BY: SUN STAFF
Apr 17, CANADA (SUN) —
Bhagavat Sandarbha
by Srila Jiva Goswami
SECTION SEVENTY-ONE
Vaikuntha Is Not Known To Fruitive Workers.
Sri Narada clearly states the meaning of the Sruti statement ka itha (Katha 1.2.25) to King Pracinabarhi (4.29.48):
"Those who are less intelligent accept the Vedic ritualistic ceremonies as all in all. They do not know that the purpose of the Vedas is to understand one's own home, where the Supreme Personality of Godhead lives. Not being interested in their real home, they are illusioned and search after other homes.
Those whose intelligence is smoky (dhumradhiyah) consider that the Vedas only prescribe fruitive activities. They do not know the abode (sva) of Lord Janardana. They only know the heavenly planets and so on. Yatra (lit. where) means "in the planet".
COMMENTARY
In the previous Text Srila Jiva Gosvami cited the Kathopanishad (1.2.25) to show that the Lord is situated in His transcendental abode and that fruitive workers who consider heaven as the ultimate goal do not comprehend Vaikuntha. The complete mantra is as follows:
"How can one know as to where the Lord resides, the Lord for whom both the Brahmana and the Kshatriya become food and death is the condiment."
In the previous mantra it was said that one who has bad conduct, uncontrolled senses and disturbed mind cannot attain the Lord. This verse says that such a person cannot even understand the abode of the Lord. Brahmana and Kshatriya indicate people who are following the principles of Varnasrama principle. Even they cannot know the Lord's abode if they do not give up attachment to fruitive activities. In Text 61 it was explained that such people can at most go up to Satya loka. But Vaikuntha is attained by bhakti.
In this Text he gives the meaning of the mantra by referring to Narada Muni's statement to King Pracinabarhi. Maitreya mentioned that the king was very expert in karma kanda (S.B. 4.24.9):
"My dear Vidura, Havirdhana's very powerful son named Barhisat was expert in performing various kinds of fruitive sacrifices. He was also expert in the practice of mystic yoga. By his great qualifications, he became known as Prajapati. "
Fortunately he got the association of Narada Muni who told him that one cannot achieve the ultimate goal simply by karma kanda (S.B. 4.25.4):
"My dear King, what do you desire to achieve by performing these fruitive activities? The chief aim of life is to get rid of all miseries and enjoy happiness, but these two things cannot be realized by fruitive activity."
On the king's request, Narada instructed him in transcendental knowledge by reciting the allegory of King Puranjana wherein he explained that the Lord and His abode cannot be understood by those who are attached to fruitive activities.
This statement implies that both Vaikuntha and the Lord are sat, cid, and ananda by nature. As material activities only give material result, it is not possible to reach Vaikuntha by material activity.
Dhumradhiyah refers to those who have smoky, or impure intelligence. Smoke is produced by sacrifice or other fruitive acts. Those of small intelligence get attracted by Vedic statements like (Atharvasikhopanishad 3.2)--apam somam amamritabhuma-- "We will drink soma juice by performing sacrifice and become immortal". Or, aksayyam ha vai caturmasya yajinah sukritam--"The piety of those who observe vows of caturmasya is imperishable."
Actually such statements must have a secondary meaning because nothing is imperishable in the material world. These statements allure lazy people to engage in religious acts and thus they may perform some austerity and charity. Less intelligent people, however, become attracted to such flowery statements and consider them as the be-all and end-all of the Vedas. Lord considers them less intelligent and they are called veda-vadis (B.g. 2.42,43):
"Men of small knowledge are very much attached to the flowery words of the Vedas, which recommend various fruitive activities for elevation to heavenly planets, resultant good birth, power, and so forth. Being desirous of sense gratification and opulent life, they say that there is noting more than this."
Krishna denies any eternal benefit for such selfish acts (B.g. 9.21):
"When they have thus enjoyed vast heavenly sense pleasure and the results of their pious activities are exhausted, they return to this mortal planet again. Thus those who seek sense enjoyment by adhering to the principles of the three Vedas achieve only repeated birth and death."
The real purpose of the Vedas is to know Krishna--vedaisca sarvairahmeva vedyah. Those attached to karma kanda sometimes get the mercy of a devotee and understand the real purpose of the Vedas. This happened in the case of King Pracinabarhi, who got the association of Narada. This is the real purpose behind the flowery statements of the Vedas. But in general the fruitive workers do not have proper knowledge about the transcendental Lord and His abode. This is because they remain engrossed in the material activities prescribed in the Vedas, traigunya-vishaya vedah (B.g.2.45).
In the following text Srila Jiva Gosvami gives further scriptural evidence about the transcendental nature of the Vaikuntha planet.
Go to Section Seventy-two
Return to Section Seventy
