of acquiring it is called pramana. Sometimes the word pramana is used to mean “proof,” “evidence,” or “authority.” Jiva Gosvami is concerned with establishing an infallible means of acquiring knowledge. Ordinary human beings use various means to acquire knowledge, but none of these is infallible. This fallibility is due to the four inherent defects found in all ordinary humans. Without exception every ordinary human being has the tendency to be deluded (bhrama), makes mistakes (pramada), has a cheating propensity (vipralipsa), and has imperfect senses (karanapatava). Bhrama, or mistaken identification, is of two kinds. The first is identification of the body as the self. Everyone is born with this delusion, but how completely we identify with our body depends on our attachment to it. Because of this defect we mistake the temporary, miserable sense objects as permanent sources of pleasure. The second kind of mistaken identification occurs when we think we perceive something that in fact is not present, as in the case of a mirage or hallucination. Pramada, the second of the four defects, is our tendency to become deluded because of inattention. If our mind is not connecting with a particular perceiving sense—the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, or skin—we do not get the knowledge it can supply. For example, we may sit through a lecture but miss portions of it because our mind is wandering. The third defect is vipralipsa, the propensity to cheat. Material conditioning causes us to consider ourselves the material body, which, being temporary, can never give us real happiness. But still out of delusion we seek happiness through sense gratification. When we fail to obtain this to our full satisfaction, we take to cheating to improve our chances. Friends cheat friends, politicians cheat the public, and so on. Even in spiritual life a so-called guru will cheat his disciple by teaching some materialistic philosophy as the absolute truth, or an insincere disciple will try to cheat his guru by transgressing the guru’s orders while pretending to follow them. This cheating propensity manifests on all levels of material existence. The last of the four defects is karanapatava, imperfect senses. We have five perceptive senses—the eyes, ears, tongue, nose, and skin. Each of these functions only within a limited range. The human eye, for instance, can see light between infrared and ultraviolet wavelengths, but there are many other wavelengths the eye cannot discern—radio waves, x-rays, and so on. Even within the visible range our eyes cannot see clearly if the light is too bright or too dim, if the object is too far or too close, or if the eyes themselves are diseased. Upon analysis, each sense will reveal a similar built-in limitation. The conclusion is that since these four defects make perfectly reliable knowledge about material objects a rare achievement, perfect knowledge about the transcendental realm is altogether impossible by the means we commonly accept. This premise is the cornerstone of Vedic epistemology. Of course, by acknowledging these four defects one will find the quest for a reliable pramana to be an exacting challenge. Among India’s philosophical traditions there are a total of ten pramanas, or means of acquiring valid knowledge. Each philosophical school recognizes a certain combination of these as valid and may present arguments to support its opinion. These ten traditional pramanas, with the three most important ones listed last, are as follows: 1. Arsa: the statements of an authoritative sage or demigod. There are many exceptional sages, such as Kapila, Gautama, and Pataïjali, who founded their own schools of philosophy. Naturally these authorities’ opinions differ, and therefore the Mahabharata (Vana-parva 313.117) says, nasav rsir yasya matam na bhinnam: “One is not considered a philosopher if his opinion does not differ from the opinions of other philosophers.” Since these philosophers are all profound thinkers, we take their utterances seriously, but an ordinary person can hardly determine which philosopher’s opinion is correct. For Vaisnavas, the criterion for judging whether a particular arsa opinion is valid is whether it conforms to the principal pramanas. 2. Upamana: comparison. We can identify something about which we have no prior knowledge after it has been compared to a familiar object. Suppose we have seen an ordinary cow but never a gavaya (forest cow), and someone tells us that a gavaya resembles a cow. Then we may recognize a gavaya when we see one. 3. Arthapatti: presumption. By this means we assume an unknown fact or facts to account for some known fact or facts that are otherwise inexplicable. For example, if we know that fat Devadatta does not eat during the day, we can safely assume he must eat at night. Otherwise his stoutness is inexplicable. 4. Abhava: absence. Failing to perceive an object by means of a suitable sense is considered perception of the absence of that object. For example, a book is a suitable object for visual perception, and the eyes constitute the suitable instrument for this perception. Thus when one does not see a book on a table, one is experiencing the book’s absence. Such abhava is classified as a separate category of perception because in it there is no actual contact between the object and the sense instrument, as there would be in ordinary sensory perception. What is perceived is the object’s absence. 5. Sambhava: inclusion. This pramana is based on our common experience that a larger quantity includes some smaller quantity. For example, if we know someone possesses a hundred dollars, we automatically know he possesses one dollar, five dollars, ten dollars, and so on. This kind of reasoning, based on the principle of inclusion, is called sambhava. 6. Aitihya: tradition. This pramana is applied when some accepted fact is known by common belief or tradition but the original source of that knowledge is unknown. For instance, there is a popular belief that the Pandavas built the Old Fort in what is now New Delhi. There is no written proof or scriptural authority to support this belief, but it has been passed down for generations to the present day and is nearly universally accepted as corresponding to fact. 7. Cesta: gesture. This pramana comes into play when one learns something from a knowledgeable person’s gestures or from symbols. For instance, we may make a “V” sign with our fingers to indicate victory, or a pujari may show the Deity mudras to convey certain messages. 8. Pratyaksa: direct perception. Directly perceiving something with our senses can be the means to either valid or invalid knowledge. But only that sense perception which leads to valid knowledge should be considered pramana. Sense perception is the principal means of acquiring knowledge in this material world. Both theistic and atheistic philosophers accept pratyaksa-pramana as one of the means to valid knowledge. Direct perception is of two types—external and internal. An external perception occurs when we acquire knowledge through the senses. In an internal perception we acquire knowledge directly through the mind, as when we perceive emotions such as pain, pleasure, love, and hate. In the Bhagavad-gita (15.7) Lord Krsna lists the mind as the sixth sense (manah-sasthanindriyani). Because of our four inherent human defects, pratyaksa is not always a reliable means with which to acquire valid knowledge. For one thing, its scope is limited only to the present, since it cannot extend into the past or future. Moreover, it is limited only to material things. According to Srila Jiva Gosvami, however, perfect devotees who achieve direct perception of the Lord, His abode, and His associates through spiritual trance all have pure senses and have transcended the four defects. For such persons pratyaksa is a reliable source of knowledge because their sense perception is completely pure. Lord Krsna confirms this in the Ninth Chapter of the Bhagavad-gita (9.2) when He says that “this knowledge leads to direct realization of transcendence by experience (pratyaksavagamam).” And in the sixth chapter (Bg. 6.21) the Lord likewise assures Arjuna that in the state of transcendental trance, samadhi, a devotee acquires perfect knowledge through his purified intelligence and transcendental senses (buddhi-grahyam atindriyam vetti). This experience of pure Vaisnavas is called vaidusa-pratyaksa, and it is flawless. 9. Anumana: inference based on generalized experience. The word anumana literally means “knowing after.” Based on repeated experience or authoritative verbal testimony, one arrives at some probable general principle, called vyapti (“invariable concomitance”). One can then apply this principle in specific cases to deduce unknown facts. Inference is of two kinds, for oneself and for others. An example of inference for oneself, which is less formal, is the process of reasoning a person goes through when he repeatedly sees, in the kitchen and elsewhere, the concomitance between smoke and fire and arrives at the general principle “Wherever there’s smoke, there’s fire.” Then if he sees smoke hanging over a mountain in the distance, he may recall the principle and conclude, “There is a fire on the mountain.” Inference for others uses a five-step syllogistic formula. After arriving at an inferred conclusion for himself, a person uses this method to enable others to infer the same conclusion. The syllogistic format is as follows: 1. Proposition: There is a fire on the mountain. 2. Reason: Because there’s smoke. 3. General principle and example: Wherever there’s smoke, there’s fire, as in the kitchen. 4. Application: There is smoke over the mountain. 5. Conclusion: Therefore there is a fire on the mountain. If there is any error in perceiving the reason or any deviation in the universal generalization, the inference will be faulty and its conclusion unreliable. In the above example, if the observer mistakes clouds over the mountain for smoke or sees the smoke just after rain has extinguished the fire, his deduction that a fire is burning on the mountain will be wrong. Like pratyaksa, therefore, anumana is not a foolproof means of acquiring knowledge. 10. Sabda: revealed knowledge. Sabda literally means sound, but as a pramana it refers to articulate, meaningful sound spoken or written by an apta-purusa, a trustworthy person who is an authority on the matter in question. In its ultimate sense the term sabda refers to revealed knowledge that concerns the transcendental reality and that has come from reliable authorities free from the four human defects. This kind of sabda differs from the language used in mundane transactions, which is called pauruseya-sabda and is not always reliable. For Srila Jiva Gosvami, sabda-pramana is restricted to the revealed knowledge of the Vedas. It is called apauruseya-sabda, revealed knowledge from a superhuman source. It originated with the Supreme Personality of Godhead and is received in disciplic succession from a bona fide guru. Apauruseya-sabda is therefore the perfect pramana because it is free from the four defects. At present, people who fail to accept the authority of apauruseya-sabda-pramana generally fall into two groups: those in the first group doubt the very existence of a transcendental reality beyond the empirical world; those in the second group accept the existence of such a reality, and may even accept the principle of hearing from apauruseya-sabda-pramana as a means of knowing about it, but unfortunately they also accept one or more pauruseya sources of sabda-pramana as apauruseya. Members of the first group usually favor knowledge gained through their own sensory experience. Yet like everyone else they constantly rely on knowledge imparted to them through sound. In our practical day-to-day life we depend on knowledge transmitted from parents, teachers, books, magazines, TV, radio, and numerous experts. Hearing from authorities enhances the extent of our learning, and if we were to dispense with it we could not function in our complex modern society. Those who consider sensory experience superior to sabda forget that we gain most of our knowledge by hearing second hand or reading, not by immediate perception. Direct experience is a great teacher, but it is nonetheless severely vitiated by the four human defects, and also by the great expenditure of time it takes to acquire it. Moreover, we cannot directly experience past or future events. So even though those in the first group actually accept the principle of sabda, because the sabda they accept imparts to them only empirical knowledge and is therefore all pauruseya, they remain skeptical about the existence of transcendental reality. Ultimately, no amount of raw sensory experience or pauruseya-sabda can ever give us access to the transcendent, spiritual reality, for it is a simple fact that neither of these means is at all reliable for understanding transcendence. For that, apauruseya-sabda-pramana is our only hope. This brings us to the second group—those who accept both the existence of a transcendental reality and the principle of hearing from apauruseya-sabda-pramana to learn about it. For them, Srila Jiva Gosvami elaborately explains in the next Texts what constitutes genuine apauruseya-sabda-pramana. Unlike pratyaksa, sabda is not limited in scope only to the present time. It extends into the past and future as well. It is the most powerful tool for conveying knowledge from one person to another, especially if they are greatly separated by time or space, which is almost always the case when one wants to understand the spiritual realm. For all these reasons philosophers in virtually all of India’s orthodox traditions accept apauruseya-sabda-pramana as the flawless means for acquiring transcendental knowledge. Like other followers of India’s orthodox philosophical traditions, Srila Jiva Gosvami ssanequates sabda-pramana with the Vedas. The Vedas alone can deliver knowledge of the spiritual reality, which lies beyond all our sensory perception. As explained in the next Text, the Vedas are not human creations: they are manifest from the Supreme Lord (vedo narayanah saksat; Bhag. 6.1.40), who is free from all defects. In his Sarva-samvadini, while discussing the principle of sabda-pramana, Srila Jiva Gosvami writes: tathapi bhrama-pramada-vipralipsa-karanapatava-dosa-rahita-vacanatmakah sabda eva mulam pramanam. anyesam prayah purusa-bhramadi-dosa-mayatayanyatha-pratiti-darsanena pramanam va tad-abhaso veti purusair nirnetum asakyatvat tasya tad-abhavat. Although there are ten means of acquiring knowledge, sabda is the primary process because all other means are made unreliable by the four human defects. In all other processes it is difficult for an ordinary person to tell whether or not the knowledge gained is valid. Although different schools of philosophy accept various combinations of the ten pramanas, Srila Jiva Gosvami follows in the footsteps of Madhvacarya by accepting pratyaksa (direct perception), anumana (inference) and sabda (revealed knowledge) as the only valid means by which one can acquire knowledge and by subsuming the other pramanas under them. Pratyaksa and anumana can serve as assistants to sabda, but whenever pratyaksa and anumana contradict sabda, we should give preference to sabda-pramana. Here are some scriptural references showing the importance of these three pramanas: pratyaksam canumanam ca sastram ca vividhagamam trayam su-viditam karyam dharma-suddhim abhipsata “A person serious about executing the responsibilities of human life should try to understand the three processes of direct perception, inference, and hearing the various Vedic scriptures”(Manu-samhita 12.105). pratyaksenanumanena nigamenatma-samvida ady-anta-vad asaj jïatva nihsango vicared iha “[Lord Krsna said:] ‘By direct perception, logical deduction, scriptural testimony and personal realization one should know that this world has a beginning and an end and so is not the ultimate reality. Thus one should live in this world without attachment’” (Bhag. 11.28.9). In Srimad-Bhagavatam (11.19.17) Lord Krsna includes aitihya (tradition) with sense perception, inference, and sabda as a means of acquiring knowledge, but in fact aitihya is usually considered a kind of sabda, although not necessarily apauruseya-sabda. By accepting only three of the ten pramanas, Jiva Gosvami does not exclude the other seven. His opinion is that pratyaksa, anumana, and sabda include the other seven pramanas, as follows: Upamana, arthapatti, sambhava, and cesta are varieties of anumana; abhava is a kind of pratyaksa; and arsa and aitihya are kinds of sabda. Next Srila Jiva Gosvami explains what process is suitable for determining the visaya (the subject), the sambandha (the connection between the visaya and the words describing it), and the prayojana (the final goal).

SRI TATTVA SANDARBHA

BY SRILA JIVA GOSWAMI

[PART2]

English witness · section(s) 10

TEXT 10

tatas tani na pramananity anadi-siddha-sarva-purusa-paramparasu sarva-laukikalaukika-jïana-nidanatvad aprakrta-vacana-laksano veda evasmakam sarvatita-sarvasraya-sarvacintyascarya-svabhavam vastu vividisatam pramanam. Consequently, for us who are inquisitive about that which is beyond everything yet the support of everything—that which is most inconceivable and wondrous in nature—direct perception, inference, and so on are not suitable means of gaining knowledge. For this purpose the only suitable means is the Vedas, the transcendental words that have been the source of all mundane and spiritual knowledge passed down among all schools of thought in human society since time immemorial.

COMMENTARY The Vedas Are the Original Source of Knowledge As already noted, direct perception and inference depend on sense perception, which is limited only to empirical objects and vitiated by the four human defects. Thus direct perception and inference are inadequate by themselves for completely understanding anything beyond our senses. By tracing the chain of causes in material creation, we can infer that something exists beyond our sense perception, but inference can take us no further, leaving us unable to identify it; nor can inference yield valid knowledge about abhidheya, the process for realizing it. We can acquire such knowledge only from revealed scripture, the Vedas, which are not the creations of mortal beings and so are free from the four defects of human nature. The Vedas appeared from the Supreme Lord at the dawn of creation, a fact confirmed in the Svetasvatara Upanisad (6.8): yo brahmanam vidadhati purvam yo vai vedams ca prahinoti tasmai. “That Supreme Lord created Brahma at the beginning of creation and gave him the Vedas.” The term anadi-siddha, as used in this Text, means that the Vedas were not written at a particular date but exist eternally, like the Lord. They first manifested in this universe within the heart of Lord Brahma, the oldest created being: tene brahma hrda ya adi-kavaye (Bhag. 1.1.1); then they were handed down through disciplic succession. The Vedas provide both material and spiritual knowledge. Knowledge about such common phenomena as the trees, water, land, and sky originally came from the Vedas, along with the knowledge of the divisions of duties for various people according to their psycho-physical natures. As the Manu-samhita (1.21) states: sarvesam tu sa namani karmani ca prthak prthak veda-sabdebhya evadau prthak-samsthas ca nirmame “Lord Brahma learned the names of various objects and the duties of various classes of people from the words of the Vedas, and thus he could propagate the manifest divisions of names and duties.” Over time, there developed different cultures and languages that obscured the original Vedic culture. For acquiring transcendental knowledge, the Vedas (sabda-pramana) is the only effective means. The Vedas inform us about the soul’s existence beyond the body, about the planets of the spiritual world, and about the Supreme Lord, His pastimes, and other matters. All these subjects are beyond the reach of our sensory and mental faculties. Without the method of sabda, such philosophers as the Buddhists who do not accept the Vedas cannot justifiably say anything positive about transcendence, let alone the way to attain it. Sabda-pramana is so important that although Vaisnavas count Lord Buddha among the incarnations of the Lord on the strength of Vedic testimony, they reject His philosophy because it was not based on sabda-pramana. All orthodox schools of philosophy in India, whether monistic or dualistic, consider the Vedas apauruseya, not written by any mortal being. Many modern scholars, however, dispute the divine origin of the Vedas. They suggest various dates for the composition of the Vedas, and while most of them agree that the Vedas were composed before 1500 B.C., they disagree about the exact time of their composition. They have yet to arrive at a definitive conclusion. Here Srila Jiva Gosvami says that the Vedas are beginningless and are the source of various kinds of knowledge coming down through many schools of thought since time immemorial. The phrase sarva-purusa, “all persons” indicates that the knowledge was passed on not only by human beings but also by superhuman beings, such as the demigods and divine sages. These traditions of thought all originate with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is infallible in all respects and thus completely untainted by the four human defects. Moreover, Srila Jiva Gosvami has already shown (in TEXT 9) how unreliable are the alternatives to the Vedic authority. If, as he has established, only apauruseya-sabda can give access to transcendental reality, how could the Vedas then have been written or compiled by human beings? If Jiva Gosvami allowed that human authors composed the Vedas, he would be contradicting his own previous dismissal of human knowledge as imperfect. Those scholars who contest the apauruseya origin of the Vedas, claiming that they are human compilations, have no conclusive proof to back up their claim. Refusing to consider the Vedas' own statements about their origin and purpose, these scholars merely assume that the Vedas are not authoritative and speculate about their true origin. Their motive is clear, for accepting the Vedic version would put an end to the speculative philosophical tradition; it would oblige them to accept the Vedic description of ultimate reality. However, on account of being too attached to the speculative, or ascending, method of knowledge, such scholars and philosophers rather insist that the Vedas are of human origin, regardless of their inability to produce any proof of their claim. Indeed, the theory of the Vedas having a human author is a recent development advocated by persons who did not come in disciplic succession. They were mostly outsiders who refused to believe that India had much of importance to offer the world in the realm of philosophy and who had their own motives for minimizing the Vedic traditions. They certainly were not impartial judges of the Vedas' origin. On the other side, great scholars and saints like Sankaracarya, Madhvacarya, Ramanujacarya, Kumarila Bhatta, and Rupa Gosvami all accepted the Vedas as apauruseya and eternal. These exalted authorities are famed for their renunciation, knowledge, and selflessness. Contemporary mundane scholars who contest the divine origin of the Vedas naturally fail to place their faith in the opinions of these authorities, but, as we have pointed out, such materialistic scholars are not free from ulterior motives, nor do their character and conduct compare favorably with those of the great acaryas. Another consideration, and an important one, is that the Vedas themselves repeatedly enjoin that one who wants to understand the spiritual knowledge they teach must first approach a guru in disciplic succession. Vedic knowledge is verifiable; it is not just a collection of abstract ideas. But to realize the truth of Vedic knowledge one must approach a bona fide guru. Mundane scholars, however, tend to be proud of their textbook knowledge and flout this requirement, all the while considering themselves authorities on Vedic knowledge. In reality, by not applying themselves to this knowledge in the prescribed way they ensure that for them the door to its mysteries will ever remain locked. The attempts of these hapless scholars to understand the Vedas without joining an authorized disciplic succession are like someone’s trying to taste honey by licking the outside of a honey-filled jar. Their labor is futile and their analysis and conclusions are useless. By contrast, the great Vaisnava acaryas all became Vedic authorities by virtue of their scrupulously following the injunction to surrender to a guru coming in disciplic succession. As far as sincerity and credibility are taken into account, therefore, the evidence weighs heavily in favor of the saintly acaryas. In any case, a seriously interested person can always take up the Vedic process himself and personally verify the Vedic conclusions. Granted, this requires some effort, and it is of course much easier to offer glib speculations denying the Vedas’ authority than to discipline oneself and follow their instructions. Ultimately, however, the Vedas’ scholarly detractors can never prove their claims. sIn addition to the spiritual knowledge it contains, the Vedic literature has references to many modern scientific achievements. The Vedas have sections on astronomy, medicine, yoga, music, drama, dance, algebra, civil engineering, and so on. The list is long indeed. These are all arts and sciences that were practiced in India centuries before the dawn of their modern counterparts. His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada writes in his introduction to Srimad-Bhagavatam, “The authority of the Vedas is unchallengeable and stands without any question of doubt. The conch shell and cow dung are the bone and stool of two living beings. But because they have been recommended by the Vedas as pure, people accept them as such because of the authority of the Vedas.” It has been proven by scientific experiment that cow dung is antiseptic and medicinal. It would be simplistic, therefore, to brush aside the Vedas as manmade. Had this been the case, renowned thinkers and powerful logicians like Srila Jiva Gosvami and Srila Madhvacarya would have taken no stock in them. Still one may question the eternal nature of the Vedas on the grounds that any scriptural references in support of them will necessarily come from the Vedas themselves. In logic, citing evidence that relies on itself for proof of legitimacy is called circular reasoning and is unacceptable. The Vedas may thus appear tainted with this defect of svasraya, or begging the question, relying as they do on themselves to establish their own authority. Circular reasoning would be a serious defect, but a closer look shows that the Vedas are an exception to this fallacy. That the Vedas rely on themselves to establish their authority is not a defect; rather it is logical and sensible. It simply affirms their absolute, transcendental nature, since if some other source were needed to confirm the authority of the Vedas, the authority of that new source would surpass that of the Vedas. In such a case an inquisitive person would be obliged to discard the Vedas and begin all over again analyzing the new source’s authenticity. Before long this new source would need confirmation from yet another source. This could go on ad infinitum. But the absence of such a superior source with reference to the Vedas shows that the authority of the Vedas as apauruseya-sabda-pramana is final. Logically, therefore, no other pramana can substantiate the Vedas. And that is why the Vedas are traditionally accepted as “mother.” When a person wants to know who his father is, he cannot find out by direct perception, nor by inference or deduction. To know for sure who is father is he has to accept his mother’s testimony. We similarly have to accept the revealed knowledge of the Vedas to learn about the reality beyond our sensory and intellectual power. The theories advanced by some scholars about the Vedas’ mundane origin are unreliable and untenable because these scholars have not studied the Vedas in a bona fide disciplic succession. Because of the scholars’ four human defects and their being impelled by ulterior motive—desires for degrees, reputation, research funding, and the like—divine arrangement has barred them from gaining real insight into the Vedas. These scholars will readily admit that to understand any complex material subject one needs the help of experts in that field, but somehow they reject the necessity of a bona fide guru for understanding the Vedas. They do not know that in the case of the Vedic literature submission to a guru is an absolute requirement. This prerequisite serves as a kind of password protecting the Vedas against insincere persons who would try to exploit or refute them. In the Bhagavad-gita (7.25) the Supreme Lord affirms: naham prakasah sarvasya yoga-maya-samavrtah mudho ’yam nabhijanati loko mam ajam avyayam “I am never manifest to the foolish and unintelligent. For them I am covered by My Yogamaya, and therefore they do not know that I am unborn and infallible.” This statement is relevant both when the Lord comes to this world in person and when He reveals Himself in scripture. The Lord has given the conditioned souls the method by which they can approach Him, and that method begins with taking knowledge from a bona fide disciplic succession. Those unwilling to thus qualify themselves can have no real access to Him, even if they study the Vedas on their own for many lifetimes. In summary, owing to the absence of any conclusive refutation of the Vedas’ being apuruseya, , assaas well as on the authority of the great acaryas and saints coming in the bona fide disciplic successions, and ultimately by accepting the testimony of the Vedas themselves, we reasonably conclude that the Vedas exist eternally and are an infallible source of knowledge. Next, Srila Jiva Gosvami shows that inference cannot be an independent means for understanding the Absolute Truth.