CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Analysis of the Goal of Devotional Service (prayojana vicarah)
11.20.34 Shri Krishna to Uddhava
na kishcit sadhavo dhira
bhakta hy ekantino mama
vashchanty api maya dattam
kaivalyam apunar-bhavam
na—never; kishcit—anything; sadhavah—saintly persons; dhirah—with deep intelligence; bhaktah—devotees; hi—certainly; ekantinah—completely dedicated; mama—unto Me; vashchanti—desire; api—indeed; maya—by Me; dattam—given; kaivalyam—liberation; apunah-bhavam—freedom from birth and death.
Because My devotees possess saintly behavior and deep intelligence, they completely dedicate themselves to Me and do not desire anything besides Me. Indeed, even if I offer them liberation from birth and death, they do not accept it.
02.10.01-6 Shukadeva Gosvami to Maharaja Parikshit
shri-shuka uvaca
atra sargo visargash ca
sthanam poshanam utayah
manvantareshanukatha-
nirodho muktir ashrayah
shri-shukah uvaca--Shri Sukadeva Gosvami said; atra--in this Shrimad-Bhagavatam; sargah--statement of the creation of the universe; visargah--statement of subcreation; ca--also; sthanam—the planetary systems; poshanam--protection; utayah--the creative impetus; manvantara--changes of Manus; isha-anukathah--the science of God; nirodhah--going back home, back to Godhead; muktih--liberation; ashrayah--the summum bonum.
Shukadeva Gosvami said: In the Shrimad-Bhagavatam there are ten divisions of statements regarding the following: the creation of the universe, subcreation, planetary systems, protection by the Lord, the creative impetus, the change of Manus, the science of God, returning home, back to Godhead, liberation, and the summum bonum. (1)
dashamasya vishuddhy-artham
navanam iha lakshanam
varnayanti mahatmanah
shrutenarthena cashjasa
dashamasya--of the summum bonum; vishuddhi--isolation; artham--purpose; navanam--of the other nine; iha--in this Shrimad-Bhagavatam; lakshanam--symptoms; varnayanti--they describe; maha-atmanah--the great sages; shrutena--by Vedic evidences; arthena--by direct explanation; ca--and; ashjasa--summarily.
To isolate the transcendence of the summum bonum, the symptoms of the rest are described sometimes by Vedic inference, sometimes by direct explanation, and sometimes by summary explanations given by the great sages. (2)
bhuta-matrendriya-dhiyam
janma sarga udahritah
brahmano guna-vaishamyad
visargah paurushah smritah
bhua--the five gross elements (the sky, etc.); matra—objects perceived by the senses; indriya--the senses; dhiyam--of the mind; janma--creation; sargah--manifestation; udahritah--is called the creation; brahmanah--of Brahma, the first purusha; guna-vaishamyat—by interaction of the three modes of nature; visargah--re-creation; paurushah--resultant activities; smritah--it is so known.
The elementary creation of sixteen items of matter - namely the five elements [fire, water, land, air and sky], sound, form, taste, smell, touch, and the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, skin and mind - is known as sarga, whereas subsequent resultant interaction of the modes of material nature is called visarga. (3)
sthitir vaikuntha-vijayah
poshanam tad-anugrahah
manvantarani sad-dharma
utayah karma-vasanah
sthitih--the right situation; vaikuntha-vijayah--the victory of the Lord of Vaikuntha; poshanam--maintenance; tat-anugrahah--His causeless mercy; manvantarani--the reign of the Manus; sat-dharmah—perfect occupational duty; utayah--impetus to work; karma-vasanah--desire for fruitive work.
The right situation for the living entities is to obey the laws of the Lord and thus be in perfect peace of mind under the protection of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Manus and their laws are meant to give right direction in life. The impetus for activity is the desire for fruitive work. (4)
avataranucaritam
haresh casyanuvartinam
pumsam isha-kathah prokta
nanakhyanopabrimhitah
avatara—incarnation of Godhead; anucaritam--activities; hareh--of the Personality of Godhead; ca--also; asya--of His; anuvartinam--followers; pumsam--of the persons; isha-kathah--the science of God; proktah—is said; nana--various; akhyana--narrations; upabrimhitah--described.
The science of God describes the incarnations of the Personality of Godhead and His different activities together with the activities of His great devotees. (5)
nirodho 'syanushayanam
atmanah saha shaktibhih
muktir hitvanyatha rupam
sva-rupena vyavasthitih
nirodhah—the winding up of the cosmic manifestation; asya--of His; anushayanam--the lying down of the purusa incarnation Maha-Vishnu in mystic slumber; atmanah--of the living entities; saha--along with; shaktibhih--with the energies; muktih—liberation; hitva--giving up; anyatha--otherwise; rupam--form; sva-rupena--in constitutional form; vyavasthitih--permanent situation.
The merging of the living entity, along with his conditional living tendency, with the mystic lying down of the Maha-Vishnu is called the winding up of the cosmic manifestation. Liberation is the permanent situation of the form of the living entity after he gives up the changeable gross and subtle material bodies. (6)
02.10.07 Shukadeva Gosvami to Maharaja Parikshit
abhasash ca nirodhash ca
yato 'sty adhyavasiyate
sa ashrayah param brahma
paramatmeti sabdyate
abhasah—the cosmic manifestation; ca--and; nirodhah--and its winding up; ca--also; yatah--from the source; asti--is; adhyavasiyate—become manifested; sah--He; ashrayah--reservoir; param--the Supreme; brahma—Being; paramatma--the Supersoul; iti--thus; shabdyate--called.
The supreme one who is celebrated as the Supreme Being or the Supreme Soul is the supreme source of the cosmic manifestation as well as its reservoir and winding up. Thus He is the Supreme Fountainhead, the Absolute Truth.
03.09.41-42 Garbhodakasayi Vishnu to Brahma
purtena tapasa yajshair
danair yoga-samadhina
raddham nihshreyasam pumsam
mat-pritis tattvavin-matam
purtena--by traditional good work; tapasa--by penances; yajshaih—by sacrifices; danaih--by charities; yoga—by mysticism; samadhina—by trance; raddham—success; nihshreyasam--ultimately beneficial; pumsam--of the human being; mat--of Me; pritih--satisfaction; tat-tva-vit--expert transcendentalist; matam--opinion.
It is the opinion of expert transcendentalists that the ultimate goal of performing all traditional good works, penances, sacrifices, charities, mystic activities, trances, etc, is to invoke My satisfaction. (41)
aham atmatmanam dhatah
preshthah san preyasam api
ato mayi ratim kuryad
dehadir yat-krite priyah
aham--I am; atma--the Supersoul; atmanam--of all other souls; dhatah--director; preshthah--the dearest; san--being; preyasam--of all dear things; api--certainly; atah--therefore; mayi--unto Me; ratim--attachment; kuryat--one should do; deha-adih--the body and mind; yat-krite--on whose account; priyah--very dear.
I am the Supersoul of every individual. I am the supreme director and the dearest. People are wrongly attached to the gross and subtle bodies, but they should be attached to Me only. (42)
04.29.51 Narada Muni to King Pracinabarhi
sa vai priyatamash catma
yato na bhayam anv api
iti veda sa vai vidvan
yo vidvan sa gurur harih
sah--He; vai--certainly; priya-tamah--the most dear; ca--also; atma--Supersoul; yatah--from whom; na--never; bhayam--fear; anu—little; api--even; iti--thus; veda--(one who) knows; sah--he; vai--certainly; vidvan—educated; yah--he who; vidvan--educated; sah--he; guruh--spiritual master; harih--not different from the Lord.
One who is engaged in devotional service has not the least fear in material existence. This is because the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the Supersoul and friend of everyone. One who knows this secret is actually educated, and one thus educated can become the spiritual master of the world. One who is an actually bona fide spiritual master, representative of Krishna, is not different from Krishna.
09.04.66 Lord Narayana to Durvasa Muni
mayi nirbaddha-hridayah
sadhavah sama-darshanah
vashe kurvanti mam bhaktya
sat-striyah sat-patim yatha
mayi--unto Me; nirbaddha-hridayah--firmly attached in the core of the heart; sadhavah--the pure devotees; sama-darshanah--who are equal to everyone; vashe--under control; kurvanti--they make; mam--unto Me; bhaktya--by devotional service; sat-striyah--chaste women; sat-patim--unto the gentle husband; yatha--as.
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.
07.05.14 Prahlada Maharaja to Sanda and Amarka
yatha bhramyaty ayo brahman
svayam akarsha-sannidhau
thata me bhidyate cetash
cakra-paner yadricchaya
yatha—just as; bhramyati--moves; ayah--iron; brahman--O brahmanas; svayam--itself; akarsha--of a magnet; sannidhau--in the proximity; thata--similarly; me--my; bhidyate--is changed; cetah—consciousness; cakra-paneh--of Lord Vishnu, who has a disc in His hand; yadricchaya--simply by the will.
O brahmanas [teachers], as iron attracted by a magnetic stone moves automatically toward the magnet, my consciousness, having been changed by His will, is attracted by Lord Vishnu, who carries a disc in His hand. Thus I have no independence.
