BY: SUN STAFF
Dec 2, CANADA (SUN) —
Tattva Sandarbha
by Srila Jiva Goswami
SECTION SIX
This book should be studied by that person whose only desire is to serve the lotus feet of Lord Sri Krishna. All others are barred from reading it.
Sri Jiva Toshani Commentary
Here Srila Jiva Gosvami describes who is the qualified reader (adhikari) of Sri Shat-sandarbha. Sri Jiva is writing only for those whose sole desire is to be servants of Lord Krishna. He bars all others from reading this work. He does not bar them because he fears criticism for any defects in his work, for he is working under the order and supervision of learned vaisnavas, namely Srila Rupa and Sanatana Gosvamis, and all his statements will be based on scripture, so there is no question of any defect in it.
Rather Jiva Gosvami bars those who have no desire to engage in devotional service from reading his book out of compassion for them. In the Shat-sandarbhas he intends to establish the glories of the Supreme Personality of Godhead with great logic and force and with scriptural reference. Those non-devotee readers, who do not wish to become devotees, being unable to tolerate the Lord's glorification will be unhappy to read it. As a result they may become offensive toward the Lord and His devotees and this will only implicate them in hellish miseries. For their benefit, therefore, Sri Jiva pens this statement forbidding them to read Sri Shat-sandarbhas.
In the Bhagavad-gita, 18.67, Lord Krishna imposed a similar restriction on Arjuna:
idam te natapaskaya
nabhaktaya kadacana
na casusrushave vacyam
na ca mam yo 'bhyasuyati
"This confidential knowledge may never be explained to those who are not austere, or devoted, or unwilling to hear it, nor to one who is envious of Me."
In this anuccheda, the word eka (only) is significant. Here it means that even among those desiring to render service to Lord Krishna no one should harbor any personal ambition in his heart and thus misuse Sri Shat-sandarbha to amass profit, adoration, or distinction.
Indirectly, Srila Jiva Gosvami indicates that in Sri Shat-sandarbha he will establish service to Lord Krishna as the supreme goal of life.
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